A Free Grace Translation of 1 Corinthians 15:1-5

One of the things I found very interesting when I translated the Greek text of 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 into English was that there is an interrogative pronoun (tini with the acute accent on the first vowel) in verse 2 that most English translations don't translate, at least not as a question. But the apostle Paul is asking the Corinthians a question about the gospel.[1] He's basically asking them: What have I preached to you? What is the good news I preached to you? Then Paul proceeds to remind the Corinthians (and us today) of what the gospel really is.

   
What follows is my personal translation of 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 from the Koine Greek New Testament. The Greek text I used is from The Reader's Greek New Testament, 2nd Edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007).

A Free Grace Translation of 1 Corinthians 15:1-5:

1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the gospel, which I announced as good news to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are saved. For what statement have I preached to you if you retain it? Except if not, you believed to no purpose. 3 For I delivered to you in first order of importance that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

ENDNOTES:

[1] The Expositor's Greek New Testament affirms that in 1 Corinthians 15:2 the apostle Paul is asking the Corinthians a question. It translates the Greek text of verse 2 this way: "In what word (I ask) did I preach (it) to you? – (you will remember) if you are holding (it) fast! – unless you believed idly!" (See W. R. Nicoll, The Expositor's Greek New Testament, 5 Vols., Vol. 2, p. 919.) Related to this, there is some debate regarding the exact meaning of the phrase in 1 Corinthians 15:2, "by which also you are saved" (NKJV). Many popular English translations have "are saved" (e.g. the NIV, NASB, NKJV, KJV, etc.) but some translations read: "are being saved" (e.g. the ESV and the NET Bible). The comment by Dr. S. Lewis Johnson on 1 Corinthians 15:2 in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary is helpful. He writes: "Ye are saved (Gr., present tense) may refer to continual salvation from the power of sin in the lives of believers, or it may refer to the day-by-day salvation of the inhabitants of Corinth as they received the message and formed part of the church of Jesus Christ." (S. Lewis Johnson, Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, Editors, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary [Chicago: Moody Press, 1990], p. 1255.) Commenting on this same passage of Scripture, Dr. Charlie Bing of GraceLife ministries similarly writes: "We have to get the gospel right to be saved (from hell), but we must also get the gospel right to keep on getting saved (from sin). The deliverance God wants for us is not only from the penalty of sin (our justification), but also from the power of sin (our sanctification) and the presence of sin (our glorification)....The gospel that initially saves us is the same gospel that keeps saving us and the gospel that ultimately saves us – and it's all by God's grace!" (Charlie Bing, "You are Saved, if you Hold Fast – 1 Corinthians 15:1-2," GraceNotes, No. 62.)

1 Corinthians 15:1-5 in the Williams New Testament

"Now let me remind you, brothers, of the essence¹ of the good news which I proclaimed to you, which you accepted, on which you now are standing, and through which you are to be saved,² unless your faith at first was spurious.³ For I passed on to you, among the primary principles of the good news,⁴ what I had received, that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that on the third day He was raised from the dead, in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, and then by the Twelve."[1] 

Footnotes:

¹ Implied in phrase, among the primary principles.

² At last.

³ Lit., in vain.

⁴ Grk., among the first things; good news implied.

Reference:

[1] Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation in the Language of the People (Chicago: Moody Press, 1950), pp. 386-387, footnotes his.

The Jeremiah Study Bible on the Gospel

Here is Dr. David Jeremiah's study note on the gospel from 1 Corinthians 15, in The Jeremiah Study Bible:

"[1 Corinthians] 15:3-7 Here is the standard by which every definition of the gospel must be measured. It must include four elements: Christ's death, burial, and resurrection as well as the testimony of the witnesses to the Resurrection. The gospel cannot be preached the way it should be without proclaiming all four truths."[1]

The reason I like Dr. Jeremiah's explanation of the gospel is that he makes it clear that the definition of the gospel includes not merely the two facts of Christ's death and resurrection, but rather four facts: "Christ died for our sins...was buried...was raised...and was seen" (1 Cor. 15:3-5).  Not a popular truth for some people today, but it's biblical!

ENDNOTE:

[1] Dr. David Jeremiah, The Jeremiah Study Bible, note on 1 Corinthians 15:3-7.

Bob Utley's "FOUR ASPECTS OF THE GOSPEL"

Dr. Bob Utley begins to discuss the "FOUR ASPECTS OF THE GOSPEL" at 

the "3:44" time stamp of the video. 

Here's a screenshot of Dr. Bob Utley's "FOUR ASPECTS OF THE GOSPEL:"

"DEFINING THE GOSPEL" | by David Jeremiah

In his book Sanctuary: Finding Moments of Refuge in the Presence of God, David Jeremiah shares the following true story in a daily devotional titled "DEFINING THE GOSPEL":

"Duncan McNeil, the Scottish evangelist, once said that in school he had a seminary professor who insisted on opening his theology classes with a question. No one could ever anticipate what the question would be. One day he said to his students, 'Gentlemen, can someone give me a definition of the gospel?'

A student rose and read John 3:16: 'For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.'

The professor said, 'That is a good gospel text, but it is not a definition of the gospel.' Another student read 1 Timothy 1:15: 'How true it is, and how I long that everyone should know it, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - and I was the greatest of them all.' Again the professor declined to accept it; he waited for what he wanted. Finally, a student stood and read 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, much to the professor's delight. It was evident that he had the reply he desired; he said, 'Gentlemen, that is the gospel. Believe it, live it, preach it, and die for it if necessary.'"¹


ENDNOTE:

¹ David Jeremiah, Sanctuary: Finding Moments of Refuge in the Presence of God (Nashville: Integrity Publishers, 2002), pg. 277.

The Strongest Definition of the Gospel

The Strongest Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Zondervan: 2001) is a good layman's resource that I have found very helpful in personal study. It has improved on the original Strong's Concordance in a number of ways. For example, The Strongest Strong's has updated and expanded some of the Hebrew and Greek definitions of the original. In the introduction (page x) it says, "Our dictionaries are based on the latest dictionaries, lexicons, and word study books, reflecting great advances in Biblical scholarship."

One update that I have found very helpful in The Strongest Strong's is the expanded definition of the Greek word euangelizo. The Strongest Strong's gives this definition of euangelizo: 

"to preach (bring) the good news (gospel), often with a focus on the content of the message which is brought. In the NT it always refers to the death, burial, resurrection, and witness about Jesus Christ, including its implications for humankind's relationship to God" (see page 1613, number 2097 euangelizo).

The word euangelizo is used in both Acts 13:32 and 1 Corinthians 15:1 to describe the gospel preached by the apostle Paul: a gospel which according to both texts includes Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and appearances to witnesses (see Acts 13:28-31; 1 Cor. 15:3-5). This is the strongest definition of the gospel!

