§ 277. The Gospel is a Greek word, and means good news and joyful news, that is, it preaches Christ, the Son of God, Who came into the world to save sinners, as the Apostle of Christ wrote for the consolation of sinners: "The word is true and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15). And Christ Himself declared Himself: "The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). And so, what news can be more pleasant for us, sinners, than to hear the proclamation of the remission of sins freely preached, instead of the wrath of God – the mercy of God, instead of curse – the blessing of God, instead of condemnation – justification, instead of hell – the kingdom of heaven opened, and with the Great God, Holy and Eternal – eternal reconciliation and communion (see Romans 5; 1 John 1:3, 7, 9).

Truly, there can be no more desirable news for sinners. Health is not so desirable for the sick, bread for the hungry, cold water for the thirsty, freedom for prisoners, deliverance for captives, light for the blind and those sitting in darkness, as remission of sins and justification for sinners who were subject to God's eternal wrath and rejection.

That means the Gospel, Christians! This is the good news that the gospel brings us! Be comforted by this, O soul, broken by sorrow for sins and fear of God's judgment, for God, according to the riches of His goodness, has opened the doors of mercy and eternal bliss to all sinners, who repent and believe in the name of His Only-begotten Son.

What the gospel is is better known by comparing the law with the gospel. It is true that there is only one Creator of the law and the Gospel – God. And just as the law is given to all, and obliges everyone to perfect obedience, so the Gospel is commanded to all to preach, as it is written: "Preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). And Christ, the revelation of Whom is contained in the Gospel, preached to all creation, calls all to Himself: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). And just as the law was given to justify and save the man who fulfilled it perfectly: whoever fulfills it (what is written in the law) will live by it (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:12), so the purpose of the Gospel is to justify believers, and so on. However, the difference between the law and the gospel is as follows:

1) The law, that is, written, was given by Moses (for it was written on the hearts and with our forefathers, Adam and Eve), the Gospel by Christ, as the holy Evangelist wrote: the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).

2) The law gives commandments about what we should do and what we should not do. The Gospel preaches the remission of sins, the grace of God, and the merits of Christ. God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

3) The law teaches what to do and what to turn away from, but it does not give help to action. The Gospel promises the grace of the Holy Spirit, by Whom the law is written and works in the hearts of believers (see Jeremiah 31:33).

4) The law shows sin, for sin is known by the law (Romans 3:20). The law rebukes the sinner, accuses him, frightens him, declares the wrath of God to him (see Romans 4:15), smites him with an oath and condemns him (see Galatians 3:10), but does not take away the sin. The Gospel covers up sin, heals sinful infirmities, encourages and comforts those who fear God's wrath, and promises grace and eternal life to believers.

5) The law is for fearless, defective, careless, impious people, whom it must frighten, crush and bring to repentance. Already the axe lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt. 3:10). The Gospel is preached to those who are afraid, to those who are confused, to the contrite with the fear of God and sorrow for their sins, to those who hunger for God's mercy and consolation. That is why Christ says: "I have sent me to preach good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted" (Luke 4:18), and so on. From this it follows that the preachers of God's Word should act cautiously in their teaching, that is, preach the law and proclaim the wrath of God to those who live fearlessly, and to those people whom they see crushed and wounded by the fear of God, as well as to those who die and repent, to offer the Gospel, the mercy of God, and hence consolation, so that the fearless may not be brought to greater fearlessness, and those who are sorrowful and troubled by the fear of God will not be led to the destruction of despair, but it is more necessary to take care that the fearless should come to fear and feeling, while the contrite should feel living consolation in their hearts and be strengthened in the faith.

§ 278. The Holy Gospel is a mystery hidden from eternity in God, according to the apostolic teaching (see Eph. 3:9; Rom. 14:24-25; 1 Cor. 2:7; Col. 1:26; 1 Pet. 1:20), and has been preached from the beginning of the world. For to the first man, Adam, God revealed His merciful favor for him, his descendants, and the human race, which was expressed through the words spoken by God to the serpent: "He shall blot out thy head," according to the common understanding of the Holy Fathers and teachers of the Church (see Gen. 3:15). This merciful promise of God, like a warm ray of the sun through the clouds and like a light to those who sit in darkness, shone forth to our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and others, and warmed their hearts with faith and hope in Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, who is coming into the world (see Gen. 12:3; 49:10, etc.). That is why Christ said to the Jews: "Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day, that is, in the flesh, and he saw, that is, by faith, and rejoiced" (John 8:56). And as for Abraham, of course, it is also about the other forefathers and fathers who lived and were saved in the Old Testament, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles: "By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they, that is, our fathers" (Acts 15:11). The light of this grace of God was revealed to the prophets and was preached by them. Moses clearly preached to the children of Israel: "The Lord your God will raise up a prophet from your brethren like me, Him you shall hear" (Deuteronomy 18:15). This is also what the holy Protomartyr Stephen cites (see Acts 7:37). The other holy prophets also preached about the same, who in accord foretold and variously depicted the coming, the birth of the Virgin according to the flesh, the life on earth, the suffering, death, burial, Resurrection, and the glorious ascension to heaven of the Saviour of the world, Christ, as is written at length in their holy books. That is why Christ also addressed the two disciples: "O foolish and slow hearted to believe all that the prophets have foretold! And beginning with Moses, of all the prophets, He explained to them what was said about Him in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:25-27). And in the same chapter He says: "For all things which are written about Me must be fulfilled in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms" (Luke 24:44).

