Gospel - Evangelion

The Gospel (Evangelion)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” Luke 4:18

“but these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31

The word Gospel is derived from the Greek word Evangelion which means the Good News. The Orthodox Church believes that the Gospel and all the accepted books of the Bible were written by men, inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is the greatest source of truth, virtue and moral ethics and thus has been referred to as the “Book of Life.”

We believe the Gospel reveals the Triune God to us and the salvific work of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity. It is also a means by which we can examine ourselves to identify our shortcomings and realize how much we need God in our lives.

The Gospel is sacred and therefore is read in a prayerful and obedient manner. The Orthodox Christian does not rely on his or her own interpretation of scripture. Rather, we understand the Gospel and Biblical scripture through the Church. When Philip the Apostle saw the Ethiopian reading scriptures and asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”, the Ethiopian responded, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:30,31).

The Church is the guide that helps the faithful understand the Gospel and how to apply its teachings. Through the guidance of the Church, we read the Bible and make a personal connection with its lessons and what it means to us. Saint Tikhon states that the Gospel is “Christ Himself speaking to you,” and therefore it is a personal conversation. It is a two-way dialogue where the Lord advises how we are to live our lives, and our response back to Him is reflected in living our lives accordingly.