The Good News of God
Yung Suk Kim, PhD
The Source and Subject
The source of the good news originates with God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12 and continues through his prophets in the holy scriptures (Romans 1:1). Therefore, it is fundamentally good news from God.
The subject of the good news is God, who is good news. Consequently, to understand the gospel, one must first understand God. Why or how is God good news?
The Relationship Between "the Gospel of God" and "the Gospel of Jesus Christ"
Jesus began to proclaim the "good news of God" after his baptism and John's imprisonment (Mark 1:14). Notably, he did not proclaim a gospel of his own making. This necessitates a clear articulation of the relationship between the "good news of God" and the "good news of Jesus Christ," as introduced in Mark 1:1.
While what Jesus did constitutes the "good news of Jesus Christ"—a phrase that appears frequently in Paul's undisputed letters—the truest sense of any mission statement addressing the gospel must begin with the gospel of God and then relate it to the gospel of Christ.
This is where I find dissatisfaction with many seminaries' mission statements, which often focus solely on the gospel of Christ. While not incorrect, I wish they would fully explicate the concept by connecting it to God's good news, as Paul’s letters outline distinct roles for God and Jesus.
A Threefold Theology/Gospel
The centerpiece of Paul's theology is found in Romans 3:22, where we encounter three distinct subjects:
1. God's part: demonstrated through God's righteousness.
2. Christ's part: demonstrated through his faithfulness.
3. The Christian's part: demonstrated through participation in Christ.
I have explored this idea throughout my publications, such as A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul (Cascade, 2011) and How to Read Paul: A Brief Introduction to Paul's Theology, Writings, and World (Fortress, 2021).
I can summarize Paul's gospel or theology: It is "God centered, Christ exemplified, and Christian imitated." (Yung Suk Kim, How to Read Paul, p. 56).
Faith, Law, and Love
By using this threefold framework, we can better understand difficult theological concepts.
Faith is a response to God's grace through Jesus's faithfulness. God justifies the one who has "the faith of Jesus," rather than merely "faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). Paul's fundamental point is that because he died with Christ, he is no longer the ruler of himself (Galatians 2:20). Instead, he says that he will live by the faith of the Son of God, -- not "by faith in the Son of God,"-- who loved him. Christ Jesus's faithful life is the basis of Paul's faith.
Furthermore, faith does not overthrow the law, because faith "works through love" (Galatians 5:6). Since "love fulfills the law" (Romans 13:10), faith, love, and the law go hand in hand. There is no incongruence between them when understood this way.
The Economy of Salvation
Regarding the economy of salvation, Paul begins with the grace of God, which is received through faith. The law was given later by God to guide the life of the covenant community. Faith and the law must be understood through the principle of love: love of God and love of neighbor (according to Jesus), and love of neighbor (according to Paul).
Paul has a clear mind about the distinct functions of God, Jesus, and Christians, as indicated in Galatians 1:6: God called the Galatians in the grace of Jesus. God is the one who calls, but Jesus's grace is essential in making this call effective. Those who are called must remember Christ's work, his faith, and his sacrifice. The church is founded upon him from all these perspectives (1 Corinthians 3:11).