It’s a great
misconception; I see it as a blanket that has canopied the church. In fact this
as the tragedy that has ravaged the church. The Church has
misconstrued the meaning of this big word and as a result she is maimed and
impotent at the same time.
Am talking about the word
Gospel. What is the true meaning of the gospel? What has the church really
understood the gospel to be? What are the greastet misconception that have been
conceived thereof?
Another tragedy that has
been overdue with us is the failure to question our deeply held beliefs. We are
drinking all the stuff that is passed over to us in Church and wherever without
critically thinking and searching the scriptures to find what to believe for
ourselves. As a result we have canopied ourselves with shadowy descriptions of
biblical truths that we consider as the gospel. Here are just but a few
misconceptions we may have had about the gospel
- The great Misconception number 1: The gospel refers to a particular truth we knowing the Bible.
You have heard it being
proclaimed in the pulpits. “The Bible says” several quotes are made from the
bible to communicate what the Bible says. We develop truths from scripture
because of what we read as written in the Bible. Although many are the times that
what we read in the scriptures is not necessarily what the bible says.
If we read the scriptures
with veiled faces , we may want it to say what we know but that is not what it
says. Jesus told the Pharisees who were devoted to scripture reading
You search the scriptures earnestly thinking that
in them you have eternal life: and it is they that bear witness about me(John
5:39)
If
the chief end of scripture doesn’t lead us to Christ ad to testify of him, of
his glory of what he has accomplished at the cross then we have already missed
the point of scripture already.
We
may have many Biblical truths, many principles to draw from the Bible but if we
miss the point of seeing Jesus in the scriptures then we may have misconstrued
completely what the gospel is. Many preachers refer to the many truths they
preach as the gospel. We may know many things in the Bible but if we know them
not under the focus of Christ, then we really don’t know what the scriptures
are about and most definitely we have missed out on what the gospel really is.
If
there is anyway we know of God, of Jesus and of his scriptures apart from the
testimony of Jesus and of his finished works of the cross, then we have not
really encountered the gospel.
- The gospel being referred to a particular religious meeting, revival or a gathering
Another great
misconception Indeed. I am used to hearing his whenever an invitation is made
to an exciting Christian gathering, event, or even a seminar or a conference. “Welcome
to this or that Gospel crusade” “That Church Preaches te gospel, you people
dont” “there is a gospel meeting Down town.”
We have taken the word
gospel and have clothed it with religious way of doing things. Whatever many
people call Gospel meetings, gatherings or even conferences most o the time
have got nothing to do with the gospel. The gospel is not something we can
package in form of a well packaged religious program. Paul was very categorical
in the way he perceived the gospel. He trembles and even shivers of the enigma
of this thing called the gospel.
Ist Cor2:3-4 you saw me in my human
frail and with fear and trembling it became apparent to you that my presentation
was not according to a symphony of good behavioral conducts. I did not endeavor
to win your popularity votes by my eloquence rather it was a clear expression
of the limitless power of the spirit
(Kainos amplified)
1st
Cor 2:3-4 And I was with you without strength,
in fear and in doubt. 4 And in my preaching there were no
honeyed words of wisdom, but I was dependent on the power of the Spirit to make
it clear to you(Bible in Basic English)
1st
Cor 2:3-4 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my
speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (ESV)
The
gospel is not found in how nicely we package our message to entice people to
believe our so called Gospel; rather the gospel is the display of the spirit’s
limitless power. The gospel is not found in going to that exciting meeting that
you always look forward to at the end of every week, month or even year.(I
appreciate and honor the gospel
gatherings out there, but the truth be told ) The gospel is found in the
unveiling of your true identity which is revealed
The
gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Not the power of a religious meeting
unto salvation. A lot of people have been manipulated into hearing someone’s
gospel. It has been made like a person must attend such and such meeting so
that he can get such and such gospel. We have gradually graduated into a man
seek church. We give church leaders roles and titles according o the gospels
they preached. Ts no different scenario than that which paul observed. Some
were chasing after Apollos and some after Paul as if Paul and Apollos were
crucified for them. Without apologies I sa that you should not pay any
allegiance to the so called Gospel preachers, Men of God who prowl for your
loyalty.
1st Cor3:3 you are still subscribing to
your fleshly ways; you display propensity to rely on the strength that comes
from your outer sockets (you are carried out by emotions and a worldly view of
one another) and the evidence of all this is the strife and jealousy among you.
You are full of all manner of controversies and debates. Are you surely not in
the self modification, Human methodology scheme?
1st cor 3:4some of you say long live Paul,
we are with you to the very end, and some of you from another corner come to
announce your allegiance to Apollos.What! Are you not just behaving like normal
politicians?
1st cor3:5 I would like to ask you, who or
what the heck is Apollos, who or what the heck is Paul? They are just servants
through the administration of God through whom God has caused your faith to awaken
(Were Paul and Apolos crucified for you? The next thing we’ll see is you
wanting to cut us into small pieces of arguments and carry us home.)
(Kainos
amplified)
The
gospel is not in words, its not found in that famous evangelist you know such
that you pay allegiance to him, the gospel is power, anyone purporting to
preach the gospel must do it in such a way that it reveals power, power o call
and summon people from darkness to light, to turn the blind to see the light of
the glory of God. Ths is what the gospel is all about. The gospel should not be
misconstrued, This great misconception must end. It ends with you and me.
