The word gospel originally was defined by the Christian message itself–the truth that Jesus is the son of God, fully human yet fully God, was born on earth by a virgin, spent the last three years of His life on earth sharing who His is with others, and then gave Himself , though faultless, as a sacrifice for all sin so that believers may receive salvation and spend eternity in heaven.

Over time, gospel came to be used for the books in which the story of salvation through Jesus is written: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each of the four gospels are written by a different author, and are originally directed at different audiences. Though the tone and setting of each book differ, their main purpose is clear throughout–to explain in their own style without a doubt the purpose of Jesus on earth.