The Gospel Requires Words

AMY TURNER

Some people repeat a phrase connected to St. Francis of Assisi, though there is doubt he ever said it. The phrase suggests that one should share the gospel mainly by actions, using words only if needed. At first it may sound wise, but it leaves out something important. Words are not optional when it comes to spreading the message of Christ.

Paul makes this clear in Romans 10:13-14, where he asks how people can believe if they have never heard, and how they can hear without someone speaking. Faith grows when the good news is spoken. Actions may support the message, but the gospel itself must be said.

Sharing the message with words is not only important but also the way people come to know the truth of Christ.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Mark 16:15

The Good News of the Christian Faith

AMY TURNER

At the centre of Christianity is a message called the gospel, which simply means good news. This message is not just positive or uplifting; it is true. The heart of this news is that Jesus Christ gave His life for our sins. His sacrifice was not something anyone could earn or achieve, but it was freely given through God’s grace.

This gift of forgiveness and salvation is not meant to be kept private. Christians are called to share it with others. In the New Testament, Jesus gives a clear instruction: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).

The Christian faith, then, is both a gift received and a message to be shared. It reminds believers of the hope they have in Christ and calls them to pass that hope on to others.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16