The Gospel
Here at Addison Street Community Church we cherish the gospel. It's the lens through which we view every aspect of life. And therefore our worship experiences and ministries are all focused on the central figure in the gospel message—Jesus Christ.
One of the most concise and crystallized expressions of the gospel (which means 'good news') comes at the end of a letter called 1 Corinthians:
"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve."
1 Corinthians 15:1-5 (ESV)
Don Carson, a trusted evangelical clarifies what the gospel is with eight words:
1. Christological // Meaning, the gospel centers on the person and work (the life, death, and resurrection) of Jesus Christ.
2. Theological // The gospel tells us that sin is first and foremost an offense against God and that salvation is first to last the action of God, not our own.
3. Biblical // The gospel is essentially the message of the whole Bible.
4. Apostolic // The gospel is passed on to us by Jesus’ disciples as authoritative eyewitnesses.
5. Historical // The gospel is not philosophy or advice on how to find God, but rather news of what God has done in history to find and save us.
6. Personal // The gospel must be personally believed and appropriated.
7. Universal // The gospel is for every tongue, tribe, people, and individual.
8. Eschatological // The gospel includes the good news of the final transformation of all things, not just the blessings we enjoy in this age.
(These eight words are from Carson’s keynote address delivered at The Gospel Coalition’s inaugural conference in May of 2007.)
One of the most concise and crystallized expressions of the gospel (which means 'good news') comes at the end of a letter called 1 Corinthians:
"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve."
1 Corinthians 15:1-5 (ESV)
Don Carson, a trusted evangelical clarifies what the gospel is with eight words:
1. Christological // Meaning, the gospel centers on the person and work (the life, death, and resurrection) of Jesus Christ.
2. Theological // The gospel tells us that sin is first and foremost an offense against God and that salvation is first to last the action of God, not our own.
3. Biblical // The gospel is essentially the message of the whole Bible.
4. Apostolic // The gospel is passed on to us by Jesus’ disciples as authoritative eyewitnesses.
5. Historical // The gospel is not philosophy or advice on how to find God, but rather news of what God has done in history to find and save us.
6. Personal // The gospel must be personally believed and appropriated.
7. Universal // The gospel is for every tongue, tribe, people, and individual.
8. Eschatological // The gospel includes the good news of the final transformation of all things, not just the blessings we enjoy in this age.
(These eight words are from Carson’s keynote address delivered at The Gospel Coalition’s inaugural conference in May of 2007.)