Gospel Centrality

The Biblical Basis of Gospel Centrality

The biblical basis for Gospel centrality or centeredness is found in many sections of Scripture, but a passage that demonstrates this ideology and practice well is 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I [Paul] delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”¹ According to Jared Wilson in Gospel-Driven Ministry: An Introduction to the Calling and Work of a Pastor, Paul’s statement of these facts that are “of first importance” do not “mean simply [that they are] of initial importance but of utmost, central importance.”² In other words, Paul saw a declaration of the Gospel as the most necessary, most helpful, and most God-glorifying Message to preach, because in this Message “of first importance” salvation is accomplished and communicated.

Gospel Centrality in Preaching, Discipleship, Counseling, and Care

Because the Gospel is the central message of the Faith, it would make sense that it would permeate the work of the pastor. This first paragraph will address the area of pastoral work that most people think of when they think of pastors: preaching. Because preaching is ultimately concerned with adequately interpreting and sharing the Scriptures with the congregation, messages of various sermons can fluctuate. Yet, the end or goal of preaching should always be the same: to glorify God for who He is and what He has done in Christ. This means that when pastors “take to the pulpit, [they] do not need to ‘bring the fire’ or ‘bring the thunder’ or whatever; [they] simply need to bring Christ… Christ is [the] true strength. Yes, the strength for the [G]ospel-centered pastor is in the very pastoring of Christ.”³

Likewise, the message and power of discipleship are the same—the glorious Gospel. Discipleship is concerned with teaching others the Christian Faith, encouraging them to become more godly, and showing them how to do so. For this reason, nothing else is adequate but the Gospel. A pastor serving in discipleship “cannot simply berate people into centering on grace; [they] need to hold it up for them to see. [They] cannot simply tell people to be awed by Christ; [they] need to hold up Christ’s glory so that they can be. If [pastors] want people to be more changed toward the image of Christ, [they must] center on the only power for this change.”⁴ What power is there but the power that saves, transforms, and equips? To be a great disciple-maker is to be focused on the Gospel, lifting it, demonstrating it, and preaching it to an individual who desperately needs it for salvation and sanctification.

Furthermore, this Gospel-centrality is demonstrated in pastoral counseling and care. Often, pastors must care for and counsel those having a difficult, sorrowful, or devastating time. The best medicine for times such as these is trusting in the promises of God written in His Word. Regarding the promise of Isaiah 40:11, “He will tend [H]is flock like a shepherd; [H]e will gather the lambs in his arms; [H]e will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young,” Jared Wilson writes, “What a comfort this is to those who are uncomfortable with themselves and discontent with their own power.”⁵ Again, this comforting passage demonstrates Gospel-centrality, for Christ is “the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… [He is] the good shepherd. [He] know[s] [His] own and [His] own know [Him], just as the Father knows [Him] and [He] know[s] the Father; and [He] lay[s] down [His] life for the sheep” (John 10:11, 14).

Gospel Centrality and the Pastoral Epistles

The words of Jesus recorded in the Gospels are not the only passages of Scripture that demonstrate and command Christocentrism. The Pastoral Epistles—1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5—give the commands and qualifications for elders, who are also pastors. Another pastor, John Calvin, commenting on Isaiah 40:11, which was quoted in the previous section of this paper, says, “[Christians] must therefore lay aside [their] fierceness, and permit [themselves] to be tamed,” and this taming is the chief qualification of elders.⁶ In other words, the qualifications of these passages are “characteristics [which] compose a man who has been won by, submitted to, and formed in Christ’s very self.”⁷ Indeed, they are qualifications of a man who has been ‘tamed’ by Christ. Each qualification could easily be elaborated to a greater extent, but this “taming” adequately demonstrates Christ’s presence, power, and command for pastors. In the Pastoral Epistles, Christ commands His ministers to be like Him.

Conclusion

In summary, the Gospel is central to every work the pastor engages in, whether it be preaching, discipleship, counseling, or care, and it is even central to the qualifications for the pastoral office. Without Christ, His Message, and His power, ministers would not have a Message to preach or be equipped for ministry. Indeed, there would be no such thing as a pastoral office if it was not for Christ, who served as the Good Shepherd. Thus, Christ and His Gospel is the radical and permeating center of Christianity and Christian ministry.

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Footnotes

1. Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB) (La Habra: Foundation Publication, 1995). ↩

2. Jared Wilson, Gospel-Driven Ministry: An Introduction to the Calling and Work of a Pastor (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021), 33. ↩

3. Wilson, 40. ↩

4. Ibid., 39. ↩

5. Ibid., 41. ↩

6. Calvin qtd. in Wilson, 41. ↩

7. Wilson, 41. ↩