What Is the Gospel? (9Marks)

What is the Gospel? That's a tough question especially for someone to attempt to answer in their first attempt at a book. Greg Gilbert has had some training for sure, however, in his work with Mark Dever, so I was pretty confident that he could do it.

Actually, this is not my first experience with Gilbert answering this question. I have recently read his addendum to Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Gospel where he takes this question on and I've had the privilege to hear Gilbert speak recently on this very topic. In his addendum to the written version of the T4G2006 conference, he addressed the debate as to whether the Gospel was the announcement of the Kingdom or the message of how to enter the Kingdom. In a nutshell, he answered that it is both and that either side by itself is tragically in error. When I heard Gilbert speak, he used to book of Romans to outlines his "four crucial questions."

The questions are brought out early in this book:

1) Who made us and to whom are we accountable
2) What is our problem?
3) What is God's solution to that problem?
4) How do I come to be included in that salvation?

In this book, he does a good job showing how many passages throughout Scripture outline the gospel in the form of answering those questions. He devotes a chapter to each. First he discusses God as the Righteous Creator. With some clever satire, he shows how many Christians have reduced God to a "kind, affable, slightly dazed and needy but very loving grandfather who has wishes but no demands." Gilbert argues that in order to understand salvation, we must understand "that this loving and compassionate God is also holy and righteous, and that his is determined never to overlook, ignore, or tolerate sin."

Next, the book moves to sin. Gilbert explains the severity of sin, far beyond even the consequences of various sins one might commit. Sin is a condition; a rotting of creation, and a righteous God must judge sin.

Having covered the "bad news" Gilbert moves on to the good news: Jesus Christ the Savior. He explains the person and nature of Jesus and the significance of the doctrine of substitutionary atonement.

Next is the response of faith and repentance. Gilbert does a very good job explaining these concepts as two sides of the same coin; that to have faith is to repent. He carefully explains that true salvation will result in fruit, but that the fruit is never the cause of salvation.

Having presented the Gospel, Gilbert then goes on to discuss the Kingdom of God. He explains it in three ways: "that it is the redemptive rule of God over his people," that it has come, and that it will not be complete until Jesus returns. Ultimately he points to the church as the intended display of life of the Kingdom.

This book also contains a plea to keep the cross at the center of the message of the church. He discusses three "substitute" gospels. This is the one area of weakness that I found in this book. Its not really weak, but I would have preferred more concrete examples of where Christians have been tempted to substitute the Gospel.

Finally, Gilbert includes a challenge for his readers. First, to the non-Christian, he asks to repent and believe. To the Christian, he asks to rest and rejoice, fully believing in what Christ has done. Finally, to the church, he exhorts to speak the Gospel to the world.

As a pastor, I wish everyone in my church would read this book. It is a wonderfully simple book and pretty quick to read. However, it very precisely explains the very core of the Christian faith: the Gospel.

In Gilbert's book, What Is the Gospel?, his hope is to "offer a clear answer to that question, one that is based on what the Bible itself teaches about the gospel (20)." The author offers five other hopes from the book. First, he hopes the book "will cause your heart to swell with joy and praise toward Jesus Christ...(20)." Second, he desires the book "will give you a deeper confidence as you talk to others about the good news of Jesus (21)." Third, Gilbert hopes church life will be effected because the gospel is "proclaimed and heard in every aspect" of the church (21). Fourth, he wants the book to "shore up the edges of the gospel in your mind and heart (21)." Finally, he says, "if you're not a Christian, then I pray that by reading this book you will be provoked to think hard about the good news of Jesus Christ (22)."

The argument for Gilbert's understanding of the gospel begins with the question of authority. He unapologetically identifies the Scriptures as the place for defining the gospel. After challenging other authorities for defining the gospel, Gilbert writes, "As Christians, we believe that God has spoken to us in his Word, the Bible (26)." His methodology includes approaching, "the task of defining the main contours of the Christian gospel not by doing a word study, but by looking at what the earliest Christians said about Jesus and the significance of his life, death, and resurrection (27)."