The Gospel Message

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

“The gospel is very simple. Even a child can comprehend its content and respond to its message. The apostle Paul encompassed the heart of the gospel in just twenty-eight words - ‘Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and . . . He was buried, and . . . He rose again the third day according to the scriptures; and . . . He was seen’ (vv. 3-5). Paul was not ashamed of that gospel (Rom. 1:16) and proclaimed it wherever he traveled, assuring his readers in Rome that he had, up to the time of his writing, ‘fully preached the gospel of Christ’ from Jerusalem all the way to the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea (Rom. 15:19). In his heart, this first century missionary had determined that wherever he engaged with unregenerate men he would preach ‘Jesus Christ, and Him crucified’ (2:2). The church at Corinth was reminded of Paul’s burden ‘to preach the gospel in the regions beyond [them]’ (2 Cor. 10:16).

     

‘The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (2 Thess. 1:8) ‘is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth’ (Rom. 1:16). It was the gospel that Paul preached to the Corinthians (Acts 18), knowing that only through that message would they be saved (v. 2). The good news of Christ, the crucified One, was the very foundation of their salvation. Paul delivered the message he had received (v. 3), and God did a work of grace in their hearts as they responded favorably, in faith. The ‘light of the glorious gospel of Christ’ had penetrated their darkened hearts and given ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Cor. 4:4, 6). Has that light pierced the gloom of your heart? Christ died for sinners - trust Him today!”[1]

Reference:

[1] John E. Duty (JED), “The Gospel Message”. Excerpted from the Fundamental Evangelistic Association’s FEATURE Bible Study Guide (April - June 2014), page 15, ellipsis his. Used by permission. John E. Duty is the pastor of Community Bible Church in Leola, Pennsylvania.

Andy Stanley Gives a Snapshot of the Gospel

What Is "the Gospel" at Grace Biblical Seminary?

There's division in the ranks at Grace Biblical Seminary in McDonough, Georgia (formerly known as Free Grace Seminary). Amazingly, two contrary definitions of the gospel are being promoted by the staff!

Rick Whitmire and Tom Stegall are both on staff at Grace Biblical Seminary in McDonough, Georgia. The school’s stated mission is “to advance the cause of Christ by presenting the gospel of God’s amazing grace”¹ — yet actually these two men  have contrary definitions of that very gospel! Rich Whitmire is Vice President and Dean of Online Education, as well as Professor of Evangelism, Biblical and Theological Studies. Tom Stegall is Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies. Notice the following public statements these men have made in regards to the gospel, and how their statements are contrary to each other. 

Rick Whitmire's 
Statements on the Gospel:

“Romans 1:16 – ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the (Gentiles).’…

The Apostle Paul Defines the Gospel: 

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 – ‘For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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 scripture: And that He was SEEN...’

The Apostle Paul summarizes the most basic ingredients of the gospel message, namely, the death, burial, resurrection, and appearances of the resurrected Christ.

a. This is the one place where the historical elements of the gospel are clearly defined. Our responsibility is to make the gospel clear and Biblical. But in order to do so, we must have a clear understanding of what the gospel means in the New Testament. These verses, give us the heart of the gospel. Note the four clauses introduced in verses 3-5.

b. The Apostles [sic] Paul in defining the gospel uses four verbs: 1). Christ Died.... 2). Christ was Buried.… 3). Christ Rose.… 4). Christ was Seen.” ²

Tom Stegall's 
Statements on the Gospel:

“Paul did not consider the burial and appearances to be part of ‘the gospel’....”³

"...the burial and post-resurrection appearances of Christ are not technically part of the gospel...” ⁴

"...the cross and resurrection are elements of the gospel in distinction to the burial and appearances..."⁵

"The interpretation that views the four clauses in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 as...all being necessary components of the gospel, is at odds with the entire pattern of the New Testament."⁶

“...only the substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of Christ are elements of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15, in contrast to the burial and appearances”⁷

Comparing and contrasting the above statements of the two men, notice that while Rick Whitmire states that "the most basic ingredients of the gospel message, [are] namely, the death, burial, resurrection, and appearances of the resurrected Christ" — Tom Stegall says that "the burial and post-resurrection appearances of Christ are not technically part of the gospel"! So while Rick Whitmire says that Christ's burial and appearances are part of the gospel, Tom Stegall says they are not part of the gospel. So which is it? It cannot be both!

I trust that Grace Biblical Seminary will address this division over the gospel and hold Tom Stegall accountable for his false teaching so the school can move forward in spirit and in truth, “with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).

ENDNOTES:

¹ http://www.gracebiblicalseminary.org/about-us/our-mission-purpose-vision/

² Rick Whitmire, “The Facts Presentation,” GO TELL EVANGELISM, CHAPTER 2, OUR WITNESS FOR CHRIST (dated “07-15-03”), underlining, capitalization, and second ellipsis his, http://tgcministry.com/gotell/gts_2.htm (accessed April 5, 2012). Note: In the original article much of Whitmire’s statement is in bold print.

³ Thomas L. Stegall, The Gospel of the Christ (Milwaukee, Grace Gospel Press, 2009), p. 579.

⁴ Ibid., p. 578.

⁵ Ibid., p. 579.

⁶ Ibid., p. 588.

⁷ Ibid., p. 585. Note: Stegall's statement is false in light of 1 Corinthians 15:3-5. For more information see my article: "Getting the Gospel Right, Pt. 1".

The Hand Illustration of the Gospel

"Free, But Not Cheap!" | by Bible Truth Publishers

During the noon hour, a preacher of the gospel had gone down into a coal mine to tell the miners of the good news of salvation which comes through Jesus Christ. After telling them the simple story of God's love to sinners and God's remedy for their sins in His offer of a full and free salvation, their lunch break was over. As the men went back to work, the preacher came back to the elevator shaft to ride up to the top. Meeting the foreman, he asked him what he thought of God's way of salvation.

The foreman replied, "Oh, it's too cheap! I can't believe in a religion like that!"

Without commenting on his remark, the preacher asked, "How do you get out of this place?"

"Just get into the elevator cage and ride to the top" was the foreman's reply.

"Does it take long to get to the top?"

"No...only a few seconds!"

"That certainly sounds pretty easy and simple. But don't I need to help raise myself?" asked the preacher.

"Of course not!" replied the foreman. "All you have to do is get in the elevator cage, and it carries you to the top."

"Tell me about the company who opened the shaft and worked out all the details. Was there much planning, labor and expense to make it all work?"

