{"id":2516,"date":"2010-02-25T14:59:33","date_gmt":"2010-02-25T22:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=2516"},"modified":"2010-02-25T14:59:33","modified_gmt":"2010-02-25T22:59:33","slug":"pre-christian-uses-of-gospel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2010\/02\/25\/pre-christian-uses-of-gospel","title":{"rendered":"Pre-Christian Uses Of \u201cGospel\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Koine<\/a>
some ran\u00addom Greek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Eng\u00adlish, the word gospel<\/em> is laden with reli\u00adgious mean\u00ading, but when Jesus and the apos\u00adtles used the word euan\u00adge\u00adlion<\/em> (good news\/gospel) they were using a non\u00adre\u00adli\u00adgious word from their cul\u00adture.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a good list\u00ading of ancient uses of the word<\/a> at the Perseus Dig\u00adi\u00adtal Library, and by com\u00adbin\u00ading that list with some oth\u00ader resources I\u2019ve cre\u00adat\u00aded sum\u00adma\u00adry use\u00adful for those who don\u2019t know Greek. When I could, I\u2019ve put the Greek word in brack\u00adets so you can see the form that is used. This is pret\u00adty much just a list\u00ading of data with\u00adout inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtion \u2014 I\u2019m mere\u00adly try\u00ading to share some of my research to save time for oth\u00aders who are walk\u00ading down the same road as me.<\/p>\n

This is close to every pre-Chris\u00adt\u00adian use of the noun euan\u00adge\u00adlion<\/em> (I did not inves\u00adti\u00adgate the ver\u00adbal form euan\u00adge\u00adli\u00adzomai<\/em><\/a> \u2014 click the verb to launch your own research). You will note that the word (which looks like \u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00bf\u00ce\u00bd<\/strong>) is rel\u00ada\u00adtive\u00adly rare in ancient Greek, but com\u00admon in the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment. Also of note, the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment often talks of the gospel in the sin\u00adgu\u00adlar (to euan\u00adge\u00adlion<\/em>), but in pre-Chris\u00adt\u00adian lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture the form used is almost always dif\u00adfer\u00adent (it is usu\u00adal\u00adly plur\u00adal and often does not have the def\u00adi\u00adnite arti\u00adcle attached). Even though Jesus and the first Chris\u00adtians used a word from their cul\u00adture, they clear\u00adly invest\u00aded it with new mean\u00ading and placed an unprece\u00addent\u00aded empha\u00adsis upon it.<\/p>\n

I have arranged the ref\u00ader\u00adences into two groups: the first group is from the sec\u00adond-cen\u00adtu\u00adry BC through con\u00adtem\u00adpo\u00adraries of the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment authors, and the sec\u00adond group con\u00adtains old\u00ader uses which are less impor\u00adtant for demon\u00adstrat\u00ading cur\u00adrent usage.<\/p>\n

One final dis\u00adclaimer: this post might make me look like some sort of Greek lan\u00adguage guru. I am not. I am about as con\u00adver\u00adsant with the Bib\u00adli\u00adcal lan\u00adguages as are most sem\u00adi\u00adnary grad\u00adu\u00adates ten years out of their pro\u00adgrams\u2026 which is to say, not near\u00adly as con\u00adver\u00adsant as I should be.<\/p>\n

The Most Important Pre-Christian Uses of the Word Euangelion<\/h2>\n

The Septuagint (LXX) \u2013 2nd<\/sup> century BC<\/h3>\n

The Sep\u00adtu\u00adagint (a Greek trans\u00adla\u00adtion of the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment) uses the word in 2 Sam 4:10<\/p>\n

when a man told me, \u2018Saul is dead,\u2019 and thought he was bring\u00ading good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00e1\u00bd\u00b3\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1], I seized him and put him to death in Zik\u00adlag\u201d (view the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Diodorus Siculus (1st<\/sup> century BC) \u2013 Library<\/em> 15.74<\/h3>\n