Gilbert's explanation of the gospel looks at Paul's letter to the Romans. He brings out four crucial questions and summarizes the "heart of the gospel" with "God, man, Christ and response (31)." From this paradigm, he looks briefly at the gospel in the rest of the New Testament (32).

The paradigm of God, man, Christ and response functions as a structure for many of the remaining chapters. Towards the end the book, he defines the Kingdom of God as "God's redemptive reign (87)," then argues for keeping the cross at the center of the gospel (101-111). In the conclusion, Gilbert applies the gospel to the life of the reader by looking at the power of the gospel (113-121).

While reading Gilbert's book, one word came to mind that characterizes his topics throughout the book, and that is clarity.

Gilbert offers a clear, straightforward presentation of his understanding of the gospel. Even if the reader does not come to his conclusions on a definition of the gospel, they will appreciate being able to understand him. In defining the gospel he does not offer the reader ambiguous thoughts or complex ideas of the gospel. He is refreshingly uncomplicated in the book. A part of the clarity offered is the contrast to other definitions of the gospel (103-109). His clarity on the gospel is helpful for new believers growth in the gospel (21) and aids in his evangelistic goals of the book (22).

Second, I appreciate his clarity on repentance and on the issue of sin. In a section titled "Not Just Them, but Us," Gilbert addresses four different aspects where sin has either been confused or reduced (51-54). The author goes to great lengths to push back against many views espoused by evangelicals. For example, Gilbert writes, "Another misunderstanding of sin is to say that it's just a matter of negative thinking...however you spin it, to say that Jesus Christ died to save us from negative thoughts about ourselves is reprehensibly unbiblical (53)." Providing the reader with a proper understanding of our sin before a holy God moves the reader's "heart to swell with joy and praise" when they think about the gospel of Jesus Christ (20).

As stated above, Gilbert begins with the issue of authority. I am grateful for Gilbert's desire to be biblical when defining the gospel. The contrast with other ways of deriving a gospel definition moves the reader to value the importance of turning to the Word of God for a correct understanding of the gospel (25). Additionally, not simply assuming everyone begins in the same spot sets the stage for an evangelical view of the gospel.

One of the most fruitful parts of the book is Gilbert's application of the gospel to the Christian. He asks, "Why does this gospel not permeate, all the time and all the way to the bottom, my relationships with my wife and children, my coworkers and friends and fellow church members (115)?" This reflects the idea that the gospel is for Christians too. It also serves to "shore up the edges of the gospel" in the believers heart and mind (21). Many evangelicals think the gospel is only for those who need to be "converted." However, since Gilbert applies the gospel to Christians, we are reminded that the gospel is for everyone!

Despite the clarity of his presentation and many other great things about Gilbert's book, I do find a few problems with his methodology and thus some conclusions. It should be noted that even if the reader holds a similar definition of the gospel, they should still be concerned with several issues regarding his methodology.

One fundamental disagreement I have with the book is where Gilbert begins in defining the gospel. Although I appreciate the author not limiting his gospel definition to word studies, I disagree with him beginning in Paul's letter to the Romans. One wonders if the Bible consists of any other book besides Romans. A better methodology, in my opinion, is to begin with the Old Testament or with Jesus and the Gospels. Gilbert doesn't consider what the original hearers of Jesus are thinking when they hear, "repent, and believe in the gospel (Mk. 1:14)." Would Jesus' hearers or those in the Old Testament think of the gospel in categories of God, man, Christ, response? Would they have thought of Jesus' death for sin as the complete gospel? This does not mean the gospel is only what Jesus meant or only what the OT writers meant. However, this thought should influence our idea of how we define the gospel. Gilbert leaves himself at a disadvantage by skipping over the vast majority of the biblical witness to the gospel.

