CHIASM, 1 KINGS 1:41-45
A–Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What is the meaning of all the noise (kol: voice) in the city?” v. 41 (The noise in the city)
B–Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news (basar).” v. 42 (Good news/Gospel)
B1–“Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king.” v. 43 (Gospel: a new king has come to rule)
A1–Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise (kol: voice) you hear. v. 45 (The noise in the city)
There is a dominant view in Christian preaching, teaching and literature about what the word, gospel, means. For instance, on the site, Bible.org, we read: “When Christians refer to the ‘Gospel’ they are referring to the “good news” that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for our sin so that we might become the children of God through faith alone in Christ alone.”[1] This widely-held, popular view, draws its support in the writings of Paul. “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) When asked to define the gospel, many pastors turn reflexively to these verses. Some narrow the definition even further, asserting that the gospel exclusively pertains to salvation from sin by the death of Jesus at the cross. This is part of Paul’s view in the quoted verses, but not the whole view, in that he states that Jesus not only died for our sins but “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”[2] The resurrection–the conquest of death–factors strongly into Paul’s view of the gospel. If we restrict ourselves to a superficial reading of the writings of Paul, then this is the gospel we would see. The question at hand is this: is Paul’s treatment of the Gospel the one and only treatment found in the New Testament?
