Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope

by Trevin K. Wax, Matt Chandler (Foreword)

What if the biggest danger to the church of Jesus Christ is not blatant heresy, the moral failures of church leaders, persecution, the rise of Islam or the loss of our rights? What if the biggest threat is counterfeit gospels within the church, ways of thinking and speaking about the good news that lead to a gradual drift from the truth of Scripture? The gospel is like a three-legged stool. There’s the Gospel Story – the grand narrative of Scripture (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration). Within that overarching framework, we make the Gospel Announcement about Jesus Christ (His perfect life, substitutionary death, resurrection, exaltation). The gospel announcement then births the Gospel Community : God’s church – the embodiment of the gospel, the manifestation of God’s kingdom.  A counterfeit gospel is like a colony of termites, eating away at one of the legs of this stool until the whole thing topples over. This book exposes six common counterfeits (Therapeutic, Judgmentless, Moralist, Quietist, Activist, and Churchless) that would get us off track. The goal of Counterfeit Gospels is to so deepen our love for the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ that we would easily see through the many counterfeits that leave us impoverished. So come, love the gospel, recognize and overcome the counterfeits, and be empowered for ministry!

Genres: Theology, Christian Living, Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Christianity

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2011

About the author

Trevin Wax is the Bible and Reference Publisher for LifeWay Christian Resources. A former missionary to Romania, Trevin hosts a blog at The Gospel Coalition and regularly contributes to The Washington Post, Religion News Service, World, and Christianity Today, which named him one of thirty-three millennials shaping the next generation of evangelicals. His previous books include Counterfeit Gospels, Clear Winter Nights, and Gospel-Centered Teaching. He and his wife Corina have three children.

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following with great interest blogger Trevin Wax's research and writing about the gospel on his blog, Kingdom People, for months. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of his new book, based on what he's learned: Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope.

The premise of the book is that "counterfeit gospels"-ways of thinking and speaking about the good news that are diluted or distorted-are the biggest threat to the church today. These counterfeit gospels cause a gradual drift from the truth of Scripture that is less obvious, but no less dangerous, than blatant heresy, persecution, or a number of other threats. These counterfeits are like candy: pleasant to the taste, but leaving us spiritually malnourished. In extreme cases, they may lead to outright heresy, but in most cases, they either dilute the truth or teach it out of proportion. There's often enough of a saving message to reconcile us to God, but as Trevin says,

"...the watered-down version never satisfies our longings. Nor will it empower us for service, or embolden our witness before a watching world." (p. 13)

He goes on to define the gospel using the concept of a three-legged stool. The three legs are story, announcement, and community.

Story is the "big picture", God's sweeping plan of redemption for all of Creation. We often see it referred to as "Creation-->Fall-->Redemption-->Restoration". This is the overarching grand narrative told from Genesis to Revelation.

Announcement refers to the announcement of Christ's life, death, and resurrection and our personal, individual response to it. This is the "God-->Man-->Christ-->Response" component, addressing our individual salvation.

Community describes the embodiment of the gospel as we are shaped by it and live according to it's truth as a community of believers in the world...a present manifestation of God's Kingdom.

Each leg of the stool is essential. Cut one off and the whole thing tips over:

"Each leg of the stool is important because each relates to the other two. The gospel story provides the biblical narrative necessary for us to understand the nature of the gospel announcement. Likewise, the gospel announcement births the gospel community that centers its common life upon the transformative truth of Jesus Christ. Though the New Testament authors generally use the word 'gospel' as referring to the announcement of the crucified and risen King Jesus, a closer look reveals that they never separate the announcement from the back story which gives it meaning-nor the community that the announcement births." (p. 16-17)

He goes on to say:

"The counterfeit gospels in the church today resemble the biblical gospel in some ways, and yet fail to incorporate and integrate all that the Bible says about the good news. Each counterfeit is like a colony of termites, eating away at one of the legs of the stool, and therefore toppling the stool and damaging the other components as well." (p. 17)

Each counterfeit focuses on one leg of the stool, overemphasizing and/or distorting it. The rest of the book evaluates six common counterfeits, grouping them according to which leg each one targets. It explores the therapeutic, judgmentless, moralistic, quietist, activist, and churchless gospels. Each chapter addresses one of these, describing the different forms each one takes, what makes it attractive, and discussing what each gets right and wrong. Wrapping up each chapter, Trevin advises how to counter each counterfeit biblically, concluding with a list of Scripture references that address each aspect of that particular counterfeit.

I really loved this book. There are so many different "versions" of what is encompassed in the gospel, and each one has parts that ring true. How do we sort it all out and keep the main thing the main thing? I grew up in an environment that emphasized the "announcement" over the "story" and "community", and for years I struggled with where those pieces of the puzzle fit...I knew they were biblical and important, but couldn't reconcile exactly where they fit in to the picture. I have to say that Trevin's three-legged stool concept is one of the most helpful models I've encountered...it really lays out very clearly what I've come to understand slowly over a number of years...that the gospel encompasses much more than just a set of facts to be believed at a moment in time to get you "in", and each aspect is essential. In fact, I'm using this model in a family discipleship class that my husband and I are teaching when we discuss communicating the gospel to our children.

The way the counterfeits are categorized according to which leg they overemphasize or distort is well done. Everything is organized and laid out very clearly. The charts scattered throughout were super helpful.

Counterfeit Gospels is an incredibly timely and needed book. It seems like in general, confusion reigns in today's churches about the gospel. Counterfeit Gospels is just the prescription needed to clear through all the obscurity and bring clarity and understanding. In short, I think it's a must read and give it my highest recommendation! It released on April 1 and I encourage you to get your hands on a copy!

