Thread by @JoshDaws

Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918) was one of the leading proponents of what came to be known as the Social Gospel. The movement ultimately rejected historic orthodox Christianity in favor of social work to bring about God’s kingdom on earth. 1/

Spend some time reading these Rauschenbusch quotes and decide for yourself whether or not we should be concerned that we’re hearing the same sort of statements from evangelical leaders. 2/ en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walter_Ra…

“The prophets were not religious individualists. ...they always dealt with Israel and Judah as organic totalities. They conceived of their people as a gigantic personality which sinned as one and ought to repent as one.” 3/

“When the prophets conceived Jehovah as the special vindicator of these voiceless classes it was another way of saying that it is the chief duty in religious morality to stand for the rights of the helpless.” 4/

“Whoever uncouples the religious and the social life has not understood Jesus. Whoever sets any bounds for the reconstructive power of the religious life over the social relations and institutions of men, to that extent denies the faith of the Master.” 5/

“Ascetic Christianity called the world evil and left it. Humanity is waiting for a revolutionary Christianity which will call the world evil and change it.” 6/

“It is only when social movements have receded into past history... that the Church with pride turns around to claim that it was she who abolished slavery, aroused the people to liberty, and emancipated woman.” 7/

“Does it stand to reason that we shall go astray from Jesus Christ if we engage in the unequal conflict with organized wrong? What kind of ‘spirituality’ is it which is likely to get hurt by being put to work for justice and our fellow-men?” 8/

History has answered that last question. The Social Gospel did in fact go astray from Jesus Christ. We’re all on a trajectory. When anything becomes a priority above preaching the true gospel we are on a trajectory away from Christ and should take heed. 9/

As Don Carson warns, it only takes one generation for a church to die. 10/

thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-t…

“One generation... believed the gospel and held as well that there were certain social, economic, and political entailments.

The next [gen] assumed the gospel, but identified with the entailments.

The following [gen] denied the gospel: the “entailments” became everything.”

11/

Many in evangelicalism are somewhere between the second generation and the third. The gospel is being assumed and starting to be denied by some. 12/

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
Galatians 1:8 ESV 13/

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Romans 1:16 ESV 14/

The entailments of the gospel are wonderful and do have a shaping effect on society as the gospel works itself out in the hearts of God’s people. 15/

However, we can’t let our desire for societal change overshadow the good news that Jesus Christ died to save sinners. You can’t over emphasize the true gospel. This is a hill to die on. 16/16