The Social Gospel

[Jordan9]

I'm reading the Gospel of Mark in Dr. William Barclay's "Daily Study Bible" series. Dr. Barclay wrote these some years ago, and they are studies of Books of the New Testament with commentary and discussion. I picked this one up at a free book exchange, and I really plan on trying to find the rest, they're amazing Biblical commentary in pretty simple terms. Of his series, Barclay wrote, "I decided I must dedicate my life to making scholarship available for the layman, so that he may know better his Bible, his God, and his Saviour." Dr Barclay was a Church of Scotland minister and Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University of Glasgow.

Anyway, I'm reading Barclay's commentary and dissection of Mark 1:25-29. This passage reads:

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him,"Everyone is looking for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (ESV)

Dr Barclay basically discusses that Jesus never had words without action, and that Jesus gave so much (not even talking about the Cross yet! ) that he scarcely could even find the time to pray.

Barclay then beautifully writes, "Missions do not only take the Bible; they take education and medicine; they take the school and the hospital. It is quite wrong to talk about the 'social gospel' as if it were an extra, or an option, or even a separate part of the Christian message."

I, for one, agree. The "social gospel," or, helping people, is important. We are, and always will be, unworthy without Jesus' blood. But faith without works is dead and useless. (James 2:20)

Not only is the "social gospel" important and a Christian duty, it is also a tool for evangelism. Hardly anyone is ever converted by debate, but by love, selflessness, and self-sacrifice for the good of others. These things cannot be debated, or ignored. They cannot be graded, measured, or quantified. They cannot be disputed. They can only be seen and, more importantly, felt.

Jesus did not sit in a study by the fire, puffing away on a pipe and musing. He went out among the rich and the poor, the believers and the non-believers, and showed them what it is to love. He says to Christians, "They will know you follow me by your love." (John 13:34-35) Would Jesus know we were His followers if, hypothetically, he could only base that assessment on our actions?

Jesus is the Good News, and we are ordained by Him to share it. Do we, as the body of Christ, go out into the world of non-believers bearing love and Good News? Or do we go spreading something else?

 

[MahogonySnail]

I'd say there's too much social gospel these days. It's ok to do these things if the main message the Gospel is not lost sight of. Unfortunately there is an attitude which is about dealing with the physical /emotional needs of a person first, before sharing the Gospel. And then more effort and energy is put into the physical and temporary things than the eternal and spiritual things. It should be the other way around. To given an example, the Catholics have had a presence in countries in asia /south east asia for many years. Schools and hospitals have been built. But the Gospel was not effectively preached. The hindus for example simply added Jesus to their list of 300 or whatever other hindu gods. Instead of forcing them to make a whole-hearted committment to Christ.
The Gospel does not distinguish between rich and poor, intelligent or dumb, because everyone regardless of their social status and situation needs to be saved from their sins. The Gospel should be the first thing which is done. Jesus taught first, and demonstrated or fed the crowd afterwards. But Jesus had the problem that people were following Him because He fed them! The best way to avoid this, is to not make them reliant upon free handouts, but reliant upon Jesus through preaching of the Word. At the time, Jesus got rid of the people who were following him with their stomachs. He did this by telling them that they had to eat His own flesh and drink His own blood. That got rid of most of the frauds.

 

[iamnotashamed]

I believe that we are to care for our brothers and sister's needs. Often, it is through developing a relationship that we are able to introduce people to Christ. If we simply approach people to tell them the gospel, they often will not listen. If we develop a relationship, they eventually will see a peace in us, and a different approach to life that is desirable (hopefully!). OUr lives should cause them to want this peace, this difference. Then we can share. First they must see, and then they will have ears to hear.

Remember, it is not ours to save; it is the Holy Spirit who opens hearts to hear and understand.

I guess that I believe that how we look to the world is more important that any works we do. If we are about Christ's work, and are striving to be more like Him, our first priority will be our relationship with the Father. If we allow Him to guide our lives, we will be more effective workers. For instance, it may seem good for us to go on a mission trip, but what if God's plan was for us to help our neighbor who becomes ill while we are gone? The first is good, but the second is better because it is God's plan. There may be periods in our lives where we need to be in prayer and study, because that is what God calls us to at that time.

Another trap we often fall into is the trap of numbers. Many people only equate success with large numbers, or feel that they are not doing anything important unless it benefits many. I have a friend who was called upon to quit his job and to live with and serve a very old woman from whom he rented a room. Through his actions and love, she came to know Christ. Because he was faithful for the little, God led him to other relationships. He could have gone overseas and worked at a mission, but who would have cared for the widow?

I have spent a lot of words to say, let God direct your live. Wait until He shows you where He wants you. Don't allow ANYTHING, even good works, to interfer with your time and relationship with God. And, I might add, let the Holy Spirit be your guide and teacher when you study scripture. I am sure that the commentaries you are reading are good, but they are simply one man's beliefs. Let The Holy Spirit reveal what He wants you to learn. You need no other "teacher".

iamnotashamedthelist.com

 

[jgrig2]

I'm reading the Gospel of Mark in Dr. William Barclay's "Daily Study Bible" series. Dr. Barclay wrote these some years ago, and they are studies of Books of the New Testament with commentary and discussion. I picked this one up at a free book exchange, and I really plan on trying to find the rest, they're amazing Biblical commentary in pretty simple terms. Of his series, Barclay wrote, "I decided I must dedicate my life to making scholarship available for the layman, so that he may know better his Bible, his God, and his Saviour." Dr Barclay was a Church of Scotland minister and Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University of Glasgow.

