Recently, I watched one of the many “talking heads” online discussing the notion of the Gospel and the idea that many Christians have varying understandings of what the Gospel really is. Indeed, there are many theories of the atonement, and while important, that isn’t our purpose here (I am in the process of writing a short book on the topic, so stay tuned!). Our purpose here is to ask, what is the Gospel in a broad sense and how is it presented in the Scriptures?

In the broadest sense, the term we translate as “gospel” comes from the Greek word, εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion — from which we get the word “evangel”). Literally, the term means: “good news.” The term shows up 89 times in the New Testament and once in the Greek Translation of the Old Testament. Commonly, the term is also found with qualifiers. For instance, it is referred to as “the Gospel of the Kingdom” three times in Matthew (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14) and similarly, in Mark 1:15, we are to “repent and believe in the Gospel” for the “Kingdom of God is at hand.” It is also referred to as “the Gospel of God’s Grace” (Acts 20:24), the “Gospel of the Son” (Romans 1:9), the “Gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:19; 1 Corinthians 9:12; 2 Corinthians 9:13; 10:14; Galatians 1:7; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:8), the “Gospel of the Glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4); “God’s Gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:2,8,9; 1 Peter 4:7); the “Gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13); the “Gospel of Peace” (Ephesians 6:15), the “Gospel of the Glory of the Blessed Lord” (1 Timothy 1:11), and an “Eternal Gospel” (Revelation 14:7). In addition, the scriptures make it abundantly clear that this Gospel is something to be preached or proclaimed (Luke 9:6; 20:1; Acts 8:25,40; 14:7,21; 16:10; Romans 1:15; 15:20; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 9:16,18; 15:1; 2 Corinthians 2:12; 8:18; 10:16; 11:7; Galatians 1:8,9,11; 3:8; 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:8; 1 Peter 4:6). Curiously, the one reference found in the Greek translation of the Old Testament comes from 2 Samuel 4:10, where we find David slaying a man seeking to profit from killing Saul’s son and seeking to relay his deed as “good news” — a false gospel indeed.

If we are to draw some conclusions from these Scripture references, they should circle around two ideas: the Gospel is Christ’s and the Gospel ushers in the Kingdom of God. In other words, there is nothing about the Gospel that is our doing — it is God’s doing and God’s alone. And though we benefit from it, it revolves around Christ and His doing. Further, the point of the Gospel does not revolve around us gaining happiness either in life or death, it involves Christ making us a part of His Kingdom and, since it is Christ’s Kingdom, He is King and as part of that Kingdom, we must abide by His Law. Hence, in what we know as “The Great Commission” the emphasis is placed on teaching people to be disciples who obey all that Jesus taught. 

So, yes, the Gospel is about atonement, but atonement is just the beginning of the Gospel. It is about remaking the world into a new creation where there will no longer be sin or death. That means that the conclusion of the Gospel is found in the remaking of the heavens and the earth that will come with our Lord’s return, but it also means that the Gospel begins with the very first words of Genesis and the whole history of mankind, as recorded in the Bible, is part of the Gospel. Frankly, the Gospel begins even before God made the heavens and the earth, for this was His eternal plan. And so, to put it simply, the Gospel is not so much about who is saved, but it is about who reigns in His eternal kingdom and how He preserves a people for Himself to be part of that kingdom. Indeed, in that time, every knee will bend and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.