The past week I have been listening to JESUS IS KING on repeat. I have seen his Airpool Karaoke video with James Corden. I have listened to Jesus Walks off his debut album. I have even watched his two hour interview with Zane Lowe in its entirety.
I've spent time thinking and praying. I've read article after article about the album. Yet there is one single fact I keep coming back to. What Kanye is now preaching IS the gospel. Everything on that album is the gospel -- from the emphasis on freedom for slaves to the counter-cultural statement that Jesus (and none other, not even an orange president) is king.
Confession number two. My original title for this post was In Defense of the Gospel According to Kanye. Not only is that title far too long, but I realized that it shouldn't be the point. Kanye didn't title his album "I'm a Christian." The title is JESUS IS KING. The focus of the album through and through is on the work that Jesus has done and is doing in Kanye's life. It is the good news about Jesus told to us by 'Ye. It is:
The Gospel According to Kanye
Christians use the term gospel in some weird ways. We say that there are four gospels in the Bible. But then we also say that there is only one Gospel. We reference Paul and declare that we need to be careful about people preaching a different gospel.
εὺαγγέλιον is the Greek word we translate as gospel. It literally means good news. When the early church talked about the good news, they were contrasting it with the supposed good news from Rome. Rome declared that it's political and military might was good news. The problem was that it didn't bring freedom to captives and sight to the blind like the good news of Jesus did.
Paul in his letters regularly tells the good news of Jesus. My favorite comes from Philippians 2. Here we not only get the amazing love of God to humble himself and become like us. That God-Man named Jesus Christ was so humble that he died for us. But it doesn't end there. He is raised and will be glorified. And there is a day coming when all will bow and all will declare that Jesus is Lord. This last part is what 'Ye picks up on in the title of his album. It also becomes the title of his last song, which is a quote of Philippians 2:10-11.
JESUS IS KING
The early church knew that when they declared Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior that they were saying something very political. Paul goes so far as to declare that we are not citizens of any nation, but citizens of heaven. To declare JESUS IS KING is to declare that no one else is king. Lest you think that this is something that Kanye has overlooked, watch that Airpool Karaoke video again. He flat out says "Kanye West works for God." The man who once declared himself a god now says that Jesus Christ is his boss. If you still need more convincing watch the interview for Apple Music. He says that his only mission and calling is to spread the gospel. Full stop.
This is not some stunt to bring glory to himself. Anyone who promotes this album will also promote Jesus. Why? Look at the title. I cannot talk about Ye's new album without declaring that JESUS IS KING. His song Closed on Sunday is not about chicken sandwiches as some may think. It is about how God takes precedence over everything else in his life, even social media and his temptations.
Let's Talk Amendment 13
I'm just gonna start with it. Kanye said slavery was a choice. That seems to be the focus of many who are skeptical of this album. (Well that and the MAGA hat.) They forget that he apologized for this. They forget that Kim influenced Trump to sign the First Step Act. If they aren't skeptical of Kanye himself, they are skeptical of the support of Christians. Some even going so far as to say Christians like Kanye because he somehow promotes white supremacy.
Kanye has always been against slavery and a champion of prison reform. That's the point of his song New Slaves. His comments on the the 13th amendment have brought some controversy, but it's not like he's the only one. He makes several references to the 13th amendment and setting slaves and prisoners free on his album JESUS IS KING. This too is the gospel, after all that's what Jesus declared before he started his ministry. That's what makes what happened to Kirk Franklin so troubling, but 'Ye is not TBN.
Hands On
Regardless of what you think of the 13th amendment, Kirk Franklin, or Kanye one thing is always true of Christians. We are not perfect. Kanye understands this. He says as much in interviews and his album is filled with his struggles to live as a Christian. It seems that Christians and non-Christians alike are expecting some form of perfection from Kanye. No one can live up to that. It is clear that 'Ye understood this before he released the album.
Hands On is the most raw song on the album. Kanye knew that he would be seen as a hypocrite and that Christians would probably reject him. Yet he made the album anyway. In that same song he declares "I deserve all the criticism you got" and then goes on to ask us to pray for him -- to lay hands on him.
