The Holy Gospel for Beginners

The Holy Gospel is the main book of Christianity. It carries the good news of the coming of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and His salvation of humankind from sin and death. It is more than just a book;... it is a call from God to man. It is not by chance that the Holy Gospel is always located in the main part of the Orthodox church—in the altar, on the altar table—symbolizing the invisible presence of the Savior here. This edition contains descriptions of the significant events of the earthly life, death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the main tenets of His teachings, as well as characteristics of key figures in the Gospel story and necessary comments that will help beginners in their acquaintance with the sacred texts of all four Gospels. The narrative is supplemented by an account of the most important episodes of the New Testament book, the Acts of the Apostles. It tells of the activities of the disciples of Jesus Christ, their propagation of Christianity among the peoples of the world, and the establishment of the Christian Church. Numerous illustrative visual aids accompanying the essays will allow readers to delve deeper into the spirit of Sacred Scripture, to believe in the reliability of its stories and the reality of its characters, which is very important for everyone living today. For in the divinely inspired Gospel narratives lie the foundations of morality, ethics, and virtue that have shaped the cultural visage of all humanity for two millennia.