Tags
colossians, Gospel, Gospel Coalition, Gospel sanctification, John Piper, new calvinism, Tullian Tchividjian
Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing–as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth [emphasis mine] ~ Colossians 1:5, 6
Our citizenship, our homeland, is in heaven. Philippians 3:20. The coming peace, joy and the glory that will be revealed in us there we cannot even imagine (Rom. 8:18). In regard to this hope, the Apostle Paul writes to the Colossians and reminds them that they have heard about this hope before in ‘the word of truth, the gospel’ and he goes on to state concerning the gospel that it is now ‘bearing fruit and growing’ not only ‘in the whole world’ but also among themselves.
Now what does he mean by that? He is simply reminding the Colossians to be grateful, and to remember how their lives were changed by the coming of the Gospel to them. In addition, Paul tells them that the Gospel which had such a profound affect to and in them, continues to have the same success, spreading according to God’s purpose, throughout the known world. It is spreading, and God is changing the hearts of unbelievers everywhere!
Not only that, God, through the Gospel had previously come to Colossae and changed hearts of unbelievers even there in the Lycus Valley. Paul is reminding them of that, that they too should always be thankful for the redemptive message they had received.
There is no question whatsoever that the Colossian church is being reminded of the grace and blessing of God shown through the Gospel that had spread even to them.
However, not everyone sees this in the passage quoted such clarity of purpose in the Apostle Pauls writing. Some look at this passage and go far, far beyond what is said. Take for example, Tullian Tchividjian in his book Surprised by Grace (p. 16):
The idea that the gospel is just as much for Christians as for non-Christians may seem like a new idea to many, but in fact, it is really a very old idea. In his letter to the Christians of Colossae, the apostle Paul quickly portrays the gospel as the instrument of all continued growth and spiritual progress for believers after conversion: “All over the world,” he writes, “this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”
The idea is a new one Tullian, and we noticed you did not quote the fathers on this one. And no, the Apostle Paul absolutely did not portray the Gospel as “the instrument of all continued growth and spiritual progress.” That idea is as full of prunes as a Christmas turkey. To put it theologically and in the context of hermeneutic principles, it is flat-dab eisogesis. Hogwash. It’s not there. The Bible doesn’t say that at all.
The Gospel commands all men everywhere to repent and believe it. That’s it. After that, after regeneration of the soul, throughout the New Testament, the Word of God gives instructions in righteous living as well as imperatives to be obeyed by regenerated, adopted sons of God. All of them, the imperatives, to be seen in light of our enablement to obey by the power of the Holy Spirit – and how many of those imperatives can be called ‘the Gospel’?
None of them.
You see, the Gospel is everything when it comes to salvation. It’s always important, it’s always chereished by believers throughout their lives, no question and amen. Yet there’s more to the Bible than the Gospel. It’s the whole counsel of God. The Bible is God communicating to man, and He did not stutter. He communicated clearly, and what He communicated to His people is not that we should contemplate only one aspect of His message, and assume the rest is ‘covered’ if we contemplate that one thing.
That’s just silly. It’s wrong. It’s called eisogesis, and this view of things is pretty new. It’s called ‘New Calvinism’ which is no Calvinism at all. And if it ain’t Calvinism (all 5 points), it ain’t the Gospel. Give me the old stuff, the old paths and let the pigs running over the cliff have this ‘new’ stuff.
What Mr. Tchividjian has offered is a new view based on pure eisogesis, and brethren, I must tell you in the strongest sense of the word that what he, Piper, Keller and the rest are teaching thousands is simply… ‘unhelpful’.
Really unhelpful.
Related articles
- Too Much Grace Up In Here (5ptsalt.com)
- New Calvinism: It’s Major Tenets & Sources (5ptsalt.com)
- Apostle Paul’s Reason for Reminding the Corinthians of the Gospel (5ptsalt.com)
- Assurance & The Reformed Confessions (5ptsalt.com)
- Young, Restless & Deformed (5ptsalt.com)
- The Truth About New Calvinism – Its History, Doctrine & Character (Vol. 1) (5ptsalt.com)
Tullian Tchividjian makes a train wreck of the Truth by saying the gospel is “the instrument of all continued growth and spiritual progress for believers after conversion”. For believers, the gospel is as the pile of stones Israel was commanded to build: a reminder of the finished work of Christ and of God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promises, as He did when Christ was raised from the dead. The gospel serves a purpose for believers, but it is not the agent of our sanctification – no matter what words are used nor how twisted one uses the Scripture.
Well said.
This post reminded me of what Paul said to the elders in Acts 20.
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
He innocent of the ‘blood’ of any of you because he proclamed the “whole will of God”.
Savage wolves have come in, indeed.
Well, he certainly was not hired for his exegetical skills. That point of measure for a Pastor and Bible Teacher (i.e. Christian author of “stuff”) is not a premium. But, may I introduce him to the parable of the sower.
