Words · Greek Words · Lesson 2, word 1 of 5
εὐαγγέλιονeuangelion
Good news, the gospel of the kingdom and of Christ.
Why this word is here. Our word 'gospel' and 'evangelist' come from it; Mark opens his book with it and Paul stakes his life on it.
What it means
Abbott-Smith: in classical Greek, a reward for good tidings, or a thank-offering for good news; later, good tidings, good news itself. In the New Testament: the good tidings of the kingdom of God and of salvation through Christ, 'the gospel', with genitives that specify it: the gospel of the kingdom, of Christ, of God, of the glory of Christ. Eu- is the prefix for 'good'; the angelos root gives 'message' (and 'angel', a messenger).
Where you meet it
“The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
Mark 1:15 (BSB)
'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel (euangelion).' Mark's summary of Jesus' preaching.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 (BSB)
Anchor verse 'I am not ashamed of the gospel (euangelion), because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.'
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Matthew 4:23 (BSB)
Jesus goes through Galilee 'proclaiming the gospel (euangelion) of the kingdom and healing every disease'. The news is about a kingdom arriving, announced and demonstrated.
Why it matters
Euangelion tells you the gospel is news before it is advice: something that has happened, to be announced and believed, not a programme to be completed. It also ties Jesus' own preaching (the kingdom) to Paul's (Christ crucified and risen) as one message at two moments of the same arrival.
Watch out
Avoid two shrinkages. 'The gospel' is not a synonym for the four books called Gospels in this word's New Testament use; euangelion is the message those books carry. Nor is it a bare synonym for 'the plan of salvation' in the abstract: the genitives matter ('of the kingdom', 'of Christ', 'of God'), and Paul warns against 'a different gospel' (Galatians 1:6-9), which means the content is specifiable and checkable from the texts.
In this lesson
- charis (χάρις): Grace: favour freely given, and the thanks it wakes.
- doxa (δόξα): Glory, honour, splendour, the translation of kavod.
- sarx (σάρξ): Flesh: the body, human nature, or life organised against God.
- pneuma (πνεῦμα): Wind, breath, spirit, above all, the Holy Spirit.
Sources
- Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon (1889)
- STEP Bible lexicon data (Abbott-Smith)
- SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
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