[1b] Now Diony\u00adsius had pro\u00adduced a tragedy at the Lenaea at Athens and had won the vic\u00adto\u00adry, and one of those who sang in the cho\u00adrus, sup\u00adpos\u00ading that he would be reward\u00aded hand\u00adsome\u00adly if he were the first to give news of the vic\u00adto\u00adry, set sail to Corinth. There, find\u00ading a ship bound for Sici\u00adly, he trans\u00adferred to it, and obtain\u00ading favour\u00ading winds, speed\u00adi\u00adly land\u00aded at Syra\u00adcuse and gave the tyrant news of the vic\u00adto\u00adry. [2] Diony\u00adsius did reward him, and was him\u00adself so over\u00adjoyed that he sac\u00adri\u00adficed to the gods for the good tid\u00adings<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1] and insti\u00adtut\u00aded a drink\u00ading bout and great feasts. (view the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Cicero (1st<\/sup> century BC)<\/h3>\n

Cicero (writ\u00ading in Latin) uses the Greek word twice in his Let\u00adters to Atti\u00adcus<\/em>. I don\u2019t know if that was con\u00adsid\u00adered pre\u00adten\u00adtious or not, but I know that I love see\u00ading the Greek mixed in with the Latin (which tells you just how much of a geek I am).<\/p>\n

Let\u00adters to Atti\u00adcus<\/em> 2.3.1 (around 60 B.C.)<\/p>\n

First, a tri\u00adfle please for good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1]. Valerius has been acquit\u00adted with Hort\u00aden\u00adsius as his advo\u00adcate. (view the Latin<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let\u00adters to Atti\u00adcus<\/em> 13.40.1 (around 45 B.C.)<\/p>\n

Is that so? Does Bru\u00adtus real\u00adly say that Cae\u00adsar is going over to the right par\u00adty? That is good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1]. (view the Latin<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Priene Inscription (9 B.C.)<\/h3>\n

The most famous pre-Chris\u00adt\u00adian use of the word is in The Priene Inscrip\u00adtion. This is a let\u00adter from the Pro\u00adcon\u00adsul Paulus Fabius Max\u00adimus engraved in stone (pic\u00adture<\/a>) in Priene, a city in mod\u00adern-day Turkey. Oth\u00ader frag\u00admen\u00adtary inscrip\u00adtions of this let\u00adter have been found in Apamea, Maeo\u00adnia, Eume\u00adnia, and Dory\u00adlaeum. This text is tagged OGIS 458 \/ SEG IV no 490, which means that you can see more about it in Ori\u00aden\u00adtis Grae\u00adci Inscrip\u00adtiones Selec\u00adtae<\/em> (a 1905 com\u00adpi\u00adla\u00adtion by Wil\u00adhel\u00admus Dit\u00adten\u00adberg\u00ader usu\u00adal\u00adly abbre\u00advi\u00adat\u00aded as OGIS, avail\u00adable online<\/a>) or in Sup\u00adple\u00admen\u00adtum Epi\u00adgraph\u00adicum Grae\u00adcum <\/em>(SEG) vol\u00adume 4. The let\u00adter is pret\u00adty long, but only the part below is rel\u00ade\u00advant to the gospel.<\/p>\n

It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opin\u00adion of the high priest Apol\u00adlo\u00adnius of Menophilus Azan\u00adi\u00adtus: \u2018Since Prov\u00adi\u00addence, which has ordered all things and is deeply inter\u00adest\u00aded in our life, has set in most per\u00adfect order by giv\u00ading us Augus\u00adtus, whom she filled with virtue that he might ben\u00ade\u00adfit humankind, send\u00ading him as a sav\u00adior<\/strong> [\u00cf\u0192\u00cf\u2030\u00cf\u201e\u00e1\u00bd\u00b5\u00cf\u0081], both for us and for our descen\u00addants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Cae\u00adsar, by his appear\u00adance\u2026. sur\u00adpass\u00ading all pre\u00advi\u00adous bene\u00adfac\u00adtors, and not even leav\u00ading to pos\u00adter\u00adi\u00adty any hope of sur\u00adpass\u00ading what he has done, and since the birth\u00adday of the<\/strong> god<\/strong> [\u00cf\u201e\u00ce\u00bf\u00e1\u00bf\u00a6 \u00ce\u00b8\u00ce\u00b5\u00ce\u00bf\u00e1\u00bf\u00a6] Augus\u00adtus was the begin\u00adning of the good tid\u00adings<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00bf\u00ce\u00bd] for the world that came by rea\u00adson of him\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s so famous because it brings the idea of Cae\u00adsar as a god and sav\u00adior to the world togeth\u00ader with the notion that this was good news to be cel\u00ade\u00adbrat\u00aded.<\/p>\n