Anyway, I'm reading Barclay's commentary and dissection of Mark 1:25-29. This passage reads:

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him,"Everyone is looking for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (ESV)

Dr Barclay basically discusses that Jesus never had words without action, and that Jesus gave so much (not even talking about the Cross yet! ) that he scarcely could even find the time to pray.

Barclay then beautifully writes, "Missions do not only take the Bible; they take education and medicine; they take the school and the hospital. It is quite wrong to talk about the 'social gospel' as if it were an extra, or an option, or even a separate part of the Christian message."

I, for one, agree. The "social gospel," or, helping people, is important. We are, and always will be, unworthy without Jesus' blood. But faith without works is dead and useless. (James 2:20)

Not only is the "social gospel" important and a Christian duty, it is also a tool for evangelism. Hardly anyone is ever converted by debate, but by love, selflessness, and self-sacrifice for the good of others. These things cannot be debated, or ignored. They cannot be graded, measured, or quantified. They cannot be disputed. They can only be seen and, more importantly, felt.

Jesus did not sit in a study by the fire, puffing away on a pipe and musing. He went out among the rich and the poor, the believers and the non-believers, and showed them what it is to love. He says to Christians, "They will know you follow me by your love." (John 13:34-35) Would Jesus know we were His followers if, hypothetically, he could only base that assessment on our actions?

Jesus is the Good News, and we are ordained by Him to share it. Do we, as the body of Christ, go out into the world of non-believers bearing love and Good News? Or do we go spreading something else?

Agreed as long if as it is made clear that the center of all we do is Jesus Christ and his redemptive work and the command for repent. Of course who needs doctos when all you charismatics can use your gifts of healing.

 

[MahogonySnail]

Of course who needs doctos when all you charismatics can use your gifts of healing.

very true.

 

[Thaddaeus]

Agreed as long if as it is made clear that the center of all we do is Jesus Christ and his redemptive work and the command for repent. Of course who needs doctos when all you charismatics can use your gifts of healing.

Mr 6:4But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.Mr 6:5And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.Mr 6:6And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.


I know you could say here that if it is the will of God that people get healed why are the hospitals full of sick, but I say it is the will of God that people get healed for By His stripes we are healed , If it is Not the will of God that people get healed then Why did He takes the Stripes. then I would tell you that, we could both agree that it is the will of God that all would be saved

Joh 1:7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, THAT ALL men through him might believe.

so then the same reason the hospitals are full is the same reason Hell is full and increasing daily. because someone has put God in a box and said That God don't work that way any more. God has delivered me from diabetes, by me being obedient to His Word, and Faith that there is nothing to hard for My God

Jas 5:13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.Jas 5:14Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:Jas 5:15And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
if you don't believe this then you just don't believe every word..

don't tell God how big your storm is but rather tell your storm how Big your God is !!!!

 

[1still_waters]

Matthew 25

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

 

[wattie]

Saving faith and THE faith:

saving faith.. regeneration by the Holy Spirit through a person entrusting their salvation with Jesus... once off.. fully efficious.. guarantees a place in heaven. Works are not attached to this.. this is not the whole gospel.. because the entire gospel includes service.. but it is salvation.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

(Galatians 2:16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

(1Peter 1:23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

(Romans 10:9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

There are many more on this.. this is saving faith.. has no works element. Fruit will come out of this salvation.. but it is not a life time of service.. and can be very hard to tell.. it is a matter of whether the spirit of a person has been re-generated by the Holy Spirit.. not whether the person is doing good works.

Works have no bearing of entrance to heaven for a saved person.. only rewards in heaven.

Now--- THE faith

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Abraham was justified by works in that His work was accepted as righteous by God in offering up His son Isaac - similar thing with Rahab.

Neither were justified in terms of salvation by their acts.. but justified in that there acts were just acts.. holy acts.. showing they loved God.

The first example James gives is of someone seeing an opportunity to use their faith.. and not doing anything.. making their faith useless. This is an example of service to God.. like Abraham and Rahab. Salvation is not linked to this... this is daily service to God.

THE faith = service to God through church attendance.. sharing you faith.. bible study.. fellowship with church family.. prayer for one another etc etc..

THE faith is not a have to.. but something a saved person would want to do if they knew the gift of salvation given them.. the joy of that

So - social gospel? Well.. if you include the gospel as the full will of God.. then it is part of it in terms of caring for eachother.. but if it is attached to salvation.. then you got works based salvation.. requirements for service that if aren't inacted mean you don have salvation.. or lose it. This makes a mockery of Jesus' sacrfice for sin!

Jesus doesn't give eternal life.. and then say you can only have this if you mow my lawns and tend my garden! Jesus says.. I love you without conditions.. and I commit to you at salvation and I will never leave you.. I will disicpline and rebuke you if you are unfaithful.. but will not leave you or condemn you.

"Faith without works is dead"-- having salvaiton and then not serving means you aren't using what you have already been given. NOT lost.. NOT that you never had it.

Works show that you have faith in Jesus.. but don't PROVE your salvation.