Gospel

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Gospel

Christian concept

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June 29, 2026

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The term "gospel" originates from the Anglo-Saxon "god-spell," meaning "good story," and is a translation of the Greek euangelion, signifying "good news". In Christianity, it primarily refers to the four biblical narratives found at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These accounts detail the life and death of Jesus Christ from a post-Resurrection perspective.12

The first three Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—are known as the Synoptic Gospels because their narratives of Jesus's life and death are similar when placed side-by-side. The core affirmations of Christianity, such as Jesus being the Christ, his message of the Kingdom of God, and his Resurrection, preceded these Gospel accounts and were foundational to their creation. The Gospels were written to inspire belief and were shaped by the authors' theological viewpoints and the needs of their audiences.123

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biblical literature
Meaning of the term gospel
From the late 40s ce and until his martyrdom in the 60s, Paul wrote letters to the churches that he founded or guided. These are the earliest Christian writings that the church has, and in them he refers to “the gospel” (euangelion). In Romans,…
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From the late 40s ce and until his martyrdom in the 60s, Paul wrote letters to the churches that he founded or guided. These are the earliest Christian writings that the church has, and in them he refers to “the gospel” (euangelion). In Romans,…
Read More

St. Paul the Apostle
Basic message
In the surviving letters, Paul often recalls what he said during his founding visits. He preached the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus Christ, and he proclaimed that faith in Jesus guarantees a share in his life. Writing to the Galatians, he reminded…
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In the surviving letters, Paul often recalls what he said during his founding visits. He preached the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus Christ, and he proclaimed that faith in Jesus guarantees a share in his life. Writing to the Galatians, he reminded…
Read More

Roman Catholicism
Concepts of faith
In the Synoptic Gospels, God was the object of faith, and faith itself was belief in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. The Apostle Paul taught that faith meant belief in Christ and the preaching of Christ, which is the word of God, as well as…
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In the Synoptic Gospels, God was the object of faith, and faith itself was belief in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. The Apostle Paul taught that faith meant belief in Christ and the preaching of Christ, which is the word of God, as well as…
Read More

study of religion
Neutrality and subjectivity in the study of religion
…distinction between religion and the Gospel (the proclamation peculiar to Christianity). This distinction depends to some extent upon taking a projectionist view of religion as a human product. This tradition goes back in modern times to the seminal work of the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach (1804–72), who proposed that God…
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…distinction between religion and the Gospel (the proclamation peculiar to Christianity). This distinction depends to some extent upon taking a projectionist view of religion as a human product. This tradition goes back in modern times to the seminal work of the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach (1804–72), who proposed that God…
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