Kingdom of God and Preaching the Gospel

Right now on Sundays, we are walking through Luke’s Gospel. We will eventually pick up Acts and while traveling with Paul on his missionary journeys, we will pick up the letters he wrote to the churches that started as a result.

Studying for this weeks message on Luke 9:1-17, I noticed a link that shouldn’t be missed.

In verse 2, Jesus sends the disciples and they are to “proclaim the kingdom of God.”

In verse 6, the disciples depart after receiving instructions from Jesus and look tells us they were “preaching the gospel.”

Did the disciples misunderstand Jesus?

He said, “proclaim the kingdom of God” not “preach the gospel.”

Earnest Goodman wrote yesterday about selling the mission short and the dualistic view we have of mission.

In this paradigm, many associate “proclaiming the kingdom of God” with feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and caring for the widow and orphan – a sort of “preaching the Gospel without words.” All things we are commanded to do, but that “sells short” the task that Jesus had laid out for his disciples.

On the other side, we have those who say that our “commission would be fulfilled if we were to preach the gospel once within earshot of every person on the globe.”

Earnest adds,

Preaching the gospel is certainly central to the mission. Romans 10 asks, “…how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” But the mission is more than just preaching the good news.

If you know anything about Luke, he elevates God’s concern for the poor. However, Luke also understands that proclaiming the kingdom of God and preaching the gospel are inextricably linked.

Just as Luke has recorded in the four proceeding miracles that show Jesus’ sovereignty over nature, demons, disease and death (see Luke 8:22-56) so do the deeds of healing performed by the disciples make evident the rule of God but their deeds are not void of preaching the gospel.

The point is -one the Mr. Goodman makes so well – deeds alone are not enough. Preaching the gospel alone is not enough. Mission – Jesus sending his disciples to make disciples- is more than either proclaiming the kingdom of God or preaching the gospel. Mission is proclaiming the kingdom of God and preaching the gospel.

2 Responses to “Kingdom of God and Preaching the Gospel”

1. rodneycalfee says:

   March 18, 2010 at 1:33 pm

   Yes! And again I say, Yes! I was in the middle of writing a post on this very thing this morning (though I did not read Earnest Goodman's post yesterday). Now mine may be unnecessary. Thanks man, you ruined it!

   Good word, my friend. Keep it coming!

   Reply
   • @miccarpenter says:

     March 18, 2010 at 1:36 pm

     Thank you and you are welcome. Keep writing. We have by no means exhausted this topic.

     Reply