Sharing the Gospel Through Literary Examples in Scripture
The term "Gospel," derived from the Anglo-Saxon "god spell" meaning "good message" or "good news," translates the Greek euaggelion [3]. This "good news" centers on the arrival of the Savior into the world [2]. The New Testament contains four inspired historical accounts of Jesus Christ's life and teachings, traditionally known as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John [3]. These accounts were composed in the latter half of the first century, with Matthew and Mark written before the destruction of Jerusalem, Luke around A.D. 64, and John towards the end of the century [3].
The Gospel is presented as good tidings of great joy for all people, foretold in the Old Testament and exhibiting the grace of God [4]. It is described as the power of God leading to salvation and bringing life and immortality to light through Jesus Christ [4]. Paul states that he "fully preached the Good News of Christ" from Jerusalem to Illyricum [1]. The early Christian preachers who shared this message were called evangelistai, or evangelists [2].
The content of the Gospel is primarily the doctrine of grace, life, and salvation through Christ [6]. It is not merely a set of moral lectures or a system of justification by works, but rather the proclamation of Christ and salvation solely through him [9]. The message of the Gospel was considered universally available, even through creation, and by the time Paul wrote Romans, it had spread throughout much of the Roman Empire [11].
Scripture provides numerous literary examples of how the Gospel was shared and its effects:
- Parables: Jesus frequently used parables to illustrate the nature of the "kingdom of heaven" and its growth. For instance, the parable of the leaven describes the spread of the Gospel, comparing it to leaven that works through a whole batch of dough [12]. Similarly, the parable of the sower illustrates how the message of the kingdom is received differently by various individuals [8].
- Preaching and Teaching: The apostles and early Christians actively preached the Gospel. The Lord "gave the word" of the Gospel to his apostles, entrusting them with the message of reconciliation and commissioning them to preach it [7]. This preaching was to be characterized by sincerity, opposing "fleshly wisdom" [5]. Public reading of Scripture, including the New Testament Gospels and Epistles, was a practice transferred from the Jewish synagogue to the Christian Church, serving as a means of sharing the message [10].
- Personal Testimony and Example: The book of Hebrews presents "illustrious examples" of faith from Old Testament times, demonstrating how individuals lived out their belief [13]. While not explicitly "sharing the Gospel" in the New Testament sense, these examples serve as literary precedents for how lives can bear witness to divine truth. Christ himself is presented as an example of sincerity [5].
- Miracles and Wonders: Paul mentions that he preached the Good News "in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit" [1]. These miraculous demonstrations accompanied the proclamation of the Gospel, validating its divine origin and power.
The impact of sharing the Gospel is also highlighted. When people experience the liberality and grace demonstrated by believers, they "glorify God" for the "professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ" [6]. The Gospel is not merely a historical account but a dynamic message that brings about a response of faith and glorification of God [6].
Sources
- Romans “in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ; -- Romans 15:19”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Gospels — The central fact of Christian preaching was the intelligence that the Saviour had come into the world (Matt. 4:23; Rom. 10:15); and the first Christian preachers who called their account of the person and mission of Christ by the term evangelion_ (= good message) were called _evangelistai (= evangelists) (Eph. 4:11; Acts 21:8). There are four historical accounts of the person and work of Christ: "the first by Matthew, announcing the Redeemer as the promised King of the kingdom of God; the second by Mark, declaring him a prophet, mighty in deed and word'; th”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Gospels — The name Gospel (from god and spell, Ang. Sax. good message or news, which is a translation of the Greek euaggelion) is applied to the four inspired histories of the life and teaching of Christ contained in the New Testament, of which separate accounts are given in their place. They were all composed during the latter half of the first century: those of St. Matthew and St. Mark some years before the destruction of Jerusalem; that of St. Luke probably about A.D. 64; and that of St. John towards the close of the century. Before the end of the second century, t”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Gospel, The — Is good tidings of great joy for all people -- Lu 2:10,11,31,32. Foretold -- Isa 41:27; 52:7; 61:1-3; Mr 1:15. Preached under the old testament -- Heb 4:2. Exhibits the grace of God -- Ac 14:3; 20:32. The knowledge of the glory of God is by -- 2Co 4:4,6. Life and immortality are brought to light by Jesus through -- 2Ti 1:10. Is the power of God to salvation -- Ro 1:16; 1Co 1:18; 1Th 1:5. Is glorious -- 2Co 4:4. Is everlasting -- 1Pe 1:25; Re 14:6. Preached by Christ -- Mt 4:23; Mr 1:14. Ministers have a stewardship to preach -- 1Co 9:17. Preached before”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Sincerity — Christ was an example of -- 1Pe 2:22. Ministers should be examples of -- Tit 2:7. Opposed to fleshly wisdom -- 2Co 1:12. Should characterise Our love to God. -- 2Co 8:8,24. Our love to Christ. -- Eph 6:24. Our service to God. -- Jos 24:14; Joh 4:23,24. Our faith. -- 1Ti 1:5. Our love to one another. -- Ro 12:9; 1Pe 1:22; 1Jo 3:18. Our whole conduct. -- 2Co 1:12. The preaching of the gospel. -- 2Co 2:17; 1Th 2:3-5. A characteristic of the doctrines of the gospel -- 1Pe 2:2. The gospel sometimes preached without -- Php 1:16. The wicked devoid of -- Ps 5:9; ”
