Caulfield Evangelical Methodist Church
- Weekly Pastoral Message -

Weekly Pastoral Message prepared by Rev. Murray Adamthwaite
for Sunday 22nd March 1998

From the Pastor: Proverbial Texts VIII

"That's the Gospel truth" Properly: "... So that the truth of the Gospel might remain with you." Galatians 2:5 From the days of the apostles, when New Testamnet documents were first written, there was a body of literature called "the Gospels" dealing with the ministry and miracles of Christ and narrating His death and resurrection. These have always formed a constituent part of our New Testament, and until modern times the content of these documents was accepted without question. However, over the last 100 years or more anti-supernatural skepticism has reigned, which among other things has subjected the Gospels to all sorts of "criticisms", and "quests for the historical Jesus". The "historical" Jesus, you see, as opposed to the One in the Gospels who raises men to life, walks on water, or restores the lame in an instant. In other words, the proverbial epithet "Gospel truth" may not be true of the Gospel after all. Now it is not my purpose in this short message to refute all this. I simply present one point: from cover to cover the New Testament is concerned with truth: truth in conversation, truth in personal dealings, truth in conformity to life to the message believed. Paul in writing to the Galatians is concerned that false teaching, and the inconsistent behaviour of even an apostle (ie: Peter) might prejudice the veracity of the Gospel message. Does this sort of emphasis come from men who are both deceived and deceiving? For our part the message is clear, do our lives manifest the truth of the Gospel and its life-transforming power?