Josephus (1st<\/sup> century A.D.)<\/h3>\n

Jew\u00adish Wars<\/em> 2.420<\/a><\/p>\n

Now this ter\u00adri\u00adble mes\u00adsage [that a rebel\u00adlion was brew\u00ading] was good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00bf\u00ce\u00bd] to Florus; and because his design was to have a war kin\u00addled, he gave the ambas\u00adsadors no answer at all [to their request for assis\u00adtance in stop\u00adping the sedi\u00adtion before it grew]. (see the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jew\u00adish Wars <\/em>4.618<\/p>\n

fame car\u00adried [the news about Ves\u00adpa\u00adt\u00adian] abroad more sud\u00adden\u00adly than one could have thought, that he was emper\u00ador over the east, upon which every city kept fes\u00adti\u00advals, and cel\u00ade\u00adbrat\u00aded sac\u00adri\u00adfices and obla\u00adtions for such good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1] (see the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Jew\u00adish Wars<\/em> 4.656<\/p>\n

And now, as Ves\u00adpasian was come to Alexan\u00addria, this good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1] came from Rome, and at the same time came embassies from all his own hab\u00adit\u00adable earth, to con\u00adgrat\u00adu\u00adlate him upon his advance\u00adment; and though this Alexan\u00addria was the great\u00adest of all cities next to Rome, it proved too nar\u00adrow to con\u00adtain the mul\u00adti\u00adtude that then came to it.  (see the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Plutarch (1st<\/sup> century AD)<\/h3>\n

Age\u00adsi\u00adlaus<\/em> 33.4<\/p>\n

even after the bat\u00adtle at Man\u00adti\u00adnea, which Thucy\u00addides has described, the one who first announced the vic\u00adto\u00adry had no oth\u00ader reward for his glad tid\u00adings<\/strong> [sin\u00adgu\u00adlar] than a piece of meat sent by the mag\u00adis\u00adtrates from the pub\u00adlic mess. (see the Eng\u00adlish con\u00adtext<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Demetrius<\/em> 17.5<\/p>\n

Accord\u00ading\u00adly, when [Aris\u00adtode\u00admus] had come near, he stretched out his hand and cried with a loud voice: \u201cHail, King Antigonus, we have con\u00adquered Ptole\u00admy in a sea-fight, and now hold Cyprus, with twelve thou\u00adsand eight hun\u00addred sol\u00addiers as pris\u00adon\u00aders of war.\u201d To this Antigonus replied: \u201cHail to thee also, by Heav\u00aden! but for tor\u00adtur\u00ading us in this way, thou shalt under\u00adgo pun\u00adish\u00adment; the reward for thy good tid\u00adings<\/strong> [plur\u00adal] thou shalt be some time in get\u00adting. (see the Eng\u00adlish con\u00adtext<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Moralia (Glo\u00adry of Athens) <\/em>347d (and e)<\/p>\n

Why, as we are told, the Spar\u00adtans mere\u00adly sent meat from the pub\u00adlic com\u00admons to the man who brought glad tid\u00adings<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00bf\u00ce\u00bd] of the vic\u00adto\u00adry in Man\u00adti\u00adneia which Thucy\u00addides describes! And indeed the com\u00adpil\u00aders of his\u00adto\u00adries are, as it were, reporters of great exploits who are gift\u00aded with the fac\u00adul\u00adty of felic\u00adi\u00adtous speech, and achieve suc\u00adcess in their writ\u00ading through the beau\u00adty and force of their nar\u00adra\u00adtion; and to them those who first encoun\u00adtered and record\u00aded the events [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00bf\u00ce\u00bd] are indebt\u00aded for a pleas\u00ading retelling of them. (see the Greek<\/a>, Eng\u00adlish<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Other (Older) References<\/h2>\n

