Grace Evangelical Society

P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202
  • About
    • Home
    • Beliefs
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Grace in Focus Magazine
    • Grace in Focus Radio
    • Free eBooks
    • Journal of the GES
    • Book Reviews
    • Partners in Grace Newsletter
    • Audio Messages
    • Videos
    • Blog
    • Su Gracia Gratuita (Spanish Blog)
    • Graça sem limites (Portuguese Blog)
    • Email Subscription
    • Bookstore
    • Online Tracts
  • Store
    • Main Page
    • On Sale
    • Return Policy
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account
  • Events
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Free Grace Church and Bible Study Tracker
    • Free Grace Jobs
    • Ministry Links
  • Donate
    • One Time Donation
    • Monthly Donation
    • Your Account
  • Search
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Home
→
Journal Articles
→
Book Reviews
→
The Explicit Gospel

The Explicit Gospel

Posted in Book Reviews

The Explicit Gospel. By Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012. 237 pages. Paper, $17.99.

Matt Chandler is the Pastor of a megachurch in a Dallas suburb called The Village Church. In addition to a main church campus in Flower Mound, TX, there are three satellite churches which feature “Flat Matt.” Those churches have their own worship team and pastors, but the preaching is done via video feed from the Flower Mound church. Total membership of the four churches is over 5,000 and is said to be growing at over 1,000 new members per year.

Endorsers of the book include David Platt, a very strong Lordship Salvation proponent (see his book Radical), Mark Driscoll, a Calvinist who is a leading emerging church leader, D. A. Carson, a Lordship Salvation theologian, and Rick Warren, a church-growth guru.

JOTGES readers will likely be disappointed in the fact that, despite the title of the book, Chandler does not focus on what we must believe or do to have everlasting life. He does drop little hints here and there that he believes in a sort of soft Lordship Salvation. However, his aim is to consider what the gospel of Jesus Christ is and what it can and should produce in the lives of individuals, cities, and countries.

The book has three major sections: the gospel on the ground (God, man, Christ, response), the gospel in the air (creation, fall, reconciliation, consummation), and implications and applications (dangers in a gospel that is on the ground or in the air too long and moralism and the gospel).

It is hard to get a handle of what Chandler is trying to do. He seems to be arguing against a social gospel only, but in favor of a social gospel combined with a spiritual gospel. While he says that we will not succeed in transforming the world before Jesus comes, he suggests that we can transform our cities and our countries for Christ.

Chandler seems to adopt the theology and methodology of the emerging church movement. Salvation seems to be broader than individual deliverance from eternal condemnation. It seems to include personal wholeness and transformation as well as societal wholeness and transformation.

I did not find any mention of everlasting life in this book. Nor did I find any mention of spending eternity with the Lord. The emphasis is on the here and now.

Though this book is not easy to follow, I believe it is well worth reading for not only OT and NT scholars, but also pastors and well-educated lay people. I recommend it.

Robert N. Wilkin

Associate Editor

Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
Bob Wilkin

by Bob Wilkin

Bob Wilkin is Executive Director of Grace Evangelical Society and co-host of Grace in Focus Radio. He lives in Highland Village, TX with his wife, Sharon. His latest book is Turn and Live: The Power of Repentance.

Cart

Recently Added

January 19, 2021

O Propósito da Humanidade

Recebi esta excelente pergunta: Adorei o post sobre Adão e Eva. No momento ideal. Eu tenho uma pergunta sobre isso. O homem foi criado para...
January 19, 2021

How Do Saints Get Equipped For Ministry?

Welcome back to Grace in Focus radio. In todays episode, Bob and Shawn are answering a question regarding the equipping of the saints for ministry....
January 19, 2021

Investing When Times Are Tough (Jeremiah 32:1-9)

There is a very interesting account in Jeremiah 32. The prophet had told the people that God was going to judge the nation and take...

Grace in Focus Radio

All Episodes

Listen to Stitcher

Listen on Spotify

Grace In Focus Magazine

Grace In Focus is sent to subscribers in the United States free of charge.

Subscribe for Free

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.

Donate

Bookstore Specials

  • Absolutely Free, 2nd Edition $20.00 $10.00
  • GES 2021 National Conference Registration $0.00 – $65.00
  • Turn and Live: The Power of Repentance $15.00 $7.00
  • Here Walks My Enemy: The Story of Luis (Hardcover) $13.95 $5.00
  • Beyond Doubt: How to Be Sure of Your Salvation $15.00 $7.00
Grace Evangelical Society
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

(940) 270-8827 / ges@faithalone.org

4851 S I-35E Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210
P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202

Tweets by GESwebmaster