Gospel Debate
In the August issue of Life and Work which I received yesterday (and much enjoyed) I was much saddened to read the letter from Mr Alex Glen of Sandyford Henderson Church, Glasgow regarding what he termed ‘The Gospel of Christ’. He uses the words ‘the orthodox Gospel of repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ, whose substitutionary death on the cross atones for our sins, makes us right with God and gives us eternal life’. This view has long been held by much of the Church, especially in Scotland. It is not, however, the only reasonable interpretation of the Scriptures.
This is not the place to develop a detailed theological argument, but I am very concerned that the doctrine outlined in Mr Glen’s letter be seen both inside and outside the wider Church as an unchallengeable view of the essence of the Gospel. Careful reading of the four Gospels can lead to other interpretations.