Yeah, I agree with you, the comment was just to encourage you to be mindful of these other sources. While in this case some of them won’t color your definition of the gospel it is quite possible that looking at non-canonical literature might provide important insights in the future. We baptists, methodists, and stone-campbellists (Casey!) can too easily look within our canon only and not the literature some of our subjects of study were drawing upon.

As to the greco-roman context of gospel, I think it adds to your case in a powerful way as it co-opted a roman term and redefined it against the claims of the empire. As such, it’s power is power for us today as we sit idle in an empire(republic) of unmatched power.

Originally posted as a comment
by hundiejo
on Theology for the Masses using DISQUS.

Tags: baptists, canon, canonical literature, case, Casey, comment, definition, empire, future, Gospel, insights, Literature, method, methodists, power, roman context, study, theology, unmatched power