Monday, June 5, 2017

Charles Ryrie on How Not to Interpret the Gospel

Several years ago I came across an interesting video online called "Dr. Charles Ryrie on the Gospel". In the video Ryrie says, “I don’t know how to label this [gospel]. I think I’ll label it a ‘cut up’ gospel. A gospel according to scissors. Where people are taking a portion of the Scripture, and getting their soteriology out of that portion only."1 Ryrie goes on to describe this gospel as “a gospel that is dissected—cut up, because of the raw material [that] you used to draw your theological conclusions”.2 Although Ryrie is specifically referring to those who isolate the Synoptic Gospels to teach a works approach to salvation, his insights on the hermeneutics of the gospel are true in general: you can’t isolate one portion of Scripture to the exclusion of the others and you can’t cut and paste the gospel!


ENDNOTES:

1 Ryrie, “Dr. Charles Ryrie on the Gospel,” http://vodpod.com/watch/2671794-dr-charles-ryrie-on-the-gospel. Also see the video: "FGA Banquet 2008, Dr. Charles C. Ryrie" (time stamp: 15:50 - 18:25 minutes). 

2 Ibid.

1 comment:

Jonathan Perreault said...

In his book So Great Salvation, Charles Ryrie asks the question: "WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?" Ryrie then promptly quotes 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 noting Christ's burial and appearances (Ryrie, So Great Salvation [Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989], pages 35-36, ellipsis his). Here's what he says:

“WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

And the angel said to them, 'Fear not: for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all people.'
Luke 2:10

For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen....
1 Corinthians 15:3-5”