The gospel is the seed which is planted and springs to life. But why does it mature? Because it keeps replanting itself and springing back to life? No but because it feeds on subsequent nutrients (bible doctrine). Many farmers speak of their planting season bearing fruit but they do not have in mind their planting as sole reason something bore fruit, that is simply a reference to the necessary beginning.
But shame on us all for being concerned about this matter. Nit picking the word of God as if jots and tittles make a difference.
After reading the post and the comments I think that there is a unhealty and unedifying seperation going on here dealing with the gospel of God and the word of God (the whole counsel of God), with the Tchividjian quote, and also in your arguing against New-Calvinism. I think what you are saying in essence is true, and I understand Alex’s argument in that the gospel is not replanted over and over again bringing santification, etc…
“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…” 1Cor 15:1-3
It seemed like the gospel was kindof of minimized in this post and the comments prior to mine… I don’t believe that this was or is the intention, but it is what came across to me. If the gospel is only considered once, it defeats the purpose of santification. The gospel should be the main focus of Christian humility, knowledge, and sanctification, of which is revealed in the whole counsel of God.
This statement by TuT needs clarified then because its seems rather plain as day:
t”he gospel as the instrument of all continued growth and spiritual progress for believers after conversion”
The gospel is not the instrument of all continued growth, the whole counsel of God is. Certainly our reflection on the forgiveness of the gospel, daily, gives us confidence in our approach to God but it does not mature us and this appears to be the Gospel-Centeredism doctrine. And when TuT uses the word “gospel” he has in view in the first of the quote the gospel as it relates to our justification and not the sometimes broad or general use to refer to the entirety of the NT.
But I am not sure what you mean that “the gospel should be the main focus of Christian…sanctification”? You can contemplate the gospel all day long and appreciate all of its benefits but you won’t progress in your spiritual walk (your sanctification) without moving into intermediate and advanced bible doctrine and applying it by faith in a comprehensive manner and that does not come from simply thinking about the gospel.
An indirect implication of your comment is that simply contemplating the gospel is somehow “beginner” doctrine.
Chris,
When one believes on Christ as Savior, they indeed grasp the most elementary but essential soteriological truths. Now this does not deny its magnificence but it certainly is not your grasping, in any spiritually mature way, all of the properties of soteriological truth.
And GC, even at its best-and let’s assume the best for the moment that GC is about you focusing on or contemplating not just the elementary and necessary saving soteriological truths but the intermediate and advanced properties which come after one is saved in their discipleship -(but of course and repeatedly, this is not the call of GC,that is a full contemplation of all soteriological aspects rather simply basking in your forgiveness as a mean of sanctification and spiritual growth), still, even when focusing on the sum of soteriological properties, you, even then, could not mature since it is still an exercise in neglecting all other doctrines (need I name them?) or ineffectively considering them.
GC fails even in its best construct. Yes, revisiting our salvation should and does motivate us and always makes clear, when we are confronted by human weaknesses, that we are justified and may approach, with great certainty and confidence, God. But it cannot, again, supplant discipleship and that is what matures us and produces sanctification in our lives resulting in fruit bearing
And even to rightly understand intermediate and advanced soteriological truths one has to master other doctrinal topics so they must, in order to mature or bear fruit, turn their attention away from soteriological concerns to other aspects of doctrinal truths and realities.
Maybe TuT means that we are motivated by remembering our salvation while we learn other doctrines but I certainly do not see him or anyone promoting GC this way. And if he is at worst guilty of sloppy language then he is unqualified for such a substantial position of leadership and instruct because he would be handling and teaching God’s Word as a novice.
And yes, what we believed, soteriologically, to be saved ,was elementary. It is wonderful to think of all of its magnificence but our Lord did not save us so we could live in the diapers which accompanied such faith and understanding and instead, with the intent that we shed our diapers and through maturity and learning more bible doctrine, come to a greater understanding of all of God’s Word, not just the gospel which saves us though glorious it may be since all other of God’s Word is glorious with glorious intentions.
Thanks for clearing that up! Like I said, I agree with the post, but it just seemed to inadvertently minimize the gospel in santification. To minimize gospel contemplation is not the answer in regards to the sanctification of a believer. To be rooted in that “elementary doctrine” and delve on into the more manifold implications of God’s word(more advanced doctrine), of which mostly have their purpose and begining in soteriology, is a more biblical approach.
I also want to say that one doctrine of Scripture, whether it be the gospel, sanctification, love, humility, theology, soteriology, etc…, should never be forsaken to study the other. They all are intrinsically interwoven making up the word and wisdom of God, for it is the very word and mind of God. Thats all I am getting at here.
Chris
“To minimize gospel contemplation is not the answer in regards to the sanctification of a believer.”
The problem I find is not that those objecting to GC wish to minimize it but wish to have it in its proper role and as well, regarding objections, object to its exaggerated or inappropriately primary placement as the significant source of our sanctification which seems to be the idea among its proponents.
Thanks again.