Fallen and Flawed

[...] Here is a link to the article. One of the 12 answers is from yours truly. [...]

[...] to do it?  One of the bloggers, Kevin DeYoung, did it in three words.  Whoa.  Go over to the original post to see how he did it (and who he was [...]

Lost, found, reconnected through Christ’s blood

In beginning, good. Humanity rebelled. Jesus died, rose. New beginning.

Crushed skull, redeemed cosmos, satisfied wrath, Kingdom come, Deo Gloria

[...] You can see what some other bloggers said at the site Fallen and Flawed. [...]

Only one way to God: through the man Christ Jesus.

A broken world is saved by relentless, overwhelming love.

I’ve had a go

God, in love and glory, rescues man from deserved punishment.

“Adoption through propitiation.”
Man, that is a powerful one.

Jesus’ blood redeems mankind. God’s gift freely given, never earned.

“We are all bastards, but God loves us anyway.” Will Campbell.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (Ok so it is not original but what the New Testament does with these ‘trustworthy sayings’ – if you like the equivalent to our 10 word Gospel summaries – lend weight to this kind approach).

Micro-theology? Well somewhere along the line you have to summarise and reduce stuff down to small comprehensive pieces especially if you want to teach it to others. If you are going to eat a large steak you do it one bite at a time. So on one level what these summaries are doing is just simple comprehension, that is answering the question what is the core message of Scripture. This is no different from saying Treasure Island is a story about pirates and hidden treasure. But on another level even the smallest revelation is incomprehensible because while I can understand and believe that Jesus died for sinners, it is just hard to comprehend (and swallow) that that sinner is in fact me.

All restored through Christ’s blood, Spirit’s power & Father’s love.

Adoption by abandonment

Look at Jesus. He saved us. Yeah!

Amazing grace, sweet the sound; saving a wretch like me.

Brother Terry: I busted a gut on that one.

Michael Hunt: Unoriginal is a-okay in my book. And I love your expansion: at some point everything needs to expand. Well said, brother.

All: Thank you for such thought-provoking summaries! It’s interesting to see the different POVs. Looking forward to more!

Jesus loves me, for the Bible tells me so.

We deserve death; God brings life through faith in Christ.

Jesus’s death and Resurrection reconciles us to God and humanity

Love Wins.

The gospel for me absolutely has to include BOTH the personal experience of applying Christ’s example, death, and resurrection to my own life AND the understand that that personal acceptance calls me out of the world and into a new communal reality defined by God and exemplified by Christ. So here’s my (assuredly inadequate) effort:

Christ opened the door to abundant life in God’s Kingdom.

You are accepted. You are responsible. Welcome home to reality.

[...] Demian Farnworth has invited bloggers to summarize the gospel in ten words in a post this week. Twelve bloggers provided the first summaries: Don Dudley at You See Dry Bones, Eric the Mad Monk at Who Tends The Fires?, Abigail at Abigail’s Leftovers, Daniel C Wilson at Desire Spiritual Growth, Devotee of Francis Turretin, Emily Schankweiler at A Sacrifice of Praise, Nathan Bliss at Bliss the Family, Andrew Jones at Tall Skinny Kiwi, Trevin Wax at Kingdom People, Jim Sawyer at Parchment and Pen, Michael Patton at Parchment and Pen, Kevin Young at De Young Restless and Reformed. “If you can’t summarize what you believe in ten words, do you truly understand what you believe? Maybe you can believe without fully understanding. But hey, it doesn’t hurt to burn some mental bandwidth to clarify what you believe. So, consider this micro-theology. Petite-worship. Nano-sermons.” [...]

So what’s with the reduction to ten words? My first reaction to this exercise is concern that the good news spoken and lived by Jesus and his people is being reduced to one sentence to meet the obsession with conciseness honed in an era of modernism. I can imagine Jesus sighing and asking, “Why does this generation ask me for a ten word sentence? I tell you the truth, not one ten word sentence will be given to it.” He’d then get in the boat and head off somewhere to spend time with people listening to and telling stories, doing life and thinking of all the ten word sentences that might give some insight into the Kingdom of God. He comes back, and when asked by Peter if he has a ten word sentence, he responds by saying ten times ten, Peter, and more.

My contribution: Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and return will restore the world.

