Residency Presentation

The Gospel According to Paul

Definition, Background, & Content of the Gospel

Gospel Definition

The English word “gospel” comes from the Greek word euangelion. It is used 76 times in the Greek New Testament, 60 of these uses are in the Pauline corpus, with additional uses in Matthew, Mark, Acts, 1 Peter, and Revelation.

· euangelion is defined by Arndt et al. (2000) as:

1. “God’s good news to humans, good news as proclamation”

2. “Details relating to the life and ministry of Jesus, good news of Jesus”

3. “A book dealing with the life and teaching of Jesus, a gospel account that deals w. the life and teaching of Jesus” (pp. 402-403).

Historical Background

The use of the “euang” root throughout the Septuagint translates the Hebrew root b-s-r, while the Hebrew root just means to bring news, the “euang” root is used exclusively for occurrences of good news (Moo, 2021, p. 349).

Within the Greco-Roman world, euangelion was occasionally but not exclusively used for news regarding a Roman emperor, be it a birth, ascension to power, or recovery from an illness; however, this was not exclusive, and the term was more widely used in its verbal form.

On the contrary, Paul’s usage was regularly in singular nominal form. While Paul is likely not using it in an anti-imperial manner, it could be heard that “Jesus brings good news. . .and Caesar does not” (Moo, 2021, pp. 350-351). Altogether, it must be noted that Paul did not invent the word.

Content

· The gospel is the good news of Christ’s death for sinners, that he was buried, and raised to life on the third day (see 1 Cor. 15:3-4).

· Kugler (2014) “A gospel is an announcement of good news. In particular, the gospel is the announcement that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have brought about salvation for Israel and the world” (Gospel section).

· Mounce (1995) explains that Paul’s belief regarding salvation extended way beyond forgiveness of sin but included the entirety of deliverance from the Adamic curse and includes justification, sanctification, and glorification (p. 71).

Key Passages

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 10:8–10 ESV

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word 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 in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Galatians 1:11–12 ESV

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:1–2 ESV

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.

Galatians 2:6 ESV

6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

Preliminary Conclusions

1. There is a direct connection between the gospel message and salvation. Mounce (1995) writes, “In the proclamation of the gospel God is actively at work in reaching out to the hearts of people” (p. 70). It is the method God has prescribed for bringing people into the Kingdom. One cannot come to Christ without faith which is birthed through the preaching of the gospel.

2. Paul’s gospel was clearly focused on the entire work of Christ on behalf of sinners. Taylor (2014) comments by stating, “The concise, formulaic presentation of the components of the gospel in [1 Corinthians] 15:1–5 suggests traditional, creedal material uniformly proclaimed by apostolic witnesses” (p. 369).

3. Paul’s gospel was received by revelation from Jesus Christ by grace and was confirmed by the Jerusalem apostles; therefore, it was authentic and trustworthy. So, when we consider “Paul’s gospel” it is not merely his, but it is the true gospel. George (1994) explains this by saying that although Paul received his gospel separately from the Jerusalem apostles, it was not a different one and Paul’s message was consistent with theirs (p. 109).

Summary

The gospel according to Paul is the good news of salvation for undeserving mankind which was brought about through the work of Jesus Christ. It is by faith in Christ through the message of the gospel that both Jews and Gentiles are saved from their sin and brought into a right relationship with God.

Application

Every believer must have an understanding of the biblical gospel as proclaimed by the apostles. For it is through hearing the good news of the gospel that someone is drawn by the Father to Jesus Christ in faith. No one can believe unless they hear the message, and no Christian can share the message unless they truly know it.

Lingering Questions

· How short and simple could a gospel definition be before it cuts out too much? What is the bare minimum a summary of the gospel must include for it to be sufficient?

Reference

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 402). University of Chicago Press.

George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 109). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Kugler, C. (2014). Gospel. In D. Mangum, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, & R. Hurst (Eds.), Lexham Theological Wordbook. Lexham Press.

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 70). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Taylor, M. (2014). 1 Corinthians (E. R. Clendenen, Ed.; Vol. 28, p. 369). B&H Publishing Group.