"Oh yes, there was much calculating before they actually began sinking the shaft. The shaft is eighteen hundred feet deep, and it was completed at great cost to the company who owns the mine. It is our only way out, and without it we couldn't get to the surface," the foreman explained.

"That's exactly my point!" said the preacher. "When God's Word tells us that anyone who believes on the Son of God has everlasting life, you say, 'Too cheap!' You forget that God's work to bring you and others out of the pit of destruction and death was planned in divine detail and accomplished at a great expense. The cost was the suffering and death of His beloved Son on the cross! Now all that's left for you to do is believe."

You are "not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19).

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

People talk about God helping them with their salvation; they say, "If I do my part, God will do His." They disregard the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ by Himself removed our sins and that their part is only to believe and accept what He has already done—all they have to do is "step into the elevator cage!"

"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24).

"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

* * * 

Courtesy of Bible Truth Publishers

The Partial Gospel: What Is "The Rest of the Story"?

The well-known radio broadcaster Paul Harvey would often close his daily radio program with a segment called The Rest of the Story. It consisted of presenting "little-known or forgotten facts"^[1] of important events on a variety of subjects.

Have you heard The Rest of the Story in regards to the gospel? Oftentimes people say the gospel is 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. They conclude the gospel by placing a period at the end of verse 4 so that it reads: "I declare unto you the gospel...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures." But in reality, the gospel doesn't end there! There is no period at the end of 1 Corinthians 15:4 in the biblical text. Instead, there is a comma at the end of 1 Corinthians 15:4, and then 1 Corinthians 15:5 begins with the linking word "and". In other words, the gospel includes verse 5: "and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." So according to the Bible, the gospel not only includes Christ's death, burial, and resurrection — it also includes Christ's manifestation to His disciples (see 1 Corinthians 15:5; also see John 20:19-21:14). To put it more concisely, the gospel includes Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and manifestation (see 1 Corinthians 15:3-5). That's "the rest of the story" — the whole gospel message!

Commenting on the apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:1, "I declare unto you the gospel," the New Testament scholar Dean Henry Alford (1810-1871) affirms: "I declare...the (whole) Gospel: not merely the Death and Resurrection of Christ, which were en protois [priority] parts of it".^[2] 

Darrel Bock similarly affirms: "In fact, only to speak of Jesus dying for sin – even to speak of Jesus dying for sin and rising again – is to give only about half of the gospel message….Paul in 1 Cor 15:3-5 summarizes the gospel as the fact that Jesus 'died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas.'"^[3]

The whole gospel includes the fact that the risen Christ "appeared in the presence of His disciples" (Jn. 20:30-31; cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-5). 

And now you know "The Rest of the Story"!

References:

^[1] "The Rest of the Story," Wikipedia.

^[2] Henry Alford, The Greek Testament, 4 Vols., Vol. 2, p. 602, ellipsis added; cf. Alford, The New Testament for English Readers, 2 Vols., Vol. 2, p. 229.

^[3] Darrell Bock, Recovering the Real Lost Gospel: Reclaiming the Gospel as Good News (Nashville: B and H Publishing Group, 2010), p. 3, italics his, ellipsis added. Cf. Bock, The Bible Knowledge Word Study: Acts – Ephesians (Colorado Springs: Cook Communications Ministries, 2006), pp. 310-311. 

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: Still True to the Gospel

Although some today are using systematic theology to redefine the gospel,¹ such is not the case with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS). All the way back in 1913, B. H. Carroll, the founder and first president of the institution, affirmed that "the gospel" in 1 Corinthians 15 includes the following four facts: 1) Christ's death for our sins, 2) His burial in a tomb, 3) His resurrection on the third day, and 4) His appearances to His disciples.²

     

Now, 100 years later, the school is still preaching that old, old story of Jesus and His love (Romans 5:8). In an article titled "We Should Study Systematic Theology for the Gospel," SWBTS faculty member Thomas White writes: "1 Corinthians 15:3-5 provides a short summary of the Gospel:

1 Cor. 15:3-5, For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: 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, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." ³

May I say, that's a theological insight and a biblical insight!

ENDNOTES:

¹ For an example of this see the article: "The Strange Beliefs of Stegall's System".

² Commenting on 1 Corinthians 15, B. H. Carrol says: “This chapter commences with the statement of the facts which constitute the gospel. The first fact, ‘Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.’ Three ideas are involved in that fact: 1. Christ actually died. It was not a mere trance; it was actual death. 2. It was a vicarious, substitutionary, expiatory death. ‘He died for our sins.’ 3. He died for our sins ‘according to the Scriptures’ – that the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament up to the time of his crucifixion clearly foretold his actual, substitutionary, and expiatory death. The second fact in the gospel is that he was buried – he was dead and buried – and that was according to the Scriptures. The Scriptures testified that he would be buried. The third fact is that on the third day, according to the Scriptures, he rose from the dead; and the fourth fact of the gospel is, that risen, he was visible to men, recognized by men, and identified by men.” (Carroll, An Interpretation of the English Bible [Grand Rapids: Broadman Press, 1948], 17 Vols., Vol. 13, pp. 246-247. Note: This book was originally published by the Fleming H. Revell company in 1913.)

³ Thomas White, "We Should Study Systematic Theology for the Gospel (cont.)," Theological Matters blog (April 12, 2013), italics his.

Biblical Repentance: Lost in Translation?

Recently a non Free Grace pastor warned me that I would be disciplined by the church if I tried to explain the right and wrong definitions of repentance to people in the congregation. He didn't want me to clarify the word repentance because he thought it might offend someone. But the Bible says: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth . . .” (2 Timothy 4:2-4).

I'm convinced that a great need exists in the church today to clearly explain exactly what biblical repentance is (from the Greek) and also clearly explain what it's not. This need exists because the word “repentance” in our English New Testament is really not the best translation of the original Greek word metanoia.

   
Many Bible teachers agree that the word repentance is really not the best word to translate the Greek word metanoia. For example, notice the following statements:

• “The problem is not preaching repentance; it is giving a wrong definition to the word. Down through the centuries ‘repent’ has come to mean a far different thing than when it was spoken by John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John, and Jesus Christ Himself. . . . If you look up the Greek word translated ‘repent’ in the King James Bible and used by Jesus, Paul, John and others in the New Testament, you will find that the [Greek] word metanoeo [which is simply the verb of the noun metanoia] means to think differently or afterwards, that is, to change the mind.” (Curtis Hutson, Repentance: What Does the Bible Teach? [Murfreesboro: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1986], pp. 3-4.) 

• “Modern [Bible] translators . . . generally translate metanoia as repentance. While this is an improvement over the Latin translation ‘penance,’ it is in most cases, as we shall now see, a poor reflection of its meaning in the NT.” (Bob Wilkin, “New Testament Repentance: Lexical Considerations,” bible.org/seriespage/new-testament-repentance-lexical-considerations.) 

