What is the good news?

The "good news", or "gospel", is the good news of Jesus Christ. 

The good news of Jesus Christ. 

In Mark 1:1 it is written: "(The) BEGINNING (of) THE GOOD-NEWS (of) JESUS CHRIST". The good-news of Jesus Christ actually began even with John the Baptist as it is written 3 verses later that "John came, the (one) baptizing in the wilderness" (Mark 1:4). This was already "(The) BEGINNING (of) THE GOOD-NEWS (of) JESUS CHRIST" (Mark 1:1).

Mark 1:4 describes the beginning of the good news of Christ, and the rest written afterward would describe the rest of the good news of Christ. 

And similarly it would be the same with what can be found in the good news according to Matthew, Luke & John.

The "good news according to" in ancient biblical manuscripts? 

Ancients biblical manuscripts can be found not having the title "Matthew" for example, but instead they can be found having the title "The good-news according-to Matthew", indicating that the content of the book would be a presentation of the good news according to Matthew.

For example, ancient biblical manuscripts like "Codex Sinaiticus" or "Codex Vaticanus" [dated around the 4th century AD] often have titles such as:

"The good-news according-to Matthew"

"The good-news according-to Mark"

"The good-news according-to Luke"

"The good-news according-to John"

Earlier fragments of biblical manuscripts also indicated similar titles, as for example:

The Muratorian Fragment [dated around the 2nd century AD]:

"The third good-news book, that according-to Luke"

Papyrus 4 & Papyrus 75 [both dated around the 2nd or 3rd century AD]:

"The good-news according-to Luke"

Papyrus 66 [dated around the 2nd or 3rd century AD]:

"The good-news according-to John"

There is not another good news than the good news of Christ. 

Paul wrote that there is not another good news than the good news of Christ. 

Paul wrote that "there-are some DISTURBING YOU and intending TO-CHANGE THE GOOD-NEWS (of) CHRIST. But even if we or (an) angel from heaven SHOULD-ANNOUNCE-A-GOOD-NEWS (to) you OTHER-THAN what we-announced-as-good-news (to) you, (that one) is-to-be accursed" (Galatians 1:7-8).

Paul mentioned several times in his writings "THE GOOD-NEWS (of) CHRIST" (Romans 15:19, 1 Corinthians 9:12, 2 Corinthians 2:12, 2 Corinthians 9:13, 2 Corinthians 10:14, Galatians 1:7, Philippians 1:27, 1 Thessalonians 3:2).

This good news is the same as the one mentioned in Mark: "THE GOOD-NEWS (of) JESUS CHRIST" (Mark 1:1).

Some things of the good news are first. 

Paul wrote that some things of the good news are first among other things. For example, the first (or most prominent) things to proclaim would be that Christ died for our sins, and that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead, and that He appeared to people afterward. 

Paul wrote: "I-make-known (to) you, brothers, THE GOOD-NEWS which I-announced-as-good-news (to) you" (1 Corinthians 15:1), adding "FOR I-delivered (to) you AMONG (THE) FIRST (THINGS) what I also received: THAT Christ died for our sins in-accordance-with the Scriptures, AND THAT He-was-buried, AND THAT He-has-been-raised (on) the third day in-accordance-with the Scriptures, AND THAT He-appeared (to) Cephas, then (to) the twelve" (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). 

Here Paul wrote that those things were "AMONG (THE) FIRST (THINGS) what I also received" (1 Corinthians 15:3). 

The Greek word for "FIRST" in 1 Corinthians 15:3 is an adjective in the plural, it refers to several "FIRST (things)" (1 Corinthians 15:3). 

The Greek words for "AMONG" and "FIRST" can be used together to describe preeminence, as for example the same Greek words are used in Matthew in the following verse: "whoever wants to-be FIRST AMONG you shall-be your slave" (Matthew 20:27).  

The first thing?

The FIRST thing (in the singular) in the list of things that Paul indicated in 1 Corinthians 15 was "THAT CHRIST DIED" (1 Corinthians 15:3). 

Earlier in 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote that in the past when he initially encountered the Corinthians he determined to only know this very (FIRST) thing, as he wrote that initially "I-DETERMINED NOT TO-KNOW ANYTHING among you EXCEPT Jesus CHRIST — and this (One) HAVING-BEEN-CRUCIFIED" (1 Corinthians 2:2).

This may be the FIRST thing of the good news of Christ, "THAT CHRIST DIED" (1 Corinthians 15:3). 

After the first things?

After that they received the FIRST things, Paul would then be teaching them more things from the good news of Christ.

For example, when referring to "THE GOOD-NEWS (of) CHRIST" (1 Corinthians 9:14), Paul wrote that "THE LORD DIRECTED the (ones) proclaiming THE GOOD-NEWS to-be-living from the good-news" (1 Corinthians 9:14). This may be a reference to what Jesus taught in Luke 10 as He was sending people to proclaim the good news, directing them: "Do not be-carrying (a) money-bag" (Luke 10:4) for "the worker (is) reward (of) his wages" (Luke 10:7).

The good news of Christ is thus not limited merely to the FIRST things of the good news, but can expand to more things as recorded in the good news according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 

The presentation of the good news can be adjusted to fit the audience. 

The presentation of the good news of Christ can be adjusted depending on the audience. Indeed, not everyone is at the same level of understanding or has the same background knowledge to understand some things. 

For example, after mentioning "THE GOOD-NEWS (of) CHRIST" (Galatians 1:7), Paul added that he was entrusted the good news to the Gentiles (the "uncircumcised"), while Peter was entrusted the good news to the Jews (the "circumcised"), as Paul wrote: "I-have-been-entrusted THE GOOD-NEWS (FOR) THE UNCIRCUMCISED just-as Peter (FOR) THE CIRCUMCISED" (Galatians 2:7). 

Because Paul had to adapt or adjust his presentation to the level of understanding of his audience (which would not have been the same as how Jews would understand for example, as they were already instructed in the Scriptures). Paul would sometimes refer to his presentation as "my GOOD-NEWS" (Romans 2:16). 

The content of his good news would be the same, but adjusted to fit the level of understanding of his audience. As evidence that the content of the good news would be the same, Paul wrote about "THE GOOD-NEWS" (1 Corinthians 15:1) that whether it was himself or "the apostles" (1 Corinthians 15:9) such as Peter also called "Cephas, then (to) the twelve" (1 Corinthians 15:5), they are proclaiming the same good news, as Paul wrote that "So whether (it was) I or those, THUS we-are-proclaiming, and THUS you-believed" (1 Corinthians 15:11).

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