The gospel isn't an apolitical message that happens to have political implications. It’s not a message of private salvation with downstream public consequences.
Exactly the opposite. The gospel is public and political truth with personal consequences.
All the vocabulary of the gospel is political. The Greek word for “gospel” – euaggelion , the word from which we derive “evangelical” – refers to a royal proclamation of victory.
Jesus is “Christ,” the “anointed one,” which is a royal title. Jesus the Anointed One comes preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is here.”
Jesus is King: That is the gospel . God raised Him up to be Lord and Anointed One. Jesus came as the son of David to reign from a heavenly throne.
That political declaration has a personal import. If you’ve been baptized, you’re a subject of King Jesus. You must trust Him, be loyal to Him, obey His commands.
You don’t belong to yourself. You can’t live any way you please. You're His man, His woman. Live like it.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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