Gilbert's methodology includes extrapolating principles of what he believes Paul is saying in Romans (31). In other words, he doesn't go to the clear presentation of the "gospel" first, then go to other places where he can extrapolate gospel principles. He begins by drawing out concepts and using his conclusions as a paradigm for interpreting the clear passages where "gospel" is used (31). I agree with Gilbert in moving beyond mere "word studies" of "gospel" and looking where the concept appears (27). However, we do not have to necessarily begin the either/ or approach he is insisting on. As we look for the concept, we should also go to where the word is stated. Both word and concept should inform our methodology.

Another disadvantage of Gilbert's methodology is found in his extrapolation of principles from Romans 1-4. He is forced to conclude that any other text that does not line up with his principles, from Romans 1-4, is not really talking about the gospel. Since Gilbert has set the stage for what he believes the gospel is - not by first looking at the totality of Scripture, but by looking at a select portion of Scripture (Rom. 1-4) - then no matter what another text contributes to our understanding of the gospel, it is automatically deemed "not a gospel text."

This methodological error is seen clearly in his discussion of Acts 17 when he says, "Paul's sermon...is often cited as a model for preaching the good news to a pagan culture (35)." Gilbert continues, "Look at it carefully and you start to realize that Paul doesn't really proclaim the good news of Christ at all, just the bad news!" Gilbert then walks through Acts 17, including verse 31, trying to demonstrate that Paul is not really preaching the gospel. He writes, "There's no mention of forgiveness, no mention of the cross, and no promise of salvation - just a declaration of God's demands and a proclamation of the resurrection as proof of his coming judgment (36)!" With this statement we see the bias his methodology has forced upon the readers.

Even though he cites Acts 17:31 where Paul says, "For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead," he does not conclude Paul is proclaiming the gospel. Jesus' resurrection is good news and the fact that he will judge the world with justice is also good news. Gilbert might insist that this understanding is not the "complete gospel." Nevertheless, this conclusion would be based upon his extrapolated (and limited) principles from Rom. 1-4. If we allow the biblical writers to define the gospel how they want, then Paul is indeed proclaiming the gospel in Acts 17.

My discussion on Gilbert's methodological error can also be applied to his conclusions on the "heart" of the gospel. His paradigm for determining the "heart" of the gospel is loaded with presuppositions that one can determine the "heart" of the gospel based on Rom. 1-4 and his principles derived from that text. If we expand our pool of biblical texts to determine the "heart" of the gospel, we will find a fuller concept to the "center of the gospel" than what Gilbert offers.

Even if Gilbert's decision to begin with Paul's letter to the Romans is warranted, he completely skips the first words said about the gospel in the epistle. Paul clearly presents the gospel in Rom. 1:1-6 and Gilbert simply calls his words "introductory remarks...(28)." Gilbert's paradigm for understanding which texts are about the gospel will exclude Rom. 1:1-6 because Paul does not mention Jesus' "death for sins." However, this is getting the cart before the horse because Paul explains "the gospel of God" in Rom. 1:1-6. Paul says the gospel of God is the promise of God through the Scriptures that His Son, who is a descendent of David, will come in flesh and resurrect from the dead. This is the gospel Paul has been called and set apart for service. Does this mean Jesus' "death for sins" is not a part of the gospel? No! It simply means the New Testament writers do not limit their definition of the gospel to Gilbert's principles in Rom. 1-4.

In the "Introduction" of the book, Gilbert lists several hopes he wishes to accomplish with the book. As my remarks above demonstrate, he does a good job in fulfilling those hopes. I appreciate his clarity on sin, repentance and his understanding of the gospel. However, I am concerned with his methodology and would expect a broader use of Scripture to determine his definition. As stated above, even if one agrees with his conclusions, you expect a careful consideration of how we derive our definition of the gospel.

Give this to newly Christians, unbelievers, those seeking to know the message of scripture—the gospel. This is a good starting point. I’ve studied the gospel a lot lately and was led here by Paul Washer.

I think chapters 6 & 7 could have been a little better used but for its purpose it does well. Greg doesn’t assume the reader is gonna have his nose in a lot of other books on the gospel and theology. He uses lots of analogy and anecdotes that simplify things.

