Ancient Examples of the Good News for Pagans<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Homer's](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1310\/2025\/09\/HomerOdyssey-2-200x300.jpg\")
A scene with Odysseus from Homer\u2019s Odyssey (A.I. image created by Dalle\/ChatGPT).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nClassical Greek lexicons understand euangelion <\/em>as a reward or recompense for good news. In Homer\u2019s Odyssey, <\/em>for instance, the hero Odysseus, disguised as an old vagrant, requests a reward of a cloak and tunic from his swineherd for bringing good tidings. He reports to the unsuspecting herdsman that Odysseus is still alive and will be returning home (Homer, Od. <\/em>14.152, 166).*<\/strong><\/p>\nIn military use, the messenger bringing news of victory received a reward, thus, a message of glad tidings (e.g., Plutarch Demetrius <\/em>17.6; Appian Civil War <\/em>4.113; Heliodorus Aethiopica <\/em>19.3). Similarly, regarding political rivalry, soldiers mounted on horses to give good news to Mark Antony regarding his enemy, Cicero, being beheaded (Appian Civil War <\/em>4.20). Joy can characterize the use of euangelion, <\/em>whether with political or private messages. Regarding the latter, for example, there is good news of joy at the death of a bad stepmother! (Heliodorus, Aethiopica<\/em> 1.14.3\u20134).<\/p>\nThe famous Roman orator and statesman Cicero uses the term to speak of a jury acquittal (Att. <\/em>[2.]3.1). The Roman emperor\u2019s birthday or inauguration can be called euangelion, <\/em>whether for Caesar Augustus (OGIS<\/a> <\/u><\/em>458 II.40\u201341), Vespasian (Josephus Jewish War <\/em>4.618, 656), or in case of a bad emperor, like Domitian, his assassination (Philostratus Life of Apollonius <\/em>8.27.1).<\/p>\nReligious Good News <\/strong><\/h2>\nAccording to Ulrich Becker, \u201cSuch messages are seen as a gift of the gods. When a good message has been received, sacrifices are offered out of gratitude but also in order to hold the gods to their gift\u201d <\/em>(\u201cGospel, Evangelize, Evangelist,\u201d NIDNTT<\/u> <\/em><\/a>2:107\u201308). As such, the good news<\/em> was also associated with presenting sacrifices as thank offerings to the gods for favorable reports.**<\/strong><\/p>\nGiven the aspects of victory, favorable news, and sacrifice related to euangelion<\/em>, one cannot easily divide \u201csecular\u201d or \u201creligious\u201d uses of the term. I suspect that hardly any good fortune could not<\/em> be attributed to a god in the Hellenistic world even when a sacrifice was not always present in the texts.<\/p>\nThe Gospel Verb<\/strong><\/h2>\nAncient nuances of the verb, euangelizo<\/em> (\u03b5\u03c5\u0313\u03b1\u03b3\u03b3\u03b5\u03bb\u03b9\u0301\u03b6\u03c9), are not much different in meaning than the noun. Normally, in the Bible, euangelizo<\/em> is rendered \u201cproclaim the gospel\u201d (e.g., NRSVue) or \u201cpreach the gospel\u201d (e.g., ESV). When proclamation is not clearly involved, or the sense seems broader than mere preaching, perhaps a better alternative comes from the little-known translation of William F. Beck: \u201cbring the good news.\u201d Beck\u2019s rendition is comparable with the choice translation of prominent Greek classical lexicons.***<\/strong><\/p>\nWe find the verb, \u201cto bring the (good) news\u201d used to express a battle victory or war\u2019s end, weddings, a child\u2019s birth, a consul\u2019s election, or even in reference to such things as inexpensive sardines, an opportune death, or a haunted house being exorcized of its spirit!****<\/strong> The verb at times can be connected with deliverance and good fortune, which seems to be religious in meaning (Lycurgus, Against Leocrates<\/em> 6.17\u201318, cf. Demosthenes Or.