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Bell makes some historical errors, and thus contextual errors. He also misses what the apostles considered the crucial part the good news. (Pun on crucial intended.)nnNo one called Agustus “dominus”. The Christian use of the word Lord (kurios, Greek) originates from the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew scriptures, not from Roman use of the word dominus (Lord). The following is from a college Roman history textbook. (I was a classics major.)nn”The first 300 years of the Empire are usually dealt with under the subheading Principate, from the word princeps, one of the emperors’ chief titles up to A.D. 282. The implication of this title was that the emperor, although the acknowledged head of state, was only primus inter patres, first among equals within the Roman nobility, and that he governed in cooperation with them. The period after 282, however, is often called the Dominate, because the emperors were undisguisedly autocratic, the title princeps was completely abandoned, and the title dominus, lord and master, prevailed. (246, Allen M. Ward, A History of the Roman People.)nnWhere did he get that information about those gods being so popular in Roman religion? nnWhere did he get the information about Augustus’s death being heralded as evangelion? That’s not true. It may be an anachronism said about him by later historians (the poet Virgil or Plutarch), but it’s not historically true. No one thought much of him even after his adopted step-father, Julius Caesar was murdered by the senators. It was after a period of time that he slowly began to gain prominence. nnPilate did not order the death Jesus because he was politically subversive, but in order to keep peace with the Jews. It’s misleading to say that the Romans crucified anyone whom they thought was a threat. nnThe heart of the gospel is that Christ died for sins. That’s the message from Genesis 3:15-Revelation. nnCheck out Romans 5.n”While we were sinners Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)nnChrist died for our sins. (1Cor 15:3)nn[He] gave himself for our sins. (Gal 1:4)nnIn him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Eph. 1:7)nnSince we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near to God. (Heb 10:19-22)nnChrist died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, TO BRING YOU TO GOD. (1 Pet 3:18, I added the caps nnGod…loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 Jn 4:10)nnYou are worthy…because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God. (Rev 5:9).nnnOur commitment to Jesus Christ (including our sacrificial love for others) springs from the knowledge of his commitment to us (his sacrificial love for others). That’s the good news. It’s actual news. The body of Christ exists because Jesus died for sins, rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit.nnThis is what John means in his letter when he says, “We love because he first loved us.” In his gospel of John makes it clear that Jesus crucifixion for our healing was his glorification. (John 3 and John 17:1)nnSo discipleship is not the good news, that’s the result of the good news. The good news is what Jesus Christ did on the cross. That’s why Christian represent their religion with that symbol of execution. nn”God forbid that I should boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world is crucified to me and I to the world!” (Gal. 6:14)