• “the English word repentance derives from the Latin and does not express the exact meaning of  [the Greek word] metanoia.” (Wendell G. Johnston, “Repentance,” Don Campbell, Wendell Johnston, John Walvoord, John Witmer, The Theological Wordbook [Nashville: Word Publishing, 2000], p. 296.) 

• “The word ‘repentance’ is not the best translation [of metanoia]. A better translation would have been ‘to change your mind.’” (James A. Scudder, Forever With God [Lake Zurich: Victory in Grace Ministries, 2010], p. 40.) 

• “As we said earlier, repentance is the translation of the Greek word metanoia, which means ‘change of mind.’ . . . Repentance is a vital ingredient in saving faith. . . . If one asks, which comes first, faith or repentance, it depends how one defines repentance. If one sticks with its biblical meaning—‘change of mind’—then one can only say that they come together. But if one defines repentance, as ‘turning from every known sin’ (as some Puritans were inclined to do), one can see the endless confusion that will emerge if such ‘repentance’ is demanded prior to faith. The result has been doom and gloom, being never quite sure they are saved, owing to a fear they have not repented enough.” (R. T. Kendall, One Saved, Always Saved [Chicago: Moody Press, 1985], pp. 193-194.)

• “In the English Bible the word [metanoia] is translated ‘repentance,’ but this rendering hardly does justice to the original, since it gives undue prominence to the emotional element.” (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology [Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996], p. 480.) 

• “[The word] ‘Repentance’ suggests primarily sorrow for sin; metanoia suggests a change of mind”. (George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1993], p. 36.)

• “the rendering found in many of our [Bible] translations, namely, ‘Repent’—thus A.V., A.R.V., R.S.V., etc.—is probably not the best.” (William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973], p. 196.)

• “It is evident that repentance is a mistranslation of metanoia. This fact was never more apparent than during the English and American revisions of the King James version of our Bible. Frequent debate centered around this word and it was the opinion of many that a suitable English equivalent should be sought for the Greek expression. It was agreed, however, that no one English word was sufficient to convey all that lay in the Greek. And, although it was admitted that the translation was poor, it was felt that the common term should be retained in the hope that it would come to convey all that its Greek derivative expressed. Several English words were suggested to the revisers, among them resipiscence (derived from a word meaning ‘to come to one's senses’), but manifestly none of them was appropriate. It seems to be the present task of the expositors, then, to pause at the reading of this word [repentance] and reiterate all that it is really intended to mean.” (William Walden Howard, “Is Faith Enough to Save? Part 3,” Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol. 99 [January 1942]: p. 96. Cf. Larry Moyer, Free and Clear [Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1997], p. 86.)

• “Repent (metanoeite). Broadus used to say that this is the worst translation in the New Testament. The trouble is that the English word ‘repent’ means ‘to be sorry again’ from the Latin repoenitet (impersonal). John [the Baptist] did not call on the people to be sorry, but to change (think afterwards) their mental attitudes (metanoeite) and conduct. The Vulgate has it ‘do penance’ and Wycliff has followed that. The Old Syriac has it better: ‘Turn ye.’ The French (Geneva) has it “Amendez vous.” This is John’s great word (Bruce) and it has been hopelessly mistranslated. The tragedy of it is that we have no one English word that reproduces exactly the meaning and atmosphere of the Greek word.” (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament, commentary on Matthew 3:2.) 

• “It is a linguistic and theological tragedy that we have to go on using ‘repentance’ for metanoia. But observe that the ‘sorrow’ has led to ‘repentance’ and was not itself the repentance.” (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, commentary on 2 Corinthians 7:9.) 

• “It is unfortunate that [the Greek word] metanoeo is translated ‘repent’ in the English Bible, for the English etymology denotes more the idea of penitence as sorrow, or worse, the [Roman] Catholic doctrine of penance, than it does the more accurate ‘change of mind.’” (Charles Bing, Lordship Salvation: A Biblical Evaluation and Response [Xulon Press, 2010], p. 69.)

• “Here, now, we come upon the practical and all-important point of this inquiry. For, putting these words, Metanoia and Repentance, side by side, is there not, on the contrary [to what some say], a most radical divergency between them? . . . At the best [the word Repentance] can only hang on the skirts of the great Greek expression [Metanoia]. . . . How did such an extraordinary mistranslation get into our New Testament? . . . We feel prepared, at least, to say, with regard to the present subject, that the necessary employment of a paraphrase should not be an occasion for hesitation in making so important an alteration. We can leave it to the candid reader to judge which is the most [or least] objectionable; a resort to a paraphrase which really translates, or the preference for a technical word, to say nothing of an uncertain one, which is always in need of translation. Better, even, were the bald phrase ‘change of mind,’ with an explanation which would give it fullness and dignity, than the misleading rendering we have to put up with now.” (Treadwell Walden, “THE GREAT MEANING OF THE WORD METANOIA: LOST IN THE OLD VERSION, UNRECOVERED IN THE NEW," The American Church Review, Vol. 35 [July 1881]: pp. 148, 149, 153, 155; cf. Walden, The Great Meaning of Metanoia [New York: Whittaker, 1896], pp. 14, 15, 24, 29.)

In conclusion, it can be said that the English word repentance does not exactly express the meaning of metanoia. Therefore, in order to “accurately handle the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), it's necessary to explain the meaning of repentance much like Ezra and the Levitical priests explained the Pentateuch to Israel: “They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read” (Nehemiah 8:8, HCSB).

God's Home Run

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, NKJV).

Recently I thought of an illustration to show how vital and important each part of the gospel is to the whole. Think of the gospel as God’s home run: “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). According to 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, the gospel of salvation has four action words (notice the four verbs in bold print):

1. Christ DIED... (1 Cor. 15:3)

2. He was BURIED... (1 Cor. 15:4a)

3. He was RAISED... (1 Cor. 15:4b)

4. He was SEEN... (1 Cor. 15:5).

God hit a home run when Christ died, was buried, was raised, and appeared. If a preacher removes the resurrection appearances from the gospel it would be like a baseball player hitting a home run and stopping at third base! Major League Baseball official rules say that when a batter hits a home run he has to physically step on all four bases. If the player doesn’t tag all four bases, the home run doesn’t count. This is why all the teammates wait at home plate to congratulate the runner. Only after the runner tags home plate can the team put the run on the scoreboard. The Scriptures tell us that after Christ was raised on the third day, He appeared to His disciples. In baseball terms, Jesus rounded third and tagged home. Not only did Christ hit “the walk-off home run” (the game-winning home run), He tagged all the bases and scored it!