My favorite: “Love Wins” (by Austin)

God thru Jesus invites us to his table

(i) Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.
(ii) Christ within you, the hope of glory to come. (Col. 1:27)
Neither original. Both timeless truths.

[...] (ht) Just like a book title doesn’t explain all 75,000 words in a novel… [...]

“Jesus plus nothing” (Mark Strom, I think)

Deity incarnated, crucified and resurrected with humanity unto eternal life.

getting lost in God’s love and living his resurrection

“The Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near to you, therefore…”

“The 5-R’s Gospel Summary”

“Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Redeemer, risen, reigning, and returning. Repent!”

[...] Farnworth had a great idea on his blog, Fallen and Flawed.  12 bloggers summarize the gospel in ten words or less.  Excellent input in the comments as well [...]

Rather, I should say…

Deity incarnated, crucified and resurrected with humanity unto eternal communion.

Wow!
More than 40 entries so far, and no one has used the term “mercy”.
No wonder Christianity is having so little influence in the world.

Walt, I don’t understand. Using the word “mercy” in a summary of the gospel will allow Christianity to have more influence in the world?

Duncan, your point well taken. And I have no doubt I’d likely be one of those who approached Christ and asked such a silly question.

Walt, they don’t have to use the word mercy. Nine out of ten words used in these short summaries DEFINE mercy. What don’t you get?

Well said, Daisy. Well said.

“Jesus died,Jesus rose,Jesus lives,and Jesus saves!”

Gospel in ten words: Man sins, earns death, Christ dies instead, Repent & Believe.

The Gospel for twitter: God made man 4His glory, man sins, earns death. Christ lives w/o sin, dies n place of believers, rises on day3. Repent+believe 4eternal life

Christ gave himself to deliver many from this evil age.

Galatians 1

In Greek, Ixthus:
Isous Xristo Theo Huios Soter

In English, Fishy:
Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior

I think it is a very helpful exercise. Let me think about this, and then I’ll get back to you.

[...] Jones is one of 12 Bloggers [who] Summarize the Gospel in 10 Words or Less. I wasn’t asked directly, but here’s mine, exactly ten words: “Like water [...]

Christ crucified, God satisfied, man justified: eternal life through Him

[...] The Gospel in 10 Words or Less [...]

Chosen before time, saved by His blood, kept by love…

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:19

[...] 12 Bloggers Summarize the Gospel in 10 words or less [...]

[...] has a couple of posts on The Jesus Freaks and a post linking to here the gospel in less than 10 words. I was interested in the reponses that didnt use christian jargon [...]

[...] gospel is a much larger concept. I read here as a dozen Christian bloggers sought to summarize the gospel in ten words. My favorite was, “Whole world sorted, put right, made friends again through Christ” by Andrew [...]

He became sin, who knew no sin. Now we live!!!

God Offers Sinful People Eternal Life (G.O.S.P.E.L)

Jesus is Lord. Worship Him.

The Gospel includes both a proclamation and a call for a response. Arn’t both elements essential?

Wretched sinner, deserving wrath. Merciful Gracious God, took my place!

[...] (via 12 Bloggers Summarize the Gospel in Ten Words or Less | Fallen and Flawed.) [...]

[...] many and varied responses — I’m still working on mine — and try one of your own here. Leave a [...]

Christ is our only refuge and righteousness. Believe in Him.

[...] 11, 2009 by gairneybridge On another blog, there is a list of folks who attempted to summarize the gospel — in 10 words or less! Here [...]

Christ died for us so we can have eternal life.

“Christ died for sin, buried, rose again as promised”

Ten is too many, only one word is needed..

“Love”

There is no greater love, to die for another. JESUS

Hope for mankind because Jesus came, died, and rose again.

Love the 10 word exercise…I do it regularly in 33 words, but particularly enjoyed expressing the Gospel in 33 Words…

[...] 海外で福音を10語で言い表すと、という記事がありました。 12 Bloggers Summarize the Gospel in Ten Words or Less | Fallen and Flawed [...]

I like to keep it simple with: God.
If I had to go a bit further, it would be: Faith and Hope in God, Love of God.

Great stuff.

what was dead now lives in and through Christ.

many of these are great mnemonic devices!

They are great, aren’t they!

Christ died for our sins then rose giving eternal life.

Well said Erik.