What is the Gospel?

• The Greek word translated as “Gospel” means “good news. The English word Gospel (“Godspell” in Anglo-Saxon) means “good spell” or “good message”, and is derived from the Anglo-Saxon “God” meaning good and “spell” meaning a message.

• The good news of the gospel message in the Bible is the good news about the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ.

  Mark 1:14, 2 Peter 1:4, Acts 8:12, 28:23, 31, Luke 8:1, 4:43, 2:10-11, Romans 10:15

The Gospel is Good News About God’s Promises

• The Gospel is not exclusive to the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles in the New Testament. It was also taught in the Old Testament to the nation of Israel.

  Hebrews 4:1-2

• The promises God made in the Old Testament, especially in Eden and to Abraham and David, is the same Gospel taught by Christ and the Apostles. This is when mortal death imposed because of sin will be finally overcome.

  2 Peter 1:4

• The first promise of the Gospel was made in Eden, Genesis 3:15. The serpent being bruised on the head under the heel of the offspring of the woman, will be fulfilled when all things are put under Jesus’ feet when he rules in the kingdom of God and he has achieved complete victory over sin and death.

Psalm 8:3-8, Hebrews 2:5-18, Ephesians 1:19-23, 1 Corinthians 15:21-28, 50-57

• The promises made to Abraham are called the Gospel and will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus returns to the earth.

  Acts 3:25-26, Galatians 3:8, Luke 13:28

• The promises God made to David are called the Gospel and will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus returns to the earth.

  2 Timothy 2:8, Romans 1:1-4

• What God promised to Abraham is also encompassed in what God promised to David, viz the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the means of salvation from sin and death. The “sure mercies of David” is a reference to the promises God made to him regarding the forgiveness of sins, Isaiah 53:1-3.

  Acts 13:32-38

• Paul called the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ the “hope of Israel” because it stemmed from promises God made to the fathers of the nation of Israel, viz Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob).

Acts 28:20, 26:6.