Darrell L. Bock - Recovering the Real Lost Gospel: Reclaiming the Gospel as Good News

"Darrell Bock is one of the church's finest New Testament scholars. He has the unique ability to write on both the technical and popular levels and presents a biblical theology of the gospel that is clear, robust, and holistic. This is a valuable contribution to helping us rightly understand the greatness of the gospel."

Daniel L. Akin, president,

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

"Darrell Bock has written a fine biblical theology of the gospel based on his wide studies in the Gospels and Acts. He shows that the gospel has a transformative power to bring a knowledge of God, a knowledge of self, a new way of living, and membership in a new family. The love of God revealed in Jesus' death and resurrection binds us to Him, generates our love, and motivates our service. Bock's study expands our view of the gospel and corrects faulty common 'gospels' in our world today. Highly recommended!"

Ed Blum, general editor,

Holman Christian Standard Bible

"Bock teaches us the essence of the best news ever told. The gospel is so much more than good advice... it is the message of life, hope, grace, and Jesus Himself! Get ready to be reminded why it is the best news ever!"

Pete Briscoe, senior pastor,

Bent Tree Bible Fellowship Dallas, Texas

"One of today's most prominent theologians takes a fresh look at the old, old storythe gospel. This is not a book just for your shelf; it is a must read for every pastor for both doctrinal study and practical application."

Mac Brunson, senior pastor,

First Baptist Church Jacksonville, Florida

"Recovering the Real Lost Gospel is a welcomed corrective and timely guide for so many individuals and churches who seemingly have lost their way amidst the confusing spirituality and mixed religious messages of our day."

David S. Dockery, president,

Union University

"You are holding in your hands a really rare bookone that goes all the way back to the New Testament in connecting the gospel and the cross with the life of discipleship and the mission of the church in a broken world that needs the message of grace. Darrell Bock is one of our best biblical theologians and is at his best in this new study."

Timothy George, dean,

Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"Darrell Bock has done for us what is necessary for any genuine reconsideration of the meaning of 'gospel' by walking us through the core New Testament teachings again. All vacuous and theoretical discussions of 'gospel' fade away when we return to the wellspring."

Mel Lawrenz, Minister at Large,

Elmbrook Church Brookfield, Wisconsin

"Too many Christians think of 'the gospel' as merely the last page of an evangelistic tract. Bock demonstrates with clarity and vision that the gospel is better news than some have dared to hope. Read this book, and let its wisdom drive you to worship and to mission."

Russell D. Moore, dean,

School of Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"Bock has delivered the gospel message in a new way, skillfully weaving passages and themes into a theological rope that at the same time feels very comfortable and immensely strong!"

Doug Pennoyer, dean,

Cook School of Intercultural Studies, Biola University

"Is the gospelthe 'good news' that Jesus preachedthe offer of forgiveness of sins, eternal life, prosperity, political power, social justice, religious power, or what? There is no more foundational issue for understanding God's purposes for Christians individually and for the church. Yet the church today has often clouded Jesus' gospel message. As a leading New Testament scholar, Darrell Bock uniquely and winsomely roots this gospel in the wide sweep of biblical revelation and challenges our conceptions of this most central message of Jesus by explaining carefully and fully the nature of the gospel as the fullness of life in the Spirit for everyday Christians."

Michael J. Wilkins, distinguished professor of

New Testament Language and Literature and dean,

Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

Copyright 2010

by Darrell Bock

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8054-6465-8

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 226

Subject Heading: BIBLE. NEW TESTAMENTSTUDY \ BIBLE. N.T. GOSPELS

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, HCSB, and Holman CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NET are from The NET Bible: The Translation That Explains Itself Copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2001 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. Used by permission.

Printed in the United States of America

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Contents

Foreword

This is a landmark book. It shares life-changing truth without wasting any words. Combining deep conviction with straightforward clarity, Darrell Bock shows how the full promise of the gospelthe wonderful good news of graceis so often misunderstood, misapplied, and even missed because we dont know the whole story.

By tracing Gods longsuffering love story of salvation from the beginning of the Bible to the end, Darrell demonstrates that the real gospel encompasses far more than just a transaction for sin, or a therapy for self, or a transportation to heaven. The gospel is transforming! It transforms everything about us, in us, around us, and for us. It does what we could never do for ourselves.

Reading this book will cause you to overflow with joy and gratitude for all that God has done for us through Jesus Christ. How could you not love a God who has done all this for you in His grace?

Enjoy this book; then pass it on to another.

Rick Warren

Saddleback Church

Lake Forest, CA

Introduction

The Gospel from the Hub to the Whole:

More Than Dying for Sin

There are few things as precious to the Jesus Movement as the gospel. The word gospel means good news. It is the sermon of the Jesus Movement. Its central proclamation is the good news of Gods love and initiative not only to save us from hell, but also to bring us into a healthy relationship with Himself. The point of this book is that the gospel is good news, and its core is a restored relationship with God. I have shared this message since I became a Christian in college at the University of Texas. It stood at the core of my first ministry as a Young Life leader at Austin High School. It stands at the center of the churchs mission in the world. If we ask what message Jesus brought, the short answer is simply this: He brought the good news that Gods promised rule of deliverance had arrived. To experience the kingdom Jesus preached is to experience Gods presence. Jesus died so His work could clear the way for a fresh work of Gods grace (Titus 2:1114). That is good news indeed.

Yet when I hear some people preach the gospel today, I am not sure I hear its presentation as good news. Sometimes, I hear a therapeutic callthat God will make us feel better or prosper more. Other times, I hear so much about Jesus paying for sin that the gospel seems limited to a transactionthe removal of a debt. Or perhaps I hear it as a kind of spiritual root canal. Still other times, I hear a presentation that makes the gospel seem more about avoiding something from God versus experiencing something with Him. Other presentations make me think Jesus came to change politics in the world. Such political presentations make me wonder why God did not send Jesus to Rome rather than Jerusalem. None of these is the gospel I see in the Scripture, though some are closer than others.