Aristophanes (5th<\/sup> century BC)<\/h3>\n

You can see the plur\u00adal of the word used by Aristo\u00adphanes in The Knights <\/em>(Equi\u00adtes<\/em>) lines 647 and 656, both ref\u00ader\u00adences are plur\u00adal. This trans\u00adla\u00adtion is from Trans\u00adla\u00adtor at Work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou!  You\u2026 Coun\u00adcil\u00adlors!  I\u2019ve got good news <\/strong>[\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1 \u2014 see the Greek<\/a>] for you!\u201d I said to them.  \u201cNews that are so good, I want to make sure that I\u2019m the first to announce them to you.  It\u2019s the price of sar\u00addines, folks!  It\u2019s the best it\u2019s ever been since the out\u00adbreak of the war!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Well, you should have seen their faces then! Turned nice and hap\u00adpy right there and then. They want\u00aded to give me a hero\u2019s gar\u00adland for telling the good news. So I gave them my advice. I said to them that if they want\u00aded to get their fair share for the price of an obol, they should rush down the mar\u00adket and buy them\u00adselves all the plates they can. Cor\u00adner the mar\u00adket.  And keep it all a secret.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They applaud\u00aded me loud\u00adly then and gawked at me awestruck.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But then, that bas\u00adtard, Paphlagon, who knew how to press the Coun\u00adcil\u00adlors\u2019 but\u00adtons, got up and said, \u201cMen, these aus\u00adpi\u00adcious news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1 \u2014 see the Greek<\/a>] should move us to make a sac\u00adri\u00adfice to our god\u00addess! I sug\u00adgest we should slaugh\u00adter one hun\u00addred cows!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And also in his play Wealth <\/em>(Plu\u00adtus<\/em>) line 765 \u2014 (this trans\u00adla\u00adtion is also from Trans\u00adla\u00adtor at Work<\/a>)<\/p>\n

So, come on, now, folks! Dance! Come on, all togeth\u00ader now: dance and sing and march and be hap\u00adpy because the day will nev\u00ader come again when you come home and find your flour sack emp\u00adty!  Dance!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wife:<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By the god\u00addess Hekate! What won\u00adder\u00adful news<\/strong>! [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00ac \u2014 see the Greek<\/a>] Just for that I\u2019m going to hang a long neck\u00adlace of bread rolls around your neck!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Aeschines (4th<\/sup> century BC) Against Ctesiphon section 160<\/em><\/h3>\n

But when Philip was dead and Alexan\u00adder had come to the throne, Demos\u00adthenes again put on prodi\u00adgious airs and caused a shrine to he ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded to Pau\u00adsa\u00adnias and involved the sen\u00adate in the charge of hav\u00ading offered sac\u00adri\u00adfice of thanks\u00adgiv\u00ading as for good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b5\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00af\u00cf\u2030\u00ce\u00bd] (name\u00adly that Philip of Mace\u00addon had been assas\u00adsi\u00adnat\u00aded by Pau\u00adsa\u00adnias) (see the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Isocrates, Areopagiticus<\/em> (4th<\/sup> Century BC) section 10.<\/h3>\n

As if this were not enough, we have been com\u00adpelled to save the friends of the The\u00adbans at the cost of los\u00ading our own allies; and yet to cel\u00ade\u00adbrate the good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1] of such accom\u00adplish\u00adments we have twice now offered grate\u00adful sac\u00adri\u00adfices to the gods, and we delib\u00ader\u00adate about our affairs more com\u00adplaisant\u00adly than men whose actions leave noth\u00ading to be desired! (see the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Xenophon (4th<\/sup> century BC)<\/h3>\n