I happily recommend this to anyone. This is better than a 20 page tract for the ground it covers. Every Christian ought to know these truths—after all it is our honor to proclaim its message

What is the gospel? One would expect this question to have a short, simple answer, considering that Christians everywhere devote themselves to proclaiming "the gospel" (the word means "good news"). We proclaim the gospel because Jesus did it (Mark 1:14-15). We proclaim the gospel because Jesus told us to do it (Mark 16:15). We proclaim the gospel because Paul told us it is the power of salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16). We proclaim the gospel because Peter told us it is the means by which the spiritually dead may live holy lives by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 4:6). So... what is the gospel?

As Gilbert quickly shows us, the answer to this question may not be as simple as we might expect. He tells us: "Ask any hundred self-professed evangelical Christians what the good news of Jesus is, and you're likely to get about sixty different answers." He then shares just twelve examples (many of which are mutually exclusive) of definitions of "the gospel" taken from various evangelical websites, books, and ministry publications. The fact that these definitions are mutually exclusive means that they can't all be right... which means that at least some (if not many) self-professed evangelical Christians are wrong about the "evangel" -- the gospel.

Because of this fact, a book like this one has been desperately needed. Gilbert moves quickly but clearly through what the Bible tells us about the greatest news anyone could ever hear. To do this, though, he backs up to provide the context for our understanding of the gospel.

He begins by defending the authority of the Bible. Without the Bible, there is no gospel. But the Bible has no authority unless it is entirely and inerrantly true. Thus, we must believe everything the Bible tells us about the gospel, or nothing at all. We can't pick and choose.

Next is the reasoning for God's authority. As our Creator, He has the divine right to make up the rules, and to hold us accountable to them. Again, we don't get to pick and choose what we believe about God. We must believe what the Bible says about Him. So while He is indeed a God of love and mercy (no one has a problem with these attributes) He is also a God of holiness and judgment. Contrary to the teaching of many popular preachers, judgment of sin and sinners is not incompatible with love and mercy. If fact, it is precisely because God loves righteousness that he must judge and condemn sin.

The next step in this systematic examination of the gospel message is the Fall of Man. God created man in a state of righteousness and relationship with Himself, but Adam screwed up. He chose to disobey God's will, condemning the entire human race to lives of sin and separation from God. Furthermore, each and every human who has ever lived -- save One! -- has compounded this guilt by continuously sinning against a holy God. For this, each and every man, woman, and child deserves death and eternal separation from our Creator.

So far, all we've got is bad news...

But praise God! He has offered us a Way to be reconciled in our relationship with Him! He has offered a Way for us to be judged for our sin and found Not Guilty! Knowing what we know about God's holiness and man's sin, the pursuit of this Way and its proclamation to the world ought to be our singular pursuit in this life, should it not?

Gilbert shows us in Scripture why it was necessary for Christ to die for our sins. Why He was the only possible Way for a holy God to overlook our sins and declare us innocent. Why Jesus had to be both fully God and fully man. Why we cannot contribute anything at all to our own salvation. Why His death would have meant nothing for us if He had not risen from the grave and ascended to Heaven. This is the very "heart of the gospel", yet each of these Truths are denied by many professing Christians! To profess the true gospel, however, we must profess the entire gospel. Leaving out any part of it leaves us with only bad news.

Following this description of Christ's work and the redemption it accomplished, Gilbert shows us the Christian's appropriate (and inevitable) response: faith & repentance. These are "two sides of the same coin"; we cannot have one without the other. Our works do not save us, but they are the evidence of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. A saved person WILL bear fruit. This fruit is the renunciation and hatred of our sin, and a total commitment to relying on God's power to live as we are called, even in the face of suffering and persecution.

