What is "the Gospel?"

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Aslan10

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Hi all,

For a long time now I have been trying to figure out where I fit in the Christian religion. I grew up in an ultra reformed church, was part of an evangelical ministry through college but about my 3rd year I started questioning a lot of things. First God’s love for me (the non-denom church I attended was quite condemning), and then God’s existence–all the while I was still in ministry. My senior year I started attending an Anglican church (I still attend it) because I had discovered Church History but was reluctant about Catholicism, so I chose the “via media.” This allowed me to appease my desire for Church tradition and still holding on to some protestant doctrines that I found to be true. I am also a massive C.S. Lewis fan and I would be lying if I didn’t say that him being Anglican affected me. I have also attended a lot of Catholic masses, an Orthodox liturgy and stayed the weekend at a Benedictine monastery. Clearly, I am searching.

I really want this process to be over because it is taking a toll on me. I just want to know the truth and it is so hard to find because everyone says they have it. I post on here occasionally but mostly just like to read opinions. But today I listened to a debate about Justification between Tim Staples and a protestant who was Catholic, but now isn’t (forgot his name). Basically, I came away stumped again. I thought Tim was more prepared, but during the debate I kept hearing the word “Gospel.” And so I thought “What exactly is the Gospel?” I know it seems silly to ask but when you take time to think about it, the way you answer the question means everything. And with all that verbosity, I ask the question to you. What is the Gospel?

Thanks and God bless.
 
The Gospel is the Good News that God loves us and wants us to be with Him in eternity. You have to realize that this life doesn’t last forever… God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son to tell us the good news. There is life after death and you do have a choice.
 
Aslan10 said:
“What exactly is the Gospel?” I know it seems silly to ask but when you take time to think about it, the way you answer the question means everything. And with all that verbosity, I ask the question to you. What is the Gospel?

Thanks and God bless.
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The Gospel is a Person, Jesus Christ, who became man, suffered, died and was raised on the third day so that us sinful humans might still attain what God had planned for us in the beginning: to share in the divine life of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit forever as His adopted sons and daughter.
 
I have been exactly where you are right now. I prayed about it and left it in GOD’s hands. Currently I am patiently waiting, however the frustration seems to have left for the time being. I wish you well.

The Gospel means “Good News”. I was brought up in my LCMS church to believe that the good news meant that Christ has already purchased our souls with his blood, all we have to do is accept the offer. ( I am going to leave “works” out of this conversation, not that I don’t believe they are necessary, but that I don’t believe they have much to do with the gospel as works come later).

And who knows… Christ may decide NOT to give up ANY of his purchases to Satan. Possible? He can do what he wills.

Peace.
 
I guess the reason I ask is because I’m not sure how a Catholic would answer. I feel most protestants would say “That God became man, lived a sinless life, died for your sins, and resurrected from the dead. All this so that you could have eternal life in heaven by only having faith.”
 
Hockeygurl said:
Christ may decide NOT to give up ANY of his purchases to Satan. Possible? He can do what he wills.

Peace.
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Christ never gives up on us. He just doesn’t interfere in our free will to choose as we please. Those that choose a life apart from God get exactly what they want; for eternity. 😦
 
It is “glad tidings” …“good news!”…evangelium!

Simply: Jesus of Nazareth the Christ!!

one can note though in particular…

His death and his Resurrection…

Our sins being forgiven…our becoming a new creation in him…via faith and baptism…

our having* “true life”* in him…

(etc many aspects could be added…)
 
A few quotes from Pope Benedict XVI

So now we can say: Christianity was not only “good news”—the communication of a hitherto unknown content. In our language we would say: the Christian message was not only “informative” but “performative”. That means: the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known—it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life.
Spe Salvi 2

“The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (Lk 24: 34). This is the “Good News” par excellence in the entire history of the world, it is the “Gospel” proclaimed and passed on down the centuries, from generation to generation…The Good News of Easter, therefore, requires the action of enthusiastic and courageous witnesses. Each disciple of Christ, and also each one of us, is called to be a witness. This is the precise, demanding and exalting mandate of the Risen Lord. The “news” of new life in Christ must shine out in the life of Christians, it must be alive and active in those who bring it, really capable of changing hearts and the whole of life…Therefore the Lord sends us everywhere as his witnesses. But we can only be such on the basis of and with continuous reference to the Paschal experience, the experience which Mary Magdalene expresses when she announces to the other disciples: “I have seen the Lord” (Jn 20: 18). This personal encounter with the Risen One is the steadfast foundation and central content of our faith, the fresh and inexhaustible source of our hope, the ardent dynamism of our charity. Thus our Christian life itself will fully coincide with the announcement: “Christ the Lord has risen, indeed”. Let us, therefore, allow ourselves to be won over by the fascination of Christ’s Resurrection. Gen. Audience April 7, 2010

Consequently, it is fundamental for our faith and for our Christian witness to proclaim the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as a real, historical event, attested by many authoritative witnesses. We assert this forcefully because, in our day too, there are plenty of people who seek to deny its historicity, reducing the Gospel narrative to a myth, to a “vision” of the Apostles, taking up and presenting old and already worn-out theories as new and scientific…

Let us welcome him with faith and adhere generously to his Gospel, as did the privileged witnesses of his Resurrection; and as, some years later, did St Paul who encountered the divine Teacher in an extraordinary manner on the Road to Damascus. We cannot keep for ourselves alone the proclamation of this Truth that changes the life of all. Aud 4-15-09
 
