What are gospels in the Bible?

Answer 1

The "gospels" is the "misapplied name" that men [not God] have given to the "first four books" of the New Testament in the Bible [Matthew, Mark, Luke and John], that are four different perspectives concerning the ministry of Jesus Christ when He walked this earth as a mortal, flesh and blood man.

The all-inclusive label "gospels" that men have given to these books is very much a misnomer, in that "gospel" simply means "good news; or glad tidings." Which in turn is like calling the first five books of the New Testament: "The Good Newses" [???] Does that make any sense to anyone?

As an aside, however, it would seem that these books are listed a bit out of order regarding their potential rightful placement in the New Testament... as it's evident that John's "gospel" [or book] should be first. John's book is to the New Testament what the book of Genesis is to the Old; they both start the same:

"In the beginning...".

Perhaps the name "gospels" became the general label of these books not just because of man's slumbering spirit, but also from modern professing Christianity's pushing what it calls the "gospel of Jesus Christ;" which is mostly stories ABOUT Jesus, rather than the actual "message that He preached"... which was, is and has always been the "gospel" [good news or glad tidings] that's the thread that runs throughout the Bible:

"The Gospel [Good News] of the KINGDOM OF GOD" that's coming to this earth to remove man's errant, Satan-guided and worshiping, sinful, wicked rule... to replace it with God's benevolent Peaceful Government. The message, that, in spite of all the hundreds of "Christ-professing religious denominations" in the world, today; yet, very few people seem to know about it.

"...And THE GOVERNMENT [Kingdom of God] WILL REST ON HIS SHOULDERS... His ever-expanding, PEACEFUL GOVERNMENT WILL NEVER END. He will rule Forever with Fairness and Justice from the throne of His ancestor David. The PASSIONATE COMMITMENT OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY WILL GUARANTEE THIS!" (Isa.9:6-7 NLT New Living Translation)

Jesus' "message" that He preached all during His brief 3 1/2 year ministry [that hundreds of denominations calling themselves "Christian" barely preach, today] was and is a wonderful pronouncement of God's plan for the Salvation of man and the world, closing in on the fulfillment of those ancient prophecies:

"...Jesus went into Galilee to PREACH GOD'S GOOD NEWS [gospel]. 'At last the time has come!' He announced. 'THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR! Turn from your sins [repent] and BELIEVE this GOOD NEWS [gospel]!'" (Mark 1:14-15 NLT)

Jesus didn't preach a message about Himself... although, indirectly, that message was and is exactly about Him; for in that Day that He returns, He shall be the All-Powerful and Glorified returning KING of that Government, which shall rest squarely upon His shoulders!

For His part, at that time, He merely preached the near-fulfillment of the Bible's promise to replace man's wicked, errant rule on this planet with God's Perfect, Peaceful Government. That's the REAL Good News [gospel] that this world has barely heard from its hundreds of Christ-professing denominations... it doesn't believe that Good News if and when it does hear it... and that Good News which the world, living under the oppression of man's self-serving governments for millennia, can't begin to imagine.

But, anyway... until that Day... "the gospels" in question is the errant categorical name many people today have ignorantly given to the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.