In Part I, we examined what sharing the gospel is not. This article will look at what the gospel is, what it means, and how we share it.
As I survey my village of Cambridge and the farming community it’s set in, I see the many families coming and going from school, regulars eating at the diner, and think, “Who is going to share the gospel with these people? How will they hear the good news?” They are perfectly content to live without the hope we know. Who will tell them what they’re missing?
It’s a daunting task, to say the least, if it were all up to the gospel-preaching pastors in my town. Your town is no different. How can we mobilize our congregants to share the gospel with their friends, their neighbors, and their family in their towns? These are the questions that roam through my head late at night before I nod off.
If my community—and yours—is going to be impacted by the gospel, we need to review what it is, what it means, and how we share it and teach others to share this good news.
What Is the Gospel?
The gospel is news. It’s good news about something or someone. The very definition entails proclamation. The Greek word εὐαγγέλιον that we translate “gospel” was used to refer to the good news of a war being won, followed by great joy and celebration. Like the newsies selling papers and shouting “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” we announce the good news of Jesus Christ.
So just what is that news? In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul gives a concise definition: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered 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, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)
The good news we proclaim is that Jesus died. He died for our sins—that is, because of our sins, to remove our sins and to take care of our sin-debt. He did this “according to the Scriptures” as a part of God’s good plan. He was dead, but he came back to life, just like he and the prophets said he would. And others saw him. Many others. This is the good news in a nutshell.
What Does the Gospel Mean?
The gospel is all about Jesus. It’s about who he is and what he did. There’s a factual description of the gospel that Paul proclaims here. Over and above what the gospel is, however, we should know what the gospel means. To that end, we could scour the entire New Testament—perhaps the entire Bible—to discover what it means and how this good news of Jesus Christ impacts us.
Through Christ’s death, those of us who have believed in Jesus as our resurrected Savior and Lord have been forgiven (Romans 10:9-10). Completely, 100% forgiven. Of all sin—past, present, and future. We have been reconciled—brought back into right relationship—with God our Father. We have been made righteous. Christ takes our sin and gives us his own righteousness in a great exchange. Through his resurrection, we know and believe that the promise of life everlasting is true. Death does not have the final say. All evil has an expiration date. The best is yet to come!
We are saved into an eternal community, a forever-family that shares in the love and security of God our Father. That’s a really short and utterly inadequate summary of what the gospel means. For the unabridged version, read the Bible.
How Do We Share the Gospel?
The phrase “sharing the gospel” is lifted from 1 Thessalonians 2:8. “We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” Sharing the gospel. What does that mean? Let’s back up the bus a moment. In 1 Thessalonians chapter one, Paul outlines what this “sharing of the gospel” entails.
“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-7).
Paul says that the gospel came packaged with four things: word, power, Holy Spirit, and full assurance. First, the gospel, as proclamation, needs words. We need to say what the gospel is. We need to open our mouths and use words, or take up our pen and describe the good news, including an invitation to be included in this.
Second, not only did the gospel come with words, but with power. We’re reminded that God enabled Paul and Barnabas to do mighty works among the Gentiles to enable the spread of the gospel. Do you believe that the gospel has power? Paul did. In the very beginning of his letter to the church at Rome he says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” The gospel is the power of God. If we truly knew the power of the gospel to transform lives—to save souls—then perhaps we would not be so timid in sharing it.
Third, the gospel came with the promised Holy Spirit. In Acts we see how the Spirit directs the apostles, moving them from place to place, even preventing them from going to certain places. The Spirit is also the one responsible for convicting the hearts of the hearers. As I said in Part I, it’s not our job to seal the deal. It is not our job to make sure they say the sinner’s prayer. We don’t convict their heart of sin and bring them to repentance. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. Many people heard Peter and Paul proclaim the gospel. Some believed. Others didn’t. But without the Holy Spirit, these are just words. The power aforementioned is the power of the Holy Spirit.
Fourth, the gospel came with full assurance. Paul was 100% convinced that what he proclaimed was true. Do you believe this gospel? I wonder sometimes that perhaps the real reason we don’t share the gospel is we don’t believe it ourselves. What product do you love to talk about? The thing we like to sell others on is something we are 100% convinced of. I wonder what would happen if we treat the gospel the same way?
Finally, we should note that Paul, Silas, and Timothy shared their lives among the people at Thessalonica. They lived among them and the people imitated Paul – they began to believe what he believed and acted as he did. Let us not forget that sharing the gospel also means sharing our lives. Paul and the others cared deeply about the people they were witnessing to. In ministry it’s often easy to forget that they are people, not projects. Love them as Jesus loved us. Live among the people you want to see come to Christ. Work among them. Be their friend – not just as a means to an end, but because Christ was a friends of sinners too.
My hope is that as our church members share the good news of Jesus Christ with their friends, neighbors, and family in my small town of Cambridge and in your small town, they, like the Thessalonians, will turn "to God from idols to serve the living and true God." (1 Thessalonians 1:9)
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Peter Bailey
Peter (M.Div., Bethel Seminary, MN) is the husband of high school sweetheart Jennifer, father of three beautiful daughters, and he belongs to Jesus Christ. Founder and director of Upstate Jail Ministries for a decade, he now enjoys his time as a singer-songwriter, skiing the marvelous New England mountains, and shepherding the Coila Church in rural Cambridge, NY.