More from Pope Benedict XVI

In this Pauline Year we hear the cry of the Apostle to the Gentiles resounding with special urgency: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9: 16); a cry that becomes for every Christian a pressing invitation to serve Christ. “The harvest is plentiful” (Mt 9: 37) the Divine Teacher still repeats today: so many still do not know him and are awaiting the first proclamation of his Gospel; others, although they received a Christian formation, have become less enthusiastic and retain only a superficial contact with God’s Word; yet others have drifted away from the practice of the faith and need a new evangelization. Then there are plenty of people of right understanding who ask themselves essential questions about the meaning of life and death, questions to which only Christ can give satisfactory answers. It is, therefore, becoming indispensable for Christians on every continent to be ready to reply to those who ask them to account for the hope that is in them (cf. 1 Pt 3: 15), joyfully proclaiming the Word of God and living the Gospel without compromises. Homily Pope Benedict XVI 5 Oct 2008
 
Aslan10 said:
I guess the reason I ask is because I’m not sure how a Catholic would answer. I feel most protestants would say “That God became man, lived a sinless life, died for your sins, and resurrected from the dead. All this so that you could have eternal life in heaven by only having faith.”
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Much in the CCC but here are just a couple I have pulled:
638 “We bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this day he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus.”489 The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross: (90, 651, 991)
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Christ is risen from the dead!
Dying, he conquered death;
To the dead, he has given life.490
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977 Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”521 Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that “we too might walk in newness of life.”522
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Much more here - usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm#

Peace!!!
 
The Gospel is the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ: His message of eternal salvation through Him, the Way and the Truth and the Life. Amen. 🙂
 
First, I hope you find what you’re looking for. I certainty hope that is the real Catholic Church. Don’t go “via media” because that’s only going to fill in that gap for a short amount of time, it will eventually fall out. I’ve been in the same position you were in one time. At first it seems like you’ve been filled, but then you end up hungering again. Being a Catholic now, I have never felt that hunger again. Just like Saint Augustine says, “Even the heretics will want to be called Catholic.”

The Gospel means “The Good News”. What exactly is the good news? The good news is the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord, Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus says various times throughout the Gospel books to, “Go out into all the world and preach the gospel…” So, as Christians, we are suppose to spread the good news to everyone.
Peace be with you :signofcross:
 
Paul lays it out:

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

*For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.*

Our profession of faith at every Mass is: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.

This is the Good News.
 
RebeccaJ said:
Paul lays it out:

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

*For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.*

Our profession of faith at every Mass is: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.

This is the Good News.
Click to expand...
Amen.
 
Aslan10 said:
Hi all,

For a long time now I have been trying to figure out where I fit in the Christian religion. I grew up in an ultra reformed church, was part of an evangelical ministry through college but about my 3rd year I started questioning a lot of things. First God’s love for me (the non-denom church I attended was quite condemning), and then God’s existence–all the while I was still in ministry. My senior year I started attending an Anglican church (I still attend it) because I had discovered Church History but was reluctant about Catholicism, so I chose the “via media.” This allowed me to appease my desire for Church tradition and still holding on to some protestant doctrines that I found to be true. I am also a massive C.S. Lewis fan and I would be lying if I didn’t say that him being Anglican affected me. I have also attended a lot of Catholic masses, an Orthodox liturgy and stayed the weekend at a Benedictine monastery. Clearly, I am searching.

I really want this process to be over because it is taking a toll on me. I just want to know the truth and it is so hard to find because everyone says they have it. I post on here occasionally but mostly just like to read opinions. But today I listened to a debate about Justification between Tim Staples and a protestant who was Catholic, but now isn’t (forgot his name). Basically, I came away stumped again. I thought Tim was more prepared, but during the debate I kept hearing the word “Gospel.” And so I thought “What exactly is the Gospel?” I know it seems silly to ask but when you take time to think about it, the way you answer the question means everything. And with all that verbosity, I ask the question to you. What is the Gospel?

Thanks and God bless.
Click to expand...
Good Afternoon Aslan: Technically, the Gospel is any one of the first four books of the Christian Bible that tell of the life of Jesus Christ. The secondary definition is an idea or set of ideas that someone believes and often tries to make other people believe.

-Merriam-Webster.

I have a question for you if I may: If you could define it, what would you say has been your own experience of God, and how would fitting somewhere in the Christian religion change that? For instance, if you joined one Church or another, would God be more accessible? Or is it possible that you’ve been having your own experience with God all along and maybe just didn’t realize it? Perhaps no religion has God in a box all shrink wrapped and ready to take home, and perhaps he is closer than you know already. If that’s true, maybe your own aperture is the best lens through which to see Him. I’m offering this as an idea rather than a truth, but perhaps you can play with that a little and give it some thought if you would, or tell me what you think.

Thank you,
Gary
 
petra22 said:
The Gospel is the Good News that God loves us and wants us to be with Him in eternity. You have to realize that this life doesn’t last forever… God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son to tell us the good news. There is life after death and you do have a choice.
Click to expand...
Ok, But how do I partake in this ‘good news’? How does the 'good news/gospel effect me personally? The descriptions I have read seem pretty vague.
 
SJacob7 said:
Ok, But how do I partake in this ‘good news’? How does the 'good news/gospel effect me personally? The descriptions I have read seem pretty vague.
Click to expand...
The Word was made flesh an dwelt among us and we eat of His flesh in the Catholic Church so the Word is with us an within us. The Word is a person that is why we have readings from scripture the homily to further our knowledge and then the sacrifice of the mass in the Eucharist.
 
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