I sense that some readers still feel that Williams is asking a dumb question. \u201cWhat is the gospel? It\u2019s about how you get saved, silly.\u201d What Williams is saying, in a nutshell, is that \u201cgetting saved\u201d (typically understood by many in a personal sense of going to heaven after you die) is not what the Gospels mean by \u201cgospel\u201d (though it is a result of the gospel).<\/p>\n Williams is right, and the point needs to be hammered home.<\/p>\n Here is a summary of his argument:<\/p>\n 1. \u201cgood news\u201d (Greek euangelion<\/em>) in the Gospels is not a word picked at random, but already loaded with meaning at the time: it signals \u201cthe royal announcement of a new regime or ruler.\u201d For example, the famous Priene Calendar Inscription<\/a>\u00a0speaks of Caesar Augustus in a way that should ring a bell or two for Christians familiar with the It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus<\/strong>, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior<\/strong> both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance (excelled even our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings\u00a0<\/strong>[euangelion<\/em>] for the world<\/strong> that came by reason of him which Asia resolved in Smyrna.<\/p>\n Augustus\u2019s birth is praised, for he is the one who will give hope and peace, both now and into the ages, to benefit all humankind. He is savior. His birth signals the beginning of\u00a0euangelion.<\/em><\/p>\n What the Gospel writers are saying is, \u201cYeah\u2026.about that savior and good news business. Caesar can\u2019t deliver. Jesus does. Let us explain what we mean by that, because it\u2019s not what you might expect. Let us unpack what \u2018savior\u2019 and \u2018good news\u2019 are all about. Let us tell you about\u00a0his<\/em> reign,\u00a0his\u00a0<\/em>kingdom\u2013and what it means for you to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. This is reinforced by Jesus\u2019 title,\u00a0Christos<\/em>, messiah, which in Judaism (as in the Old Testament) referred to God\u2019s appointed king of Israel. Messiah, in other words, is a royal title\u2013Jesus is King (which is pretty much the point of Scot McKnight\u2019s The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/peteenns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Jesus-Baptism.jpeg?ssl=1\" "\\"Jesus")
<\/a>Recently, David Williams posted his next piece in his series \u201cWhat is the Gospel?\u201d<\/a> My comments and links to William\u2019s previous posts on this topic are here<\/a>\u00a0and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/peteenns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/priene1.jpeg?resize=168%2C108&ssl=1\" "\\"priene\\"")
<\/a>Gospels:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=inspirandinca-20&l=as2&o=1&a=031049298X\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/peteenns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Crucifixion_by_Theophanes_the_Cretan-300x251.jpeg?resize=240%2C201&ssl=1\" "\\"Crucifixion_by_Theophanes_the_Cretan\\"")
<\/a>4. Mark 1 uses some telling Old Testament quotations that refer to God\u2019s coming and final rule over Israel as \u00a0\u201cgood news,\u201d which, again, aligns \u201cgospel\u201d with \u201ckingdom of God.\u201d<\/p>\n