Thanks so much to Moody Publishing for the advance review copy! All opinions expressed are my own. Also, since this was an unedited proof copy, I can't guarantee that the page numbers cited will coincide with the published version of the book.

[John]

[Originally post at http://tgcreviews.com/reviews/counter...
]

As I sit to write this review, it is the day after we all stayed up late to listen to President Barack Obama announce the death of Osama bin Laden. The announcement stirred afresh discussions amongst Christians on judgment, hell, and whether Christians should rejoice over the death of the wicked. But it was also the same day I, and many of my friends, received word that a close and cherished Christian brother had died of cancer. Trevin Wax, author of Counterfeit Gospels, and I have a few things in common that relates these two deaths. One, we both knew the Christian brother who died in Christ. Second, we both believe in the same gospel that informs how we can mourn the death of a faithful Christian, yet rejoice in that he is forever in the presence of Christ. At the same time we mourn that Osama bin Laden has died without Christ and faces an eternity of judgment, yet rejoice in that God’s honor and glory is upheld in the defeat of evil.

Sometimes the commonality between an author and reviewer can turn into awkward pat on the backs, where the reviewer glibly summarizes the book, gleefully recommends it to Christians at every stage of life, and categorizes the books as a necessary read. But it can also be an occasion for back-and-forth between Christians who want to push each other for precision and clarity. Isn’t it true that those who are more closely aligned theologically and ecclesiologically can sharpen and press each other further than those who don’t even hold the same theological assumptions? So my aim is not to question Wax’s assumptions behind his book. They’re good assumptions, and I hope you have the same ones. But I want to challenge some of his conclusions that come from our common assumptions.

Counterfeits Are Not Appealing Without a Little Bit of Truth

Counterfeit gospels can be appealing to Christians. We may not come out and call ourselves “moralistic” or “therapeutic” Christians, but we may act, make decisions, or respond to others with assumptions that align more with a counterfeit gospel than the biblical one. Why is this?

Wax helpfully points out that counterfeits are attractive because they have some form of truth in them. For example, the moralistic gospel emphasizes a transformed character, something the Bible commends as the result of being born again with a desire to love God and honor Christ. However, as Wax helpfully points out, the moralistic gospel fails to root any behavioral change in the grace of God and the finished work of God in Christ. Following the same pattern of recognizing a counterfeit gospel by what it is, why it’s attractive, and why it fails to be a biblical gospel, Wax covers a number of counterfeits: the therapeutic gospel, the judgmentless gospel, the moralistic gospel, the quietist gospel, the activist gospel, and the churchless gospel.

The Gospel Is Like a Three-Legged Stool

Every Christian benefits from knowing what the gospel is not, but we will have no shape to our faith unless we labor to know what it is. And it’s here where the debates begin. Articles, books, and tweets rage over these questions: What is the gospel? How wide or narrow is the gospel? What is the actual gospel, and what are it’s implications? Do some confuse the gospel for the gospel’s implications? Or do some define the gospel too narrowly, as to keep out necessary elements? The debates can be frustrating and, as Wax notes, many talk past one another. So he offers a solution that attempts to get at the heart of the gospel while including where competing definitions overlap. Not an easy feat.

Wax presents the illustration of a three-legged stool to explain what he calls the “threefold sense of the gospel.” If you lose one leg of a three-legged stool, the whole thing tips over. The three legs are (1) the gospel story, (2) the gospel announcement, and (3) the gospel community.

The gospel story is the narrative of God saving a people from the fall of Adam and Eve to the death of Christ to the final culmination of history in the return of Christ, renewing all things. Wax explains that we need context to understand the announcement. Without context, the announcement doesn’t carry the same urgency or importance.

The gospel announcement is the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ as the plan of God for the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation of all things in Christ, through faith and repentance.

And finally, the gospel community. We are not saved into a life of lonely introspection, but into a church, a community that gathers together to encourage one another along in the truth of the gospel, where God’s glory is most prominently displayed.

The gospel, as Wax explains it, is like a three-legged stool. If you lose one of these legs, so goes the gospel, making way for a counterfeit.

Does the Solution Stick?

Wax’s solution is a slight counter to some who want to define the gospel as God-Man-Christ-Response or Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration. However, I wonder if the illustration works. It certainly helps us recognize that if we abandon certain elements of God’s plan (the story, the announcement, the community) we lose significant aspects of the gospel. With the obvious benefits of Wax’s suggestion, I do think there are some difficulties.

For example, it’s confusing as to why Wax uses “community” as a third leg and not “holiness.” Certainly we aren’t saved by our holiness, just as we are not saved by our involvement in a local church. But aren’t we expected to be Christians bearing fruit in holiness as much as we are to not neglect gathering with one another (and can’t stools have four legs)? Maybe Wax would respond that holiness is best pursued in community. That’s true, but holiness can be pursued at personal levels (living according to the Spirit, plucking out eyes) when the community lacks in its faithfulness towards the individual.

But, at a strictly pedagogical level, does the illustration make us think that the story and community of the gospel is just as critical as the announcement? Does it seem to indicate that the story and community of the gospel are part of the definition of the gospel itself? I posed this concern to Wax himself, and he certainly wanted to maintain that the gospel community is an implication of the gospel. But, he noted, it is a necessary one. My concern is, as necessary as local church membership is (and truly, it is necessary), is there not at least a level in which we lose much more if we abandon the announcement than if we abandon community? Even more, can we not say that we preserve an element of the saving gospel even when community is forsaken or neglected? We certainly do lose something important when we abandon fellowship. But we loose everything with no announcement.

