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: ''This article is about the texts of the Gospels.  For information about the message of the good news itself, see [[Gospel]].''

'''Gospels''' are a genre of ancient literature concerning the life of Jesus.  The word derives from the Old English word for "[[gospel|good news]]," a translation of the Greek word ευαγγέλιον (evangelion). This refers to the "good news" being told, that [[Jesus]] has redeemed a fallen world. Each of the books reveals, by preaching and reinterpretation, the story of Jesus Christ's life, the good news about Christ's life and presence. The word gospel can also have a narrower meaning, especially when used by evangelical Christians, to mean the specific actions of Christ that are necessary for salvation.

The use of ''gospel'' (as its Greek equivalent) to denote a particular genre of writing dates back to the 2nd century. It was clearly used to denote a genre in [[Justin Martyr]] (c. 155) and more ambiguously so earlier in [[Ignatius of Antioch]] (c. 117).