Sermon Tone Analysis

Gospel of Jesus

I have assumed it is a synonym to “evangelism”.

It is not

euangelion, (you on GELL ee on) the greek word means “Good news, good tidings, or just ‘news’”

This word is used primarily in the NT for the new of Jesus Christ.

The English translation is usually ‘gospel’ or ‘good news’.

Less frequently it is translated “evangelism” which is not a translation, but what is called a “trans literation” essentially making a word sound and feel like english equivalent.

The difficulty is that these transliterations can often become our default translation.

Example: “Let’s go ‘evangelizing’”.

In my experience this nearly always implies going out and meeting strangers, and inviting them to some event, a small group or church event.

“Sharing my faith” also become muddy here and is reduced to an invitation to an event, or perhaps a passing reference to my church experience.

Today we will do a survey of some of the prominent uses of the phrase “gospel” in the NT and attempt to clarify adn define what it actually is.

Next week we will offer practical instruction on how to make this a reality in our lives, what it actually might look like to “share the gospel”

The meaning of Greek logos is broader than that of the English “word”;

among its range of meanings is “message.”

Sometimes in the NT it is used to refer specifically to the message about Jesus and his work, and in these cases it is nearly synonymous with the NT usage of euangelion (“gospel”; e.g., Acts 2:41; 10:36; 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Tim 4:2).

The word logos is often used in ways that draw richly on the OT idea of the דָּבָר (dābār) of the Lord, his word that is living and active (Isa 40:8; 45:23; 55:11).

Thus, logos can designate the word of the Lord that comes through the mouth of the messenger.

For example, Romans 10:8, quoting Deut 30:14, explicitly identifies the word mentioned there with “the word (logos) of faith that we proclaim.”

Kugler, C. (2014).

Gospel.

In D. Mangum, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, & R. Hurst (Eds.),

Lexham Theological Wordbook.

Lexham Press.

What is “the gospel?”

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Mark 1:1–8 NIV84

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

It is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way”—

“a voice of one calling in the desert,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’

”

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him.

Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mark begins his gospel narrative with Isaiah, with the prophets...

With Isaiah 40:1-5

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Isaiah 40:1–5 NIV84

Comfort, comfort my people,

says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and proclaim to her

that her hard service has been completed,

that her sin has been paid for,

that she has received from the Lord’s hand

double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling:

“In the desert prepare

the way for the Lord;

make straight in the wilderness

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all mankind together will see it.

For the mouth of the

Lord has spoken.”

A message of comfort; of the end of slavery; that sin has been paid for; that Gods glory is about to be revealed.

“preaching the gospel” again here cannot be in NT sense of Acts or the letters....

Romans 1

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The New International Version (1984) Chapter 1

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirita of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of Godb by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

the gospel began with the prophets....including Abraham

it is older than we, not a NT idea, the gospel “of Jesus” is new testament, but the good news of God is “of god” before time began

the gospel pre-dates the NT

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Romans 1:16–17 NIV84

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Gospel is Power

Righteousness by Faith is Revealed (See Galatians 3:6-9)

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Lexham Theological Wordbook λογός

The meaning of Greek logos is broader than that of the English “word”; among its range of meanings is “message.”

Sometimes in the NT it is used to refer specifically to the message about Jesus and his work, and in these cases it is nearly synonymous with the NT usage of euangelion (“gospel”; e.g., Acts 2:41; 10:36; 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Tim 4:2).

The word logos is often used in ways that draw richly on the OT idea of the דָּבָר (dābār) of the Lord, his word that is living and active (Isa 40:8; 45:23; 55:11).

Thus, logos can designate the word of the Lord that comes through the mouth of the messenger.

For example, Romans 10:8, quoting Deut 30:14, explicitly identifies the word mentioned there with “the word (logos) of faith that we proclaim.”

the gospel is preached before Jesus died and rose, so....it has to be more than that, its bigger than just getting saved, in a transactional sense.

It is all that is Good about God and his reign.

Healing, Love, justice, mercy, ‘salvation’ yes, of course, Salvation is a means to the end of Gods kingdom, it is not a transaction fundamentally, it has a transactional sense, FROM lost to SAVED, but LOST to FOUND is better.

the good news of Jesus sent to Israel....so this ‘gospel’ is more than a NT message.

It is fulfilled IN CHRIST, but came much before that.

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Romans 10:16 NIV84

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.

For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”

“on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

(Romans 2:16, ESV)  

Gospel also has judgement...

The gospel declares judgement as well as life.

The gospel can see our secret lives.

The gospel was preached to Israel ‘in advance”.

Israel had a chance, but not all took the chance.

It is not exclusive of Israel, but now has an expanded meaning and inclusion after the life of Christ