Tim Keller's Gospel: Understanding Faith, Atonement, and Culture

Tim Keller emphasizes balancing traditional gospel beliefs with contemporary cultural applications for effective ministry.

### Lee Ha-kyung's Introduction and Lecture Overview
Lee Ha-kyung welcomes participants and discusses the significance of the books by Tim Keller and Scott McKnight. He emphasizes the **importance of finding a balance** between adhering to the books and providing **additional context** during the study. The lecture will focus on Tim Keller's **theological vision** and its application in contemporary culture, highlighting his influence from **Martyn Lloyd-Jones and John Stott**.

### Tim Keller's Theological Influence and Approach
Tim Keller's unique perspective is shaped by his influences from Martin Lloyd-Jones and John Stott, with a distinct departure from **separatist fundamentalism**. He emphasizes the **common ground among Christians** and the importance of **integrating traditional beliefs with modern perspectives**. Keller's approach to the gospel focuses on balancing **legalism and antinomianism**, while also highlighting the significance of **contextualizing the message for urban and secular environments**.

### The Characteristics of Good News and the Gospel's Impact
Good news is defined by its **context, actual occurrence, and the promise of a better future**. Christianity is referred to as Good News, proclaiming a **transformative change in the world**. Tim Keller's emphasis on the gospel centers on **humanity**, contrasting with other authors who focus on the **larger biblical narrative and God's restoration of the world**.

### Tim Keller's Perspective on the Gospel
Keller emphasizes that the gospel is not a divine program to fix the world, but rather the **completed work of Christ**. He warns against portraying the gospel as merit-based salvation, stressing that it is **solely through faith**. The translation of the "Kingdom Program" has been misunderstood, leading to a **trivialization of the important theological concept of God's kingdom ruled by Christ**.

### The Balance of Personal and Cosmic Salvation in the Gospel
The chapter emphasizes the **importance of the relationship between humans and God** in the Gospel, rejecting both legalism and antinomianism. Tim Keller advocates for a balanced approach, highlighting the **personal dimension of salvation** while also addressing the **cosmic restoration of the world** through Jesus. The lecture discusses the differing emphases on **personal and cosmic narratives** in understanding the Gospel, with Tim Keller prioritizing the **individual's encounter with God**.

### The Concept of the Kingdom of God
Scot McKnight emphasizes the broader framework of the **Kingdom of God**, while Matthew Bates focuses on the **kingship of Jesus** as the starting point of the gospel. The original meanings of the Hebrew and Greek words for the Kingdom of God relate to **dominion**, suggesting a different perspective on governance. Tim Keller presents a similar gospel framework, highlighting the importance of moving from a **self-centered to a God-centered perspective** and emphasizing **Jesus Christ as the solution to humanity's problem**.

### The Problem of Human Sin and Atonement
The discussion emphasizes the issue of **human sin** and the mechanism of **atonement**, highlighting the concept of **substitution through the death on the cross**. Matthew Bates' perspective suggests that the incarnation would have occurred even without the fall, positioning Jesus as the **prototype of humanity**. The narrative of atonement is multifaceted, with different theologians offering varying interpretations, and the importance of **faith in restoring the relationship with God** is emphasized.

### The Critique of Decision-Focused Gospel Presentation
Tim Keller noted the advertisement sound in the background, while Scot McKnight and Matthew Bates have a close relationship at Northern Seminary. McKnight's book, **The Gospel of Jesus the King**, critiques the emphasis on decision-making in evangelism, highlighting the **disconnect between decisions for Christ and actual discipleship**. The presentation of the gospel has been criticized for focusing solely on **personal salvation**, leading to a misunderstanding of **Jesus' role as the Messiah** and the **true purpose of the gospel**.

### The Gospel's Broader Narrative and Interpretations
Paul's gospel in 2 Timothy 2:8 emphasizes **Jesus' resurrection** and **David's lineage**, highlighting a **cosmic narrative of God's redemptive story**. Tim Keller and other scholars argue that the gospel is often misunderstood as solely about **salvation**, while the New Testament authors present it in diverse forms and emphasize the **Kingdom of God**. The interpretation of Jesus' crucifixion and atonement varies among scholars, with some emphasizing its **broader significance beyond just sacrificial death**.

