The Gospel Coalition Misrepresents Matthew Bates on the Gospel?! (What Your Pastor Didn’t Tell You)

This interview of Anthony Delgado regarding the Gospel Coalition’s critique of Matthew Bates’ book Beyond the Salvation Wars, hosted on the YouTube channel What Your Pastor Didn’t Tell You, offers an extended theological response to claims made against Bates’ gospel-allegiance model. The discussion centers on whether Bates has presented a revisionist gospel or deviated from orthodoxy, particularly in doctrines such as original sin, justification, and the bondage of the will. Delgado argues that Bates’ model does not deny salvation by grace through faith, but rather positions justification as an effect of the gospel, rather than the content of the gospel itself. He maintains that allegiance, properly understood, is not a “works-based” approach but a holistic response of loyalty and trust. Throughout, Delgado defends Bates’ use of biblical and early Christian sources, critiques the Gospel Coalition article's lack of scriptural grounding, and challenges the assumption that confessional Reformed positions are the singular standard of orthodoxy. He also emphasizes the importance of cross-tradition dialogue, the diversity of theological perspectives in the early church, and the need for humility and clarity when defining doctrines such as original sin and salvation.