   
So to recap the baseball illustration, God hit a home run when:

1. Christ DIED for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3) — Jesus hit our sins out of the ballpark (John 19:30) and rounded 1st base,

2. Christ BURIED in a tomb (1 Cor. 15:4a) — Jesus rounded 2nd base,

3. Christ RAISED on the third day (1 Cor. 15:4b) — Jesus rounded 3rd base,

4. Christ APPEARED to His disciples (1 Cor. 15:5) — Jesus physically tagged home plate in the presence of His teammates (John 20:30-31) and scored the winning run!  

* * *

The Free Grace theologian William R. Newell has written the following excellent summary in his commentary on Romans 1:16:

“this good news concerning Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and appearing, ‘is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth.’ There is no fact for a preacher or teacher to hold more consistently in his mind than this.” (Newell, Romans Verse-By-Verse, pp. 18-19.)

“Again we repeat that it is of the very first and final importance that the preacher or teacher of the gospel believe in the bottom of his soul that the simple story, Christ died for our sins, was buried, hath been raised from the dead the third day, and was seen, IS THE POWER OF GOD to salvation to every one who rests in it—who believes!” (Newell, Romans Verse-By-Verse, p. 19, emphasis his.)

Saved By Grace: The Testimony of Jonathan Perreault

I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home. My parents were both active Christians. My dad was in charge of a short-term missionary training program at Elmbrook Church called Man-to-Missions, and both my dad and my mom led several home Bible studies. I can remember my sister and I playing in the basement with some other kids as my dad was upstairs leading a weekly Bible study in our home. I also remember coming home from school and my mom would be finishing up a ladies Bible study around our dining room table. 

My family’s Christian heritage goes back to my great-grandpa on my dad’s side of the family. We all called him grandpa Storz – that was his last name, but his first name was Bill. He grew up in a Lutheran home, and when he was about seventeen years old he became a Christian and as a result his family kicked him out of the house. He lived a godly life and went to be with the Lord at the age of 93, in December of 1986. I still have a pocket sized Gideon’s New Testament that he and great-grandma Storz gave me for my birthday one year. 

My parents dedicated me to the Lord on May 31, 1981. I still have a small New Testament that my grandma and grandpa Perreault gave me for the occasion. Just to be clear: my dedication isn’t when I got saved, it’s just when my parents took me up in front of the church and prayed to bring me up “in the training and admonition of the Lord,” like the Bible says in Ephesians 6:4. I’m sure they prayed that I would get saved at an early age and grow up to be a godly man. I’m just guessing about those details since I haven’t actually asked my parents about the specifics, but that’s pretty much what happens at children’s dedications in evangelical churches. 

Like I said, when I was young my parents were very involved at Elmbrook Church, and I remember sometimes they would take me with them into the grown-up service to hear Stuart Briscoe preach. I liked it when they did that. He was a good preacher and I would sit next to my dad and squirm around. He would tell me to sit still. Sometimes I would go to the children’s Sunday school instead of the grown-up service, and there were some nice teachers in there too. 

My mom says that when I was about four years old she explained John 3:16 to me as we were driving somewhere in the car. She says that I was sitting in the back seat and after she explained John 3:16 to me, she looked in the rear view mirror and saw me praying. For a while I thought that’s when I got saved, even though I don’t really remember the incident. I think I might remember it, but I wonder if it’s just because she told it to me since I was young. Anyway, I always used to tell people that’s when I got saved, except I had my doubts. I was kind of embarrassed not to really know for sure. 

At the time we lived out in Delafield, and my best friend lived next door. His name was Bryan Gott. He came from a broken home – his parents were divorced, and he was a rambunctious little kid. When my parents would take me and my sister to church on Wednesday nights to go to AWANA Club, they would bring Bryan along too. I believe that my parents’ ministry to Bryan yielded a great harvest of spiritual fruit. Bryan got saved and grew up to be a mighty witness for Christ before he died in a car accident after his senior year of high school. Over one thousand people came to his funeral service and testified to his spiritual impact on their lives. That rambunctious little kid grew up to be a firecracker for Christ – his short life burned brightly for His Savior. I hope by God’s grace to be like him. I admire Bryan so much and I want to be on fire for Christ like he was. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus says: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” 

My family eventually moved away from Delafield in 1987 so that my sister and I could be closer to a Christian elementary school. The school was in West Allis, and my parents rented a house only a couple blocks away so that my sister and I could walk to school every day. I always enjoyed the Bible classes, especially in high school because my Bible teacher was a Baptist pastor who had moved down from Alaska and he always used to read us grizzly bear stories on test day after everyone had completed their tests. He gave us a good foundation in the Bible too. 

During my growing up years I had the opportunity to go on several short-term mission projects. Actually, when I was only about two years old my parents took me on a couple summer mission trips to Alaska, but I don’t really remember them except for a few incidents like when I threw my sister’s pail of freshly picked blueberries out the window of my dad’s pickup truck! When I was in first grade in 1986 my family had the opportunity to go to Brazil on a two week missions trip to help some New Tribes missionaries with a building project. That was a great experience and I remember a lot of things from that trip. Like when I shook up a can of soda and sprayed it all over the wall. My dad wasn’t too happy, but everyone else laughed. I remember other things too, like the prime rib dinner that only cost two dollars! And feeding the missionary’s pet bird that perched on his shoulder. And the Brazilian woman who I helped to learn English. And going to Rio de Janeiro and seeing the Christ the Redeemer statue on Sugarloaf Mountain. And riding in the back of an old Volkswagen van as we went down the bumpy Brazilian roads. And the flowering trees. And flying to Annapolis in a small Cessna aircraft to visit the missionary school. And buying souvenirs at the local markets.

I was also blessed to be able to go on other mission trips too. My grandpa Perreault had a cabin in Canada, and often our family would go up there in the summer for vacation. (My dad called these trips “vacations with a purpose”: the purpose being to help spread the gospel.) My older brother would take me and my sister fishing – he knew all the best places to catch fish, even better than grandpa! There was a Baptist missionary up there who we always used to help. We would go to his church on Sunday, and donate various things to his ministry. We would volunteer at his summer youth camps too. 

It was during these growing up years that I had nagging doubts about my salvation. I never really had assurance about it. I always wondered if I was really saved or not. I can remember hearing preachers on the radio give invitations for salvation, and they would say things like: “If you want to be saved, pray this prayer after me.” I would always pray the prayer but it never really seemed to do anything. It never really seemed to settle the issue. I lacked peace about my eternal destiny. 

