7/24/19
Capon, Robert Farrar. The Foolishness of Preaching: Proclaiming the Gospel against the Wisdom of the World. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1998. Chapter 1 “Passion Play” pp. 3-7.
Capon illustrates the typical sermon, comparing it to a beach film in which a gallant Christ-figure lifeguard rescues a young girl from drowning, then wraps everything up with some congratulations and object lessons (Capon 1998, 3-4). In contrast, Capon draws a picture of a true Christ-centered gospel message in which the lifeguard and the girl both disappear under the water and we are left with a message saying the girl is safe in the lifeguard’s death (Capon 1998, 5-7). The two messages are very different. Capon will maintain that the second, which focuses on the deadly nature of sin and the sufficiency of Christ’s death, is much more biblical.