The WORLD-TILTING GOSPEL

Dan Phillips

Embracing a Biblical Worldview & Hanging on Tight

The World-Tilting Gospel: Embracing a Biblical Worldview & Hanging on Tight

© 2011 by Dan Phillips

Published by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel, Inc., P.O. Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures cited as djp are the author’s translations for the purposes of this study only, usually to give a more literal rendering that makes poetic form more transparent.

Scripture quotations marked hcsb are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked kjv are from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked nasb are from the New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked net are from the NET Bible® copyright © 1996–2006 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC (http://netbible.org). All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked nkjv are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Phillips, Dan.

The world-tilting Gospel : embracing a biblical worldview and hanging on tight / Dan Phillips.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

1. Christianity—Philosophy. 2. Christian philosophy. 3. Ideology—Religious aspects—Christianity. 4. Christianity—Essence, genius, nature. I. Title.

BR100.P475 2011 230.01—dc22 2011009629

ISBN 978-0-8254-3908-7

To God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,

Creator of the plan of the ages;

And to Jesus Christ His only Son, the Focus and Executor of that plan;

And to the Holy Spirit, Revealer of that plan,

and Life-giver for its beneficiaries—

All glory, honor, and praise!

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Now We Have the Buck, So Where’s the Bang?

Part One: Who Are We? Getting at the Truth of Our Identities

1. Knowing God and Man: Which Comes First? What Difference Does It Make?

2. What Happened in the Garden: Here We Are, Baby: Created, Tested, Ruined—We’re Ours

3. Like Father, Like Son: Any Hope That Was an Isolated Incident?

Part Two: What Has God Done for Us? The Eternal Plan Conceived, Predicted, Executed

4. The God Who Plans: Can’t Grasp the Deed Without a Glimpse of the Doer

5. God’s Rescue Operation Outlined: God’s Holy, Loving Wisdom ...