The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)
The meaning of gospel (evangelion) is blessed and good news. In the Old Testament that had written based on the history of the Jews, the best news was Exodus and return from Babylonian captivity. We can easily imagine Israel people’s suffering as minor national in Egypt where they went for their survival, and insult they had to go through in Babylonian Empire where they were captured as POW. At this point, Exodus from Egypt, return from Babylonian was the best news, that is, gospel.
In this incident we have to pay attention to two facts.
First, Egypt and Babylonian who destroyed Israelite’s life were empire. A little precisely speaking, we may call them imperialism, the attribute of empire. Imperialism is the power to excise its hegemony by limiting authority of truth to them only and Egypt and Babylonian were topical empires. Their ruler was rightly regards as a god. If anyone has eyes to see the world they are able to see what is empire and imperialism of today. Is Christianity of Korea today crying out freedom from imperialism that oppresses public’s life with such almighty power? Do we know the object that we have to fight against? Reversely, we don’t know clearly Christianity itself excises empiric hegemony. It is so that a desire to extend self endlessly is imperialism in content aspect. Seeing at the point, church that should preach gospel brining up the evil power in their inside that they should overcome.
Second, Exodus and captivity return was an act of God. The core of the story of Exodus was that God has nullified the empire’s almighty power. The reason that Egypt who already has equipped a strong battle power couldn’t but give up Israel was not because of Moses’ charisma but help of the Lord God. The reason Cyrus king of Persia was able to drive out Babylonian also caused by God’s power. God freed Israel from Babylonian by using Cyrus was Israel prophets’ historical interpretation. It means salvation begins from God. The salvation incident that God raised was gospel for them.
Because the Old Testament testified God’s involvement in Israel’s history which should survived in between empires gospel mainly related to politics, social incidents. At this paragraph we have a possibility to loss our direction. Identify gospel with political liberation is a direction error of Bible reading. Gospel can be raised politically but political liberation is not rightly gospel. The core of the Old Testament that stated Exodus and captivity return also rather God’s action than political incident itself. They experienced God in that way among severe international order.
Now the New Testament approaches gospel totally new horizon by Jesus Christ. Though the political background of the New Testament also Roman Empire the gospel of New Testament declares the utmost liberation through identification with a certain personality rather than a political liberation. Probably, the New Testament faces up to the reality of impossibility of political liberation in fundamental level. Yes. Though political liberation is so much serious it is not gospel in real meaning. If we think maximization of welfare which is the final target of politic the answer is very clear. The community in the New Testament finds out the reality of gospel in a personality, an incident and a destiny in a person called Jesus. However, question about gospel isn’t end here it but continues in this way. What is the reality of gospel? How do we think seriously?
The meaning of gospel (evangelion) is blessed and good news. In the Old Testament that had written based on the history of the Jews, the best news was Exodus and return from Babylonian captivity. We can easily imagine Israel people’s suffering as minor national in Egypt where they went for their survival, and insult they had to go through in Babylonian Empire where they were captured as POW. At this point, Exodus from Egypt, return from Babylonian was the best news, that is, gospel.
In this incident we have to pay attention to two facts.
First, Egypt and Babylonian who destroyed Israelite’s life were empire. A little precisely speaking, we may call them imperialism, the attribute of empire. Imperialism is the power to excise its hegemony by limiting authority of truth to them only and Egypt and Babylonian were topical empires. Their ruler was rightly regards as a god. If anyone has eyes to see the world they are able to see what is empire and imperialism of today. Is Christianity of Korea today crying out freedom from imperialism that oppresses public’s life with such almighty power? Do we know the object that we have to fight against? Reversely, we don’t know clearly Christianity itself excises empiric hegemony. It is so that a desire to extend self endlessly is imperialism in content aspect. Seeing at the point, church that should preach gospel brining up the evil power in their inside that they should overcome.
Second, Exodus and captivity return was an act of God. The core of the story of Exodus was that God has nullified the empire’s almighty power. The reason that Egypt who already has equipped a strong battle power couldn’t but give up Israel was not because of Moses’ charisma but help of the Lord God. The reason Cyrus king of Persia was able to drive out Babylonian also caused by God’s power. God freed Israel from Babylonian by using Cyrus was Israel prophets’ historical interpretation. It means salvation begins from God. The salvation incident that God raised was gospel for them.
Because the Old Testament testified God’s involvement in Israel’s history which should survived in between empires gospel mainly related to politics, social incidents. At this paragraph we have a possibility to loss our direction. Identify gospel with political liberation is a direction error of Bible reading. Gospel can be raised politically but political liberation is not rightly gospel. The core of the Old Testament that stated Exodus and captivity return also rather God’s action than political incident itself. They experienced God in that way among severe international order.
Now the New Testament approaches gospel totally new horizon by Jesus Christ. Though the political background of the New Testament also Roman Empire the gospel of New Testament declares the utmost liberation through identification with a certain personality rather than a political liberation. Probably, the New Testament faces up to the reality of impossibility of political liberation in fundamental level. Yes. Though political liberation is so much serious it is not gospel in real meaning. If we think maximization of welfare which is the final target of politic the answer is very clear. The community in the New Testament finds out the reality of gospel in a personality, an incident and a destiny in a person called Jesus. However, question about gospel isn’t end here it but continues in this way. What is the reality of gospel? How do we think seriously?
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