Then in 1989 my dad started taking us to a small church called Good News Messengers that met in the basement of a bank in Waukesha. At first we would go there after the service at Elmbrook. Then we stopped going to Elmbrook and just went to Good News Messengers. I really enjoyed going to Good News Messengers. [Editor’s note: I’ve read some negative comments online about Good News Messengers, but I can only speak about my experience attending there as a young boy, and overall my experience was a very positive one.] Everybody treated each other like family (cf. Psa. 133:1-3). We spent practically the whole Sunday morning together; we would sing, share prayer requests, pray, eat a meal together, and study God’s Word verse-by-verse (Acts 2:42). And during the week, we went out onto the street corners of downtown Milwaukee and shared the gospel with people and handed out gospel tracts. And on Wednesday nights we met in what we called “the ministry house” to study the Bible and pray. Years later I would come to find out that this church was an offshoot of Waukesha Bible Church, and it was deeply influenced by graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary in the grace teachings of Lewis Sperry Chafer, the Seminary’s founder and first president. I also remember that during the Sunday morning service at Good News Messengers, the pastor would sometimes read quotes from Bob Wilkin and the Grace Evangelical Society (GES) newsletter. That was before the GES started promoting the “crossless gospel”. Another thing I remember is that everybody at Good News Messengers used the Ryrie Study Bible in the New American Standard Version. Today I would call Good News Messengers a “Free Grace” church, but when I was young I didn't know about that label or what it meant. One thing I remember about Good News Messengers is that they explained the gospel more clearly than I had ever heard before. It seemed like every Sunday the pastor would turn to the dry erase board behind him and sketch out the cross and the empty tomb. He explained how Christ shed His blood on the cross to pay for all our sins (past, present, and future), was buried, rose again on the third day, and appeared many witnesses (see Acts 2:22-32). This is the message that the apostle Paul explains in First Corinthians chapter 15, when he writes: “Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand...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 was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve” (1 Cor. 15:1, 3-5, NET Bible). This message of the gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16). 

I remember one Sunday as the pastor was explaining this to us, it was like a light went on in my mind. It was like I realized something for the first time. I turned to my mom who was sitting next to me in church and I said, “So it’s the blood. It’s the blood that saves us?” I felt kind of stupid for asking her this because I felt like I should have known it before. (I’m guessing I was about 10 years old at the time.) But my mom just smiled and nodded her head in agreement. Looking back on this incident it reminds me of the Bible verse that says: “For it is...God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). What I realized is that Jesus died for me – for my sins. He shed His blood to save me (Eph. 1:7). He “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20). As the saying goes: “Believing Christ died – that’s history. Believing He died for me – that’s salvation!” 

After that time I can honestly say that I never doubted my salvation as before. I had come to realize that salvation is not based on what I do; salvation is based on what Jesus has done (see Isa. 64:6; Rom. 4:4-5; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7). I’d like to quote Ephesians 2:8-9; it says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” 

If you have never trusted in Christ alone for salvation, I urge you to do it today. The Bible says: “behold, now is ‘THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,’ behold, now is ‘THE DAY OF SALVATION’” (2 Cor. 6:2). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

"LETTER FROM THE CTS PRESIDIENT" | by Dr. George Meisinger

Dr. George Meisinger is the founder and President of Chafer Theological Seminary (CTS), "a non-crossless Free Grace school".¹ Meisinger is also on the Board of Reference for the Free Grace Alliance (FGA). I appreciate this dear brother in Christ and the stand he takes for the gospel of grace.

In a Chafer Theological Seminary newsletter article titled "LETTER FROM THE CTS PRESIDENT," Meisinger writes:

"Supporters of CTS often ask me, What is my stand regarding the gospel? I follow the revelation from Paul: I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according the the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve (1 Cor. 15:3-5). This message—that He died for our sin—is very good news indeed. Thus, Paul put Jesus' death on the Cross in a primary position as he evangelized; he resolved to make known nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). Paul's example of doing evangelism is a pattern we should follow, not minimize."²

ENDNOTES:

¹ Tom Stegall, The Gospel of the Christ (Milwaukee: Grace Gospel Press, 2009), p. 577. Note: It's necessary to point out that Tom Stegall disagrees with the traditional Free Grace interpretation of the gospel. For more information see my article titled: "Is Tom Stegall's Gospel the Traditional Free Grace Gospel?" Another article that I wrote details the bizarre and even pagan origins of Stegall's redefinition of the gospel: "The Strange Beliefs of Stegall's System".

² George Meisinger, "Letter from the President," EQUIPPING THE SAINTS, A newsletter from Chafer Theological Seminary, Volume 3, Issue 2 (December 2007): p. 4, italics his. For more information see the article by George Meisinger titled: "The Gospel Paul Preached: A Church Age Model of Evangelistic Content".

According To The Scriptures: The Third Day in the Old Testament

In 1 Corinthians 15:4 the apostle Paul says that Christ "was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures". Have you ever wondered where the third day is mentioned in the Old Testament and how does it picture the resurrection of Christ? 

   
Here are some of the occurrences of "the third day" that are mentioned in the Old Testament. Think about how these examples foreshadow the resurrection of Christ "on the third day": 

• Life sprang up out of the ground "on the third day" of creation (Gen. 1:12-13). Similarly, Psalm 85:11 says, "Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven." Cyril of Jerusalem (313 - 386 A.D.) affirms, "A garden was the place of His Burial, and a vine that which was planted there: and He hath said, I am the vine! He was planted therefore in the earth in order that the curse which came because of Adam might be rooted out. The earth was condemned to thorns and thistles: the true Vine sprang up out of the earth, that the saying might be fulfilled, Truth sprang up out of the earth, and righteousness looked down from heaven." (Catechetical Lectures, Lecture 14, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, see Phillip Schaff, Nicene And Post-Nicene Fathers, Series II, Vol. 7, pp. 96-97.) 

• Isaac, his father's only son, carried the wood for the burnt offering up to Mount Moriah (Mt. Calvary), willingly laid himself on the altar in complete obedience to his father, and then he received back his life "as a type" (Gen. 22:1-14, cf. Heb. 11:17-19): "on the third day" (Gen. 22:4).

• Dinah was rescued from Shechem's house "on the third day" (Gen. 34:25-26).

• Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer was released from prison "on the third day" (Gen. 40:20).

• Joseph’s brothers were released from custody "on the third day" (Gen. 42:17-18).

• Moses was permitted to leave the company of the Israelites and ascend Mount Sinai "on the third day" (Ex. 19:10-25; cf. Deut. 5:24).

• The defiled Israelites outside the camp were cleansed and released from death "on the third day" (Num. 19:11-13, 19, 31:19).

• The two Israelite spies told Rahab the harlot, "Our lives for your lives!" (Joshua 2:14). They hid for three days (they went "into the hills") and then they left their place of hiding alive (Josh. 2:15-24).

