King James Bible Dictionary

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" (Matthew 4:23), "the gospel of Christ" (Romans 1:16), "the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15), "the glorious gospel," "the everlasting gospel," "the gospel of salvation" (Ephesians 1:13).

Called:

Gospel of the Kingdom
Matthew 4:23; Matthew 24:14

Gospel of God
Romans 1:1; Romans 15:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy 1:11; 1 Peter 4:17

Gospel of Jesus Christ
Mark 1:1

Gospel of Christ
Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 9:12; 1 Corinthians 9:18; Galatians 1:7; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 3:2

The Dispensation of the Grace of God
Ephesians 3:2

The Grace of God
Acts 20:24

Gospel of Salvation
Ephesians 1:13

Gospel of Peace
Ephesians 6:15

The Kingdom of God
Luke 16:16

Glorious Gospel of Christ
2 Corinthians 4:4

Preaching of Jesus Christ
Romans 16:25

Mystery of Christ
Ephesians 3:4

Mystery of the Gospel
Ephesians 6:19

Word of God
1 Thessalonians 2:13

Word of Christ
Colossians 3:16

Word of Salvation
Acts 13:26

Word of Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:19

Word of Truth
Ephesians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 6:7

Word of Faith
Romans 10:8

Word of Life
Philippians 2:16

Ministration of the Spirit
2 Corinthians 3:8

Doctrine According to Godliness
1 Timothy 6:3

Form of Sound Words
2 Timothy 1:13

Likened to:

A mustard seed
Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-33; Luke 13:18-19

Good seed
Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:36-43

Leaven
Matthew 13:33

A pearl of great price
Matthew 13:45-46; Luke 13:20-21

A treasure hidden in a field
Matthew 13:44

A householder
Matthew 20:1-16

A feast
Luke 14:16-24

Unclassified scriptures relating to
Psalms 46:4-5; Psalms 89:15; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 7:22; Matthew 13:17; Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 1:14-15; Mark 13:10; Mark 16:15; Luke 1:67-79; Luke 2:10-14; Luke 2:34; Luke 4:18-19; Luke 10:23-24; Luke 16:16; Luke 17:20-21; John 1:16-17; John 4:14; John 8:32; John 12:35; John 12:50; John 17:7-8; John 13:20; John 18:36; Acts 2:11; Acts 5:20; Acts 10:36; Acts 13:32-33; Acts 14:3; Acts 16:17; Acts 20:24; Acts 20:32; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 10:15-18; Romans 15:29; Romans 16:25-26; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 1:24-25; 1 Corinthians 2:4-7; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 4:20; 1 Corinthians 9:16-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:6-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 9:15; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Galatians 2:2; Galatians 3:8; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 3:8-11; Ephesians 6:15; Ephesians 6:17; Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 1:5-6; Colossians 1:23; Colossians 1:26-29; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Timothy 1:10-11; 1 Timothy 2:4; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:6; 2 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:3; Hebrews 4:2; Hebrews 5:13; Hebrews 6:1; Hebrews 7:19; James 1:18; James 1:21; James 1:25; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 1:25; Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 4:6; 1 Peter 5:12; 2 Peter 1:16; 2 Peter 1:19; 2 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:8; Jude 1:3; Revelation 14:6-7

Called The New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 7:22; Hebrews 8:6-13; Hebrews 9:8-15; Hebrews 10:9; Hebrews 12:22-24

Prophecies relating to

General references
Psalms 46:4; Isaiah 2:3-5; Isaiah 4:2-6; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 25:7; Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 29:24; Isaiah 32:3; Isaiah 35:5; Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 41:27; Isaiah 42:6-7; Isaiah 43:18-21; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 49:13; Isaiah 51:4-6; Isaiah 52:7; Isaiah 55:1-5; Isaiah 60:1-22; Isaiah 61:1-3; Ezekiel 34:23-31; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Joel 2:28-32; Micah 4:1-7; Matthew 24:14
Church, The Collective Body of Believers, Prophecies Concerning Prosperity of; Jesus, The Christ, Kingdom of; Jesus, The Christ, Mission of; Kingdom of Heaven

GOS'PEL, noun [Latin evangelium, a good or joyful message.]

The history of the birth, life, actions, death, resurrection, ascension and doctrines of Jesus Christ; or a revelation of the grace of God to fallen man through a mediator, including the character, actions, and doctrines of Christ, with the whole scheme of salvation, as revealed by Christ and his apostles. This gospel is said to have been preached to Abraham, by the promise, 'in thee shall all nations be blessed.' Galatians 3:8.

It is called the gospel of God. Romans 1:1.

It is called the gospel of Christ. Romans 1:16.

It is called the gospel of salvation. Ephesians 1:13.

1. God's word.

2. Divinity; theology.

3. Any general doctrine.

GOS'PEL, verb transitive To instruct in the gospel; or to fill with sentiments of religion.

GOS'PEL-GOSSIP, noun One who is over zealous in running about among his neighbors to lecture on religious subjects.

GOS'PELIZE, verb transitive To form according to the gospel.

1. To instruct in the gospel; to evangelize; as, to gospelize the savages.

GOS'PELIZED, participle passive Instructed in the christian religion.

GOS'PELIZING, participle present tense Evangelizing; instructing in the christian religion.

