"I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." (Rom 1:16)
“No one of intelligence will dispute the meaning of the word "Gospel;" it signifies "GOOD TIDINGS," good news, --a good message.
Nevertheless, in some unaccountable manner, by common consent, "a real Gospel sermon" is almost universally understood to signify bad tidings--tidings of eternal misery to the great majority of our race--to all except a little flock of God's faithful believers. As a consequence the preacher of a "Gospel sermon" is expected to figuratively shake the congregation over an abyss of everlasting torture, making as strong an effort as possible to intimidate them thereby to a thorough reformation of life, in hope of thus escaping an awful eternity.
True, this that we might term "the gospel (?) of damnation" is not so generally preached as it once was, because more enlightened minds of cultured people repudiate it as a fetish of the past. Yet this perversion of the Gospel is still to be heard from many pulpits with the specific intention of instilling fear in those who hear it. (Isa 29:13) Nothing is further from our intention than a criticism of the consciences and honesty of intention of those who thus preach. It is no part of our mission to criticize persons and motives, but "With malice toward none and with charity toward all" we consider it not only our privilege but also our duty to criticize doctrines that thereby the truth may be more firmly established, and error brought into disrepute.
Before we proceed to the consideration of the Gospel of which the Apostle was not ashamed—the Gospel set forth in the Scriptures--it will be expedient for us to take a glance at the different Gospels set forth by the various denominations of Christendom. It is not our thought that each denomination represents a different Gospel, for the differences in many instances are chiefly respecting ceremonies, forms, methods of government, name, etc., and not in respect to the message or Gospel held forth. Nevertheless, there are three distinct lines of faith, or doctrine-- three distinct Gospels set forth in Christendom, all recognized as "orthodox," because they all contain as their fundamental the doctrine of the eternal torment of all mankind, except the comparatively few "saved." Each of these three Gospels has millions of supporters, divided into numerous denominations. These in point of numbers are:
(1) The Roman Catholic faith, or Gospel, in which concur the Greek Catholics and Armenian Catholics, and some of the high-church Episcopalians.
(2) The Calvinistic Gospel, which is held by the various Presbyterian denominations, the Congregationalists, Baptists, and many Lutherans and Episcopalians.
(3) The Armenian Gospel held and chiefly represented by the Methodists of various names and connections, and by the Free-Will Baptists: however, many of other denominations at heart accept the Armenian Gospel, while their church connections identify them with the Calvinistic Gospel. Hence we may say, so far as Protestantism is concerned, that the Armenian and the Calvinist Gospels are about equally supported.
It may not be possible for us to handle our subject properly and thoroughly without offering some criticism of these three Gospels which for centuries have entrenched themselves in Christian minds, each fortified by the decisions of its own Councils, backed by voluminous opinions from their several theological seminaries, but we can and assuredly will strenuously avoid saying one solitary word in criticism of those who we believe conscientiously uphold these several conflicting Gospels. We call you to witness that we are all scripturally enjoined to "Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints" (the true Gospel), at the same time that we are enjoined by the same authority to "Speak evil of no man." We shall endeavor to keep strictly within these admittedly proper lines, and, additionally, as the Apostle admonishes, "Speak the truth in love." (R2593)
In our next post we will examine the gospel according to Catholicism and the gospel according to Calvinism.
Return to Index
“No one of intelligence will dispute the meaning of the word "Gospel;" it signifies "GOOD TIDINGS," good news, --a good message.
Nevertheless, in some unaccountable manner, by common consent, "a real Gospel sermon" is almost universally understood to signify bad tidings--tidings of eternal misery to the great majority of our race--to all except a little flock of God's faithful believers. As a consequence the preacher of a "Gospel sermon" is expected to figuratively shake the congregation over an abyss of everlasting torture, making as strong an effort as possible to intimidate them thereby to a thorough reformation of life, in hope of thus escaping an awful eternity.
True, this that we might term "the gospel (?) of damnation" is not so generally preached as it once was, because more enlightened minds of cultured people repudiate it as a fetish of the past. Yet this perversion of the Gospel is still to be heard from many pulpits with the specific intention of instilling fear in those who hear it. (Isa 29:13) Nothing is further from our intention than a criticism of the consciences and honesty of intention of those who thus preach. It is no part of our mission to criticize persons and motives, but "With malice toward none and with charity toward all" we consider it not only our privilege but also our duty to criticize doctrines that thereby the truth may be more firmly established, and error brought into disrepute.
Before we proceed to the consideration of the Gospel of which the Apostle was not ashamed—the Gospel set forth in the Scriptures--it will be expedient for us to take a glance at the different Gospels set forth by the various denominations of Christendom. It is not our thought that each denomination represents a different Gospel, for the differences in many instances are chiefly respecting ceremonies, forms, methods of government, name, etc., and not in respect to the message or Gospel held forth. Nevertheless, there are three distinct lines of faith, or doctrine-- three distinct Gospels set forth in Christendom, all recognized as "orthodox," because they all contain as their fundamental the doctrine of the eternal torment of all mankind, except the comparatively few "saved." Each of these three Gospels has millions of supporters, divided into numerous denominations. These in point of numbers are:
(1) The Roman Catholic faith, or Gospel, in which concur the Greek Catholics and Armenian Catholics, and some of the high-church Episcopalians.
(2) The Calvinistic Gospel, which is held by the various Presbyterian denominations, the Congregationalists, Baptists, and many Lutherans and Episcopalians.
(3) The Armenian Gospel held and chiefly represented by the Methodists of various names and connections, and by the Free-Will Baptists: however, many of other denominations at heart accept the Armenian Gospel, while their church connections identify them with the Calvinistic Gospel. Hence we may say, so far as Protestantism is concerned, that the Armenian and the Calvinist Gospels are about equally supported.
It may not be possible for us to handle our subject properly and thoroughly without offering some criticism of these three Gospels which for centuries have entrenched themselves in Christian minds, each fortified by the decisions of its own Councils, backed by voluminous opinions from their several theological seminaries, but we can and assuredly will strenuously avoid saying one solitary word in criticism of those who we believe conscientiously uphold these several conflicting Gospels. We call you to witness that we are all scripturally enjoined to "Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints" (the true Gospel), at the same time that we are enjoined by the same authority to "Speak evil of no man." We shall endeavor to keep strictly within these admittedly proper lines, and, additionally, as the Apostle admonishes, "Speak the truth in love." (R2593)
In our next post we will examine the gospel according to Catholicism and the gospel according to Calvinism.
Return to Index
