The Irreducible Gospel
(Thanks to David James from the Alliance for Biblical Integrity for his research on this subject and his Powerpoint backgrounds.)
Professor Michael Bebe to illustrates the intricacies of Intelligent Design by demonstrating all of the simultaneous things that had to take place in order for life to form. This is referred to as Irreducible Complexity and refers to the minimum requirements that make a thing function. If you take any of the key elements away, the entire system will not work.
The simplest illustration of this is the mouse trap. It has a spring, base, hammer, hold down bar and catch for bait. If you take any one of these parts away, the mouse trip will not function.
With this illustration in mind, what are the basic elements of the Gospel? What truths are required to be Proclaimed, Understood, and Believed in order to be saved?
The Key Passage in this discussion is . 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (ESV) — 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Here, the Apostle Paul describes The manner in which the Gospel is communicated.
i. 1 Corinthians 1:1 “I preached, you received”
ii. 1 Corinthians 1:2 “I preached”
iii. 1 Corinthians 1:3 “I delivered what I also received”
iv. 1 Corinthians 1:11 “we preach, you believed”
Do you see Paul’s personal involvement with the gospel? He is affirming the gospel through his own personal witness and testimony. Christianity is unique in this way. God wants us to investigate the truthfulness of the gospel. The message of Jesus was not something written centuries after the events supposedly took place. The gospels and book of Acts were written by those who personally witnessed these things, and written to people who were alive to know whether or not the stories were true.
Notice the significance of first hand accounts in the communication of the gospel
PETER at Pentecost. Acts 2:32 (ESV) — 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
Peter and John in the Temple court. Acts 3:15 (ESV) — 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
Apostles... Acts 4:33 (ESV) — 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
Peter and the Apostles to the Jewish leaders. Acts 5:32 (ESV) — 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Peter to Cornelius. Acts 10:39–41 (ESV) — 39 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, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 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.
Luke to Theophilus. Luke 1:1–4 (ESV) — 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
1 John 1:1 (ESV) — 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
1 John 4:14 (ESV) — 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
The gospel was given to us by those who personally witnessed these events. Although Paul was not one of Christ’s original disciples, he refers to himself in 1 Corinthians 15:8 as “one born out of due time.” Paul writes that Jesus made a personal appearance to him, thus allowing Paul to be one of Christ’s Apostolic witnesses.
What does Paul say about the gospel? We find this clear definition in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. We will examine his definition of the gospel phrase by phrase.
Paul writes, “I remind you of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 15:1, ESV). Whatever follows is given as a further description of the subject of the gospel.
The first word of significance is CHRIST. The gospel is about Christ. Any other subject is not the gospel. So, what minimum truths must be understood about Christ?
He is Fully God. John 8:24 (ESV) — 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
He is Fully Man. 2 John 7 (ESV) — 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
He is our “Only Savior”. Acts 4:12 (ESV) — 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
MARTIN LUTHER said, “Any worship of God, any religion without Christ is idolatry. In Christ alone is God well pleased.” (Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians)
The next phrase in 1 Corinthians 15:3 is that Christ “died for our sins”
Again, what minimum truths must be understood from the fact that Christ died for our sins?
The fact that our sins are mentioned causes us to realize that God is holy and just, and that we are Sinful. Romans 3:23
It reminds us that sin must be judged. Romans 2:12 (ESV) — 12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
This phrase informs us that God Loves us. John 3:16 (ESV) — 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
It also reminds us that Jesus took our Place. 1 Peter 3:18 (ESV) — 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
He Died According to the Scriptures. This was God’s plan. The Old Testament serves as proof of the accuracy of the testimony of the Apostles.
The next phrase is that he Rose Again.
Our sin is forgiven through Christ’s death. Romans 5:10 (ESV) — 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Our eternal life is guaranteed through his resurrection. 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
He was SEEN. A matter of Historical Record.
This description and definition of the gospel brings us to Life’s Most Important Question. It is the question that a soldier asked of Paul in Acts 16:30. “What Must I do to be Saved?”
Paul gave the answer: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:32).
In order to believe, we should further ask, What is Saving Faith?
It is more than knowing the facts, but never less.
It is Knowing and accepting the facts of the gospel.
It is Trusting and receiving
This involves Confession and Repentance, which is Agreeing with God. Romans 10:9 (ESV) — 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Repentance Is a change of heart. 1 Thessalonians 1:9 (ESV) — 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
We started by asking “what are the minimum truths that must be proclaimed, understood and believed in order to be saved? Based on the description of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, we can summerize the following:
1. I must understand my Sin.
2. I must accept Christ’s identity. He is the Messiah, God in Flesh came to earth.
3. I must embrace Christ’s death and what it accomplished.
4. I must believe in Christ’s resurrection.
There are dangers to a message as simple as this.
The first is that would either promote or embrace an inadequate message.
The second is that we would receive only a partial gospel - for example a message of God’s love without the truth of human sinfulness.
The third is that we might have the wrong motives, such as coming to Jesus to get benefits, coming to Jesus because others want you to, or coming to Jesus because we are in crisis. These facts may cause us to like the gospel more, but in and of themselves, they cannot save us from our sin. Only faith in Christ’s death can accomplish that.
There is also the danger of a false message Jude 4 (ESV) — 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
We have examined the Irreducible Gospel
Do you believe?