GOS'PELLER, noun An evangelist; also, a follower of Wickliffe, the first Englishman who attempted a reformation from popery. [Not much used.

1. He who reads the gospel at the altar.

The central fact of Christian preaching was the intelligence that the Saviour had come into the world (Matthew 4:23; Romans 10:15); and the first Christian preachers who called their account of the person and mission of Christ by the term evangelion_ (= good message) were called _evangelistai (= evangelists) (Ephesians 4:11; Acts 21:8).

There are four historical accounts of the person and work of Christ- "the first by Matthew, announcing the Redeemer as the promised King of the kingdom of God; the second by Mark, declaring him a prophet, mighty in deed and word'; the third by Luke, of whom it might be said that he represents Christ in the special character of the Saviour of sinners (Luke 7:36; 15:18); the fourth by John, who represents Christ as the Son of God, in whom deity and humanity become one. The ancient Church gave to Matthew the symbol of the lion, to Mark that of a man, to Luke that of the ox, and to John that of the eagle- these were the four faces of the cherubim" (Ezekiel 1:10).

Date. The Gospels were all composed during the latter part of the first century, and there is distinct historical evidence to show that they were used and accepted as authentic before the end of the second century.

Mutual relation. "If the extent of all the coincidences be represented by 100, their proportionate distribution will be- Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 53; Matthew and Luke, 21; Matthew and Mark, 20; Mark and Luke, 6. Looking only at the general result, it may be said that of the contents of the synoptic Gospels [i.e., the first three Gospels] about two-fifths are common to the three, and that the parts peculiar to one or other of them are little more than one-third of the whole."

Origin. Did the evangelists copy from one another? The opinion is well founded that the Gospels were published by the apostles orally before they were committed to writing, and that each had an independent origin. (See MATTHEW, GOSPEL OF.)

The name Gospel (from god and spell , Ang. Sax. good message or news , which is a translation of the Greek euaggelion) is applied to the four inspired histories of the life and teaching of Christ contained in the New Testament, of which separate accounts are given in their place. They were all composed during the latter half of the first century: those of St. Matthew and St. Mark some years before the destruction of Jerusalem; that of St. Luke probably about A.D. 64; and that of St. John towards the close of the century. Before the end of the second century, there is abundant evidence that the four Gospels, as one collection, were generally used and accepted. As a matter of literary history, nothing can be better established than the genuineness of the Gospels. On comparing these four books one with another, a peculiar difficulty claims attention, which has had much to do with the controversy as to their genuineness. In the fourth Gospel the narrative coincided with that of the other three in a few passages only. The received explanation is the only satisfactory one namely, that John, writing last, at the close of the first century had seen the other Gospels, and purposely abstained from writing anew what they had sufficiently recorded. In the other three Gospels there is a great amount of agreement. If we suppose the history that they contain to be divided into 89 sections, in 42 of these all the three narratives coincide, 12 more are given by Matthew and Mark only, 5 by Mark and Luke only, and 14 by Matthew and Luke. To these must be added 5 peculiar to Matthew, 2 to Mark and 9 to Luke, and the enumeration is complete. But this applies only to general coincidence as to the facts narrated: the amount of verbal coincidence, that is, the passages either verbally the same or coinciding in the use of many of the same words, is much smaller. It has been ascertained by Stroud that "if the total contents of the several Gospels be represented by 100, the following table is obtained: Matthew has 42 peculiarities and 58 coincidences. Mark has 7 peculiarities and 93 coincidences. Luke has 59 peculiarities and 41 coincidences. John has 92 peculiarities and 8 coincidences. Why four Gospels.

1. To bring four separate independent witnesses to the truth.
2. It is to give the Lord's life from every point of view, four living portraits of one person. There were four Gospels because Jesus was to be commended to four races or classes of men, or to four phases of human thought,

   the Jewish, Roman, Greek and Christian. Had not these exhausted the classes to be reached, there would doubtless have been more Gospels. In all ages, the Jewish, Roman and Greek natures reappear among men, and, in fact, make up the world of natural men, while the Christian nature and wants likewise remain essentially the same. The FIRST GOSPEL was prepared by Matthew for the Jew. He gives us the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah of the Jews, the Messianic royalty of Jesus. He places the life and character of Jesus, as lived on earth, alongside the life and character of the Messiah, as sketched in the prophets, showing Christianity as the fulfillment of Judaism. Mark wrote the SECOND GOSPEL. It was substantially the preaching of Peter to the Romans. The Gospel for him must represent the character and career of Jesus from the Roman point of view, as answering to the idea of divine power, work, law, conquest and universal sway; must retain its old significance and ever-potent inspiration at the battle-call of the almighty Conqueror. Luke wrote the THIRD GOSPEL in Greece for the Greek. It has its basis in the gospel which Paul and Luke, by long preaching to the Greeks, had already thrown into the form best suited to commend to their acceptance Jesus as the perfect divine man. It is the gospel of the future, of progressive Christianity, of reason and culture seeking the perfection of manhood. John, "the beloved disciple," wrote the FOURTH GOSPEL for the Christian, to cherish and train those who have entered the new kingdom of Christ, into the highest spiritual life.

   Condensed from, Prof. Gregory.