But what benefit is it to the Christian to endure this suffering and persecution? We endure because we look forward to the promise of the kingdom of God and the blessings that come with it. Gilbert shows us that this kingdom is really more of a kingship; it is "God's redemptive rule, reign, and authority over those redeemed by Jesus." This is a kingdom that is both already and not yet here. That is, it is partially fulfilled right now, and we share in some of its blessings in this life. We already have fellowship with the Holy Spirit and the Church. Satan is already bound (but not yet destroyed; Matthew 12:29). We are already adopted into God's family (Romans 8:15). We are already raised and seated on high with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). But the ultimate fulfillment of the kingdom is yet future. Christ is coming again, and when He does, sin, death, and Satan will be finally destroyed. We will spend eternity in perfect fellowship with God and all the saints (Revelation 22:4-5). There will be no more suffering or sorrow (Revelation 21:4). This is our great hope (Titus 2:13)!

The last two chapters deal with ways in which many professing believers substitute something that is less than the gospel in place of the true gospel. Three examples (though there are more) are (1) "Jesus is Lord" -- the teaching that God is supreme ruler and judge, with no mention of the redeeming work of the cross; (2) "Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation" -- the teaching that God created the world "good", that the relationship of man with God is broken, and that God is coming again to repair that relationship and restore the goodness of creation, with the exclusion of how this is accomplished and how man can be included in that restoration; and (3) "Cultural Transformation" -- the teaching that our ultimate purpose is to change the world by following Jesus' example, as opposed to finding our ultimate fulfillment in the transforming work of Christ. The common thread in each of these particular examples is that they are all partially true. Jesus is Lord. The Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation narrative is a good outline of the Bible's main story line. We are called to live holy lives as modeled by Jesus Christ, resisting evil and promoting good in our culture. However, when the stumbling block of the cross is removed, we remove the only possible bridge between God and Man.

This is contrasted in the final chapter with a display of the power of the true gospel. The gospel message can, does, and will change the world! It begins in the heart of every believer, causing us to repent of our sins, believe in Christ, rest in the assurance of our salvation, love Christ's people, love the lost, long for the Lord's return, and proclaim the gospel until He does!

As it turns out, the gospel really is quite simple. However, simple does not equal easy. The radical message of redemption requires a cost that we don't want to pay, so we seek ways to make the gospel "comfortable" or "relevant" for our lives and our culture. This is no gospel at all. Thank the Lord for His infinite wisdom and mercy in providing the true gospel, and revealing it in its simplicity in the Scripture! May He anoint each of us with power from the Holy Spirit to live our lives in the shadow of the cross, and to proclaim the gospel to our neighbors and all nations!

For so long, the gospel of God has been assumed in our churches. We now stand on the cusp of the gospel being denied from those who grew up in church and yet was never taught the fullness of the gospel and the full council of the Bible. Nevermind, the true gospel being scoffed at from the unbeliever--we know that would happen. We now have the gospel assumed or even worse yet, taught something that is the gospel is not: namely, Jesus is a good example, Jesus is just a Lord, Jesus provides wealth, health and prosperity or we have to take the part of God and make all things right by him by transforming our world.

By God's providence and will, we now see a small yet vocal group of Western churches boldly proclaiming the gospel (the rest of the world like China or all throughout Africa is years ahead in proclamation of the gospel). This is wonderful. In turn, many other churches are catching wind and claim to proclaim the gospel as well.

What I have experienced is the word gospel being tossed around but I yearn for teachers, preachers and saints to dive right in and explain the gospel of God. More than that, when pressed to explain the gospel, I see too many other Christians with their deer-in-highlights expressions as if to say, "please don't pick me to answer that question." I don't say that to criticize the saints but to extend grace to them because those who are called to office have not done a great job equipping them to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16).

We haven't done a great job before. Instead of kicking ourselves of sucking, now is the time to turn the ship around. Martin Luther makes the call, "Beat the gospel into their heads continually." First, we must clearly and simply answer the question:

What is the gospel?

Those who are called to equip, answer this question and teach the answer to the saints. To the saints, go forth and proclaim this Truth of truths to the captives, the blind, the deaf, the sick and the dead that is there is One who has brought freedom, sight, sound, health and life!

Buy this book. Study the verses well. Led by the Holy Spirit, repackage and teach this well. Buy a case and give it away.

