The Truth of the Gospel: The Good News That Changes Everything
The phrase "the truth and the gospel" most commonly refers to the core Christian message, where the gospel (literally "good news") is regarded as the ultimate truth about God, humanity, and salvation.
The Gospel in Christianity
In Christianity, the gospel is the good news that God reconciles sinful humanity to Himself through Jesus Christ. The essential elements, as summarized in the New Testament (e.g., 1 Corinthians 15:3–4), are:
- Humanity is separated from God due to sin.
- Jesus Christ, God incarnate, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners (bearing the penalty of sin), was buried, and rose again on the third day.
- Salvation—forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and eternal life—is received by grace through faith in Christ, not by human effort.
This message is called "the truth of the gospel" in Scripture (e.g., Galatians 2:5, 14), emphasizing its reliability and divine origin. Jesus Himself declared, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), linking truth directly to His person and work.
The Idiomatic Expression "Gospel Truth"
The idiomatic expression "gospel truth" means something unquestionably or absolutely true, stemming from the historical association of the biblical gospel with infallible divine revelation.