<\/em> 18.323; Heliodorus, Aethiopica 10.1\u20132; Friedrich, TDNT<\/a> <\/u><\/em>2:711; Schniewind, Euangelion<\/u><\/em>, <\/u>145\u2013151).<\/p>\nThe Gospel in the Bible<\/strong><\/h2>\nWe see, then, that ancient pagans used gospel terms, too. And sometimes they even used them in religious contexts, though to honor others gods rather than the one true God of Jewish Scripture. Relevant for our purposes, when Paul proclaimed the good news to pagans, they were already familiar with the term. A distinction, however, is that our apostle attributed the gospel to Jesus as Son of God. This had an implication for pagans hearing it: the Roman emperor was not <\/em>the true king and Son of God, Jesus was.<\/p>\nNotes<\/strong><\/h3>\n* For further lexical use of the term euangelion <\/em>and its cognates, see my work, B. J. Oropeza, The Gospel According to Paul:<\/u> <\/a>Over a Hundred Years of Interpretation.\u201d Religions <\/em>15 (2024) 1\u201345 (3\u20134; cf. 37\u201338 notes 2, 8). Often the noun appears in the plural (euangelia)\u00a0<\/em>in ancient non-Christian literature.<\/p>\n** For examples, see Aristophanes Equites <\/em>656; Aeschines, In Ctesiphtonem <\/em>[III]160; Xenophon Hellenica <\/em>1.6.37; 4.3.14; Isocrates, Areopagiticus <\/em>7.10; Plutarch, Agesilaus <\/em>17 [I.605c]; Demetrius <\/em>17.5[1.896C]; Sertorius <\/em>11.4; 26.3; Phocion <\/em>23 [I.752b]; Diodorus Siculus 15.74.2. Further, see Moises Silva NIDNTTE<\/u><\/em><\/a>, 2:307; Julius Schniewind, Euangelion : Ursprung und erste Gestalt des Begriffs Evangelium<\/a>,<\/em> 182; Gerhard Friedrich, TDNT<\/u> <\/em><\/a>2:722.<\/p>\n*** e.g., LSJ<\/u><\/a> 705; BrillDAG<\/u><\/a>, ad loc <\/em>\u201c\u03b5\u1f50\u03b1\u03b3\u03b3\u03b5\u03bb\u1f77\u03b6\u03c9,\u201d whether in active or middle voice: e.g., Demosthenes, Orationes <\/em>18.323; Polyaenus of Macedonia 5.7.<\/p>\n
Classical Greek lexicons understand euangelion <\/em>as a reward or recompense for good news. In Homer\u2019s Odyssey, <\/em>for instance, the hero Odysseus, disguised as an old vagrant, requests a reward of a cloak and tunic from his swineherd for bringing good tidings. He reports to the unsuspecting herdsman that Odysseus is still alive and will be returning home (Homer, Od. <\/em>14.152, 166).*<\/strong><\/p>\n In military use, the messenger bringing news of victory received a reward, thus, a message of glad tidings (e.g., Plutarch Demetrius <\/em>17.6; Appian Civil War <\/em>4.113; Heliodorus Aethiopica <\/em>19.3). Similarly, regarding political rivalry, soldiers mounted on horses to give good news to Mark Antony regarding his enemy, Cicero, being beheaded (Appian Civil War <\/em>4.20). Joy can characterize the use of euangelion, <\/em>whether with political or private messages. Regarding the latter, for example, there is good news of joy at the death of a bad stepmother! (Heliodorus, Aethiopica<\/em> 1.14.3\u20134).<\/p>\n The famous Roman orator and statesman Cicero uses the term to speak of a jury acquittal (Att. <\/em>[2.]3.1). The Roman emperor\u2019s birthday or inauguration can be called euangelion, <\/em>whether for Caesar Augustus (OGIS<\/a> <\/u><\/em>458 II.40\u201341), Vespasian (Josephus Jewish War <\/em>4.618, 656), or in case of a bad emperor, like Domitian, his assassination (Philostratus Life of Apollonius <\/em>8.27.1).<\/p>\n According to Ulrich Becker, \u201cSuch messages are seen as a gift of the gods. When a good message has been received, sacrifices are offered out of gratitude but also in order to hold the gods to their gift\u201d <\/em>(\u201cGospel, Evangelize, Evangelist,\u201d NIDNTT<\/u> <\/em><\/a>2:107\u201308). As such, the good news<\/em> was also associated with presenting sacrifices as thank offerings to the gods for favorable reports.