• The Israelites, led by the tribe of Judah, fought against the tribe of Benjamin due to a wicked act committed by men from the tribe of Benjamin. The men of Judah and Israel were killed in battle (Judges 20:1-29), but on the third day they set an ambush, and at exactly the right time ("on the third day," Judges 20:30) they charged out of their hiding place (Judges 20:33) and were victorious (see Judges 20:30-35)! Then Judah and the tribes of Israel offered peace to the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21:13-14).

• David hid in a field until the third day because King Saul wanted to kill him (1 Sam. 20:5, 12).

• David rescued Abigail and the village of Ziklag from the Amalekites "on the third day" (1 Sam. 30:1). David recovered everything and lost no one (1 Sam. 30:18-19, cf. Jn. 6:39). He also took great plunder from the enemy, which he then shared equally with his men. David also gave some of the plunder as gifts to the elders of Judah  (1 Sam. 30:18-26). Similarly, Christ "when he ascended up on high, led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men" (Eph. 4:8).

• God sent a plague on Israel because of King David's sin, but on the third day the plague was stopped and the people were saved because David built an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (2 Sam. 24:10-25) and offered sacrifices to God. 2 Chronicles 3:1 identifies this location as Mount Moriah (cf. Gen. 22:2). Mt. Moriah is where Abraham offered up his only son Isaac and "received him back as a type" (Hebrews 11:19), "on the third day" (Gen. 22:4).

• Hezekiah was restored to life after a deadly sickness "on the third day" after he prayed (2 Kings 20:5).

• The second Jewish temple was rebuilt "on the third day" (Ezra 6:15). Similarly, Jesus said (speaking in reference to His physical body): "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. . . . He was speaking of the temple of His body" (Jn. 2:19-22).

• "On the third day" (Esther 5:1) Esther's life was spared by the king; she risked her own life to save her people from Haman's evil plot (see Esther chapters 5, 6, 7; cf. Esther 4:11).

• The prophet Hosea spoke of the resurrection of the nation of Israel, saying, "After two days He will revive us, on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His presence" (Hosea 6:2).

• Jonah was in the stomach of a fish for "three days and three nights" (Jonah 1:17-2:10). When the religious leaders of Israel asked Jesus for a sign, Jesus answered and said to them, "A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, and no sign will be given to it except for the sign of the prophet Jonah, for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:38-40).

• Christ died for our sins and was buried, but then He was raised to life "on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:4; cf. Lk. 18:31-33, 24:44-48; Acts 10:40).

* * *

In regards to the Old Testament, Jesus said to the Pharisees: "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me!" (John 5:39, NIV).

The Dangers of the Deserted Island Scenarios, Parts 1-10

The Dangers of the Deserted Island Scenarios

of Non-Traditional Free Grace Theology

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

The Free Grace Gospel Debate

"For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you." 1 Corinthians 11:19, NASB95

"What Should We Never Change?" | by Ken Daughters

In an excellent article titled “A Theology of Change,” Ken Daughters (former President of Emmaus Bible College) warns against changing the gospel message. Notice what he says under the heading “What Should We Never Change?”: 

“I also suggest that we’re not allowed to change the message, which is the gospel itself. It’s taught to us in I Corinthians 15:3-5 that ‘Christ died for us according to the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day and that He appeared.’ It continues in passages such as Acts 17:30-31 where ‘God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent because He’s fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness.’ Our response is summarized in Acts 16:31, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.’ This is the good news that we proclaim. We cannot change the message.”¹

Reference:

¹ Ken Daughters, “A Theology of Change,” Emmaus Bible College Journey Magazine (Fall 2006): p. 15. Note: The Emmaus Bible College is said to “come down on the Free Grace, not the Lordship Salvation, side [of the theological debate].” (David A. Glock, “Periodical Reviews,” Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society 5 [Spring 1992]: p. 90, http://www.galaxie.com/article/10992; cf. James A. Townsend, “Grace in the Arts,” Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society 11 [Autumn 1998].)

The Dangers of the Deserted Island Scenarios, Pt. 10

Danger # 9: Both scenarios are based on a failure to recognize the grammatical break at the end of 1 Corinthians 15:5.

Zane Hodges writes: "Keep in mind that all these items [in 1 Cor. 15:3b-8] were of 'first importance' in Paul's gospel. [No recognition of the grammatical break at the end of 1 Cor. 15:5.] Is it therefore necessary to believe all nine [items] to receive eternal life? So far, I don't know of any theological legalist who claims all nine are necessary. Instead, this type of legalist is reduced to 'cherry picking' the items he himself considers of 'first importance!'"¹

    

Similarly, Tom Stegall writes: “The succession of ‘then’ (eita) and ‘after that’ (epeita) clauses in [1 Cor. 15] verses 5b-7b forms an unbroken, chronological structure [No recognition of the grammatical break at the end of 1 Cor. 15:5.] just like the syntactically parallel ‘that’ (hoti)/’and that’ (kai hoti) clauses of verses 3b-5a. If some Christians contend that every detail of verses 3b-5a must be included in the gospel, then it is purely arbitrary and special pleading to argue that only a portion of verses 5-8 is gospel-content. If only verse 5 constitutes the gospel [out of verses 5-8], then why should a person’s eternal destiny be dependent upon the reference to Cephas (v. 5) but not to the five hundred brethren (v. 6) or James (v. 7) or Paul (v. 8)?”²

    

Although Hodges and Stegall obviously disagree on the content of the gospel, the similarity in their statements is that both fail to recognize the grammatical break at the end of 1 Corinthians 15:5. Notice how the so-called crossless gospel and the groundless gospel are “two sides of the same counterfeit coin”³:

Hodges' Shallow Exegesis

Hodges admits that Paul begins to enumerate the content of his gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3b, and that these items are “of first importance”.⁴ However, Hodges extends the actual content of Paul’s gospel through 1 Corinthians 15:8 while offering no exegesis to support his claim. Hodges simply declares: “In 1 Cor 15:1-8 Paul is reminding the Christians in Corinth about the content of his gospel.”⁵ After merely quoting 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Hodges concludes: “Clearly, for Paul, the term ‘gospel’ is broader than the essential content of saving faith.”⁶ Such an obvious lack of exegesis is expected from first year seminary students, but not from a former professor of New Testament Greek and exegesis at Dallas Theological Seminary! Hodges arguments are exegetically unconvincing. The words of Bob Wilkin are appropriate: "Today what passes for exegesis is stating one’s opinion and then citing one or more verses. Little if any comments are made as to why the cited words prove the point. The writer or speaker assumes that merely mentioning words of Scripture is enough...Quoting Scriptures is not exegesis. Exegesis is analyzing Scripture."⁷

