I requested a copy of Getting the Gospel Right; The Tie That Binds Evangelicals Together by R.C. Sproul from Baker Books’ BakerBookBloggers program so I could check it out for a review. I was intrigued by the title initially and then read a little more on the summary on the back cover, so I wanted to check this one out. Riddled with division, evangelicals in general need to really have a very clear understanding of the specifics of what the Gospel really is all about. Sproul did a very good job of doing just that. Highly recommended book to read, but may take some people awhile to read through it with the depth it goes into.
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I would give this book a 8.7 out of my normal 10 point rating scale. On a “5 star” scale that some websites use, I would give it a solid 4 star rating.
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In full disclosure, I was not required or requested by Baker Books to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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QUICK SUMMARY:
In 1994, a group of Evangelicals and Catholics came together to create a document entitled “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” (ECT) in an attempt to create more unity between the two separated groups. This caused some sharp critiques and then in 1997, the created a secondary document entitled “The Gift of Salvation” (GOS) with the idea of addressing some of those criticisms, but still there were some that criticized the wording and how it affected an understanding of the Gospel. R.C. Sproul wrote “Getting the Gospel Right: The Tie That Binds Evangelicals Together” to address his concerns of these two documents due to a growing concern of the direction the unity within Evangelicals has taken due to many things including these two documents.
Part One of this book is where the author introduces general concepts and history that led to these documents and starts to faithfully do an exposition on the ECT document by citing what is correct and what is incorrect.
Continuing into Part Two of this book, Sproul does the same thing for the GOS and expounds on where agreement is correct between Evangelicals and Catholics within this document, but effectively points out the errant portions.
Part Three details a subsequent rebuttal document entitled “The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration“. This document addresses the concerns about how the Gospel is portrayed in the ECT and GOS. It was drafted by many well-known and respected Evangelicals such as R.C. Sproul (the author of this book), J.I. Packer, D.A. Carson and many others. It as then confirmed and endorsed by well over 100 very well-known Evangelicals.
This book is a very interesting read and actually has a very important message about making sure that we get and understand the Gospel correctly, which is absolutely fundamental for us to understand right now… and for eternity.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review from Baker Books and all opinions are my own.
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DESCRIPTION OF THIS BOOK:
Type of Book: Theology
Author: R.C. Sproul @RCSproul
Publisher: Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group) #BakerBooksBloggers @ReadBakerBooks.
Publication Date: May 16, 2017
ISBN-13 of Book Reviewed: 978-0801019692
Price: At the time of writing this review, the cheapest place to get this book is at Christianbook.com. They have it for $10.49– suggested retail from the publisher is $17.99. Please note that these prices do not include any potential shipping charges.
If you would like to purchase this book, please support my blog and purchase by clicking any of the links to Christianbook.com on this page like the one below.
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Getting the Gospel Right, repackaged edition: The Tie That Binds Evangelicals Together By R.C. Sproul / Baker BooksEsential to the witness of the church is unity in the gospel. Yet that unity was tested by the release of two documents, Evangelicals and Catholics Together and The Gift of Salvation, which appeared to surrender the historic doctrine of sola fide (faith alone). In response, Christian leaders released a statement called The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration.R.C. Sproul’s Getting the Gospel Right, a companion to Faith Alone, contains the complete text of that statement, along with thorough, point-by-point discussion and exposition, to make a strong declaration of the abiding unity of evangelicals regarding the gospel and justification by faith alone.Unity in the gospel touches the soul of the church itself and all of its members. After all, “to be faithful to the Great Commission,” R. C. Sproul explains, “we must get the gospel right.” |
Physical Characteristics:
•Paperback
•240 pages
•Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
Goal of Book:
The author’s goal is to attempt to realign the evangelical community back to a shared unity about the gospel. He points out multiple factors that have caused the unity to lessen or be more endangered including liberalism and the ECT and GOS documents.
My Favorite Part:
I really liked the level of depth that the author went into when dissecting the ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) and the GOS (Gift of Salvation) documents followed by an in-depth explanation for the rebuttal document. I also appreciate the level of honesty yet grace that he shows toward those that worked on these documents while still pointing out the many deficiencies that he feels are in them.
Recommendation:
This book is written very well. It might be a little deep for some brand new Christians, but still, I would highly recommend this important book.
Contents
Illustrations
Preface
PART 1: Controversy Concerning the Gospel
Chapter 1 – Unity and the Gospel
Chapter 2 – Evangelicals and the Evangel
PART 2: The Gift of Salvation: A Critical Analysis
Chapter 3 – Our Need for Justification
Chapter 4 – The Basis of Our Justification
Chapter 5 – Divisive Disputes and Legitimate Questions
Part 3: The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Explanation
Chapter 6 – Unity in the Gospel
Chapter 7 – The Saving Power of God
Chapter 8 – Christ the Incarnation of God
Chapter 9 – Christ the Perfect Sacrifice
Chapter 10 – The Righteousness of Christ
Chapter 11 – Trusting in Christ
Appendixes:
1. The Gift of Salvation
2. The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration
Notes
Glossary of Foreign Terms
Index of Persons
Index of Scripture
About the Publisher:
From the Publisher’s website: Baker Books has a vision for building up the body of Christ through books that are relevant, intelligent, and engaging. We publish titles for lay Christians on topics such as discipleship, apologetics, spirituality, relationships, marriage, parenting, and the intersection of Christianity and culture. We also publish books and ministry resources for pastors and church leaders, concentrating on topics such as preaching, worship, pastoral ministries, counseling, biblical reference, and leadership.
#BakerBooksBloggers @ReadBakerBooks @RCSproul
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