The Gospel of the Apostles, Part One: Horton Takes Manhattan III

To review:

According to Horton, it is an error “to define ‘the gospel’ as something other than the specific announcement of the forgiveness of sins and declaration of righteousness solely by Christ’s merits.”  Had he said, it was an error to deny these truths in the Gospel, he would have been on firmer ground.  But Horton’s claim (lets not ask what his intentions are or his reasons) does not simply mean that one should not make common cause with the Roman Catholics and Orthodox regarding the content of the Gospel and therefore should not sign documents with them appealing to it.  The claim consigns everyone, including every Evangelical and Reformed believer, who defines the Gospel as broader than that specific announcement, to the category of people in error who compromise the Gospel.

In fact, I believe it narrows the Gospel-believers to the point to which the Apostles could not be included.  Which brings us to Acts (gospel / preach or bring good news, evangelize).

Acts 15 was rather important to the church’s understanding of “the Gospel” (assuming, of course, that Scripture is infallible, which is a premise of this series). In that debate, Peter makes his last appearance in the book of Acts, and contributes, in Luke’s narrative, positively to the Church council.  This is what Luke writes:

And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.”

So, since Luke records the event to which Peter refers, and since he tells us what word Peter actually spoke to them, it would be good to read Peter’s message to see what content counts as “the Gospel.”  From Acts 10

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

So:

First, Paul realizes that the human-made laws of Jewish piety that he was taught are actually ungodly.  God never wanted that sort of separation between believing Jews and god-fearing Gentiles like Cornelius.  Everyone who does what is right has been accepted by God.  And there is no indication here that “anyone who fears him and does what is right” refers to a hypothetically sinless man who doesn’t exist.  Paul is simply referring to those who believe in the true God rather than in pagan idols.

Second, Jesus came to Israel as the Lord of the world.  He proved it by 1) performing healing miracles, 2) being raised from the dead after being rejected by Israel’s leadership.

Third, Jesus commissioned ambassadors to preach him.

Fourth, they are to preach that Jesus will judge the living and the dead.

Fifth, all who entrust themselves to Jesus will receive forgiveness for their sins.

What is noteworthy is the similarity between this message and Peter’s preaching in Acts 2, except that then he also promised the Holy Spirit and exhorted the crowd to be baptized.  Here it is not clear he is prepared to make such an offer, demand, promise, but the Holy Spirit takes the decision out of his hands.

So, returning to Acts 15, the Jerusalem council makes a declaration to clarify and defend the Gospel saying:

The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

So, are you willing to agree with God’s word that this clarifies and defends the Gospel?  It works perfectly with Peter’s sermon.  He says, “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”  The Jerusalem Council reiterates, “it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”  Is this a Gospel council or the Council of Trent?

And just as the Council includes abstaining from fornication, so the Manhattan Declaration declares that homosexual perversion cannot be included in the definition of marriage.  Why is this a problem?

Well, we’re not done with Acts yet.  Let’s look at Acts 14:

Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news [or “we evangelize you”], that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

Got that? The Gospel is the call to obey the First and Second Commandments.  While I can see these being more central, I don’t see any reason Numbers 7 and 8 in the Decalogue can never, in principle, be counted as Evangelism as well.  Jesus is Lord and he demands we turn from idols and our idolatrous ways to him and his discipleship.

Nothing here is compatible with saying that the Gospel is only “the specific announcement of the forgiveness of sins and declaration of righteousness solely by Christ’s merits.”  In fact, one finds precious little, if any, atonement theology, as Evangelicals usually think of it, at all.

This is long so I will continue with more of Acts at a later date.

3 thoughts on “The Gospel of the Apostles, Part One: Horton Takes Manhattan III

  1. Pingback: Mark Horne » Blog Archive » Realizing I’ve heard that before: Horton Takes Manhattan 1.5

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