I really like what Ted Johnston—a pastor through whom I have learned a lot through emails since 1995 — has shared recently in his blog. Here’s an excerpt of that:

“Time and again, Scripture proclaims that what God has done (through the incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of his Son, and the outpouring at Pentecost of the Holy Spirit) transforms all humanity. Here are some of the verses of Scripture speaking to this: Romans 5:15,18; Romans 6:10-11; 2Corinthians 5:14-19; Ephesians 1:3-10, Ephesians 2:4-9; Colossians 1:19-20, Colossians 3:1-4, 11; 1Timothy 2:5-6.”

“I hasten to add that we do not rely on select ‘proof texts’ for this understanding. Rather, we must take into account the full story of God and humanity told in Scripture, by which we come to know Jesus for who he is, and for what he has done; and the effect this has on all of humanity (and, indeed, the whole cosmos). The above cited verses give a brief summation of this stunning truth, which is the “scarlet thread” that runs through and gives coherence to all Scripture. The ancients refer to this thread as ‘the rule of faith.'”

The starting point in understanding what the Bible is all about is to find out who Jesus is, the Word of God and the Creator of all humanity and all of creation. Just like the Apostle Paul on his way to Damascus, we should also ask: “Who are you Lord?” And the accompanying question we should also ask is, “Who am I Lord?” “Why am I here on earth?” “Why was I born?” “What for?”

Jesus Christ is the lens through which we could understand Scripture. Knowing who Jesus Christ really is and knowing who we are in him will open our eyes to the truth. God loves you and me. Christ has already reconciled us to God. Let us respond to God’s invitation to come to him. This is truly good news!

Some years ago, I attended a gathering of top evangelical leaders in the country. Many evangelical leaders who were national leaders in their respective denominations, mission agencies and other Christian organizations were there. What was interesting to me during that conference was the message of the main speaker, Dr. Fred Magbanua, a well-known evangelist in the evangelical community.

He said that what was lamentable in the evangelical community was the serious lack of apologists among us. Evangelical seminaries were not producing as much as it ought to, according to the guest speaker. And he showed the facts. Preachers like Eli Soriano, Apollo Quiboloy and others like them were relentlessly recruiting and influencing our members in droves. The Filipino masses all over the country and abroad are being bombarded with their false gospel and faulty theology while the evangelical community remains meek and quiet as a lamb. Essentially, that’s what the guest speaker said.

Wanted: Apologists

“Are there no apologists among us?” That was the lament of the guest speaker. What is an apologist anyway? Well, according to one dictionary, it means “a person who makes a defense in speech or writing of a belief, idea, etc.”

The example of Irenaeus as an apologist is a good one. He was one of the early Christian leaders during the early centuries of the Church. He was a student of Polycarp who was a student of the Apostle John, the last of the original apostles who lived and died around A.D. 100.

During the time of Irenaeus (died A.D. 202) he was grieved at the spread of false gospels and heretical ideas and therefore he fought and preached against it and wrote his book, Against Heresies.

Shall Evangelicals Just Stand Still?

Shall we just keep quiet then when false gospels are spreading around influencing wrongly the minds of our church members? The virus of false gospels and wrong theologies are also spreading on the internet. Shall we just stand still while our flock are being brought to the slaughter? Shall we not protect our flock? “Are there no apologists among us?”

For more than two decades, I knew that 1 Corinthians 15 was all about the resurrection–especially the latter half of the chapter. But it was only after some 20 or more years, that I learned and truly realized what was actually written in the first few verses of this chapter. I never noticed it though I read it many times. Somehow, this was never quoted nor taught by my former pastors and we all were blinded to this truth about the real gospel. But thanks be to God, he has now opened my eyes to the true gospel.

What the True Gospel Is

As we approach the holy week, let us again consider what the true gospel is. This is the true gospel that should be preached. Here is what the apostle Paul wrote:

• “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

The gospel is all about Christ. It’s about his birth, life, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and his ascension. It’s all about him and his Kingdom of which he is King. It’s about God’s reign—God’s Kingdom. It’s all about his incarnation and atonement—his becoming flesh and his sacrifice on the cross. It’s all about Christ and his relationship with the Father. It’s all about Christ and his relationship with all of humanity and all of creation. He died for all. It’s about humanity’s adoption through Jesus Christ. It’s all about Christ.

Right after Jesus ascended, during Pentecost, the very first sermon that the apostle Peter gave was about Christ–about his crucifixion and his resurrection (Acts 2:22-36). He preached about Christ! Let’s take a look at some of the verses:

• “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him”(Acts 2:22-24).
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• “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”(Acts 2:36-38)

Notice the apostle Paul’s focus:

• “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”(1 Corinthians 2:1)

This is the true gospel!

The gospel is not about God’s sovereignty although we acknowledge that he is sovereign. The gospel is definitely NOT about human free will, human freedom or about total depravity. The gospel is not about doing good works in order to get saved. Rather, through the Lord Jesus, the gospel declares that man’s sinfulness and depraved condition has been taken care of by the Lord. While we were still sinners, he died for all of us! (Rom. 5:8). He did not count our sins against us (2 Cor. 5:19) but rather, he reconciled all of us  (2 Cor. 5:18)—all of humanity and all of creation–to himself (Col. 1:19-20).

• 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21)

The gospel is all about Jesus Christ! All other “gospels” are false gospels.

The recent horrific tsunami that ravaged Japan was really devastating, very tragic. Previous to this, we had earthquakes too in New Zealand and that was tragic too. And then we also had previously, political unrest and change of leadership in Egypt. Civil war continues in Libya and trouble is brewing in other Arab countries too. These events around the world recently have awakened once again the interest of many about “the end of the world” or the “end times.” Prophets of doom have come out once again and their enthusiasm for “prediction addiction” has been heightened and re-awakened. They are once again coming out to preach “gloom and doom” because it is now “the last days.”

The truth is, when the author of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 1:1-2, it was already the “last days” about 2,000 years ago! So, we need to have a balanced perspective about the “end times.”

“Last Days” Predictions Abound

While I believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ, I think that Christians should not be the cause of fear and panic for people who are already troubled and saddened by the series of calamities. Instead, we should encourage and comfort people to fully rely and trust God—despite calamities and adversities in life. We should comfort people encouraging them that whatever happens in our lives, God will always be there with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Preaching doom and gloom is not the gospel. It detracts and diverts our attention away from preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Preaching about the so-called “end times” is not the gospel. It is bad news—a false gospel. “Gospel” simply means “good news.” Prophets of doom only bring bad news making suffering victims conscience-stricken with fear, guilt and anxiety—really bad news.

Don’t be a prophet of doom and gloom too busy making predictions about calamities, finger-pointing and blaming people for their sins, blaming people for the series of calamities but rather, as a Christian, be a source of encouragement, comfort, faith, hope and love as they see Jesus Christ in your life in the midst of and despite calamities and adversities.

Suggested further reading materials:

• We are living in “The Last Days”
• R. J. Foster Letter About Prophecy
• What Matthew Twenty Four Tells Us About “the End”

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