gospel

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The proclamation of the redemption preached by Jesus and the Apostles, which is the central content of Christian revelation.
2. n. Bible One of the first four New Testament books, describing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and recording his teaching.
3. n. A similar narrative.
4. n. A lection from any of the first four New Testament books included as part of a religious service.
5. n. A teaching or doctrine of a religious teacher.
6. n. Music Gospel music.
7. n. Something, such as an idea or principle, accepted as unquestionably true: My parents' rules were gospel.
8. adj. Of or in accordance with the Gospel; evangelical.
9. adj. Of or relating to gospel music.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. (Glad tidings, especially the glad tidings that the Messiah expected by the Jews has appeared in the person of Christ.
2. n. The story of Christ's life, teachings, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension; hence, one of the books in which that story was originally told: as, the Gospel of Matthew. The gospels are four in number—those of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Of these four, those of Matthew and John were written by apostles and eye-witnesses, that of Luke is avowedly gathered from others who were witnesses, and that of Mark has been from a very early age believed to be written by a disciple of the apostle Peter. The first three gospels are known as the synoptic gospels, because combined they present a general and harmonized view of Christ's life. The Johannine origin of the fourth has been much disputed. Matthew and Mark confine themselves chiefly to Christ's ministry in Galilee; Luke adds an account of his ministry in Perea; John alone records his ministry in Judea, except that portion of it connected with the Passion. There are also apocryphal gospels which are not regarded as genuine by any scholars, either Protestant, Roman Catholic, or Greek. The more important of these are : the Gospel of the Birth of Mary, an account of Mary's birth, youth, and espousals; the Pro-evangelion, a somewhat similar account; the Gospels I. and II. of the Infancy of Jesus Christ; and the Gospel of Nicodemus, also called the Acts of Pontius Pilate, being an account of the crucifixion of Christ and his experiences in Hades.
3. n. The doctrine and precepts inculcated by Christ and recorded in the original accounts of his life and teachings.
4. n. Hence Any doctrine, religious or secular, maintained as of great or exclusive importance.
5. n. A portion of Scripture taken from one of the four gospels, and appointed to be read in liturgical churches as a part of the church service. The gospel is the last and principal of the two or more eucharistic lections in all liturgies. In the Western churches the portions are selected with reference to their appropriateness to the day or season; in the Eastern they are read in consecutive order except on special festivals. In ancient times the gospel was read in the West, as in the East, from the ambo, sometimes from a distinct ambo of its own, later from a desk on an elevated place between nave and choir, called the “pulpit” (pulpitum), which developed, as it was made more and more lofty, into the rood-loft or jube. In later times it was read from a lectern on the floor of the sanctuary, or from the north side of the altar—that is, from that part of the front of the altar which is at the right hand of the altar crucifix, or of the priest, if he stands in the middle and faces the people. The north side is therefore called the gospel side of the altar, and in Latin this side, or, more strictly, the corner beyond it, is termed cornu Evangelii, the horn of the gospel, or gospel horn of the altar. In the Anglican Church the deacon, or person who acts as deacon, at the celebration of the holy communion, is called the gospeler, from his function of reading the gospel. The custom of delivering a book of the gospels to a deacon at his ordination originated in England, and afterward became a usage in the whole of the Western Church.
6. n. That which is infallibly true; absolute truth.
7. Pertaining or relating to the gospel; accordant with the gospel; evangelical.
8. To instruct in the gospel; fill with sentiments of piety.

Wiktionary

1. n. The first section of the Christian New Testament scripture, comprising the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, concerned with the life, death, resurrection, and teachings of Jesus.
2. n. An account of the life, death, resurrection, and teachings of Jesus, generally written during the first several centuries of the Common Era.
3. n. A message expected to have positive reception or effect.
4. n. Protestantism the teaching of Divine grace as distinguished from the Law or Divine commandments
5. n. uncountable gospel music
6. n. uncountable That which is absolutely authoritative (definitive).
7. v. obsolete, transitive To instruct in the gospel.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Glad tidings; especially, the good news concerning Christ, the Kingdom of God, and salvation.
2. n. One of the four narratives of the life and death of Jesus Christ, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
3. n. A selection from one of the gospels, for use in a religious service.
4. n. Any system of religious doctrine; sometimes, any system of political doctrine or social philosophy.
5. n. colloq. Anything propounded or accepted as infallibly true.
6. adj. Accordant with, or relating to, the gospel; evangelical.
7. v. obsolete To instruct in the gospel.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. folk music consisting of a genre of a cappella music originating with Black slaves in the United States and featuring call and response; influential on the development of other genres of popular music (especially soul)
2. n. an unquestionable truth
3. n. a doctrine that is believed to be of great importance
4. n. the written body of teachings of a religious group that are generally accepted by that group
5. n. the four books in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that tell the story of Christ's life and teachings