I bought this book looking for a solid understanding of what “the gospel” is. I was not disappointed. This is the first in a three book series and it answered my question perfectly: what is the gospel and why is it good news?

- The purpose of the gospel
- Why it is important
- The response it demands from us
- The role of Jesus
- Who God is
- What sin is
- Who we are
- The significance of the resurrection

All of these topics and more were covered very well. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and specifically how heavily he leaned on scripture to form his text. He was almost simply stringing together scriptures as answers to the larger outline but it was done is such a way that it read very naturally. Perhaps the best illustration of this is the fact that every chapter ended with a copious list of footnotes almost entirely referencing scriptures. Some chapters had as many as sixty footnotes and the chapters themselves were not of any extraordinary length.

Along with scriptures, quotes from pastors, theologians, and the occasional hymn were also included. All of this was written in such a way that it flowed naturally and was an easy read. The extensive references could easily make this book the launching pad for a deep personal study but it was easy enough to read that it can serve an excellent introduction for even the most casual reader.

I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series. ( )