Book Review for: What Is the Gospel? By: Greg Gilbert

            It is fitting to start this review of What Is the Gospel? by noting it is a very good book. It is a foundational work for anyone interested in becoming an equipped disciple of Jesus Christ. A goal of the Christian life, for the individual in the here-and- now, is to continually learn and progress in the knowledge of God. It is good for believers to know how God has acted in the world and for what reason. To this end, Gilbert has provided a go-to resource, for a couple of reasons.

The first reason, very simply, is because a wide audience can read Gilbert’s book. What this means is the writing and illustration is simple enough for a new believer, while at the same time presenting big truths in a fresh way that can cause even long-time believers to think. To become a disciple, one needs an accessible tutorial. Few books have the ability to provide this and those that do truly have a lasting impact.

In being accessible to a wide audience, this also means the book’s layout flows well. Gilbert does a nice job systematically building on the major narrative of the Bible, explaining to the reader the whole of the Christian faith. Step by step he gives a synopsis of the gospel; describes God as creator and sovereign over creation; defines humanity’s predicament of sin and accountability to God; the work of Jesus on the cross; faith and repentance; the kingdom of God; the cross at the center of Christian faith; and the power of the gospel. Gilbert does all of this, as the title of his book suggests, properly defining and explaining the gospel.

The second reason What Is the Gospel? is a good book and go-to resource for making a disciple is that it addresses some very important issues of the Christian faith. The first of which is an accurate description of God. In a day when descriptors of God and views of God are anything but biblical, it is hopeful and helpful to see accurate representations. And, as Gibert conveys, a correct view of God is key to understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After describing God as creator of the world, note how Gilbert explains God: “None of us is autonomous, and understanding that fact is key to understanding the gospel. Despite our constant talk of rights and liberty, we are not really as free as we would like to think. We are created. We are made. And therefore we are owned” (42). He goes on to point out, “The gospel is God’s response to the bad news of sin, and sin is a person’s rejection of God’s Creator-rights over him” (42). These are powerful words; but key, fundamental aspects of the Christian faith—foundational facts that cannot be ignored and ones that must be the foundation of Christian knowledge.

Another important issue of the Christian faith Gilbert addresses is the cross of Christ. He does a nice job emphasizing the cross as the center of the gospel. In our day some have left the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement, but to do so is unwise and a step away from biblical orthodoxy—not to mention it makes the gospel not the true, biblical gospel. In a chapter titled, “Keeping the Cross at the Center,” Gilbert defines three popular slogans—what he calls “Substitute Gospels,” or beliefs, even popular within the evangelical world, that should not be considered the gospel, simply because the cross is not at the center. Ideas such as “Jesus is Lord,” “Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation,” and “Cultural Transformation,” though truth, are not exactly the good news of Jesus. The good news for humanity is that through the work on the cross Jesus has secured forgiveness, paid the penalty as the substitute, for all who trust in Him. And, to his credit, Gilbert makes this clear.

No book is perfect. And each reader can find things he or she dislikes about any volume. In What Is the Gospel? the chapter titled, “The Kingdom” left certain questions unanswered—at least for myself. Perhaps because I was really looking for specifics on this topic, but after reading Gilbert’s explanation of what the kingdom actually is, I didn’t feel like I was given a concrete answer. For example, there are several sections within this chapter—sections describing the Kingdom of God—with titles such as, “God’s Redemptive Reign”; “A Kingdom Come” and “A Kingdom Not Yet Complete.” Also, Gilbert makes the statement, “Biblically speaking, the kingdom of God is best understood as more a kingship than a kingdom as we usually use that word. God’s kingdom is therefore God’s rule, reign, and authority” (87).  

In short, Gilbert did not mention a one thousand year reign of Christ, nor did he oppose, outright, such a view.  Is the kingdom of Christ on earth, in eternity, or both? Without directly opposing an earthly kingdom—and by statements such as “…the kingdom of God is best understood as more a kingship than a kingdom as we usually use that word,” (87) one is left, somewhat, wondering. Again, Gilbert notes, “…the kingdom promised in the Bible will only come about when King Jesus himself returns to make it happen,” (92) but it is unclear what, exactly, that means.

             Though some of Gilbert’s discussion of the kingdom is unclear, this is not to say he does not offer some really good insight on the subject. There are helpful aspects in this section—even in that he explains for an individual to be a part of the kingdom, they must first come to the cross of Christ. So Gilbert does tie all things together.

            As stated in the beginning, What Is the Gospel? is a good, foundational book for anyone interested in becoming an equipped disciple. I recommend it for personal enrichment or for a starter resource in teaching others. It is key to understand the gospel. And resources such as Gilbert’s help immensely.