McKnight divides 1 Corinthians 15 into three parts: 15:1-2 is the introduction, 15:3-5 is the definition, and 15:20-28 is additional gospel statements” (47-48) and spends the rest of the fourth chapter of The King Jesus Gospel drawing out eight observations about Paul’s gospel from the three sections (48-56).

According to McKnight, the “authentic apostolic gospel” is “the story of the crucial events in the life of Jesus Christ” (49), namely, his death, burial, resurrection, and post-resurrection appearances (1 Cor. 15:3-5). But he highlights Paul’s point that these events were “according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3, 4) to make the point that the story of Jesus Christ follows and completes the story of ancient Israel (50).

Salvation, McKnight points out, is the “intended result” of the story of Jesus Christ who, Paul notes in 1 Cor. 15:3,  died “for our sins.” His death effected forgiveness of sins as well as reconciliation with and justification before God (52).

But the story of Jesus also includes his burial, resurrection, and post-resurrection appearances which speak to the promise of a final general resurrection and final consummation of the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15:20-28).

McKnight closes his fourth chapter with a warning that emphasizing the Plan of Salvation (upper case his) apart from the story of Jesus turns it into an account of one’s personal salvation rather than God’s salvation.

So, how did the Plan of Salvation subsume the gospel? That’s the question McKnight takes up in the next chapter.

The same five greet the Colossian church at the end of that letter (Col. 4:10-14). Epaphras, mentioned first, is especially important because he is a native Colossian and the “minister of Christ” (Col. 1:7) who established the church at Colossae (Col. 1:7-8; 4:12).

It is a bit of a surprise that the individual who is the apparent focus of Paul’s letter to Philemon isn’t introduced until almost half-way through the letter. Nevertheless, as the next post in this series will show, both the character Onesimus and the name Onesimus play important roles in the letter.

The Philemon Files — Related Posts:
The Philemon Files: Introduction
The Philemon Files: From Paul
The Philemon Files: Co-Senders
The Philemon Files: Co-Recipients

HT: Jeff Koterba, Omaha World-Herald

In the third chapter of The King Jesus Gospel, Scot McKnight says that the ignorance of many Christians about the Old Testament is evidence of how our current gospel culture (see The King Jesus Gospel — Gospel Culture) has suffocated the story of Israel and the story of Jesus.

The story of Israel (also called the story of the Bible by McKnight) is how God chose Abraham, then ancient Israel, and later the Church, to act on God’s behalf for God’s creation (p. 35). The story of Jesus completes or “brings to resolution” the story of Israel (p. 36-37). It is about Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God – a proclamation that is rooted in the story of Israel’s attempting to embody God’s intentions for them.

So, the “gospel” is more a resolution and completion of Israel’s story than it is a solution to an personal individual sin problem (p. 37). Both the story of Israel and the story of Jesus comprise what McKnight calls “the saving Story” (p. 37). But the “saving Story” is not the same as “the plan of salvation” (how a person is to respond in order to be saved). Rather, the plan of salvation emerges from the story of Israel and of Jesus.

But because the end result of the plan is salvation and not how one who is saved ought to live, it is not the gospel. It is the gospel that results in a Christian life lived in justice, righteousness, and love (p. 40).

Finally, McKnight notes that the methods employed to persuade someone to respond in order to be saved will vary by person, place, and era. Once again, however, what he calls the “Method of Persuasion” is not the gospel (he promises to have more to say about the Method of Persuasion in later chapters).

McKnight wants us to keep the story of Israel and the story of Jesus together as a unit and to keep the Plan of Salvation and Method of Persuasion together as another unit. His concern and contention is that the former has been “crushed . . . under the interpretation of the last two big ideas” and has resulted in a gospel that has lost its edge (p. 44).

All of the this leads to further questions:

• What was the original gospel?
• What was the gospel Jesus preached?
• What is the gospel of the New Testament?

These will be addressed in the next few chapters.

Related Posts:
The King Jesus Gospel – Introduction
The King Jesus Gospel–The Big Question
King Jesus Gospel – Gospel Culture

What is really of interest is that Paul’s letter to Philemon is also letter to the whole church! Paul wants Philemon, as a believer and especially as a church leader, to know that the subject of the letter is not merely a personal matter. Thus, Apphia, Archippus and the entire church will be witnesses to whatever request Paul might make of Philemon. And they will also witness Philemon’s response to Paul’s request!

Apphia, Archippus, and the church are the on-scene witnesses to Philemon’s response to Paul’s request. But the letter also identifies five others who will be witnesses from-a-distance to Philemon’s decision.

Who are they?

The Philemon Files — Related Posts:
The Philemon Files: Introduction
The Philemon Files: From Paul
The Philemon Files: Co-Senders