A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The most widely-known examples are the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However, the term is also used to refer to the apocryphal gospels, the non-canonical gospels, the Jewish gospels and the gnostic gospels. Christians may additionally use the term "gospel", otherwise known as the "good news", in reference to the general message of the biblical New Testament.
World religions differ in their treatment of documents classified as gospels. Christianity traditionally places a high value on the four canonical gospels, which it considers to be a revelation from God and central to its belief system. Christians teach that the four canonical gospels are an “accurate and authoritative” representation of the life of Jesus.
In Islam the Injil (Arabic: إنجيل) is the Arabic name for the original gospel of Jesus, and is one of the four Islamic holy books that the Qur'an records as having been revealed by God. Islam holds that over time it became corrupt and God sent the prophet Muhammad to reveal the last book.
Read more about Gospel: Etymology, First Accounts, Synoptic Gospels, Canonical Gospels, Non-canonical Gospels, Islamic View
Famous quotes containing the word gospel:
“This is the gospel of labour, ring it, ye bells of the kirk!
The Lord of Love came down from above, to live with the men who work.
This is the rose that He planted, here in the thorn-curst soil:
Heaven is blest with perfect rest, but the blessing of Earth is toil.”
—Henry Van Dyke (1852–1933)
“Love is both Creator’s and Saviour’s gospel to mankind; a volume bound in rose-leaves, clasped with violets, and by the beaks of humming-birds printed with peach-juice on the leaves of lilies.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“Theologians should not be ashamed to admit that they cannot enter a contest with such antagonists [the sceptics], and that they do not want to expose the Gospel truths to such an attack. The ship of Jesus Christ is not made for sailing on this stormy sea, but for taking shelter from this tempest in the haven of faith.”
—Pierre Bayle (1647–1706)