The same could be said of the story of the gospel. The fact that we must know the story of the gospel to understand the announcement seems like a slight overstatement. In fact, isn’t it the case that most Christians who actually have a saving knowledge of the gospel may not know or have a good understanding of the narrative structure of the Bible? It seems that most people, in fact, have a sense of their sin problem with God and need of redemption, which is the reason why personal evangelism works! Christians must grow in their knowledge of the narrative of Scripture so that they understand the gospel and its implications. But when it comes down to definitions—indeed, what is a saving definition—Christians can bank on the fact that announcing the gospel to unbelievers still cuts to their heart and lead to life.

A Counter-Solution that Keeps the Stool

The danger I see in Wax’s solution is that the gospel community and story carry the same weight as the announcement. I don’t think Wax wants to leave this impression, but it is at the very least confusing. And we seem to lose the necessity of holiness as well when it’s all worked out.

So here is my counter-solution to Wax’s “three-legged stool.” In keeping with the “stool” illustration, let’s say the the gospel (its saving powerful announcement and definition) is the stool itself, not just one of the legs, but the entire support system. The legs that support the gospel are the (1) the story, since it gives the gospel its context; (2) the community of a local church that encourages us to preserve the gospel and live in accordance with it; and (3) good works and holiness as the fruit of new birth and a life that is empowered by the Spirit. Some of these legs will be weaker than others at times, but it is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ that we are saved.

My hope that this review signifies that Trevin Wax’s book is a worthy guide to think and live in light of the biblical gospel, not counterfeit ones. And as Wax attempts to stretch and lead us to better ways to express how this works out biblically, my hope is that my counter-proposal carries the discussion forward and honors Wax’s faithfulness.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm buying two more copies. That's how good it was. This should easily be required reading for anyone in church leadership - it clearly helps us appreciate the true Gospel AND guard against our own tendencies to distort the Gospel in an unhealthy way.

[Jennifer L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It isn’t often that I don’t fly through a book. I like to immerse myself in its pages, and leave a day or two later. There are only two reasons I don’t do that -- one is because I don’t like the book, or secondly, it is so filled with truth I can’t read it quickly or I’ll miss something. Counterfeit Gospels was the latter. Each chapter brought eye-opening revelations about how things have always been done and how the Bible presents truth.

Using the analogy of a three-legged stool, Tevin Wax explains major components to the Gospel: Story, Announcement, Community. When I saw the subsections of this book, I wondered how someone like me, raised in the church, educated in Christian schools, and VBS teacher could get much out of this book. I was pleasantly surprised as the author tackles some of the most prevalent themes in American Christianity.

For instance, in discussing sharing the Gospel, he makes the point that it used to be that every person in the United States was aware of the basics of the Bible. That is not always the case in this post-modern age in which we live. He explains it is important that we explain the why of needing a Savior. To someone like me who knew John 3:16 before I could read, it is hard to imagine people who didn’t grow up looking at flannelgraph pictures of Adam and Eve covered in fig leaves talking to a snake, but there are people who don’t realize that God created a sinless world and that because we sin we have fallen short of God’s plan. The author of Counterfeit Gospels states that unless the problem is known (which started in the Garden of Eden) then how does one realize the solution (Jesus.)

While he tackles six false gospels that permeate our society (therapeutic, judgmentless, moralistic, quietist, activist, churchless). He explains why each one of these cannot be the true Gospel by bringing story, announcement and community into each one of these ideologies.

The one I really appreciated was the chapter on the activist gospel. He told the story, which to me was chilling, of a church that fought against the sale of alcohol in their community. When the ballot was brought before voters, and the county remained “dry”, a deacon said it was the best victory their church ever had. Really? While I won’t get into the debate of alcohol, if your church sees politics and activism as more important than people being saved, baptism, or discipleship, are you a church or a political party? I’ve seen so much activism in churches in the last few years, I sometimes wonder why those churches don’t remove the cross and replace it with a ballot box behind the altar.

This is a great book, and I recommend it to everyone, both new Christian, and those who have been in the church most of our lives. I promise you, though, if you take this book seriously, and you should, you will find yourself challenged as to if what you are believing is the Gospel God intended, or if it has been slightly distorted by what people have decided the Bible should say.

[fpk · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me awhile to finish this book, but not b/c it wasn't good, but b/c there was so much truth and depth in it, that it took me awhile to take it all in.

This is an excellent reference book, though it isn't solely that. I was drawn to it when I read a blog post of Trevin Wax. He is a young guy, and despite his youth (!) he has the wisdom of the old :-)

In this book, Wax describes in depth the various counterfeit messages in the world that pass as The Gospel. The counterfeits are rampant, insidious and persistent. I've seen them rear their heads in several churches I've been in, and unfortunately, many naive and devout Christians unwittingly fall prey to these pseudo-gospels.

I highly recommend this book to pastors, deacons, ministry workers, youth leaders, new Christians, veteran Christians and even kids (my 13 yr old daughter snagged it and is reading it now!) It helps clarify what the true Gospel is and the various distortions that exist.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of books written on the topic of the gospel. Most of them get it wrong; and they get it wrong in one of the six ways Trevin Wax describes in Counterfeit Gospels.

