Today’s Gospel - A Review
“Today’s Gospel” by Walter Chantry
I am always looking for good resources on the gospel. I’ve read many books on the topic. Sadly, I can recommend only a few. A trusted friend and dedicated follower of Christ recently gave me a copy of Walter Chantry’s little book Today’s Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic? I am thankful that he did.
Here is my review. I pray it will be helpful to you in deciding whether or not this would be a worthwhile resource for you in your walk with the risen Christ.
Greatest Strength
Chantry’s book is short. Less than one hundred pages. When I first took a look at it, I assumed that it would be unlikely to pack much of a punch.
I was delighted to be proven wrong.
In most cases, a short book on the gospel will be disappointingly shallow. For many studies on a massive topic, brevity is their greatest weakness. For this particular book, I believe the length is perhaps its greatest asset.
Chantry ably outlines the problems of modern gospel preaching and evangelism. Although “modern” to him meant in the late 1960's and early 1970's, the problems he outlines are still running wild today.
Each problem is diagnosed scripturally. Then, the biblical remedy is presented. It is not enough simply to point out problems with no path forward or plan of action. Chantry not only exposes and rebukes error. He also exhorts in right doctrine and practice.
While I personally would have enjoyed more discussion in each chapter, the short length left me hungry for more. Hungry to both read the Scriptures more and to boldly and compassionately go into all the world and proclaim the glorious truth of the gospel to every creature.
If you are looking for a small book with a powerful impact, Chantry’s Today’s Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic? may be a good place to start. Another short and worthwhile read that we’ve reviewed is Greg Gilbert’s What is the Gospel? Both are worthwhile and reasonably quick reads.
Greatest Weakness
The major emphasis of the book was excellent. It edifies, encourages, rebukes, and admonishes. As far as the main content and purpose is concerned, I don't have any substantive critique.
My only real issue is in the way Chantry discusses evangelists. On the one hand, Chantry is dealing with a system of doing church that makes use of travelling teachers who preach revival-style messages and travel from local church to local church. When critiquing the message and methods of such ministries his terminology is certainly appropriate. That’s what his culture (and ours, too) calls evangelists.
Yet, Chantry also uses the term “evangelist” to refer simply to any Christian who is proclaiming the gospel. Although it may be unnoticeable to some, those familiar with our ministry and emphasis will understand why such usage distracts and bothers me a little bit. Maybe more than a little bit, if I’m being fully transparent.
Had Chantry substituted the term “ambassadors for Christ” or simply “Christians” in his descriptions for those sharing the gospel I would have had very little problem. Likewise, I would personally go a step further to say that the travelling revivalist preacher model so common today is not what the Bible calls “evangelists.” That shouldn't be surprising to anyone who knows me, seeing as I have written a book on that very topic. If you want my full thoughts on the importance of this Forgotten Officer, click the link to check out my book. Or watch some of our free YouTube videos on the topic (linked at the bottom of this article).
The purpose of Chantry’s book is not to define the nature and role of evangelists. Therefore, this is a minor issue. His purpose is to critique the content and method of preaching the gospel in our modern era. Admittedly, this critique is a bit nit-picky. While I feel compelled to point it out, I also would not hesitate to recommend this resource based on this minor theological disagreement.
Conclusion
This is a book I highly recommend every Christian to read. It is even more important for preachers and teachers who are tasked with equipping others to faithfully bring our Lord’s gospel to the world in His name and power.
The book itself is inexpensive to purchase. It will not take much time to read, either. A worthy investment of both time and resources.
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