The Story Behind The Threefold Cord of Gospel Ministry
Last year my wife, Sharon, and I were blessed with a short getaway to Amanzimtoti, thanks to the kindness of our friends David and Karin Brown. It was Sharon’s first time visiting Durban, so we made the most of the opportunity. We explored popular destinations such as uShaka Marine World and the Waffle House. But surprisingly, our favourite outing was not a famous attraction, but a quiet farm in Ramsgate called Butterfly Valley.
The entrance fee was modest, but the knowledge shared by our tour guide was invaluable. We learned about the beauty and design of butterflies in a way that left us both in awe of our Creator. More than anything, those few days provided us with a time of physical and spiritual refreshment. As newlyweds, the Lord used that season to encourage our hearts and draw us closer together.
It was during that stay that I first encountered David’s book—although I did not realize it at the time. One morning, while browsing through the books in his office, I noticed a small stack of loose papers protruding from between two books on the shelf. Something about them caught my attention. I pulled them out and saw the title on the first page: The Threefold Cord of Gospel Ministry. I was immediately intrigued.
Over the next three days, I read those loose pages carefully. I remember turning to Sharon and saying, “This is the best summary of the Christian life I’ve ever read.”
It was only after David and Karin returned home that I discovered the truth: I had been reading his unpublished manuscript! Looking back, I believe this was no accident. In God’s providence, He had placed those pages before me at just the right time. And now, through this blog, I would like to share a summary of what I discovered in this short and thoughtful book.
The Threefold Cord in Christ’s Ministry
In the opening chapter, David draws our attention to Jesus’ model of ministry, particularly as seen in passages such as Matthew 4:23 and Matthew 9:35. In these verses, we see that Jesus’ ministry consistently involved three distinct yet inseparable elements:
- The gospel message
- Moral teaching
- Compassion ministry
Borrowing from Ecclesiastes 4:12, David describes these three elements as a “threefold cord.” He invites readers to picture holding a rope in their hands and trying to follow a single strand from beginning to end. It is almost impossible. The strands are so tightly interwoven that they function as one unified whole. In the same way, the Gospel narratives reveal how God wove together proclamation, teaching, and compassion in perfect harmony.
Throughout the book, David uses simple yet powerful illustrations to help readers visualize this relationship. At its most basic, he depicts the three cords as overlapping circles. From there, he expands the illustration to show how imbalance in any one area weakens the strength of the whole.
A Personal Awakening
I have been privileged to spend most of my adult life in churches committed to faithful Bible teaching. I am deeply grateful for the solid instruction I have received and for the Lord’s work in cultivating within me a love for studying His Word.
Because of this background, I could easily relate to the categories of “Gospel Message” and “Moral Teaching.” But the third category—“Compassion Ministry”—was different. It exposed a gap in my own understanding.
This was not because my church tradition rejected compassion. On the contrary, the churches I have served in have always engaged in practical acts of care, such as providing food or blankets to those in need.
Rather, I realized that compassion had not occupied a central place in my thinking. I struggled to recall sermons that emphasized its essential role in the life of the believer and the mission of the church. In many ways, this was a blind spot in my own life.
David’s book awakened me to this reality. In his third chapter, he takes readers on a brief tour through church history, demonstrating how compassion has always accompanied faithful gospel ministry. I was especially challenged by his examples of men I consider to be my heroes of the faith—men such as William Wilberforce, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, George Müller, and William Carey.
I knew these men were passionate about preaching the gospel and winning souls. But I had not fully appreciated the extent of their concern for the physical and social well-being of those around them. Their ministries were not limited to words. They embodied the compassion of Christ in tangible ways.
Avoiding Three Ministry Dangers
In chapters four through six, David addresses three common dysfunctions of gospel ministry. In chapter four, he warns against the danger of the Social Gospel. This approach essentially reduces the Great Commission to acts of kindness and social improvement. While compassion is essential, David explains that good works must never replace the proclamation of the gospel itself.
In chapter five, he warns against the opposite danger—the disappearance of compassion ministry. He traces how, in reaction to theological liberalism, segments of the fundamentalist movement in the early twentieth century overcorrected, emphasizing doctrinal purity while neglecting practical compassion.
In chapter six, he addresses a third danger: the removal of moral teaching. This chapter is especially relevant for engaging younger generations, who often struggle to understand the relationship between grace, truth, and obedience. Drawing from his own pastoral experience, David offers balanced, biblical counsel for navigating these challenges.
Conclusion
One of the most compelling aspects of David’s book is how practical it is. In the final chapter, he shares how he, his wife, and others have sought to live out this threefold cord of gospel ministry here in South Africa. He describes how the Lord led them to serve marginalized Zulu communities in rural areas south of Durban through their ministry, 7 Rivers Outreach.
David’s book has profoundly shaped the way I think about Christian ministry, especially the role of Compassion in relation to the gospel. If you have found this summary helpful and would like to learn more, I encourage you to consider supporting David’s ministry or purchasing his book, The Threefold Cord of Gospel Ministry. It is available on Amazon, and I believe it will challenge, encourage, and strengthen your walk with Christ, just as it has mine.