### The Theme of Covenant and Fulfillment in the Bible
The Bible's narrative is centered around the themes of **covenant and fulfillment**, with Yahweh's name signifying His **faithfulness**. The promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 marks the beginning of God's plan to **bless all nations through Israel**. The Gospel, according to Tom Wright and Tim Keller, emphasizes the importance of **personal faith and discipleship**, while also highlighting the need to **reinterpret the Gospel for different cultural contexts**.

### The Role of Jesus and the Kingdom in the Gospel Narrative
The Gospel narrative often skips the **crucial middle story of Israel**, overlooking its significance in God's plan. Jesus, as the **Messiah and King**, was appointed to establish **God's kingdom**, and His role is central to the Gospel's message. The proclamation of Jesus as the **Christ** is not just a title, but a **theological declaration of His kingship** and the essence of the Gospel.

### The Gospel's Connection to Christ and Israel's Story
The term "**Christ**" is used in the gospel to emphasize Jesus' **kingship** and the fulfillment of **God's kingdom on earth**. Scott McKnight critiques evangelicalism for reducing the gospel to **personal sin issues** and omitting the **story of Israel and the Messiah**. The authors argue that the gospel's significance goes beyond salvation, aiming for the **restoration and correction of the world**.

### Exploring Tim Keller's Gospel Theology and Its Contextual Applications
* 👋 Lee Ha-kyung introduces himself and engages participants, noting a **lower attendance than expected** despite **50 sign-ups for the session**.
* 📚 He encourages discussion about the books by Tim Keller and Scot McKnight, emphasizing the **importance of understanding the fundamental aspects of the gospel**.
* 🤔 Ha-kyung shares his initial nervousness about balancing **thorough summaries of the books** with **additional contextual insights**, aiming to cater to **diverse audience preferences**.
* 🎥 He mentions providing a **recorded session link** for absent participants and highlights his background in **church leadership and publishing**, fostering a **sense of community** among attendees from various denominations.
* 📖 The session focuses on Tim Keller's "Center Church," discussing the significance of a **theological vision that integrates traditional doctrine with contemporary culture**, emphasizing how to **communicate the gospel effectively**.
* 🗣 Ha-kyung outlines Keller's influences, particularly Martyn Lloyd-Jones and John Stott, explaining how their teachings shaped Keller's approach to **balancing evangelism and social justice** within urban ministry contexts.
* ⚖ He contrasts Keller's perspective on the gospel, which prioritizes **humanity and personal relationship with God**, with other authors like N.T. Wright and Scot McKnight, who emphasize a **broader cosmic narrative**.
* 🔄 The session concludes with a focus on the **importance of understanding the gospel as good news**, not merely good advice, and highlights the **necessity of faith leading to good deeds**, echoing Martin Luther's teachings on salvation.

### The Gospel Narrative: From Self-Centeredness to Kingdom Restoration
* 🙏 Tim Keller emphasizes the transition from a **self-centered perspective** to a **God-centered one**, highlighting that faith is fundamentally an **act of will and trust in God**.
* 🌍 According to Keller, understanding the gospel begins with recognizing that **God created humanity to share in His joy and love**, but sin has led to a **self-centered rebellion against His authority**.
* 🔗 The issue of idolatry arises when individuals **set goals apart from God**, leading to **bondage**, a theme Keller effectively explores in his book, "**The God Who Is There**."
* ✝ Keller asserts that Christ is the solution to humanity's **sin problem**, with the incarnation and atonement being **central themes**, though Matthew Bates argues that the incarnation would have occurred even **without the fall**.
* 📖 The discussion of atonement reveals differing perspectives, with Keller favoring **substitutionary atonement** while others, like Tom Wright, emphasize the cross as a **coronation of Christ**, illustrating the **complexity of atonement**.
* 🔑 Keller's view on faith underscores that salvation is based not on the **size of one's faith** but on the **object of faith**, which is **Jesus Christ**, akin to the analogy of an airplane reaching its destination regardless of the passenger's **confidence**.
* 📊 Scot McKnight critiques the evangelical focus on **decision-making for salvation**, arguing it neglects the importance of **discipleship** and the broader narrative of **Israel's story within the gospel**.
* 👑 The gospel is ultimately about **God's kingdom and restoration**, with the emphasis on Jesus as the **Messiah**, who fulfills the **covenant promises** and reestablishes **God's reign on earth**, a theme that should be woven into the gospel narrative.

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240905 줌북스터디(1)

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