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Monday, May 25, 2009

Dynamic Definition

The theological "belief-system" of contemporary Christian religion has given definitions to most Biblical words which have a narrow, historical, static connotation, rather than an on-going dynamic meaning. This has disallowed many Christians from properly understanding the Scriptures, in that they approach the text of Scripture with a static presuppositional "grid" of vocabulary and understanding.

It is not that the "popular", orthodox definitions are inaccurate, per se, only that they are inadequate to convey the vital, Spirit~empowered activity of Christian life. The need exists to explain the dynamic implications of these Biblical words, and that in complete accordance with their original etymological and linguistic meanings.

"GOSPEL"

It is common knowledge that the word "gospel" means "good news." The question we must ask is" Good news of what? Many perceive "gospel" to be the good news of the Christian "belief-system," or the good news of the formulated doctrines of the Church. Others may think of the good news of the historic advent of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospel narratives of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The deficiency of these definitions is evidenced in the static quality of both history and theology.

This historicizing and theologizing tendency was evident even from the first century of Christian history. Ignatius used "gospel" in the dynamic sense of Christ as center and goal of salvation history, but in Iranaeus, Eusebius and Clement of Alexandria the word "gospel" came to designate a tradition, a corpus of teaching, a book or books. As Gerhard Friedrich indicates in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, "The gospel records an historical event, but this event transcends ordinary history. Similarly, it consists of narratives and teachings, but it also relates to human reality and shows itself to be living power." (Dynamic) "It cannot be grasped in the ordinary way; divine revelation takes place in it. Martin Luther concurs by writing, "The gospel is not in truth that which is written in books and set down in letters, but rather a spoken message: living word..." (Dynamic)

A more dynamic definition might then be that the "gospel" is the good news of the vital indwelling life of the risen Lord Jesus Christ by which mankind is restored to functional humanity as God intended.

Paul states his theme for Romans, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power (dunamis~dynamic) of God for salvation to everyone who believes..."
Romans 1:16