Gilbert asks and answers four crucial questions: Who made us?, What is our problem?, What is God’s solution to that problem?, and, How can I be included in that solution?

Consider the variety of answers you would receive if you asked the man-on-the-street, “What is the Gospel?”

Greg Gilbert, assistant pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C., is not only amazed and disappointed by the breadth of misunderstandings on the street, but also the apparent confusion within the church. As a remedy he has written a concise handbook that summarizes the gospel.

Gilbert notes: “One of the greatest dangers the body of Christ faces today is the temptation to rethink and rearticulate the gospel in a way that makes its center something other than the death of Jesus on the cross in the place of sinners” p. 102

Yet another of the 9Marks series of books aimed at helping develop healthy Christians & churches , this small (duodecimo size) book of 125 pages is clearly written, well-structured, with a visibly pleasing presentation.

Gilbert asks and answers four crucial questions: Who made us?, What is our problem?, What is God’s solution to that problem?, and, How can I be included in that solution?

In “What Is The Gospel?” (Published by Crossway in March, 2010) he summarizes these questions as; God, Man, Christ & Response. Each point is covered in a chapter followed by chapters on the Kingdom, the Cross and the Power of the Gospel.

In general this is a very helpful corrective to contemporary aberration of the gospel (three are specifically addressed on p 103ff.)

The book is not written in the language or style of a systematic theology yet it contains the truth thereof. Gilbert does not shy away from the appropriate use of theological vocabulary thereby standing counter to a dumbing–down tendency in many churches.

Clear and direct, with many pointed statements, Gilbert affirms that the gospel must begin with basic propositions: God is not some “unscrupulous janitor” who sweeps the dirt of sin under the proverbial rug. Sin is not just missing the mark, but Adam and Eve were shooting in the wrong direction. The cross and Christ’s substitutionary atonement are the heart of the gospel. Repentance is necessary as well as faith – a point often missed in contemporary gospel presentations.

Of course in such a brief presentation much that might have been said is necessarily left lying on the cutting room floor. Not addressed is the foundational truth that we believe the Bible to be the Word of God. It would seem that this ground needs to be better covered, especially if this little volume is to be used as an evangelistic tool.

Double imputation is not mentioned – Christ dies in the sinner’s place, but his active obedience, his righteousness , so necessary for us, is given a pass.

At only one point is there a slippage into doctrinal confusion, surely not intended . On page 73 Gilbert references Acts 26:18 where Jesus is sent “to open blind eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light…, that they may receive forgiveness of sins…” (the doctrinal order is important). But then on page 82 he writes “When a person genuinely repents and believes in Christ, the Bible says that he is given new spiritual life.” The following sentences refer to sanctifying grace, thus apparently equating “new life” with the action and evidence of that new life. Generally the term “new life” refers to the regenerating grace which enables/produces faith and repentance by which we are justified out of which we are enabled to produce good fruit.

This criticism aside “What is the Gospel?” is a very good book to give to an unbeliever interested to learn what Christians believe. It could be helpfully utilized in a new member class, even given as a corrective to elders and other mature saints.

The foreword is written by D.A. Carson and the book is commended by Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, Bryan Chappel, Mark Dever, Johnny Hunt, Tullian Tchividjian and several others.

Robert E Davis is a Teaching Elder in the PCA and is serving as Senior Pastor of Draper’s Valley Presbyterian Church, Draper, VA