With His blood, He has saved me
By His power, He has raised me.
To God be the glory
For the things he has done

Gilbert's book has a significance that far exceeds its physical dimensions. I don't say that because Gilbert covers any radically new ground. As a matter of fact one of the strongest aspects of the book is that the author stays so tightly focused on a Biblically-established course. In remarkably concise fashion Gilbert moves from categories familiar to most Christians: What Does the Bible Say to God the Creator to Fall of Man to Jesus the Savior to The Appropriate Response (you can see the Creation > Fall > Redemption categories clearly here, a fact Gilbert acknowledges).

What I find remarkable is that Gilbert can cover fairly well-worn grown in a way that doesn't seem derivative or copy-cat yet still communicate grand truths in a very conversational way. (As I have always admired Mark Dever's ability to do this very thing I was not surprised to read at the end of the book that Gilbert considers Dever his mentor. I'm more than a little jealous, by the way.) I would be very comfortable putting this book in the hand of unbelievers, young Christians, and mature believers - as a matter of fact I plan to do that very thing. Again, the text is very accessible and direct yet covers all the ground that I would hope would be contained in a book bearing the title What is the Gospel?

After walking us through the categories mentioned above Gilbert takes a minute to touch on what it means to live as a Christian (the Kingdom), why it is important to say Cross-centered in our thinking and speaking about the Gospel, and finally a closing word about the power of the Gospel. These elements too are not novel but do present some of the fundamental implications of the gospel in a fresh way.

So who do I recommend this book to? Honestly, anyone who speaks English. I read an unfavorable review on Amazon (note: the only one) that accused Gilbert of taking too long to get to the gospel and assuming a church context that is not readily understandable. I wonder if this reviewer read the same book I did. From beginning to end there is rich, gospel-centered truth that is as accessible (actually, more so) than the local newspaper. Yes, there is a discussion of the church (what do you expect from a 9 Marks book, particularly one about the Gospel) but nothing that is foreign or strange to a reader even remotely familiar with Western culture.

For the Pastor please take a minute to read this. It will remind and confirm and refresh you in the truths of the Gospel, a renewal we all need. Then, pastor, go buy a bunch to give out to your church. The Bible clearly indicates that the gospel isn't the introductory course in discipleship, one to be learned then set aside to go to deeper topics. We need to hear the gospel regularly and repeatedly. We need to think about the gospel and its implications. We need to talk about the gospel with believer and unbeliever alike. This book will contribute to all those things. Furthermore, putting it in the hands of your congregation will not only encourage thought and conversation on the gospel but I dare say that if your membership roll isn't as regenerate as it should be you will see fruit in conversion as well. What I just wrote is entirely applicable to the lay Christian as well. As for me I find myself sometimes the object of curiosity when someone, whether family or new acquaintance, asks about my job as a minister. From now on when someone asks me what it is that I believe as a minister guess which book I'll put in their hands first?

Is there a need for a book that simply,clearly,accurately yet profoundly presents the Biblical gospel?Mr.Gilbert gives examples of what some self professed evangelical Christians think the gospel is.When you read the responses (or if you ask some self professed evangelical Christians yourself)you will understand the need for this book.
The chapter titles give the seed of the content of 'the gospel':Chap.1 'Finding the gospel in the Bible'-The Bibles authority and the source of God's revelation of Himself and His creation.Chap.2'God the righteous creator'-God's character and right to rule over His creation.Chap.3 'Man the sinner'-The rebellion of man against the rule of his Holy creator and the consequences of that rebellion(God's judgement of sin).Chap.4 'Jesus Christ the Saviour'-The Lord's provision of a way of escape for His rebellious creatures.Chap.5 'Response-Faith and Repentance'-The necessary response to God's provision of a saviour.Chap.6 'The Kingdom'-The Lord's rule is restored to those who embrace the saviour(They submit to King Jesus).chap.7 'Keeping the cross at the center'-Living for the saviour and following His example.Keeping the cross central addresses mans greatest need.Chap.8'The power of the gospel'-The gospel does not potentially save anyone but actually saves all who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus and this chapter gives a clarion call to those who are not Christians to do just that.
There must be a clear understanding of what faith and repentance are if we are to know and believe 'the Biblical gospel'.The author gives a concise but through explanation of faith and repentance.Here are some of his insightful thoughts on repentance p.81 "Repenting of sin doesn't necessarily mean that you stop sinning-certainly not altogether,and often not in particular areas,either.Christians are still fallen sinners even after God gives us new spiritual life,and we will continue to struggle with sin until we are glorified with Jesus(see,e.g.Gal.5:17;1John2:1).But even if repentance doesn't mean an immediate end to our sinning,it does mean that we will no longer live at peace with our sin." There is a continual warfare against sin in the life of every believer until the day they die.
'What is the Gospel?' fills a huge void that existed before its publication.It gives us an accurate Biblical presentation of 'the gospel' without getting sidetracked with other Biblical doctrines.

