The Gospel in 99 Words
The Bible is the most important book ever written. God used forty writers on three continents over a period of about fifteen hundred years to write the Bible. Its purpose is to reveal God’s words and His works to you! The heart of the Bible is the gospel (the good news), and the heart of the gospel is the story of Jesus Christ.
Reading and understanding the Bible can be difficult. Maybe you have tried before and given up. Perhaps you have heard it discussed in church, but it seems boring to you because you don’t think it relates to your everyday problems. You aren’t the only one who has felt that way. The truth is that none of us can really understand the Bible unless the Holy Spirit of God helps us.
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As a traveling evangelist (like Billy Graham on a much smaller scale) for more than twenty-seven years, I have preached the gospel of Jesus to large crowds and small crowds. Many times I have shared the Gospel one-on-one. The first thing I need to know when I share the gospel is if my audience (of one or one thousand) speaks the same language. In foreign countries, I have often needed an interpreter.
Just because you speak English and you have an English translation of the Bible doesn’t mean that it is understandable to you. But God wants to speak to you! Maybe this book can be the interpreter you need to help you understand His message of love.
I wrote this book with one goal in mind: to help you better understand the meaning of some key words of the gospel story. If you grasp these ninety-nine words, you will have a better understanding of the gospel.
When I talk with a person about becoming a believer, I always make sure that he or she understands the words I am using. Words and ideas are vital to understanding the gospel of Christ.
Each of the ninety-nine chapters in this book begins with a brief, simple definition of a specific gospel word and contains some comments about its meaning and use in the Scripture. The best commentary on Scripture is other Scripture. With that in mind, each chapter includes a minimum of two or three Scripture verses that show the word used in context. In addition, almost every chapter ends with a question, comment, or verse for you to consider. Please take time to listen to the Holy Spirit of God (the ultimate Interpreter) as He speaks to you personally through His own Word.
You might read this book straight through. You might prefer to use one of the ninety-nine words each day as a devotional or study guide. You may get more benefit using it like a dictionary and look up words as you come to them in reading the Bible. Whatever method meets your need, I pray that God will use this book to help interpret God’s love for you and His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
A person does not have to understand all ninety-nine words before becoming a believer, but the more you understand, the more you will appreciate what Jesus has done for you. Doubts will decrease and faith will increase as you “… grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).
— Jimmy Knight
Evangelist and Author
Jimmy Knight
About the Author
Jimmy Knight was ordained specifically to the ministry of evangelism in 1979. As an itinerant evangelist, he has ministered in twenty-six states in the United States and traveled to eight other countries sharing the gospel of Christ. He and his wife, Alane, make their home in Laurel, Mississippi. They have a daughter, a son-in-law, and three grandchildren.
