The King Jesus Gospel -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Southeastern Theological Review
Volume: STR 03:2 (Winter 2012)
Article: The King Jesus Gospel
Author: Anonymous


The King Jesus Gospel

STR Interviews Dr. Scot McKnight

Introduction

STR has the privilege of talking with Dr. Scot McKnight about his recent monograph The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited (Zondervan, 2011). Dr. McKnight is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and a prolific writer. He is the author of more than thirty books, and his research spans both academic and pastoral contexts. His recent book, ably bridges both contexts. In it he builds a case for a truly evangelical understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ as opposed to a soterian gospel and the practical implications that emerge as a result. This will be discussed throughout the course of the stimulating interview below. He blogs at Jesus Creed (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/) and explores the significance of Jesus and the Christian faith for the twenty-first century. Despite his many and significant academic achievements, Scot embodies the heart of a pastor-teacher. He is a sought-after speaker in local churches around the globe.

Interview with Scot McKnight

STR: Scot, thank you for speaking with STR. Why did you write this book?

McKnight: For seventeen years, I taught undergraduates a course called “Introduction to Biblical Studies,” a course that surveyed the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation in one semester. Connected to that General Education requirement, a sizable proportion of my introduction students took Jesus of Nazareth, and that combination – in the grace of God – yielded annual conversion stories as young college students told me their faith journeys. Something was happening, and I began to investigate what it was, and that investigation led me in two directions: studies in conversion (Turning to Jesus and Finding Faith, Losing Faith)1 where I sought to map how conversion took place. The second area was the “message” of the Bible. I was thoroughly convinced that the message of the Bible was compelling students to surrender themselves. But what I knew was that, in spite of the number of conversions – and for a few years when my classes were quite large it was between 10 and 20

students who gave themselves to God in Christ – I was not “presenting the gospel” as many understood “presenting” or “gospel.”

So I began to work more carefully on gospel and it yielded three attempts to sort out gospel and atonement – Embracing Grace,2 which was a sketch of the holistic salvation God brings, Jesus and ...

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