1. [n]  a doctrine that is believed to be of great importance; "Newton's writings were gospel for those who followed"
2. [n]  four books in the New Testament that tell the story of Christ's life and teachings
3. [n]  an unquestionable truth; "his word was gospel"
4. [n]  the body of teachings of a religious group that are generally accepted by that group
5. [n]  a genre of a capella 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)

1. \Gos"pel\, n. [OE. gospel, godspel, AS. godspell; god God
   + spell story, tale. See {God}, and {Spell}, v.]
   1. Glad tidings; especially, the good news concerning Christ,
      the Kingdom of God, and salvation.
   
            And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their
            synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom.
                                                  --Matt. iv.
                                                  23.
   
            The steadfast belief of the promises of the gospel.
                                                  --Bentley.
   
   Note: It is probable that gospel is from. OE. godspel, God
         story, the narrative concerning God; but it was early
         confused with god spell, good story, good tidings, and
         was so used by the translators of the Authorized
         version of Scripture. This use has been retained in
         most cases in the Revised Version.
   
               Thus the literal sense [of gospel] is the
               ``narrative of God,'' i. e., the life of Christ.
                                                  --Skeat.
   
   2. One of the four narratives of the life and death of Jesus
      Christ, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
   
   3. A selection from one of the gospels, for use in a
      religious service; as, the gospel for the day.
   
   4. Any system of religious doctrine; sometimes, any system of
      political doctrine or social philosophy; as, this
      political gospel. --Burke.
   
   5. Anything propounded or accepted as infallibly true; as,
      they took his words for gospel. [Colloq.]
   
            If any one thinks this expression hyperbolical, I
            shall only ask him to read [OE]dipus, instead of
            taking the traditional witticisms about Lee for
            gospel.                               --Saintsbury.
   
   

2. \Gos"pel\, a.
   Accordant with, or relating to, the gospel; evangelical; as,
   gospel righteousness. --Bp. Warburton.
   
   

3. \Gos"pel\, v. t.
   To instruct in the gospel. [Obs.] --Shak.
   
   

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).