Gospel
/ˈɡɑːspəl/
nounB2
Definition
Gospel originally means the message about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the foundation of Christian faith. More generally, it can mean a set of ideas or beliefs that people accept as true without doubt.
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See It in Action
The Christian message about Jesus Christ’s life and teachings
- •The Gospel of John is one of the four books telling about Jesus.
- •Many churches teach from the gospel to guide their followers.
- •The gospel teaches love, kindness, and forgiveness.
Something accepted as completely true or very important
- •He treats her advice as gospel and never questions it.
- •In the office, that rule is gospel—everyone must follow it.
- •She spoke with gospel certainty about her plans.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "gospel" like "story" (A1 word), but a very important and true story for many people
- ✓Picture a book or message that tells about someone's life and important lessons, like a guide for how to live
- ✓It's the feeling of hearing something you trust deeply and believe without question
- ✓Sounds like "GOSS-pull" → imagine a gentle voice telling a very important secret that changes lives
- ✓Think of famous stories like the Bible’s four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) that tell about Jesus’ life
- ✓NOT like "fiction" (made-up stories), gospel is believed to be true and real by believers
- ✓NOT like "news" (daily updates), gospel is a permanent, important message
- ✓NOT like "opinion" (personal thought), gospel is accepted as truth by a group of people
Try Other Words
- •Doctrine: a set of beliefs taught by a religion or group (Use when focusing on formal religious teachings)
- •Message: information or idea communicated (Use when talking generally about what is told or taught)
- •Teaching: lessons or ideas to learn (Use when emphasizing learning or instruction)
- •Truth: something that is real and correct (Use when focusing on factual accuracy)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "gosp-" from Old English "godspel" meaning "good news" + "-el" suffix
- •Etymology: From Old English "godspel," which means "good news" or "glad tidings," originally about Jesus’ message
- •Historical development: Used from early Christian times to describe the message of Jesus; later also used more generally for important truths
- •Modern usage: Still used in religion for the Christian message and also in everyday language to mean something accepted as absolutely true
Reflect & Connect
•How does the meaning of gospel as "good news" influence how people feel when they hear it?
•Can something outside religion be called gospel? When might people use this word in everyday life?
Fill in the blanks
1.The gospel teaches people to ___ others with kindness and forgiveness.
2.When someone treats advice as gospel, they believe it ___ without question.
3.The four gospels in the Bible tell the story of ___ life and teachings.
4.Unlike regular stories, gospel is accepted as ___ by many people.
5.In some places, the rules are treated as gospel and must be ___ exactly.
6.Gospel originally means "good news," so it often ___ important and positive messages.
7.She spoke with gospel certainty, meaning she was very ___ about her statement.