THE GOOD NEWS

The Gospel is defined as "Good News", But the "Gospel" is more than just good news in general, like "the weather is going to be perfect for the wedding"; that's good news. The Gospel is the announcement (Evangel) that the runner brings to the city from the battlefield that the "victory has been won". Christ Jesus has defeated death, He "has abolished death, and has brought life and

immortality to light through the gospel"(2 Timothy 1:10); Jesus took on human flesh "that He through death might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil"(Hebrews 2:9-15); "...for this purpose was the Son of God manifested (born in the flesh), that he might destroy(set us free) from the works of the devil(1 John 3:8); God the Father "has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love"(Colossians 1:12-14); when Jesus arose "he made you alive with Him, having forgiven you all your trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us(the law has been fulfilled and thus transcended), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled(disarmed) principalities and powers(evil spirits), he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them himself"(Colossians 2:13-15); "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is every man that hangs on a tree"(Galatians 3:13); "There is therefore NOW no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus...for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death"(Romans 8:1,2); "And this is the VICTORY that overcomes the world, even our faith"(1 John 5:4); "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world"(1 John 4:4); "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar(purchased) people; that you should show forth the the praises(virtues - excellencies - divine energies) of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light"(1 Peter 2:9).

St Paul gives us the inspired Word of God on the Gospel in the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians; Verses 1-4 define the Gospel; read on and you will have revealed to you Christ's victory over death is our victory over death; if Christ is not risen(bodily) than our faith is in vain(verse 17); At Christ's second coming the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death(verse 26) when we all experience the resurrection of our bodies(verses 41-58). This is the Good News, this is the Gospel!!!

Historical Note: In the generations approaching Christ's coming in the flesh(the incarnation), the world, the entire world, had a "collective consciousness", a "sense", a "premonition" that the Savior of the world was about to be "born of the seed of the woman"(Genesis 3:15). This is known as "THE EXPECTATION OF THE NATIONS". "No nation ever forgot the promise of salvation. No matter how corrupt it became, and no matter how much it neglected the true God, it guarded this promise as a moral heritage, as an achor of hope throughout all the centuries, as a protest against the tyranny of the devil, and against the kingdom of evil. Jews, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Persians, Indians, Arabs, and even the inhabitants of the New World, all awaited the arrival of a Redeemer God coming in human form Who would teach the whole truth in order to obliterate evil, bring peace, make brothers of the nations, and bring the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth".** From the dawn of time, or if you like, darkening of time at Adam and Eve's fall, mankind has been aware of the promise of God to redeem mankind from its' fall through the virgin birth of the Son of God. This promise was passed on by all the various peoples of the world through myths and legends, through oral traditions, and in particular, starting with Abraham(1900 B.C.), through the law and prophets of Israel. And as the "fulness of time"(Galatians 4:4-7) approached, people sensed "the time was near". Caesar Augustus(reigned from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D.) called himself the
"Evangelion" - he claimed to be the good news, the savior, the manifestation of Zeus. The Kings of the earth were aware of this promised Messiah and the "Wise Men" of the Fareast knew through their astronomical studies that a King was to be born!!! King Herod reacted to the news by slaying all the male children two years old and younger. Then, about 30 years later, the way of the Lord was prepared by a specially anointed prophet, John the Baptist, who was a well-known holy man, who came out of the caves in the desert to announce the arrival of the Savior of the world.

**Christology p. 25; Saint Nektarios the Wonderworker, (1900).