Wax begin his book by contrasting the six counterfeit gospels with the real thing. The real gospel, Wax argues, consists of three legs. The first leg is the gospel story which contains the narrative from creation to redemption and sets the context for the second leg. The second leg is the gospel announcement which proclaims the good news of Christ's life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. The third and final leg is the gospel community which is the expression of how the good news has transformed a chosen people. The community (the church) according to Wax embodies the gospel, incorporates us into a community of faith, is made up of kingdom people, and is the place where we are sanctified.

Each of these three legs (the gospel story, announcement, and community) have two corresponding counterfeit gospels which threaten then true gospel with their errors.

The gospel story leg is threatened by both the therapeutic gospel and the judgementless gospel. The gospel story as you may recall is the metanarrative in which we find our place in salvation history. It is the grand narrative of history which began at creation and will end when all things are restored unto God. It's no wonder then, that the metanarrative has been replaced with each one's personal narrative. When this happens, the crisis in life is no longer that we have rebelled against a holy God, but it becomes a crisis of individuality and self-absorbed authenticity. When this happens life's many inconveniences (such as sickness, poverty, feelings of inadequacy, etc) replace sin as our greatest barrier to eternal happiness. The gospel that flows out of this is both therapeutic (salvation is a rescue from life's troubles) and judgementless. It is therapeutic because the fall and resulting sin are virtually non existent, leaving my personal happiness as the greatest need. It is judgementless because, if the only narrative that exists is my own narrative then no one can judge me for my choices. God will not judge me because he just wants me to find my true self and be happy.

The gospel announcement leg is threatened by the counterfeit gospels of moralism and quietism. The gospel announcement as you may recall is the proclamation of what God has done in Christ: his life, death, resurrection, and exaltation to glory. The moralistic gospel threatens this announcement by replacing grace with our own efforts. It does this by exalting both our good works and lack of sin to a meritorious status rather than being a gift of grace. This can be seen in many evangelistic methodologies in which sinners are called to "get right with God" without ever being told who God is and why we need to get right with him. Perhaps even more common is the modern fascination with, as Wax puts it, "preaching good advice instead of good news". Wax goes on to say,

"The emphasis should always be on what God has done for us in Christ. Yet sometimes we replace this with an emphasis on rules and other things Christians should do to be 'good Christians'. When morality becomes the essence of Christianity, we change the god news into good advice."

This is in fact what Paul scolded the Galatian church for in Galatians 3 when he said, "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you . . . are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you no being perfected by the flesh?" This is what the moralistic gospel does: It convinces us that even though we began with grace, we must turn back to the law to find the power to obey.

The second attack on the gospel announcement is the quietist gospel which takes the gospel out of the public sphere by making it a personal message. This has the effect of extinguishing the gospel proclamation.

The final leg of the true gospel is the leg of gospel community. This leg shows the church as the embodiment of the gospel and is the incorporation of kingdom people into a community in which they can be sanctified. The gospel community is threatened by the counterfeit gospels of activism and churchlessness. The activist gospel can be seen in what Wax refers to as the Culture Warriors. The culture warrior confuses the church with the culture. While he clearly sees the sin of the culture around him, he misses that this same sin exists within the church; perhaps even within himself. The activist gospel replaces the good news with cultural transformation. The gospel community is also threatened by a growing sense of the irrelevance of the church. This view sees the church as optional at best and a hindrance to spiritual growth at worst.

So what are my thoughts on Counterfeit Gospels? I think Trevin Wax nails it. He starts by clearly defining what the gospel is. But he doesn't make the common mistake of limiting its scope to one aspect of the gospel. He takes a comprehensive view of the gospel and includes not only the gospel story, but also the gospel announcement and community. This may seem like he is taking an expansive view of the gospel to those who insist that the gospel is only one of these, but the reality is that Wax is simply being faithful to the entire testimony of scripture in speaking of the gospel.

When I saw Wax's definition of the gospel I knew right a way that I would like the book. He avoids narrow definitions and yet is honest with the danger of defining the gospel in too broad of strokes. While he identifies the numerous counterfeit gospels available today as inadequate, he also recognizes that each of these exist because there are truths within them that need to be included in the entirety of the gospel message. What he avoids so well is the elevation of any of these to the extent of excluding the others. He does this by masterfully exposing the errors of the counterfeits, but also by revealing the good things in them that make them attractive. Those things about the counterfeits which closely resemble truth but may ever so slightly miss the mark. The result is a book that not only clarifies the gospel, but will also expand it for many people who have been too narrowly focused on their definition of the good news. This makes Gospel Counterfeits an invaluable book for those who desire to be faithful to the gospel as presented in scripture. This is a book that you will want to read and keep nearby for reference. Read it, set it aside, and come back to it often to make sure that you are still calibrated to the biblical view of the gospel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Moody Publishers in exchange for an online review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could compel all of my friends who would still consider themselves Christian, but who have left the church for one reason or another, to read this book. While this book is directed to any Christian who might want to see how easy it is for the trajectory of their (or someone else's) faith to be shifted enough that the focus ceases to be on Christ and the gospel announcement, I couldn't help but grieve for my brothers and sisters who are on their own, trying to do their own thing, and slowly limping away from the true gospel.

This is a must-read for anyone who believes in the God of the Bible.

[D. Bright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good look at how some (or many) of the problems with the church come from within. Trevin Wax discusses the counterfeit and the Biblical Gospel comparing different flavors of problems. It is easy to read and doesn't come across just as a critique without hope.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging overview of common pitfalls in American evangelicalism. So easily to we fall into these lesser gospels that we need a discerning eye to keep watch for what makes the full Gospel distinctive. I recommend it to any Christian, as an encouragement to keep the main thin the main thing.