From this it is correct to conclude that the Holy Gospel was preached in the Old Testament as well. For all that in that covenant promised the remission of sins, our reconciliation with God, and the grace of regeneration, pertains to Christ and the gospel. And those sacrifices themselves, as foreshadowing Christ, Who was sacrificed for the salvation of the world, signify the Gospel. For those sacrifices did not cleanse the sins of men by themselves, but Christ, foreshadowed by those sacrifices, cleansed. It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins, says the Apostle (Hebrews 10:4). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today forever. The Lamb (Jesus Christ) was slain in sacrifices from the foundation of the world (by power and action, not by the deed itself) (Rev. 13:8). When the fullness of time had come (Gal. 4:4), the Messiah Christ, preached from the beginning of the world and awaited by the whole world only as rain from the thirsty earth, the radiance of glory and the image of the hypostasis of the Father (Heb. 1:3), appeared, and, like the sun, enlightened and warmed the whole celestial realm by His appearance.

This great Messenger and Hierarch of our confession (Heb. 3:3), and of the great counsel of the Angel (Isaiah 9:6) proclaimed to us all the goodness, mercy and love of mankind of God towards us, and calls upon all sinners: "Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15). He calls to Himself all who labor and are heavy laden: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden," and promises rest to souls: and ye shall find rest for your souls (Matt. 11:28-29). To fornicators, tax collectors, robbers and other sinners who come to Him with repentance and faith, He opened the doors of God's mercy and paradise, closed by sin, and tax collectors, adulterers, and repentant robbers receive it by the grace of Christ (cf. Matt. 21:31; Lk. 23:43). He commanded His apostles to carry this riches of God's goodness to the whole world: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). They went and preached everywhere, with the Lord's help and the strengthening of the word with signs that followed (Mark 16:20). They preach the gospel to us in unison: we preach Christ crucified, the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:23-24), and they beseech us, as ambassadors of Christ, to be reconciled to God: Therefore in the name of Christ we beseech you: be reconciled to God. For He made him who knew no sin a sacrifice for us for sin, that in Him we might become righteous before God (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

§ 279. You see, beloved Christian, what the Gospel is. Namely, it is a sermon about Christ, who came into the world of sinners to save. To whom is it preached? Not to those sinners who rejoice in the honor, glory, and riches of this world, not to those who are comforted by the various joys of this world, who rejoice brightly all the days, and pass day by day with faces and tympanums [1]; not to those who rejoice with their favorites on their lawless bed; not to those who are comforted by the lawless victory, the offense of their neighbor; not to those who delight in the lawless and filthy gains obtained by deceit and cunning from covetousness, theft, and violence; not to other lawless people like them. To them is proclaimed the wrath of God, which will come upon them if they do not convert. Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10). They are told: Repent; it is said: Cleanse your hands, you sinners, reform your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, weep and weep; let your laughter be turned into weeping, and your joy into sorrow. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and so on (James 4:8-10). And when this is done, then this grace and consolation of God appears to them as a sweet meal after fasting and blessed labors.

So, to whom is the gospel proclaimed? Christ answers: "I have sent me to preach good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted." This is to whom the consolation of the Gospel is preached. To the poor, that is, to those who recognize their spiritual poverty and seek the riches of God's goodness, mercy and love for mankind, to those who, not finding any truth in themselves before God, but even seeing every wretchedness, hunger and thirst for God's righteousness in Christ Jesus, and so humble themselves before Him. With a broken heart, that is, with those who have a heart, with sorrow for sins, as with an arrow, wounded. To them the gospel is preached, to them it is told: believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15). All the riches of God's love for mankind are revealed to them. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).