WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOSPEL?

The Apostles Receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, After Christ’s Ascension into Heaven, Empowering Them to Go Out Into the Whole World to Preach the Gospel

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

Introduction 

From the very beginning of the Church, the Gospel has been a message of hope, redemption, and divine transformation. This message was first delivered not by philosophers or kings, but by humble fishermen and apostles, chosen by God to proclaim the Good News to the world. Let us hear the words of the disciples of the Apostles of Christ, who learned these things first hand, and give us a reliable method for interpreting Scripture in its accurate context. 

1. The Gospel is the Fulfillment of God’s Promises

The Apostolic Fathers, in their writings, consistently affirm that the Gospel is not a new religion or philosophy, but the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people. Clement of Rome, in his letter to the Corinthians, writes, “Let us be imitators of those who, through their patience, have received the promises” (1 Clement 55:3). The Gospel reveals that the promised Messiah, foretold by the prophets, has come to deliver us from sin and death. In this, the Church is the true continuation of Israel, and Christians have inherited the fullness of all the Covenants - with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David!

2. The Gospel is a Call to Repentance and Faith

In the New Testament, repentance is always key to receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the earliest Christian writings, repentance and faith are also proclaimed to be the foundational responses to the Good News. In Acts 3:19, St. Peter says “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." The Shepherd of Hermas, one of the earliest documents written in Rome for the instruction of the Early Church, exhorts believers to “repent with all your heart, that you may be saved” (The Shepherd of Hermas 1.4), echoing the call of St. Peter, St. John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ. This repentance is not merely a turning from sin, but a complete reorientation of one’s life toward God, in faith and obedience. Repentance, confession of faith, reconciliation with God, and mutual submission to one another in love are the characteristics of a life submitted to the Gospel.

3. The Gospel is a Command to be Baptized and Have Communion in the Lord’s Supper

The early Church understood that the Gospel is not merely a proclamation of salvation, but an invitation to enter into the very life of Christ through the sacraments. Baptism, as taught by the Apostles and their disciples, is the gateway to the Christian life, signifying the believer’s death to sin and rebirth in Christ. As Irenaeus writes, “The flesh is the object of salvation, and the Word of God became flesh for our salvation.” Baptism is the sacramental participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, commanded by Christ Himself and described by St. Peter in the first sermon after Pentecost as necessary and salvific: “And now does baptism save you…” (Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21).

Equally essential is the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper, which the early Christians regarded as the living participation in Christ’s body and blood. Christ Himself said “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:53). Many found this view so offensive that they stopped following Jesus. Ignatius of Antioch, in his letter to the Smyrneans, writes, “Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary they are to the mind of God. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ” (Letter to the Smyrneans 7). The Gospel calls us not only to faith in Jesus though repentance and prayer, but to partake in the divine life through these holy mysteries, where Christ Himself nourishes and strengthens us by His Body and Blood! 

4. The Gospel is a Participation in the Life of Christ

The Gospel is not merely a set of teachings, but an invitation to participate in the very life of Christ. Polycarp of Smyrna, a disciple of the Apostle John, writes, “The Gospel is the teaching of Jesus Christ, which we have heard and received. It is by this Gospel that we are saved and made partakers of His divine nature” (Epistle to the Philippians 3). In the early Church, this was understood to mean a radical transformation of the believer’s life, where baptism, the Eucharist, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit make us participants in the death and resurrection of Christ. This is a transformative work that sanctifies the created world and offers it back up to God. 

5. The Gospel is for All People

The earliest understanding of the Gospel was not one of exclusion but of universal invitation. “All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth, go ye therefore unto all nations…” was Christ’s call of universal proclamation in Matthew 28. The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The Gospel transcends all earthly divisions and invites all people, regardless of background or station, to enter into the Kingdom of God. The Apostolic Fathers carried this vision forward, proclaiming that the Gospel is a message of salvation for all nations, as Ignatius of Antioch writes, “For where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Universal (“Kata Holos”) Church” (Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2). 

6. The Gospel Transforms the World

Finally, the earliest understanding of the Gospel is one that does not merely promise personal salvation, but the restoration of all creation. Irenaeus, in his work “Against Heresies”, writes, “The glory of God is man fully alive” (Book 4, Chapter 20). The Gospel reveals that God’s plan is not only to save souls, but to renew the entire created order. The work of Christ is cosmic in scope, restoring the harmony lost through sin and bringing peace to all things.

Summary 

The earliest understanding of the Gospel was simple yet profound: it is the fulfillment of God's promises, a call to repentance and faith, a command to be Baptized and to take the Lord’s Supper, a participation in the life of Christ, an invitation to all people, and the power that transforms the world. It is the Good News that God, in His mercy, has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. May we, like the early Christians, embrace this Gospel in all its fullness, with joy and obedience.

COLLECT

Almighty and Everlasting God, who didst send Thy Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost, empowering them to proclaim the Gospel to all nations: grant us, we beseech Thee, the grace to hear Thy Word with open hearts, that we may receive the revelation of Thy holy truth, and be ever mindful of the call to repentance, reconciliation and communion with Thee, which is eternal salvation. 

Pour out Thy Spirit upon us, that we may submit ourselves humbly before Thee, confessing our sins and seeking true conversion, not in outward form only, but in a deep and lasting change of heart. That we might serve and follow Thee, all the days of our lives, transformed into Thy image and likeness by the power of Thy Holy Spirit. Lead us to that true repentance, where our lives are turned towards Thee in faith, obedience, and love. 

We pray that Thy salvation, which is Jesus Christ alone, may dwell within us by the power of the Holy Spirit, strengthening us through the holy mysteries of Baptism and the Eucharist, that we might partake in the very life of Christ in all of our fleshly members. May we, like the Apostles, be empowered to go forth with boldness and joy, to proclaim the Gospel to all, and to live as faithful witnesses to Thy eternal Kingdom.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.