Question: What was the English meaning of the Greek word "gospel"?
Answer: Good news.
Comments: The Biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are designated as gospels. The word gospel derives from the Old English word god-spell meaning "good tidings" or "good news". It is a direct translation of the Greek word euangelion, from which the English language also gets the term "evangelist". Of the four canonical gospels, the word itself appears only in Matthew and Mark and the Gospel of Mark is the only book to designate itself as a gospel.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1, NASB)
The word gospel was not original to Christianity. In the Roman world, before the time of Christ, the word was associated with Augustus Caesar (63 BCE-14 CE), who ruled at the time of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:1). Augustus was lauded as the "savior of the world" because of the peace he initiated and maintained. The early Christian movement adopted the term gospel and redefined it.
Note: The top picture is of the Harlem Gospel Choir.
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