“Evangelion (that we call the gospel) is a Greek word and signifieth good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that maketh a man’s heart glad and maketh him sing, dance, and leap for joy. . . . [This gospel is] all of Christ the right David, how that he hath fought with sin, with death, and the devil, and overcome them: whereby all men that were in bondage to sin, wounded with death, overcome of the devil are without their own merits or deservings loosed, justified, restored to life and saved, brought to liberty and reconciled unto the favor of God and set at one with him again: which tidings as many as believe laud, praise and thank God, are glad, sing and dance for joy.”
These words appear in the introduction of William Tyndale’s New Testament. It was the article that appeared at the beginning of the first printed English Bible. The Bible itself had a massive impact in the English-speaking world. This was in no small part due to the clarity of the gospel that Tyndale brought out from the Word.
In a day when many have a deficient view of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must pause and ask which gospel we believe? Do we believe a “gospel” of trust that results in a better life in the here and how? Do we believe in a “gospel” that demands we obey to be acceptable to God? Do we believe a “gospel” that sees faith as getting us in, but our good works as keeping us in? Or, like Tyndale, do we believe the biblical gospel–the good news that God graciously saves and sanctifies by grace through faith; a gospel of Christ because Christ has done everything we need for the fullness of salvation.
Only the biblical gospel can truly be seen as good, merry, glad, and joyful tidings for our souls.
MAGNIFY CHRIST 