Normally I end my posts with a prayer for the reader. But this time I want to end with a prayer for Kanye. I hope that you will join me in this prayer.
Amen!
The Gospel According to Kanye
Christians use the term gospel in some weird ways. We say that there are four gospels in the Bible. But then we also say that there is only one Gospel. We reference Paul and declare that we need to be careful about people preaching a different gospel.
εὺαγγέλιον is the Greek word we translate as gospel. It literally means good news. When the early church talked about the good news, they were contrasting it with the supposed good news from Rome. Rome declared that it's political and military might was good news. The problem was that it didn't bring freedom to captives and sight to the blind like the good news of Jesus did.
The man who once declared himself a god now says that Jesus Christ is his boss.
Paul in his letters regularly tells the good news of Jesus. My favorite comes from Philippians 2. Here we not only get the amazing love of God to humble himself and become like us. That God-Man named Jesus Christ was so humble that he died for us. But it doesn't end there. He is raised and will be glorified. And there is a day coming when all will bow and all will declare that Jesus is Lord. This last part is what 'Ye picks up on in the title of his album. It also becomes the title of his last song, which is a quote of Philippians 2:10-11.
JESUS IS KING
The early church knew that when they declared Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior that they were saying something very political. Paul goes so far as to declare that we are not citizens of any nation, but citizens of heaven. To declare JESUS IS KING is to declare that no one else is king. Lest you think that this is something that Kanye has overlooked, watch that Airpool Karaoke video again. He flat out says "Kanye West works for God." The man who once declared himself a god now says that Jesus Christ is his boss. If you still need more convincing watch the interview for Apple Music. He says that his only mission and calling is to spread the gospel. Full stop.
This is not some stunt to bring glory to himself. Anyone who promotes this album will also promote Jesus. Why? Look at the title. I cannot talk about Ye's new album without declaring that JESUS IS KING. His song Closed on Sunday is not about chicken sandwiches as some may think. It is about how God takes precedence over everything else in his life, even social media and his temptations.
Let's Talk Amendment 13
I'm just gonna start with it. Kanye said slavery was a choice. That seems to be the focus of many who are skeptical of this album. (Well that and the MAGA hat.) They forget that he apologized for this. They forget that Kim influenced Trump to sign the First Step Act. If they aren't skeptical of Kanye himself, they are skeptical of the support of Christians. Some even going so far as to say Christians like Kanye because he somehow promotes white supremacy.
Regardless of what you think of the 13th amendment, Kirk Franklin, or Kanye one thing is always true of Christians. We are not perfect.
Kanye has always been against slavery and a champion of prison reform. That's the point of his song New Slaves. His comments on the the 13th amendment have brought some controversy, but it's not like he's the only one. He makes several references to the 13th amendment and setting slaves and prisoners free on his album JESUS IS KING. This too is the gospel, after all that's what Jesus declared before he started his ministry. That's what makes what happened to Kirk Franklin so troubling, but 'Ye is not TBN.
Hands On
Regardless of what you think of the 13th amendment, Kirk Franklin, or Kanye one thing is always true of Christians. We are not perfect. Kanye understands this. He says as much in interviews and his album is filled with his struggles to live as a Christian. It seems that Christians and non-Christians alike are expecting some form of perfection from Kanye. No one can live up to that. It is clear that 'Ye understood this before he released the album.
Hands On is the most raw song on the album. Kanye knew that he would be seen as a hypocrite and that Christians would probably reject him. Yet he made the album anyway. In that same song he declares "I deserve all the criticism you got" and then goes on to ask us to pray for him -- to lay hands on him.
Normally I end my posts with a prayer for the reader. But this time I want to end with a prayer for Kanye. I hope that you will join me in this prayer.
Kanye, may you continue to grow in your faith. May you follow God and not the culture. May you continue to lift the name of Jesus high no matter the cost to you. May God give you joy and peace in all circumstances. And may all come to know that
JESUS IS KING!
Amen!
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