- The social gospel
- I Corinthians 1:2; I Thessalonians 1:1
- What is the Social Gospel?
- The Social Gospel is a religious movement which began in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The main idea is that Christians and churches should focus on curing the social problems of the world, such as poverty, disease, and hunger. Religious leaders back then saw this as the practical application of Christianity, and many even believed that Christ would not return until people had cleaned up society.
- There were a number of influential books that helped to inspire the Social Gospel movement
- Charles M. Sheldon wrote In His Steps in 1897, which is the origin of the question, “What would Jesus do?”
- Walter Rauschenbusch wrote Christianity and the Social Crisis in 1907, which became another classic book and impetus in the Social Gospel movement. He argued that sin did not just apply to individuals, but to society as a whole.
- What should we think about the Social Gospel?
- The idea of helping others is good.
- It is certainly true that we ought to help our fellow human beings any way we can.
- “Loe your neighbor as yourself” is the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39)!
- We ought to mimic the good Samaritan (Luke 10:37).
- We must visit orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27).
- However, is this all that the Gospel is about? Is it even primarily what the gospel is about?
- It is certainly true that we ought to help our fellow human beings any way we can.
- It emphasizes the wrong thing
- Matthew 16:25-26 – the emphasis is on spiritual nourishment, not creating a utopia on earth
- Why did Jesus come to earth? Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10; John 1:29; I Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 9:26. The priority was the saving of souls.
- Contrast this to the movement of the past century, in which emphasis is given to improving this world to the neglect of preparing for eternity.
- The problem with the Social Gospel is not that it urges people to help others. It’s that is emphasizes the physical over the spiritual.
- Scripture gives us the proper emphasis
- Matthew 6:19-21.
- Philippians 3:20 - “our citizenship is in heaven”
- Our “hope” is laid up in “heaven” (Colossians 1:5)
- Our inheritance is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away,” and it’s not here on this earth – it’s “reserved in heaven” (I Peter 4:5)
- Is “passes the buck” regarding sin
- A core problem with the Social Gospel worldview is that personal accountability is minimized.
- One underlying belief which led to the movement was that people would/could not overcome sin while they were beset by the problems of an unjust society.
- Jesus and the apostles lived in one of the most corrupt societies in the world, and yet they did not follow a Social Gospel.
- Matthew 22:19-21. However unfair the tax burden may have been, the priority of Jesus was not tax reform.
- Acts 5:40-42; Matthew 28:19
- Acts 8:1-5
- The Bible teaches us to serve God regardless of our station in life, or of the condition of the world.
- The idea of helping others is good.
DW
January 19, 2014
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