Hel\u00adleni\u00adca<\/em> 1.6.37<\/p>\n

This they pro\u00adceed\u00aded to do; and when they were sail\u00ading in, Eteon\u00adi\u00adcus began to offer sac\u00adri\u00adfices for the good news <\/strong>[\u00cf\u201e\u00e1\u00bd\u00b0 \u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1], and gave orders that the sol\u00addiers should take their din\u00adner, that the traders should put their goods into their boats in silence and sail off to Chios (for the wind was favourable), and that the triremes also should sail thith\u00ader with all speed. (Glen\u2019s note: this good news was, in this case, fake. Eteon\u00adi\u00adcus was pre\u00adtend\u00ading that the dead Cal\u00adl\u00adi\u00adcrati\u00addas had instead won a great vic\u00adto\u00adry over the Athe\u00adni\u00adans). (see the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hel\u00adlen\u00adcia<\/em> 4.3.14<\/p>\n

Now Age\u00adsi\u00adlaus, on learn\u00ading these things, at first was over\u00adcome with sor\u00adrow; but when he had con\u00adsid\u00adered that the most of his troops were the sort of men to share glad\u00adly in good for\u00adtune if good for\u00adtune came, but that if they saw any\u00adthing unpleas\u00adant, they were under no com\u00adpul\u00adsion to share in it,\u2014thereupon, chang\u00ading the report, he said that word had come that Peisander was dead, but vic\u00adto\u00adri\u00adous in the naval bat\u00adtle. [14] And at the moment of say\u00ading these things he offered sac\u00adri\u00adfice as if for good news<\/strong> [\u00ce\u00b5\u00e1\u00bd\u0090\u00ce\u00b1\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00b3\u00ce\u00ad\u00ce\u00bb\u00ce\u00b9\u00ce\u00b1], and sent around to many peo\u00adple por\u00adtions of the vic\u00adtims which had been offered; so that when a skir\u00admish with the ene\u00admy took place, the troops of Age\u00adsi\u00adlaus won the day in con\u00adse\u00adquence of the report that the Lacedae\u00admo\u00adni\u00adans were vic\u00adto\u00adri\u00adous in the naval bat\u00adtle. (see the Greek<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Menander?<\/h3>\n

Sup\u00adpos\u00aded\u00adly the word is used by Menan\u00adder (Per\u00adic<\/em>. 993), (4th<\/sup> cen\u00adtu\u00adry BC), but I can\u2019t find the Greek text online any\u00adwhere to ver\u00adi\u00adfy that.<\/p>\n

Homer<\/h3>\n

Homer used the term twice in The Odyssey<\/em> (8th<\/sup> cen\u00adtu\u00adry BC) in 14.152 and 14.166, but The Odyssey<\/em> was so ancient by New Tes\u00adta\u00adment times that I don\u2019t think of it as much help in deter\u00admin\u00ading con\u00adtem\u00adpo\u00adrary usage. I\u2019m stretch\u00ading it to include 4th<\/sup> and 5th<\/sup> cen\u00adtu\u00adry ref\u00ader\u00adences. Homer was as ancient to them as Chaucer is to us. Which, in case you\u2019ve for\u00adgot\u00adten Chaucer, reads like this: \u201cWhilom, as olde sto\u00adries tellen us, Ther was a duc that high\u00adte The\u00adseus; Of Atthenes he was lord and gov\u00adernour, And in his tyme swich a con\u00adquer\u00adour\u2026\u201d \u2013 not much help to a schol\u00adar from the year 4,000 in deter\u00admin\u00ading how a word is used in 2010. Bring\u00ading in stuff from the 4th cen\u00adtu\u00adry BC is about as ancient as I care to get.<\/p>\n

If I learn of more ref\u00ader\u00adences (or if I have any mis\u00adtakes point\u00aded out to me) I\u2019ll update this post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Eng\u00adlish, the word gospel is laden with reli\u00adgious mean\u00ading, but when Jesus and the apos\u00adtles used the word euan\u00adge\u00adlion (good news\/gospel) they were using a non\u00adre\u00adli\u00adgious word from their cul\u00adture. There\u2019s a good list\u00ading of ancient uses of the word at the Perseus Dig\u00adi\u00adtal Library, and by com\u00adbin\u00ading that list with some oth\u00ader resources \u2026 Con\u00adtin\u00adue read\u00ading \u201cPre-Chris\u00adt\u00adian Uses Of \u201cGospel\u201d\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-geek","category-resources-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-EA","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2516"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2530,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2516\/revisions\/2530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}