**<\/strong><\/p>\n Given the aspects of victory, favorable news, and sacrifice related to euangelion<\/em>, one cannot easily divide \u201csecular\u201d or \u201creligious\u201d uses of the term. I suspect that hardly any good fortune could not<\/em> be attributed to a god in the Hellenistic world even when a sacrifice was not always present in the texts.<\/p>\n Ancient nuances of the verb, euangelizo<\/em> (\u03b5\u03c5\u0313\u03b1\u03b3\u03b3\u03b5\u03bb\u03b9\u0301\u03b6\u03c9), are not much different in meaning than the noun. Normally, in the Bible, euangelizo<\/em> is rendered \u201cproclaim the gospel\u201d (e.g., NRSVue) or \u201cpreach the gospel\u201d (e.g., ESV). When proclamation is not clearly involved, or the sense seems broader than mere preaching, perhaps a better alternative comes from the little-known translation of William F. Beck: \u201cbring the good news.\u201d Beck\u2019s rendition is comparable with the choice translation of prominent Greek classical lexicons.***<\/strong><\/p>\n We find the verb, \u201cto bring the (good) news\u201d used to express a battle victory or war\u2019s end, weddings, a child\u2019s birth, a consul\u2019s election, or even in reference to such things as inexpensive sardines, an opportune death, or a haunted house being exorcized of its spirit!****<\/strong> The verb at times can be connected with deliverance and good fortune, which seems to be religious in meaning (Lycurgus, Against Leocrates<\/em> 6.17\u201318, cf. Demosthenes Or.<\/em> 18.323; Heliodorus, Aethiopica 10.1\u20132; Friedrich, TDNT<\/a> <\/u><\/em>2:711; Schniewind, Euangelion<\/u><\/em>, <\/u>145\u2013151).<\/p>\n We see, then, that ancient pagans used gospel terms, too. And sometimes they even used them in religious contexts, though to honor others gods rather than the one true God of Jewish Scripture. Relevant for our purposes, when Paul proclaimed the good news to pagans, they were already familiar with the term. A distinction, however, is that our apostle attributed the gospel to Jesus as Son of God. This had an implication for pagans hearing it: the Roman emperor was not <\/em>the true king and Son of God, Jesus was.<\/p>\n * For further lexical use of the term euangelion <\/em>and its cognates, see my work, B. J. Oropeza, The Gospel According to Paul:<\/u> <\/a>Over a Hundred Years of Interpretation.\u201d Religions <\/em>15 (2024) 1\u201345 (3\u20134; cf. 37\u201338 notes 2, 8). Often the noun appears in the plural (euangelia)\u00a0<\/em>in ancient non-Christian literature.<\/p>\n ** For examples, see Aristophanes Equites <\/em>656; Aeschines, In Ctesiphtonem <\/em>[III]160; Xenophon Hellenica <\/em>1.6.37; 4.3.14; Isocrates, Areopagiticus <\/em>7.10; Plutarch, Agesilaus <\/em>17 [I.605c]; Demetrius <\/em>17.5[1.896C]; Sertorius <\/em>11.4; 26.3; Phocion <\/em>23 [I.752b]; Diodorus Siculus 15.74.2. Further, see Moises Silva NIDNTTE<\/u><\/em><\/a>, 2:307; Julius Schniewind, Euangelion : Ursprung und erste Gestalt des Begriffs Evangelium<\/a>,<\/em> 182; Gerhard Friedrich, TDNT<\/u> <\/em><\/a>2:722.<\/p>\n *** e.g., LSJ<\/u><\/a> 705; BrillDAG<\/u><\/a>, ad loc <\/em>\u201c\u03b5\u1f50\u03b1\u03b3\u03b3\u03b5\u03bb\u1f77\u03b6\u03c9,\u201d whether in active or middle voice: e.g., Demosthenes, Orationes <\/em>18.323; Polyaenus of Macedonia 5.7.<\/p>\nReligious Good News <\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Gospel Verb<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Gospel in the Bible<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Notes<\/strong><\/h3>\n