If we are to share the Gospel, what is it? by Ps Michael Podhaczky

To briefly answer this question; the Gospel (Greek euangelion) is essentially the Good News. In the context of sharing the faith as part of the supernatural life, this is not merely good news about just anything. But it is the Good News concerning Jesus Christ, what He has already done, and what He continues to do through the Holy Spirit. It has been said that,

“The Christian faith, in its earliest forms, is represented as good news.”[1]

There are varying views as to what the Gospel is and is not. However, one thing that can be agreed on is that it is not merely good advice, but the Good News.[2] The central feature concerning the Gospel is that it relates to Jesus Christ and His work here on earth. So, regardless of popular opinion, the Gospel can be seen clearly and concisely laid out in the Bible by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4,[3]

¹ “Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain.³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:1-4).

This is a summary of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, if someone were to ask you what the Gospel is, you could answer by introducing them to these verses and explaining them to the person. This would be an excellent place to start to try to understand what the Gospel is and is not.

Consequently, a review of the Gospel would be as follows:

The first half of the Gospel: Christ’s crucifixion can be divided into two parts:

·         The first part: Christ died for our sins: 1 Cor 15:3

·         The second part: Christ was buried for our sins: 1 Cor 15:4

The second half of the Gospel, Christ’s resurrection, can be divided into two parts:

·         The first part: He was raised and has eternal life: 1 Cor 15:4

·         The second part: He was raised, and we have eternal life: 1 Cor 15:50-58

Pause in His presence for a moment and think this over…

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[1] Wright, N.T. Simply Good News: Why the Gospel is News and What Makes It Good. (San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2015), 2.

[2] Wright, Simply Good News, 4-5.

[3] Wright, Simply Good News, 71.