Gospel

The term “gospel” carries multiple layers of meaning. Etymologically, it derives from Anglo-Saxon roots meaning either “God’s word” or “good news,”[1] and it renders the Greek word evangelion, meaning “good message.”[1]

At its core, the gospel is fundamentally the message about Jesus the Messiah, who died and rose again.[2] This is explicitly stated in texts such as 1 Corinthians 15:3–5, which defines the gospel as “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”[2] God’s good news centers on Jesus as the King who died for his people and rose again to new and eternal life.[2]

Beyond the bare facts of Jesus’s death and resurrection, understanding the gospel theologically requires grasping their significance. Theologically, the gospel divides into three categories: Christology (concerning Jesus the King), atonement (concerning his death and its implications for humanity), and eschatology (concerning his resurrection and its implications for the future of creation, as well as ethics).[2] The gospel represents “the glad and delightful message of the grace exhibited to us in Christ,”[3] designed to redirect human affection from worldly pursuits toward spiritual realities.

The term also applies in different contexts. It was applied to each of the four histories of Jesus’s life, published by those called Evangelists.[1] Additionally, the term expresses collectively the gospel doctrines, and “preaching the gospel” includes not only proclaiming good tidings but teaching how to receive the offer of salvation and declaring Christian truths, precepts, and promises.[1] The Gospels themselves function as historical, theological, and virtue-forming documents based on historical events rather than merely historical narratives with theological components.[4]

[1] M. G. Easton, in Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893), 296–297.
[2] Tim Patrick and Andrew Reid, The Whole Counsel of God: Why and How to Preach the Entire Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 99.
[3] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on the Gospel according to John (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 1:20.
[4] Phillip J. Long, “Review of Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction by Jonathan T. Pennington,” Themelios (2013), 38:1:113.