[Greg Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you identify a precious stone from a cheap imitation? You have to know what the real thing looks like. There are many cheap imitations of the Gospel. But there is only one true Gospel: the good news of Jesus Christ. Trevin Wax discusses and compares the true Gospel to the fake ones in his book "Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope". Wax exposes six common counterfeit gospels that are common in churches today.

The "therapeutic gospel" teaches that human beings have failed to reach their full potential. But if they accept the truth about Christ's death, their full potential can be reached. This gospel uses the church as a mode for our quest for happiness and fulfillment. Wax notes, "We make 'pursuing happiness' the central goal of life" (p.45). We can spot this counterfeit when our decisions are based on our own personal happiness. The therapeutic gospel stresses man's worth, while the biblical gospel stresses God's worth.

The "judgementless gospel" focuses on God's goodness, rather than His response toward evil. This counterfeit gospel sees Christ's death as a victory over Satan, instead of the quenching of God's wrath and the need for a sacrifice. Personal evangelism and outreach is seen as unnecessary, since God does not judge. According to Wax, "the judgementless gospel alters the gospel story, diminishes the need for the gospel announcement, and eventually changes the make-up of the the gospel community as well" (68).

In the moralistic gospel, "Our sinful condition is seen as the individual sins we commit" (115). This fake gospel focuses on what we can do to win God's blessing. The church is seen as a place that helps keep the moral standards of the community. This gospel calls people out on their sins, but does not give them a reason why they need to repent. Wax notes that "life transformation is not the cause of God's grace, but the result of God's grace" (121). Wax suggests two ways to tell whether or not one has fallen for this counterfeit. First, how do you react to suffering? Second, check your own heart when someone benefits from God's grace.

When the gospel is seen as a personal and private message that is only applicable to individual hearts, not society or politics, this is what Wax calls the quietist gospel. Proponents of this gospel do not engage with different aspects of culture, but instead surround themselves with like minded thinkers. Wax encourages evangelism by stating, "When we share the gospel, we are not just inviting people to try a new religious experience. We are proclaiming news about something that has happened" (144). We, as Christians, should not hide behind the gospel, but should stand up for it.

The direct opposite of the quietist gospel is what Wax calls the activist gospel. This counterfeit gospel sees the kingdom of Christ advanced through a just society. The Gospel of Christ is seen through political, social, and cultural transformation. Churches of the activist gospel find unity through just causes. Wax suggests that the activist gospel can be overcome if preachers continue to preach on the doctrine of hell. Instead of uniting around a cause, the church should be active, but united around the gospel.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "The church is not perfect, but woe to the man who finds pleasure in pointing out her imperfections." Thus, the churchless gospel sees the community of beleievers as unnessessary. The Gospel of Christ is seen as an individual announcement. The church is viewed as an obstacle to spiritual growth. Proponents of this gospel typically state that they would like the church to be more like the early churches. Wax argues, "Which early church do you want to be like? Corinth? The church took pride in a man's incestuous relationship...Galatia? Paul was shocked to see that this church church so quickly abandoned the gospel. Thessalonica? This church was grieving in a worldly way, without hope that their loved ones would take part in the coming restoration and resurrection" (197). Every church has its problems. Wax emphasizes that the Gospel is for people who recognize their sinful condition. We need the church.

Trevin Wax goes to great lengths to explain why these counterfeits are so appealing, both to beleivers and to unbelievers alike. Time after time, he notes that only the true Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring salvation, happiness, and life transformation.

"Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope"
Trevin Wax
240 pages, Moody Publishers
$13.99

[Harold Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Rediscovering the Good News In a World of False Hope”

“What if the biggest danger to the church of Jesus Christ is not blatant heresy, the moral failures of church leaders, persecution, the rise of Islam or the loss of our rights? What if the biggest threat is counterfeit gospels within the church, ways of thinking and speaking about the good news that lead to a gradual drift from the truth of Scripture?

The gospel is like a three-legged stool. There's the Gospel Story - the grand narrative of Scripture (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration). Within that overarching framework, we make the Gospel Announcement about Jesus Christ (His perfect life, substitutionary death, resurrection, exaltation). The gospel announcement then births the Gospel Community: God's church - the embodiment of the gospel, the manifestation of God's kingdom. A counterfeit gospel is like a colony of termites, eating away at one of the legs of this stool until the whole thing topples over. This book exposes six common counterfeits (Therapeutic, Judgmentless, Moralist, Quietist, Activist, and Churchless) that would get us off track.

The goal of Counterfeit Gospels is to so deepen our love for the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ that we would easily see through the many counterfeits that leave us impoverished. So come, love the gospel, recognize and overcome the counterfeits, and be empowered for ministry!”: From the Moody Publishers Website

My thoughts about the book:
If counterfeit gospels were a disease in our society then author Trevin Wax’s book would be the medicine to produce the cure for it. For such a time when the mainstream church in America is experiencing changes, turmoil and upheaval even, author Wax’s book attempts to calm the proverbial storm, and bring truth to the forefront so as to hopefully calm things down and bring stability to the evangelical church. And right now, unity and consistency of getting the right gospel message out to a lost and dying world is imperative. And if we as the church would agree to do so, it would bring much needed unity within the mainstream evangelical church today.

