News Brief

Evangelicals debate Chalke's Message of Jesus -8/10/04

A public debate in Westminster has seen Steve Chalke publicly respond to critics of his controversial new book, 'The Lost Message of Jesus'. The publication provoked outcry from conservative Evangelicals after several pages questioned the idea that God punished his son by sending him to the cross - otherwise known as ëpenal substitutioní. Penal substitution holds that God had to punish people for their sin, but Jesus took their place, and God punished him instead. In his book, Steve Chalke suggests that such a view of the cross encompasses a misunderstanding of the character of God, as revealed in Jesus Christ. This however has been seen as a challenge by some conservative Evangelicals who believe Godís punishment of Jesus is at the heart of the gospel message. The newspaper 'Evangelical's Now' even questioned whether Steve Chalke could be considered an 'Evangelical' any longer, in light of what he had written.