Comments on: Carson on the Gospel and Social Action

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:44:53 +0000

I would encourage you to listen to Dr. Tim Keller's recent discussion on this subject at http://www.ihopecommunity.org He does a marvelous job of understanding the Gospel and the overflow of embracing Grace is giving grace to others–check out his messages and outline

By: Jonathan Dodson

Jonathan Dodson — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:46:15 +0000

Yes, thanks Andy! Some good wisdom and great points made here; however, very little biblical argumentation for why social action is not part of the Gospel.

I get the warnings, but what about certain texts, and the drift of biblical theology that articulates the gospel in terms of the reign of Christ? If the reign is cosmic, then doesn't society and social needs fall under this gospel?

I am also curious about Carson's exegesis of Luke 4/Isaiah 61, where we locate "gospel language" within a broader redemptive-historical framework to discover that the good news is socially oriented in care for the poor and repair of cities?

We need more exegesis on passages like this to clarify whether or not social action is an implication of the Gospel or part of the gospel itself. If social action is a part, it doesn't follow that it is the whole of the gospel, heading off a strictly social reading of the Gospel.

By: Phil

Phil — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:35:45 +0000

"Unless you are a strong and dogmatic postmillennialist, the aim of the Christian is not the transformation of society."

That's not true. All that is needed is a robust view of Christ's reign over the nations/cultures today as in the Westminster Confession (1647). The future timeline is irrelevant in that case.

By: Andrew Faris

Andrew Faris — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:51:02 +0000

Good stuff.

This subject is the reason that I asked IVP for a review copy of Stott's Christian Mission in the MOdern World, which was re-released last year. I plan on reviewing it soon, but that's another place I'd look for some very well thought through discussion of this same matter.

Andrew

By: JohnO

JohnO — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:27:42 +0000

I think Bonhoeffer's treatment of the ultimate and penultimate can really help Christian thought on this topic.

By: jrsheets

jrsheets — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:44:07 +0000

Key note: "And if you preach on hell, those who are interested in only the social gospel won't want to have anything to do with you."

So true.

By: Warrick Farah

Warrick Farah — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:06:39 +0000

Thanks Andy for taking the time to write this out. I have also posted about this issue from the international missions perspecitve: Church Planting or Development? Word and Deed in Biblical Balance‎

It is insightful of Carson to mention that one way to preserve the gospel-focus is to "preach hell."