Gospel

[gos-puh l] /ˈgɒs pəl/

noun
1.
the teachings of Jesus and the apostles; the Christian revelation.
2.
the story of Christ’s life and teachings, especially as contained in the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
3.
(usually initial capital letter) any of these four books.
4.
something regarded as true and implicitly believed:
to take his report for gospel.
5.
a doctrine regarded as of prime importance:
political gospel.
6.
glad tidings, especially concerning salvation and the kingdom of God as announced to the world by Christ.
7.
(often initial capital letter) Ecclesiastical. an extract from one of the four Gospels, forming part of the Eucharistic service in certain churches.
8.
.
adjective
9.
of, relating to, or proclaiming the gospel or its teachings:
a gospel preacher.
10.
in accordance with the gospel; evangelical.
11.
of or relating to :
a gospel singer.
/ˈɡɒspəl/
noun
1.
Also called gospel truth. an unquestionable truth: to take someone’s word as gospel
2.
a doctrine maintained to be of great importance
3.
Black religious music originating in the churches of the Southern states of the United States
4.
the message or doctrine of a religious teacher
5.

/ˈɡɒspəl/
noun
1.
any of the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
2.
a reading from one of these in a religious service
n.

Old English godspel “gospel, glad tidings announced by Jesus; one of the four gospels,” from god “good” (see good) + spel “story, message” (see spell (n.)); translation of Latin bona adnuntiatio, itself a translation of Greek euangelion “reward for bringing good news.”

The first element of the Old English word had a long “o,” but it shifted under mistaken association with God. The word passed early from English to continental Germanic languages in forms that clearly indicate the first element had shifted to “God,” e.g. Old Saxon godspell, Old High German gotspell, Old Norse goðspiall. Used of anything as true as the Gospel from mid-13c. Gospel-gossip was Addison’s word (“Spectator,” 1711) for “one who is always talking of sermons, texts, etc.”

The “good news” of salvation (see Gospels). Certain styles of religious music are also called “gospel.” (See spirituals.)

noun

The absolute truth: His book’s the gospel

a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, and meaning “God’s spell”, i.e., word of God, or rather, according to others, “good spell”, i.e., good news. It is the rendering of the Greek _evangelion_, i.e., “good message.” It denotes (1) “the welcome intelligence of salvation to man as preached by our Lord and his followers. (2.) It was afterwards transitively applied to each of the four histories of our Lord’s life, published by those who are therefore called ‘Evangelists’, writers of the history of the gospel (the evangelion). (3.) The term is often used to express collectively the gospel doctrines; and ‘preaching the gospel’ is often used to include not only the proclaiming of the good tidings, but the teaching men how to avail themselves of the offer of salvation, the declaring of all the truths, precepts, promises, and threatenings of Christianity.” It is termed “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), “the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23), “the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 1:16), “the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15), “the glorious gospel,” “the everlasting gospel,” “the gospel of salvation” (Eph. 1:13).