When and where was the origin of the gospel?

First, consider that the word gospel originates from the Old English gōdspel, which combines gōd (meaning “good”) with spel (meaning “news” or “a story”). So, at its core, gospel signifies good tidings, truth, and the message of salvation in the Christian faith.

With this in mind, we should ask, “where in the Bible do we encounter the very first occurrence of good news that tells us that God would save us from eternal death?” Many people would say that it is in the gospels of the New Testament, but this is incorrect. To find the very FIRST occurrence of the gospel, we must go way back to the very beginning of the Bible.

Read this scripture,

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This scripture is known as the proto-gospel. This label is not important, but what is, is the message it tells.

What this scripture is saying is that in the aftermath of Adam and Eve's disobedience, God addresses the serpent (representing Satan) with a message of enmity. He declares that there will be conflict between the serpent and the ‘Seed’ of the woman.

The significance of this message is the prophecy that the woman's offspring will ultimately triumph over Satan. It will bruise (crush) his head, while he will only strike or bruise his heel. This foreshadows the victory of good over evil, with Jesus Christ (the woman's offspring) defeating Satan through His sacrifice and resurrection.

Despite the ongoing struggle, this promise offers hope for the future. Good will prevail over evil, and the ultimate victory through Jesus Christ is assured.

So, this is the very first account of the gospel in the Bible. It was spoken out in the Garden of Eden shortly after Adam and Eve has sinned.

An important thing to note is that as God’s redemption plan progressed over time, the gospel message also progressed with additional, and clearer details added to it, like information to identify the Messiah, how His ‘heel’ would be bruised, how His blood would be for the forgiveness of sins, and how His resurrection would be for justification. Thus, although Jesus Christ would always be the center of this victory, the message continued to be enhanced by new revelations and clearer details. Today we trust in the cross work of Christ. We believe that His death and resurrection alone is our saving grace. Hallelujah!