Matthew Bates – Why the Gospel?
This conversation revolves around Matthew’s latest book Why the Gospel? Matthew has contended that the “good news” of the gospel is the proclamation that Jesus is King, but why is this message necessary and what difference can it make in our lives and the world? Enjoy.
Matthew W. Bates (Ph.D., University of Notre Dame) is a Professor of Theology at Quincy University. His main teaching area is the Bible and early Christian literature. He also teaches courses in Western Religion, Church History, and Christian Spirituality. Dr. Bates is an award-winning author. His popular and influential books include Gospel Allegiance (Brazos, 2019), Salvation by Allegiance Alone (Baker Academic, 2017), and The Birth of the Trinity (Oxford University Press, 2015). Current book projects on salvation and christology are underway. Dr. Bates also co-hosts OnScript, a Bible and theology podcast. He enjoys family life, hiking, baseball, and good conversation.
Episode 17 Outline:
- Start-01:46 – Introduction.
- 01:46-05:06 – Welcome to Matthew and 3 questions.
- 05:15-10:05 – Discussion about Matthew’s latest book ‘Why the Gospel?’ and how our understanding of the Gospel has been malformed and its presentation incomplete.
- 10:13-18:19 – In his new book, Matthew refers to ‘Christ’ not being Jesus’ last name, but a reference to his authority. How does this affect our sharing of the Gospel?
- 18:27-30:38 – Why do we have the Gospel? How do you address this in the book?
- 30:46-34:43 – In our allegiance to Jesus the King, how can we invite others into this kingdom in a healthy way? How do we address faith and doubt?
- 34:43-End – Close and further information.
NEXT EPISODE – Matthew Lynch on ‘Flood and Fury’
We know what the gospel is – but do we know why it is?
As Christians, we often ask what the gospel is, when we should be asking why it is. Matthew W. Bates has previously demonstrated that the “good news” of the gospel is that Jesus is King. But in his latest book, he explores God’s intentions: why has God issued this royal proclamation? And what role can it play in our everyday lives?
As Bates observes, we find the answer in a simple but challenging realisation: “I am a horrible king of my own life.” With examples from Scripture, literature, and personal experience, Bates explains what pledging allegiance to Jesus as ruler of our lives looks like. Living authentically according to God’s reign conforms humanity to the image of Jesus and extends his glory and honor to all creation.
Perfect for church studies, evangelism, or personal spiritual reading, Why the Gospel? invites readers to consider how we can transform our lives and communities through loyalty and devotion to King Jesus.
Buy Why the Gospel? HERE.
