“‘The time is fulfilled,’ He said, ‘and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!’” — Mark 1:15 (BSB)
“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)
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and in which you stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” — 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 (BSB)
“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” — Acts 2:38 (BSB)
This good news calls every person to repentance and faith. As the apostle Peter preached at Pentecost, the proper response to the Gospel is to repent, believe, and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Faith is not simply intellectual assent, but a living trust in Christ as Savior and Lord. In the words of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, Article XI declares, “We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings.” This righteousness is a gift, not earned, but freely given to all who believe.
In the liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer, the Gospel is both declared and enacted. Every Eucharistic prayer recounts Christ’s saving work: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” The confession of sin and absolution remind us that forgiveness flows from the cross, and the reception of Holy Communion feeds us with Christ Himself, the One who gave His body and blood “for the remission of sins.” The entire worship of the Church is ordered around the proclamation of this Gospel.
Anglican voices throughout history have guarded and celebrated this message. J.C. Ryle, the 19th-century evangelical bishop of Liverpool, wrote: “The Gospel is the message of free forgiveness through Christ. It is glad tidings indeed: grace without money, and salvation without price.” Likewise, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the architect of the Prayer Book, placed the Gospel at the heart of Anglican worship, writing prayers that draw sinners to Christ’s mercy: “We do not presume to come to this thy Table… trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies.”
To believe the Gospel is to enter into a new life—a life of union with Christ. The Gospel brings us into God’s covenant family, the Church, where we grow in holiness and hope through Word and Sacrament. It is not a one-time message but the pattern of our life: dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ daily. As the collect for the Second Sunday in Lent prays, “Almighty God… keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities… and be cleansed from all our sins.” The Gospel is the beginning, the center, and the end of the Christian life.
He emphasized that the Gospel was the universal and apostolic message of salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection, entrusted to the Church from the beginning.
St. Athanasius (c. 296–373 AD) said: “He became what we are so that He might make us what He is.” — On the Incarnation, 54
This encapsulates the Gospel as the divine condescension and redemption of humanity: Jesus takes on our nature to restore us to communion with God.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) preached: “Believe, and you have eaten; believe, and you have been filled. Christ is the Bread come down from heaven.” — Tractate on John 25.12
Augustine viewed the Gospel as not just news to be heard, but Christ Himself to be received by faith, bringing spiritual nourishment and eternal life.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386 AD) declared: “This is the gospel: that our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and rose again the third day. Believe this, and your soul shall live.” — Catechetical Lecture 10.6
Cyril’s catechesis centers the Gospel on Christ’s passion and resurrection as the basis for saving faith and eternal life.
St. John Chrysostom (c. 349–407 AD) taught: “The Gospel is not mere words, but a power unto life. It changes hearts, breaks chains, raises the dead in spirit.” — Homily on Romans 1
Chrysostom emphasized the Gospel’s transforming power and its direct application to the soul, highlighting the living work of God in all who believe.
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
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