The term “Gospels”, from the Greek word euangelion meaning “good news”, designates the four accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus by Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, which appeared in writing from 60 AD. to 100 AD in the above sequence. Before they were written down, the contents of the Gospels had been disseminated orally. The Greek verb “euangelizomai,” which means “to proclaim the good news,” enables us to refer to the authors of the Gospels as evangelists. In this context, however, the term “authors” does not necessarily refer to the composers of the written gospels. Rather, the so-called four evangelists told the stories of their association with Jesus, and of the association of others with him. The oral tradition by which their narratives were preserved and…
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Citation: Labriola, Albert. "The Gospels". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 November 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1335, accessed 25 November 2024.]