There are 3 main parts to the book. Part 1 is “Story,” Part 2 is “Announcement” and Part 3 is “Community.” All 3 parts address and explain different counterfeit gospels such as “The Therapeutic Gospel” or the “Judgmentless Gospel” in Part 1. In Part 2 he addresses “The Moralistic Gospel,” and the “Quietist Gospel,” and finally in Part 3 he writes about “The Activist Gospel” and “The Churchless Gospel.” On page 210 there is a chart revealing the differences that exist between all of the gospels. But what is most notable and is neat about the book is before he shares about the counterfeit gospels in each part he shares a chapter revealing the whole truth and nothing but the truth concerning what the real gospel is. In part 1 he titles it, “The Gospel Story,” In Part 2, “The Gospel Announcement,” and in Part 3, “The Gospel Community.” He concludes his book with an Epilogue appropriately titled, “Witnesses of the Gospel.”

Counterfeit Gospels is a meat and potatoes kind of book. It’s pointed and very focalized as far as the ultimate truth that it presents and that is that there in only one true Gospel which indeed is very good and hope producing news in a world where people are just existing under one counterfeit gospel or another, which is no real true gospel at all, and thus are hopeless and despairing in their lives. Members of the body of Christ should read this book so they can recognize a counterfeit gospel when it is being preached and respond in a Biblical manner.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Inside Pages book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Don't confuse the gospel with the effects of the Gospel." writes Keven Wax. Elsewhere he notes that, "…Christianity is not a scheme of morality, nor a plan for social and political change, and organizations which propose improvements along such lines are only 'tinkering with the problems. We may be made better men, but before we can face God we must be new men." So many churches today don't believe that the Gospel, as given in God's Word, is right for today. They think that it needs to be updated to fit our culture. Wax does a good job of analyzing the various counterfeit gospels of our day: the Therapeutic Gospel, the Activist Gospel, the Churchless Gospel…etc. he shows how many of these take one fact of the Gospel and preach it, mostly disembodied from the other essential truths that make up the Gospel. These people are, 'missing the mark' of the complete Gospel', which description, ironically, is one of the definitions of sin.

"Christians and non-Christians are often drawn to counterfeit gospels. Even those of us who have walked with the Lord for many years may be inclined to accept cheap imitations of the truth. Why? Because they are easy. They cost us less." And one might add, "they build up our church attendance". A small section , in the chapter on the "Churchless Gospel", caught my interest in particular. What is discussed is the idea of some Christians who think that we should model ourselves on the practices of the early churches as the early churches would have obviously been more pure, more godly than ours. To these people Wax poses the question, "Which early church do you want to be like? Corinth? The church took pride in a man's incestuous relationship. Meanwhile, the worship gatherings were not being done decently and in order. Galatia? Paul was shocked to see that his church so quickly abandoned the gospel…"

I didn't like the reformed/amillennial bent of the book, the sacraments, true Israel…etc. are brought up. This is also evident where Christ is talked about, speaking of evangelizing, "Just talk about Jesus!......Jesus is not merely a means to an end, such as 'heaven,' 'a purposeful life,' or 'peace through trials.' Jesus is the end." What about God the Father? Christ has reconciled us to the Father, we have "access by one Sprit unto the Father, " - Ephesians 2:16-19, "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a anew and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil…"( Hebrews 10:19-22 NASB)See also, "Heb. 7:25, 2:10. Also, I did not particularly care for all of the movie references in the book, they seemed out of place, quite unnecessary.

But I do like the book overall. It is an interesting overview and critique of the futile attempts to improve the perfect Gospel revealed in God's Word. And now, to wrap this up, as usual, I'll end with one last quote from the book, "We must make clear that grace accepts us where we are, but that it never leaves us there."

Thanks to Moody Publishers for sending me a free review copy of this book! (My review did not have to be favorable)

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gospel.

As believers, it should be foundational to our understanding of God, the world, and ourselves. We ought to be able to explain it anytime we need to, strive to live out its truths daily, and we ought to be able to point out error when a false version of it is proclaimed (and be able to use scripture to explain why). Unfortunately, this is not always the case. This is why I’m thankful for books like Counterfeit Gospels by Trevin Wax.

Wax wrote Counterfeit Gospels to address what he feels is a threefold crisis facing the church: 1) A lack of gospel confidence (believing that the gospel message has power by itself); 2) A lack of gospel clarity (our ability to articulate the truth of the gospel and why people need to hear it); and 3) A lack of gospel community (no distinctions between the church and the world, or, worse yet, feeling the church is unnecessary).

To address these issues, Wax proposes a three-legged stool metaphor for the gospel, and this makes up the structure for the book. For each leg – Story, Announcement, and Community – Wax explains the biblical truth of the gospel as it pertains to that area in one chapter, then he takes two chapters to examine two counterfeits that distort or outright deny that truth.

I was a big fan of the structure of the book as it allowed for easy compartmentalization of the ideas being discussed. The format clearly sways towards reductionism at times, and some will balk at the terms and broad brush strokes with which distortions are painted, but these instances are pretty minimal, and overall I think Wax was fair to the different views of the gospel he discusses.

My favorite discussions centered around the distortions of The Announcement, The Moralistic Gospel and the Quietist Gospel, as these are the two I tend to lean towards when I begin to lose sight of the true gospel. The Moralistic Gospel says we can manipulate God and earn his favor (or at least succeed in improving our behavior with His help) by law keeping. This is a dangerous counterfeit that shows up in many conservative, evangelical churches today as many sermons are preached about moral improvement with no mention of Jesus Christ who gave us his righteousness. It’s a subtle counterfeit but very powerful and destructive. The Quietist Gospel, on the other hand, reduces the message of the Kingdom to only individual salvation and creates an “us vs. them” mentality within the church. This is also very prevalent today.

The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16), and it’s extremely important that we get it right. Books like Counterfeit Gospels are needed resources to help believers think through the different distortions of the message that look very similar to the real thing, but will lead us down dangerous paths if we’re not careful.

