What Is Gospel?
Gospel translates the Greek 'euangelion', good news. In the New Testament the gospel is first of all an announcement: the news that in the person of Jesus God's kingdom has drawn near, that through his death and resurrection sins are forgiven and new life is opened. Mark opens his book with 'The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God', and Paul sums up its core for the Corinthians: 'Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.' The gospel is not advice or a philosophy of life but the proclamation of an event that has happened, which is why the New Testament pairs it with the verb 'to proclaim'. In time the four books telling the life of Jesus also received this name: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the 'Gospels'. According to Paul the gospel 'is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes' and nothing to be ashamed of.