One Story to Rule Them All?

There is a very particular story that frames the way the biblical writers present the gospel. This is an important premise of the model I propose in One Gospel for All Nations.

The framework of the biblical story is unchanging. It is what gives firmness to our gospel presentations. As Paul says in Gal 1:6–7, there is only one gospel. Some aspects of the gospel are inflexible. Naturally, we should identify what those are.

(I am in the middle of a series introducing my new book One Gospel for All Nations: A Practical Approach to Biblical Contextualization. For other posts in the series, click here.)

The Message of The Lord of the Rings

How would you summarize The Lord of the Rings using only four simple statements? If you only had 5 minutes, how would you share the story?

How is this for a brief summary?

The Lord of the Rings follows a group of very short men led by an old wizard who is afraid of a piece of jewelry. They travel around the world in order to destroy an evil ring that seems to whisper to people. With the help of elves, they must first overcome faceless enemies and even a pale, bug-eyed man. They ultimately overcome a flaming, floating eye by throwing the ring into a fire.

If you have read J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic tales or watched the movies, you will immediately see the problem. Many people would even think it absurd to attempt such an oversimplification. We cannot give a short synopsis of The Lord of the Rings without sacrificing its essence. Tolkien’s fantasy is both cosmic and complex. In part, that’s why people love it.

Although many consider Tolkien’s novels to be among the greatest in history, Christians have a better story to tell. The Bible recalls the one true story of the entire world. It is as rich as it is relevant.

If The Lord of the Rings cannot be systematically chopped into bullet points, then the same should be said for the Bible, . . . if not more so. Why would we ever be content to reduce the gospel story to a few simple doctrine statements?

Granted, we can understand the reasons people give. We cannot teach the entire Bible to everyone all the time. Quite true. Nevertheless, we should consider what happens if we settle for a few simple (even true) summary statements, calling them “the gospel.” The consequences are subtle but unmistakable.

If we are not careful, it is possible that we will unknowingly change the biblical story.

How do we “frame” the biblical story?

In One Gospel for All Nations, I distinguish two types of themes that shape a biblical presentation of gospel. There are themes that frame and those that explain. With respect to the latter, there is a great deal of flexibility when it comes the motifs and images we choose to use.

However, the biblical writers consistently use other themes in order to frame their gospel presentations.

What do I mean by “framing” the gospel?

A framework of a story (like that of a house) provides a measure of firmness. Like any building, a story has many parts. The framework provides orientation. It enables the smaller components (sub-themes, motifs, doctrines, etc.) to have the function they should. In short, framework themes give a story its stability.

The biblical writers always use one of three themes to “frame” the gospel –– creation, covenant, and kingdom.

Of course, no functional building can be reduced to its framework. There is always more; however, it is never less.

Failing to have a biblical framework

What happens when we fail to identify the framework that shapes the biblical gospel? What if we do not distinguish framework themes from explanation themes?

Inevitably, we will look elsewhere to create some sort of coherency to the Bible’s teaching. For example, one might then use the systematic theologies of his or her denomination. Therefore, person begins to assume that the emphases of tradition or culture are also those of the biblical writers.

Amid the many books, doctrines, themes and stories in the Bible, we need discernment. Which ones should be prioritized in our theology and gospel presentations?

Consider this observation. Evangelicals have traditionally stressed “justification by faith” when, for the most part, it is found in only two books (Romans, Galatians). Meanwhile, the typical Christian has hardly any understanding for how covenants work in the Bible.

Most know something about the Old/Mosaic Covenant and New Covenant but very little about the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. Yet, the Abrahamic covenant is the most fundamental and pervasive in shaping the entire biblical story. In addition, the early evangelists routinely appealed to the Davidic covenant when preaching the gospel.

If we are not careful, we will “baptize” a particular idea, letting it have undue influence on the way we read and teach the rest of the Bible.

Originally, people make well-meaning attempts to interpret and contextualize the message; in the end, however, they may effectively change the biblical story.

Photo Credit: Harald Wittmaack via FreeImages.com