[Mariejkt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Counterfeit Gospels by Trevin Wax is about naming the six major false gospels out there and countering them with the true Gospel. The six false gospels he writes about is the therapeutic, the moralist, the activist, the judgmentless, the quietest, and the churchless gospel I probable read this book a lot slower than I should but I wanted to let it soak in. Unlike some discernment books I have read where they just point out the false gospels out there and never point us to the true Gospel of Christ this one does both it points us to the true Gospel of Christ then shows us the false gospels out there. The judgmentless, the moralistic, and the the activist false gospels out there are the ones I really was glad he broke down as I see them happening so regularly even in my small community. The judgmentless gospel is about how this gospels says that God will not judge us. We can forget as Christians that we are actually being saved from God's judgement on us (Romans 2:5-11). The Moralist gospel is about how we try to change ourselves or the society around us to be a more moral people when that is not the gospel. My favorite quote from this book comes from this section and it as follows "The moralistic gospel may fill our churches with well-behaved people. But the result will merely be an improved version of the old man - not the new man that the Biblical Gospel promises. Without grace, we miss out on true life transformation." That to me is a good quick explanation on why trying to be moral is not the gospel of the bible. Now the activist gospel to me goes hand in hand with the moralism gospel as the activist gospel people are bent on trying to change the society around them to what they deem as the moral correctness even if that means forgetting that what really changes society is the inward change of individuals by Christ himself and not us washing/cleaning up the outside of people. Yes us trying to end abortion, fighting sex trafficking and such are all good things but they still are not the gospel. As I heard once in a sermon is we can give some one clean water all we want but if we don't give them the gospel also we are just giving them clean water as we watch them head to hell. How horrible is that? So what is the true gospel then? We see it in the scriptures and not anything we do. Its that we are wretched sinners that deserve death and punishment but God has sent His son Jesus Christ to fulfill all the law (we could not do it are selves), His substitutionary death for us sinners, and His resurrection and exaltation. If you can't tell by now I highly recommend this book.

I was given this book by Moody Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.

[Edythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, you will learn the threefold crisis in the Church is the lack of Gospel confidence, Gospel clarity, and the Gospel community. The Gospel Story, Gospel Announcement, and Gospel Community are referred to as the three-legged stool.

To understand the Gospel, Mr. Was explains, you must know the back-story in order to apply the teachings in the current era. He states, “we must keep the Gospels grounded in history.” He also asks the question, “What is the Gospel Story?” Then it is broken down as The Creation, The Fall, The Redemption, and The Restoration. He brings to our attention, “Life is not random and meaningless….there is a divine purpose at work behind all that takes place.”

There are other interestingly named counterfeits we are all prone to, The Happy Meal, The Fill’er Up, and the Paid Programming gospels. I like these ingenious titles. Mr. Wax comments that these gospels make us feel good, feel full, and the need not to attend the local churches without giving the full gospel story.

All of the above is in part one of the book. Parts 2 and 3 cover The Announcement and The Community consecutively. You will learn Mr. Wax’s take on the arrival of God’s Kingdom, the sinless life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the importance of the church community today.

I enjoyed this well-written discussion of different counterfeit gospels Christians often lean toward. He gives food for thought on each of the sub-topics presented. Each chapter is referenced with ‘Scripture Truths’ which Mr. Wax uses to base his statements. It would behoove you to have your Bible readily available. I recommend this book for all who know of counterfeit gospels, and want an in-depth look on how to identify them using the three-legged stool system.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers through the MP Newsroom Reviewer Program for an unbiased review.

[Mike Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It can be very difficult to describe the mistakes and differences in why a theological proclamation may not be the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There can be subtleties that may make it sound nice and good, but it might be missing parts or the entirety of the Gospel. Counterfeit Gospels by Trevin Wax is a great book that explains the difference between these counterfeits and the true Gospel embodied in Jesus.

Wax takes six of the most common counterfeits and takes us step-by-step through the good, the bad, the noble, and the better way to speak of the true Gospel. Not everything about these counterfeits is bad and he explains why. The six counterfeits discussed in the book are:

Therapeutic: God just wants me to be happy and feel good about myself.

Judgmentless: God won't send me to hell and judge me, the Kingdom is about bringing heaven to earth.

Moralist: God just wants us to have moral and upright behavior.

Quietist: God wants me to be about Him only and ignore the issues that affect people today so I should abstain from politics and voting.

Activist: God just wants me to "live" the gospel and stand up for injustice and the social issues of the day.

Churchless: God doesn't need me to be in a local church, besides, the people are all just hypocrites.

Any of these sound familiar? If they do, you really should read this book. We are called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to the world and Trevin Wax also does a great job of explaining what exactly the Gospel is and how we do that.

I give Counterfeit Gospels 5 out of 5 stars. Great book!

*****

I purchased this book on my own. I was not asked to give a review, but chose to do so anyway.

[Craig Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book on the gospel and an examination of 6 competing false gospels within our society and the church.

Wax presents a three legged stool approach to the gospel. First, there is the "story" of Scripture as creation, fall, redemption and consumation. This story provides the backdrop for all the events of Scripture and God's working in the world to bring about salvation. Second, within the middle of the story is the "announcement" if Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one whom the story is about and whom the OT is looking towards as the bringer and provider of salvation. Finally, there is the "community" which the gospel story and announcement produces and which continues to proclaim the story and announcement of the gospel.

