INTRODUCTION

GOD-SPELL! What a strange title for a book which re-tells the story told in the Bible! It is not so strange as it seems; there is a reason for it, and that reason goes to the heart of the matter. The word “gospel” is well-known; it is part of the title of four books in the Bible, and occurs over a hundred times in the New Testament. That portion of the Bible was written in the Greek language, and its writers used the word evangellion which is represented in English by the word “gospel.” Why did the translators choose this particular word? Evangellizo means to declare good news, and evangellion, the good news itself. When the word “gospel” was selected to represent it the translators really made a happy choice, for in earlier days that word meant a good story. It should be noted that the Anglo-Saxon word for God is akin to that for good. To-day “gospel” means glad tidings, especially the good news concerning Christ, the Kingdom of God, and salvation. The second part of the word gospel is “spell,” another Anglo-Saxon word for “saying” or “story.” Thus the gospel involves the idea of God’s Story, and that is what it is desired to tell in as simple a way as possible.

In a very real sense the story told in the Bible is God’s Spell, or story. No one else could have told it, for it begins at a time when there was no man to write it down, and it finishes in a future which none but God could foresee.

The Bible is a wonderful book, and tells a wonder­ful story. Actually it tells many stories which com­bine to form a history, the greatness of which is not seen until the end is reached, and “the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” In telling this story many thrilling incidents will have to be related; the best and the worst of men will be seen, and through it all one unchanging purpose will become apparent, begin­ning at the very beginning and ending with the introduction of “an end that will never end.”

May the blessing of the Almighty God, the Ruler of heaven and earth, rest upon this attempt to re­tell the wonderful story of the dealings of God with men.

Note: Unless otherwise shown, all Bible quotations in this book are from the Revised Version