    

The exegesis of 1 Corinthians 15 makes it clear that verse 5 is the conclusion of the gospel’s content, not verse 8.⁸ There is a grammatical break after 1 Corinthians 15:5 indicating the end of the gospel tradition. Famed New Testament scholar Joachim Jeremias affirms: “it can be proved linguistically that the kerygma (which includes verses 3b from [Christos] to 5 [dodeka], as shown e.g. by the syntactic break at the beginning of verse 6) was not formulated by Paul….Up to v. 5 there are [hoti]-clauses, from v. 6 onwards main clauses”.⁹ Frederic Godet notes another exegetical point bearing on the subject when he states: “The [epeita], thereafter [in 1 Cor. 15:6a], separates more forcibly than the [eita], then, of ver. 5; it makes the following appearances [in 1 Cor. 15:6ff] a new step in the series, and rightly so.”¹⁰ Even "crossless" gospel advocate John Niemelä affirms these exegetical truths. Under the heading “Indicating a Content Clause” Niemelä notes that “1 Corinthians…15:3…15:4a-b, [and] 5” (but not 15:6ff) each indicate “a Content Clause”.¹¹ The words of Matt Myllykoski are appropriate: “Most scholars have regarded vv. 3b-5 as an old traditional unit.”¹² The apostle Paul confirms this gospel tradition by listing several more appearances of Christ in vv. 6-8. Ladd writes: “[The] tradition embodied in the apostolic kerygma or euangelion. Paul delivered (paredoka) to the Corinthians the gospel that he also received (parelabon), that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, that he rose on the third day, that he appeared to his disciples (1 Cor. 15:1-5). It is generally accepted that verses 3b-5 embody a primitive piece of pre-Pauline kerygma that Paul has received as a tradition from [Christ and] those who were apostles before him....Probably the appearances mentioned in vv. 6-8 were added by Paul to the tradition he received.”¹³ Zane Hodges has not even attempted to explain these exegetical truths that even fellow “crossless” gospel advocate John Niemelä affirms!

Stegall's Shaky Foundation

Similar to Hodges, Stegall also fails to recognize the grammatical break at the end of 1 Corinthians 15:5. There are several things to notice about Stegall’s statement (quoted above): (1) It is not correct for him to say that the succession of clauses in verses 5b-7b “forms an unbroken, chronological structure”.¹⁴ The truth is, there is a grammatical break at the end of verse 5 (as Jochim Jeremias and other New Testament scholars have noted).¹⁵ (2) In light of this exegetical truth, Stegall’s question “if only some portion of verses 5-8 is part of the gospel…then isn’t this being arbitrary as well?”¹⁶ should actually be answered in the negative. It is not being arbitrary to include only verse 5 in the gospel out of verses 5-8 because there is a grammatical break at the end of verse 5 separating the former appearances in verse 5 from the latter appearances in verses 6-8. (3) Stegall goes on to ask: “If only verse 5 constitutes the gospel [out of verses 5-8], then why should a person’s eternal destiny be dependent upon the reference to Cephas (v. 5) but not to the five hundred brethren (v. 6) or James (v. 7) or Paul (v. 8)?”¹⁷ Ironically, Stegall answers his own question about why a person’s eternal destiny should be dependent upon the text of verse 5 but not verses 6-8 when he says that “only verse 5 constitutes the gospel”!¹⁸ Unfortunately, Stegall refuses to accept this exegetical truth. Instead, he bases his interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15:5 on unanswered theological questions!¹⁹ This is quite a shaky foundation and one of the reasons why his saving message is referred to as “the groundless gospel”.

    

And so we see that both Hodges and Stegall fail to rightly divide 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 because e.g. they fail to recognize the grammatical break at the end of 1 Corinthians 15:5.²⁰ In other words, both men fail to accurately handle the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15) in regards to the conclusion of the gospel.

< Part 9

FOOTNOTES:

¹ Zane C. Hodges, "The Hydra's Other Head: Theological Legalism," Grace In Focus (September-October 2008), p. 4.

² Thomas L. Stegall, The Gospel of the Christ (Milwaukee: Grace Gospel Press, 2009), p. 566, italics his.

³ Lou Martuneac, “AVAILABLE NOW: What to Expect, 4,” In Defense of the Gospel blog, http://indefenseofthegospel.blogspot.com/2010/05/available-now-what-to-expect-4.html (accessed June 1, 2012). Although Lou is writing in regards to the "crossless" gospel and Lordship Salvation, the same reasoning holds true in regards to the "crossless" gospel & the groundless gospel.

 

⁴ Zane C. Hodges, "The Hydra's Other Head: Theological Legalism," Grace In Focus (September-October 2008), p. 3, italics his.

⁵ Ibid, p. 3.

⁶ Ibid., p. 4, italics his.

⁷ Bob Wilkin, "Quoting Scripture Is Not Exegesis," The Grace Evangelical Society blog, June 12, 20??, http://www.faithalone.org/wordpress/?s=biases (accessed June 2, 2012).

⁸ While 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (and more generally vv. 1-11) give the context of Paul's gospel, it is 1 Corinthians 15:3b-5 which gives the content of Paul's gospel (note the four parallel hoti content clauses and three kai coordinating conjunctions in vv. 3b-5). For further discussion see my article "Getting the Gospel Right".

⁹ Joachim Jeremias, The Eucharistic Words of Jesus (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1955), p. 129.

¹⁰ Frederic Godet, Commentary On The First Epistle To The Corinthians, 2 Vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1957), 2 Vol., Vol. 2, p. 334.

¹¹ John Niemelä, “For You Have Kept My Word: The Grammar of Revelation 3:10,” Chafer Theological Seminary Journal 6 (January 2000): pp. 29-30.

¹² Matt Myllykoski; Ismo Dunderberg, Christopher Tuckett, and Kari Syreeni, Editors, Fair Play: Diversity and Conflicts in Early Christianity (Leiden: Brill, 2002), p. 66.

¹³ George Eldon Ladd, Donald A. Hagner, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1953), p. 427, ellipsis added. 

¹⁴ Stegall, The Gospel of the Christ, p. 566. 

¹⁵ For further discussion see my article “Getting the Gospel Right”. Also see my article “Understanding the Gospel: Exegetically and Theologically”. 

¹⁶ Stegall, The Gospel of the Christ, p. 566, ellipsis added. 

¹⁷ Ibid., p. 566 

¹⁸ Ibid. 

¹⁹ For more information and further discussion see my article “Getting the Gospel Right”. Also see my article “The Strange Beliefs of Stegall’s System”. 

²⁰ I purposefully use the phrase “rightly divide” as an allusion to 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV), which says: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”