Don’t Make Me Say it Again-The Repetition of the Gospel
From time to time I’ve been known to use the phrase “don’t make me say it again”. The phrase may have its realm of proper use, but one context that this phrase ought not to be used is in relation to the gospel.
Our frustration of frequency, our exasperation of exhaustion, our wrath against repetition is experienced when we are sick of having to repeat something. We’ve said something before, and now the nuisance of stating the same thing again has driven us slightly (maybe more than slightly) bonkers. Maybe it was somewhere between the 70th and 470th time the question was asked, it’s hard to tell exactly, but somewhere, at some time, we snapped and decided “this is the last time I’m going to say this” and issued the warning “don’t make me say it again”.
Repetition of The Gospel
The context of a summer car trip may be the time when it’s fine to experience such frustration, but ministry among God’s people can’t be a place of such annoyance. Those of us who have the privilege of being bondservants of the Lord Christ Jesus must be prepared to preach the gospel regardless of the season (2 Timothy 4:2). Our lives are dedicated to the person Jesus Christ, who has explicitly commanded us to speak a message over and over again.
The gospel is communicated in a wide variety of manners and assorted languages. While there is difference and even creativity in the delivery of the message of the gospel, there ought never be divergence or ingenuity in the substance of the message of the gospel.
The gospel in its content, significance, and substance does not change.
There is not a progressive or ongoing nature to the content of the gospel. The mystery of Christ has been revealed (See Colossians 2:2-3). As such, anything that does change, alter, progress, or add to the substance of the gospel is in itself by definition a false gospel. The work of God in the magnificent accomplishment of the gospel is immutably complete.
As such, ministers of the gospel are not entrepreneurs in the content (substance) of the gospel. Anyone who teaches something new (new to the gospel, not new to the audience) is an advocate of another gospel.
The gospel is not an abstract concept for intellectuals to play with mentally.
The gospel is not a toy to be trifled with. The gospel is not one option among many equally valid options for the right relationship with God.
The gospel is not a decision to be made.
The gospel is the historical reality that God has provided a means of escape from wrath against sin by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This historical true event continued in the resurrection of Jesus, displaying the eternal inheritance won for all who receive and stand on this truth (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).
Jacob Toman
We who are ministers of the gospel, as we are faithful, tell and retell the same old story that was loyally and accurately shared by Peter, Paul, James, Phillip, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, and the rest of the Apostles and those 1st century ministers commissioned and sent to serve as pastors and elders.
Gospel Among Generations and Peoples
This gospel goes forward through the generations, and spreads widely across peoples, languages, and tribes. The gospel, as it goes forward, does not change. It cannot change because the gospel realities have already occurred, they have already been accomplished. When the gospel goes forward into a new place, people, or language, that’s not a change in substance, it may very well mean a translation of language.
Translation inherently is about communication. When a thing (reality of substance) is communicated from one language to another, translation does the work of retaining and maintaining the meaning of the thing (reality of substance). When we translate the word “chair” into another language, we are not aiming to translate the word “astronaut”. Those are two different realities of substance. If our aim is to be faithful in explaining, pointing to, or delivering a message about a chair, it would be unfaithful, disingenuous, and unhelpful in communication to bring up astronauts. We could be accurate and helpful to say that if we were tasked with translating the word “chair” but intentionally translated the word “astronaut” we have engaged in a work of transformation (change) rather than a work of translation (retaining and maintaining meaning).
The same is true regarding the gospel. When we translate the gospel to other languages, peoples, individuals, the reality of substance must stay constant, elsewise we preach a false gospel. The gospel doesn’t undergo a change in substance, or essence with each faithful translation, or each faithful communication of the gospel. The delivery of the message may vary, and even the messenger may change, but the content is the same. The content is immutable because the gospel is rooted in real historical events that have eternally cosmic significance.
Engaging a Culture that hates the Gospel of God
I write this to encourage, equip, and prepare you to engage with a world that hates the gospel of God. That hatred, slander, and accusation of the world ought not to discourage us or dissuade us from fierce and zealous loyalty to this gospel. The gospel has won victories over countless crowds of people who have spent years hating the gospel. Christ, in his magnificent glory has made it His delight to take those who hate him most fiercely, and redeem them to a love for him most ardent.
The gospel doesn’t change, and it needs to be said again. For my brothers who are weary, tired, anxious or frustrated in the trenches of spiritual war, I remind you that Christ’s victory is at work in you even as you do battle sharing the gospel. Stand firm, hold fast, cling tightly, let nothing pull your anchor (Hebrews 6:19). Do not fall to the pressure, or give ear to the tempter. If the evil one cannot get you to preach a false gospel, he may indeed try to exhaust you, exasperate you, frustrate you, and lead you to a place where you are tempted “don’t make me say it again”. Run quickly to the throne of grace and receive the mercy of Christ in your time of need.
Share the gospel again. Share it with your family, with your coworkers, with your loved ones, with your congregation, with your neighbors. May God grow our hearts to delight in each and every opportunity he gives us to share the gospel again.
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