When reading through the New Testament, one quickly notices the exhilaration and passion with which the apostle Paul preached the gospel (e.g. Romans 1:14-17; 1 Corinthians 9:16).  Likewise, anyone in the company of Christians for some time will surely hear phrases such as “gospel ministry”, “gospel-centered”, “preach the gospel”, “believe the gospel”, and “the power of the gospel”. It is easy to see that the gospel is of utmost importance to the Christian. Why is this true? What exactly is the gospel and why does it carry so much significance?