- 2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Corinthians 9:13: Whiles by the experiment of this ministration,.... That is, the poor saints at Jerusalem having a specimen, a proof, an experience of the liberality of the Gentile churches ministered to them by the apostles, first, they glorify God; by giving thanks unto him, acknowledging him to be the author of all the grace and goodness which they, and others, were partakers of; particularly for your professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel of Christ is the doctrine of grace, life, and salvation by Christ, of which he is the author, as God, the subject m”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 68:11: The Lord gave the word,.... The word of the Gospel to his apostles. He committed the word of reconciliation to them; he intrusted them with it, as a sacred depositum; he gave gifts unto them, qualifying them for the ministration of it; he gave them a commission to preach it; and he gave them a door of utterance to speak it as it should be, and an opportunity to publish it. The Targum wrongly interprets it of the word of the law; great was the company of those that published it; there were in our Lord's time twelve apostles and seventy disciples, who were sent out t”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 13:49: Then said he unto them,.... Since the disciples had such a clear understanding of the above parables, and were by them, and by other things, so well furnished to preach the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven to others, Christ stirs them up by the following parable, to a diligent exercise of their gifts, and to a large, free, and cheerful communication of their knowledge to others, Therefore every Scribe; meaning not legal ones, Scribes in the law of Moses, a sort of letter men, often mentioned by the evangelists, and the same with the lawyers, who were conversant ”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 4:2: For unto us was the Gospel preached,.... The Gospel is the good news and glad tidings of salvation by Christ; and this may be said to be preached, when men preach not themselves, nor read lectures of morality, nor mix law and Gospel together, nor make justification and salvation to be by works, nor set persons to make their peace with God, or get an interest in Christ; but when they preach Christ and salvation alone by him; and so it was preached to the Hebrews, and that more fully, and with more clearness, power, and success than formerly; and which is a privilege an”
- 1 Timothy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Timothy 4:13: Till I come--when Timothy's commission would be superseded for the time by the presence of the apostle himself (Ti1 1:3; Ti1 3:14). reading--especially in the public congregation. The practice of reading Scripture was transferred from the Jewish synagogue to the Christian Church (Luk 4:16-20; Act 13:15; Act 15:21; Co2 3:14). The New Testament Gospel and Epistles being recognized as inspired by those who had the gift of discerning spirits, were from the first, according as they were written, read along with the Old Testament in the Church (Th1 5:21”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 10:18: 10:18 Yes, they have: Paul quotes Ps 19:4 to show that the message of Good News was universally available through creation. And by the time Paul wrote Romans, early Christian missionaries had spread the Good News through most of the Roman Empire. Most Jews would have had ample opportunity to hear the message.”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 13:31: Another parable spake he unto them,.... To the disciples and the multitude, and which was of the same kind, to the same purpose, and relating to the same subject as the former; the spread of the Gospel, and the increase of it in the world, The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven. The word "leaven" is every where else used in a bad sense; and either designs immorality, as malice and wickedness, or false doctrine, such as that of the Pharisees and Sadducees: but here it seems to be taken in a good sense, and the Gospel to be compared unto it; nor for its disagreea”
- Hebrews (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Hebrews 11:4: The apostle, having given us a more general account of the grace of faith, now proceeds to set before us some illustrious examples of it in the Old Testament times, and these may be divided into two classes: - 1. Those whose names are mentioned, and the particular exercise and actings of whose faith are specified. 2. Those whose names are barely mentioned, and an account given in general of the exploits of their faith, which it is left to the reader to accommodate, and apply to the particular persons from what he gathers up in the sacred story. We have here those”