Interwoven through his presentation of the gospel Wax presents six different competing or false gospels. The six false gospels are grouped into three groups and each set of two false gospels is seen as a distortion of one of the legs in the stool of the true gospel.

Wax gives a clear overview of the false gospels and shows how they twist the true gospel and ultimately offer false hope. They each offer a different story, present a different announcement and shape a different community. Wax also discusses the reason we can so often fall for these false gospels and then offers ways in which we can combat them in our lives.

This book is full of careful and clear discussion in which everyone would benefit from. This would be a great book to go through in a group setting.

[Phillip Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even with the goodness of the gospel, and what Jesus did for us, the church has been infiltrated with fakes. Different teachings, ones that look good on the surface, but are false, have become prevalent among Christians. Trevin Wax tells how these have lead to false hope in Counterfeit Gospels.

The gospel itself is still true, and still needs to be shared, but we must know the truth about it. Wax begins by telling how the gospel contains the story, announcement, and community. These parts are equally important, but some groups have championed one over the others.

Some of the counterfeits mentioned can be spotted when encountered, but that doesn't mean they are easy to avoid. Many are easy to see in other churches, but missed when in our local church. I saw some things that I have started moving towards that sounded good, but had error in them. That's how counterfeits work, they resemble the real thing, but fall short.

Trevin Wax did a great job in pointing out the issues, but he didn't stop there. He offered ways to counteract the false teachings while still being loving towards others. I think this book is something that Christians need to read. Whether in a leadership position or not, we need to be aware of false teaching.

I received a free copy of Counterfeit Gospels from Moody Publishers in exchange for this review.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as passing counterfeit currency around can undermine a government, passing around counterfeit gospels can undermine Christianity.

Trevin goes on to explain the three prongs of the gospel and how to truly understand the true gospel. He points towards Biblical references to show how certain gospels that people take as being true are in fact counterfeit gospels. And he shows us how to find the truth.

This book really opened my eyes. I know that the Bible has been translated into many different versions. But I didn’t realize that people had altered the gospels for their own purposes.

This is a must read for every Christian.

In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book about the many different false Gospels that are so prevelant in the Christian community today. Trevin starts by explaining what a true Gospel involves: The Gospel Story (telling us where we currently are in our relationship with God), The Gospel Announcement (telling us what God has done to fix the problem through Christ, and includes our response to that work of God), The Gospel Community (How that leads us to our involvement in God's Community - the local church). He then leads us through how the various false gospels miss the mark in one (or more) of those areas.

If you are serious about sharing the Gospel, you need to read this book to make sure you are not missing the mark in one of these ways.

[Erik Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a great tool for those who want to be refreshed in the gospel and for those who are asking "what is the gospel?" Trevin does such a great job of teaching the gospel, yet helping people to identify the counterfeit gospels that run rampant in our culture. This book can be used for a small group bible study or as a seminar in a church. As a pastor, I have found myself using many of the nuggets contained in this book with others as I have counseled and spoke with them about the gospel. A must read for believers in a world of counterfeit gospels.

[William Dicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trevin Wax has written a very clever book in that while this book deals with counterfeit gospels, in essence heresies, he deals with the sophisticated counterfeits, not the obvious ones like Arianism (Jehovah's Witnesses), Modalism (Oneness doctrine denying the Trinity), etc.

This book deals with several counterfeit gospels such as:
Therapeutic gospel
Judgmentless gospel
Moralist gospel
Quietist gospel
Activist gospel
Churchless gospel

It is indeed a book for everyone to read. It is an easy read, but very important one.

[Kj Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on the dangers of 'counterfeit' gospels in our churches. They're not the obvious explicit heresy that you expect, and many times I realised as I was reading through that I had fallen for the counterfeits.
This book is gently challenging, reminding you of the one true gospel and highlighting areas where it's easy to slip, without condemning. A refreshingly lovingly written look at the false gospels so many are deceived by.
If I could give this book six stars I would.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I loved the book. Clearly there are multiple, even good intentioned, forms of the Gospel that do not represent that Gospel correctly. I was, however, disappointed in a few places where I felt Wax used a very superficial view of the message some proclaim. This allowed him to label their message counterfeit without really looking at the whole of the message. Choosing one or two comments out of the whole of their context, makes any assumption possible and any assessment dubious.

[David Toma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book and one that I intend on referring back to. A great resource for those who are committed to the true gospel.

Trevin's prayer in the last paragraph is a fitting end to this book:

"I pray this book will not be seen as the last word on the gospel or on the counterfeits that vie for our attention, but that it will be a helpful addition to the ongoing reflection on the gospel and its power to change our lives."

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is a great discernment-builder for the church, as it explains to God's people the various ways in which we can distort the message of the gospel. Some of the author's analysis may be a bit simplistic, but to dwell on this criticism is tantamount to nitpicking. A very good read, and highly recommended.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although according to Trevin I'm busily perpetuating a false gospel in regard to my view of god's judgment and hell (we'll agree to disagree on that one), I can heartily recommend this book for a simple and elegant analysis of many of the trends that are leading people astray in today's church and society. The capsule summaries of ideas in graph format alone are worth the price of admission.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very accessible and easy to read. You won't find any substantive depth about the application of Christ death. For example, very little is stated about justification, the nature of sanctification, or believer's future glorification. . This book, however, is tremendous in exposing Christians, both young and old, with a clear view of the gospel.

[Jan Marquart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've put a review of Counterfeit Gospels on Goodreads and Amazon. Please read my review there.

[Karen (Living Unabridged) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gospel is such a powerful, dynamic thing - why do we settle for counterfeits? Definitely recommend this one.