What exactly is the Gospel?

The Phoenix Burning BLOG is discussing the "Gospel" today and offers this definition:

When we speak of the essentials of the Christian faith, we speak of those doctrines which are bound together as The Gospel.

None of the proof texts Michael presented defined the Gospel in the same way. In fact, one had a very clear message about just what the Gospel is:

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

In essence the Gospel, at least in this text, is the life story of Jesus. More particularly, it's the events in the life story of Jesus that, strung together, make His life story different than the life story of any other human person.

Why is His life story different? Was it His life? Lots of people have achieved fame in their communities but their names have been long forgotten. Was it His death? Lot's of people have died unjust deaths. No, it's really none of that. It was what happened after Jesus was killed. You see, unlike the rest of the people who had previously died, Jesus did not stay dead. He rose from the dead and lives even today.

That my friends, is the Gospel. Not some collection of doctrines, although doctrines do flow from that basic fact. And getting straight what the Gospel is, and is not, is one of the essentials.

This is one area where Calvinists have long been confused because they mix their Calvinistic doctrine with the Gospel. For many of them it then becomes essential to the faith to adhere to the five points.

Best all I can tell from Scripture we really need to believe is that Jesus died and rose again from the dead.

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.