What is the gospel? That sounds like a pretty basic question that every Christian knows the answer to. But wait, what are your ‘go-to’ Bible verses if you were asked to sum up the key elements of the gospel? Take a minute to jot them down – we will return to them later.
The gospel, like the spectrum seen in a quality diamond, radiates an exquisite array of themes. Each of the four Gospels, for example, has its own unique emphasis on the person and work of Jesus: Matthew (Jesus as King), Mark (Jesus as Servant), Luke (Jesus as Man) and John (Jesus as God). They also record how our Saviour brought the good news to a kaleidoscope of cultures, classes, religious standings, genders and ages. But how much should this variety in the starting point of the hearer determine the nature of the gospel message presented to them?
This is a pressing question, especially given the growing ineffectiveness of much Western Christian mission. It is suggested that the three basic cultural mindsets – guilt-innocence (Western), shame-honour (Eastern) and fear-power (Southern) worldviews – proposed by applied anthropology may help us. From here a strand of teaching has gained traction with several missionary agencies; that the truly humble missionary must listen to the cultural questions being asked and present the gospel within these cultural frameworks1-3 – the gospel must be contextualised.
