The Social Gospel

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aspen

“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Apr 25, 2012
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What is wrong with it?
Why is it a bad attribute of churches?
Didn’t Jesus spend most of His ministry serving others?
 
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Episkopos

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What is wrong with it?
Why is it a bad attribute of churches?
Didn’t Jesus spend most of His ministry serving others?

Is the cart before the horse or is it in the right order? Humanists help people too....by a human love or an ideal towards a human utopia. ...or just out of compassion and altruism. This is for the temporal good of others. But the church should be focused on eternal things...without neglecting the temporal issues.

The true gospel always has a social ramification...because it involves action.
 

VictoryinJesus

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What is wrong with it?
Why is it a bad attribute of churches?
Didn’t Jesus spend most of His ministry serving others?

Not sure what the social gospel is? but consider 1 Corinthians 11:33-34 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. [34] And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
 
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Helen

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Oct 22, 2011
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What is wrong with it?
Why is it a bad attribute of churches?
Didn’t Jesus spend most of His ministry serving others?

I am sure it will be a good discussion... :)
But I am sure you know what it wrong with it.
Matt 7

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not.. ... ...done this that and the other good thing...

We can bake pies, take in homeless, and all kinds of things...but unless the Lord has TOLD us to do that..it is 'us' who did it. Not Him through us which did it.

By our standard being socially minded...we would have expected Jesus to have healed at least a dozen people at the pool of Bethesda...but Jesus only did what He heard His Father speak...( "I must be about My Fathers business " )
Jesus only healed one man at the pool. And went on His way.

Doing 'good things', is like eating at the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil ...yet not LIFE. Many eat of the 'good side' of that tree..

" Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
 

CoreIssue

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What is wrong with it?
Why is it a bad attribute of churches?
Didn’t Jesus spend most of His ministry serving others?

Because the gospel is individual center, not society centered.

Social gospel comes from Christian philosophy, meaning living by the principles of the Bible without accepting the gospel of salvation.
 
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Enoch111

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What is wrong with it?
SHORT ANSWER: EVERYTHING.

1. It originated with theologically liberal Protestant clergy

2. Its focus was on societal issues, not the salvation of souls

3. It promoted an interventionist Welfare State (which has now become the Nanny State and Big Brother)

4. It looked for a *Christianized* society without emphasis on the New Birth and the power of the Holy Spirit

5. It prepared the ground for delusional Progressivism (with has now evolved into Extreme Socialism and will lead to Communism).

Let's take the examples of *The War on Poverty* or *The War on Drugs*. They were rooted in the Social Gospel and have proved to be dismal failures. And *progressives* (read regressives) like Black President Obama did little or nothing to deal with the real issues plaguing blacks in the inner cities. So it was just lip service and pure hypocrisy.
 

FHII

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Apr 9, 2011
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What is wrong with it?
Absolutely nothing! There is nothing wrong with teaching you to be a better person in society, getting along with others and setting a plan for social and financial success. How is any of that a bad thing?

Why is it a bad attribute of churches?

It isn't. Churches should do so.

Didn’t Jesus spend most of His ministry serving others?
Yea... He gave his life for us. He also died for us. Not the same thing. He lived and died for us. He alao rose from the dead for us and now lives in us.

So what is wrong with the social gospel? It addresses only the natural man. It doesn't address the spiritual man. If all you are hearing is a social gospel, you are not saved.
 

aspen

“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Apr 25, 2012
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So there is an assumption with the social gospel that it only concerns helping people, not getting them saved. That hasn’t been my experience, but I do see how it describes Unity Churches and maybe some silent Quaker churches.....but neither are considered Christian.
 

Windmill Charge

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What is wrong with it?
Why is it a bad attribute of churches?
Didn’t Jesus spend most of His ministry serving others?

There is nothing wrong with a gospel that affects society, whether it helps individuals or seeks to affect the whole of society.
Where it is 'wrong' is when the physical help is more important than the spiritual message of the gospel.
When it is more important to feed the poor and preaching the gospel does not happen.
It is equally wrong when preaching is more important than feeding the poor, they both hasve to be in balance.

Jesus used his miracles to point people to God. At least those who wereprepared to look.
 

aspen

“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Apr 25, 2012
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There is nothing wrong with a gospel that affects society, whether it helps individuals or seeks to affect the whole of society.
Where it is 'wrong' is when the physical help is more important than the spiritual message of the gospel.
When it is more important to feed the poor and preaching the gospel does not happen.
It is equally wrong when preaching is more important than feeding the poor, they both hasve to be in balance.

Jesus used his miracles to point people to God. At least those who wereprepared to look.

And yet,

God is responsible and the only one who is capable of changing our spirit - transforming us into citizens of Heaven....

What I have noticed is that Jesus used real life to teach; today, God often uses other people as modes for Him to work out our sanctification. Providing the social support is sort of like preparing the canvas for Him to paint
 

aspen

“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Apr 25, 2012
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Because the gospel is individual center, not society centered.

Now this statement is clearly troubling.

Are you sure you do not have Christianity confused with American Modernity?

Radical individualism is antiChrist. Jesus never taught that we were supposed to carry our Cross alone.

Indeed, He taught that Christians were part of one body - His Body.

In contrast, Hell appears to be a place where radical individualism reigns - citizens of Hell are their own god.....they reign over a kingdom of one, which is tormented for eternity.

No thanks, I choose the community of Christ.....not the solitary confinement of my own tormented soul.