Free Grace Gospel Illustrations

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, the apostle Paul uses four verbs to remind the Corinthians of the facts of the gospel: 1) Christ was dead for our sins (as John Wycliffe has put it), 2) Christ was buried, 3) Christ was raised, 4) Christ was seen (vv. 3-5).

Commenting on this passage of text, Paul Barnett writes the following in his book Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), page 181:

 

“This tradition consists of a raft (‘what I also received’) of four connected planks, each introduced by ‘that’ (hoti):

- that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures 

- that he was buried 

- that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures 

- that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, etc. (1 Cor. 15:3-5)”

 

Here are some simple illustrations to describe the gospel in four parts:

• A gospel or barbershop quartet singing in four-part harmony
• A table, chair, or stool with 4 legs
• A baseball diamond with 4 bases
• A heart with 4 chambers
• A hand with 4 fingers
• A square with 4 sides
• A house with 4 walls
• A chain with 4 links
• A raft with 4 planks
• A car with 4 tires

Can you think of any others?