What exactly is in the Bible? Jeff and Tyler are breaking down 6 major sections in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament to help us gain clarity when reading this amazing book. Today we turn to the Gospels and Acts. We answer questions like: Do these Gospels actually give us “the gospel”? And why does that word get so overused in our churches today?
Send questions you have about The Gospels (or anything else!) to [email protected]
[00:12] Introduction: Overview of our “messy Bible.” Getting into the Gospels.
[1:42] The Gospels are telling us “the gospel.” But that word is so often misused.
[14:00] How should we read the Gospels differently than other sections of our Bible?
[20:15] The importance of the Sermon on the Mount in relationship to the gospel.
[22:30] “Repent” is a term about “allegiance”
[25:32] The Crucifixion was Jesus’ coronation day
[28:31] The inclusion of the Book of Acts
[35:53] wrap up and application
[00:12] Overview of the 6 sections of our Bible: Torah, Prophets, Writings, Gospels, Letters, Apocalypse.
[1:42] The “gospel” is news not advice. It is the event of Jesus’ life, death and resurrections that means Jesus is now King.
Hint: it is NOT about “how I get to heaven”!
The Hebrew Bible used the term “good news” to talk about God’s reign (Isaiah 52:7)
The Roman Caesars used the term “good news” to talk about their rule.
Look at the first line of each Gospel to see what story they’re telling.
[14:00] How the Gospels stand out as we read the Bible.
The entire Hebrew Bible is a story leading us to Jesus.
The Letters and all the rest of the New Testament are building on the foundation of the Gospels.
We are used to a “didactic” style of teaching. We look for condensed statements of truth, pithy sayings, morals. We lose the brilliance of the narrative of the Gospels if we don’t allow the story to be the point.
[20:15] What was the content of Jesus’ Kingdom-gospel? The importance of the Sermon on the Mount.
Mark 1:15 Jesus says the “gospel” is that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is what Jesus taught about when he defined that Kingdom.
[22:30] “repent” is a political term about allegiance. The phrase “repent and believe” would have been heard in the ancient world as a call to change your allegiance to a new king and kingdom in your life.
The ancient historian Josephus used that language with political rebels (Life, 110).
[25:32] The heart of the gospels is crucifixion.
N.T. Wright, How God Became King?
The Gospels are writing the story about how Jesus became King. Jesus’ coronation day is his crucifixion. Completely backwards, upside-down, but it’s true!
If I follow a king who came to power by dying on the cross, then what does that mean for how I pursue power today?
[28:31] Why the Book of Acts is included in the Gospels.
The main character of Acts is Jesus, not Peter, Paul or anyone else. It should be re-titled “The Acts of Jesus and the Spirit” rather than “The Acts of the Apostles.”
Acts ends like a story without an ending… Acts 1:8 tells us that the goal was to reach “the ends of the earth.” But Acts 28 ends with Paul in Rome—which was seen as the gateway but not itself the “end of the earth!” It’s up to us to finish the story!
[35:53] Wrap up and application
Look for the character of God
