Part 1 · Deep dive
What is the gospel?
The announcement at the heart of Scripture, and the earliest summaries the church received.
Christians use the word 'gospel' constantly, but it has a precise meaning. Before it was a style of music or a book of the Bible, it was a message with specific content, received from the apostles and passed on unchanged.
The earliest summary: 1 Corinthians 15
Around AD 55, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel he had 'received' and 'passed on': Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and He appeared to Peter, the Twelve, more than five hundred at once, James, and Paul.
The words 'received' and 'passed on' are technical terms for handing down tradition. Scholars across the spectrum agree this summary goes back to the first few years after the resurrection, which makes it one of the oldest Christian texts in existence.
Four events, two 'according to the Scriptures'
Died, buried, raised, appeared. Burial confirms the death was real; appearances confirm the resurrection was real. Twice the creed says these things fulfilled the Scriptures: the gospel is not a new religion but the fulfillment of Israel's hope.
The gospel Jesus preached
Mark opens Jesus' ministry with His own summary: 'The time promised by God has come at last! The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!' The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the cross are one message: God's reign arrives through the King who gives His life.
Romans 1: the power of God
Romans opens by saying the gospel concerns God's Son, descended from David and declared Son of God by His resurrection (1:3–4). It is 'the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes' (1:16), because in it the righteousness of God is revealed (1:17).
Notice: the gospel is not just information about power; it is the power. When it is proclaimed, God Himself acts.
News, not advice
Advice tells you what to do to make something happen. News tells you what has already happened. Religion often sounds like advice: try harder, be better. The gospel is news: Christ has died, Christ has risen. Our response matters greatly, but it is a response to something already done.
How the early church summarized it
From the beginning, the church guarded the gospel with short summaries called the 'rule of faith', which later grew into the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds.
The early church
Ignatius of Antioch · c. 110 · Letter to the Trallians 9
Insisted that Jesus 'was truly born, ate and drank, was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, was truly crucified and died… and was truly raised from the dead'.
Irenaeus of Lyons · c. 180 · Against Heresies 1.10.1
Summarized the faith the church everywhere received from the apostles: one God the Father, one Christ Jesus the Son incarnate for our salvation, and the Holy Spirit, with Christ's birth, passion, resurrection, ascension and coming again to judge.
Shared ground among traditions
What every tradition affirms
Orthodox
The gospel is the good news that the eternal Son became man, trampled down death by death, and opened the way to union with God.
Catholic
The gospel is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection for our salvation, entrusted to the apostles and handed on in the Church (CCC 571–573, 638).
Protestant
The gospel is the good news that sinners are forgiven and justified by grace through faith in Christ's finished work.
These emphases differ, yet all rest on the same apostolic facts of 1 Corinthians 15.
Key takeaways
- The gospel is news about Jesus: His death for sins, burial, resurrection and appearances.
- It fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures; it is not a new invention.
- The gospel is God's power to save, calling for repentance and faith.