Would you be able to tell the difference between a counterfeit $100 bill and the real thing? Are you aware of the counterfeit claims of the world’s most powerful leader of the time when Jesus was born? The Christmas story in Luke begins “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” (Luke 2:1) This is a reminder of who was ruling Judea and the world around it when Jesus was born. Caesar Augustus was the first Roman emperor and the founder of the Roman Empire – sounds pretty important. Is he […]
Tag Archives: Gospel
What is Jesus’ Gospel Really About?
Christians often employ the word “gospel,” for example, “We need to go share the gospel with them.” Does our understanding of this common term accurately reflect Jesus’ meaning? In the first part of this three-part series, we looked at the meaning of the gospel in the Greco-Roman world. We noted that “gospel” or “good news” (euangelion in Greek) proclamations were declared when a new Caesar was enthroned, to announce his birthday, or to celebrate a Roman army victory. Our focus in the second part was how euangelizo (bringing good news) was used in the Greek Old Testament, zeroing in on […]
The Gospel According to Isaiah
We know there are many references to the gospel in the New Testament, but is this term used in the Old Testament? Mark begins his account about Jesus with, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet…” (Mark 1:1-2a). Is Mark saying Isaiah wrote about the gospel? A Greco-Roman Gospel versus a Hebrew Gospel In my previous post, we examined the meaning of “gospel” in the Greco-Roman world. To review, euangelion, the Greek word translated as “gospel” was a familiar term to those in the Roman Empire. “Gospel” […]
The Gospel According to Caesar?
We have recently celebrated Jesus’ birth and a new year on our calendar. Did you know there are some surprising parallels to Caesar Augustus? Luke reminds us of who was ruling at the time of Jesus’ birth: “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus…” (Luke 2:1a) Caesar Augustus reigned over the Roman Empire when Jesus was born, including the areas of Judea (where Jesus was born) and Galilee (where Jesus grew up and did most of his ministry). “Gospel” Unlike Luke’s starting with Jesus’ nativity, Mark begins his account of Jesus with, “The beginning of the gospel […]