Gilbert packs the basics of the gospel message in this small booklet. Its not very deep and for more depth I would recommend "The Gospel According to Jesus" and Paul Washer's books on the Gospel, but the focus of Gilbert's book was not a in-depth study of the Gospel, but a brief and to the point focus of the Gospel. Gilbert does not dodge the reality of man's sinful condition, man's destination in hell, nor does he dodge the core issue of FAITH AND REPENTANCE that so many gospel preachers miss today. He also hits on the power and sufficiency of the Gospel and it being enough to change lives. So many authors these days & books (one example is called "The Hole in Our Gospel") think that "moralism" is the answer to people coming to faith as they take verses like "let your light shine before men" and "you are the salt of the earth" too far and conclude people will come to faith solely by our example. This is not true as the Bible is clear about God granting people faith and repentance and turning them from darkness to light (Eze 36:26, 2 Cor 4:6). So overall a great synopsis of the gospel and a great book to pass out.

What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert is a short book of only 120 some odd pages, that I read in one sitting. But while its physical length may be short, it is in no way short on substance. This is one of those books that accomplishes in a very few pages, what countless others with two or three times as many pages have failed to do, and that is to draw attention to the white-hot core of the essentials of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And Gilbert does so in very understandable terms, in part by drawing comparisons between the TRUE Gospel and some of the mutations that have developed over the last couple of thousand years, with most of those springing up in the last couple of dozen.

This is an excellent book for both the Christian and the unsaved alike. It will be useful for the "mature" Christian and the person who has just recently experienced the life changing experience of Godly regeneration.

I know something of Gilbert's background in terms of seminary education and the church where he currently serves. To his credit, he focuses on the real essentials of the Gospel and does not even make a slight pass by any of the doctrinal or practical distinctives that I know he embraces, but which would cause some to regard this book as flowing from a particular theological stream of modern Christianity or a particular denomination within the church, and thus be suspect of partisanship or bias. But, again to Gilbert's credit, you would not expect to find those sorts of doctrinal or practical influences in a book that serves to answer the question: "What is the Gospel?"

Read this book!

What is the Gospel is a fantastically, clear, concise, articulate and engaging little book! What is so engaging is that Gilbert begins the book by presenting multiple views of the Gospel by "self-proclaimed evangelicals." As you read each point, you may recognize some of these popular explanations. With this "fog of confusion," Gilbert begins his book explaining man's sinfulness, Jesus atoning work at the cross and moves into the topic of conversion (faith and repentance).

I think this would make a great book for new believers who want a clear understanding of the Gospel and older believers who need the reminder to live a Gospel centered life. This book would also be excellent for a discipleship class on evangelism. It presets clearly what to communicate to others in a sea of confusion.

Here is one my of favorite quotes where Gilbert presents the Gospel, "You can live like Jesus lived all you want, but unless you have come to the crucified King in repentance and faith relying on Him alone as the perfect sacrifice for your sin and your only hope for salvation, you're neither a Christian nor a citizen of His kingdom."

Buy it, read it, pass it along to your friends and teach from it. I cannot recommend Gilberts book more highly for understanding and comprehending the Gospel!