gospel

/ˈɡɒspl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡɑːspl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgä-spəl/ (ame, mw)

gospel — noun

  • gospelsingular
  • gospelsplural

1. Each of the four opening volumes of the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and J

1.名詞B1
釋義

Each of the four opening volumes of the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—that tell the story of Jesus from his birth to his death and what he taught.

例句

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four books and was written first.

the Gospel of + name (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

Ryo compared the way each Gospel describes the same event in Jesus's life.

the Gospels (plural, referring to all four)

同義詞
  • scripture

    broader term covering all sacred writings of a religion, not limited to the four Gospels

  • testament

    refers to the full Old or New Testament, not just the four Gospels

文法句型

the Gospel of + name (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

用法筆記

When referring to the four books as a group, native speakers often say 'the Gospels' (plural, capitalised). When referring to a specific book, the pattern is 'the Gospel of [Name]' — for example, 'the Gospel of John.'

常見錯誤

❌The Gospel of Matthew is one of the Gospel.
✅The Gospel of Matthew is one of the Gospels.
💡'Gospel' as a countable noun referring to a book needs a plural form when speaking of all four.

2. The Christian message of salvation, hope, and forgiveness, based on the life and

2.名詞B1
釋義

The Christian message of salvation, hope, and forgiveness, based on the life and teachings of Jesus and shared through preaching.

例句

Missionaries travelled across Asia to spread the gospel to remote villages.

spread the gospel

The pastor's sermon focused on the gospel of peace and reconciliation.

the gospel of + noun

同義詞
  • scripture

    broader — all sacred writings, not just the Christian salvation message

  • creed

    a formal statement of beliefs, more structured and less personal than 'gospel'

文法句型

the gospel

the gospel of + noun

用法筆記

This sense is usually uncountable and takes 'the.' It is the original meaning of the word in English and is the most frequent sense in religious contexts.

常見錯誤

❌He preached the gospel of Matthew to the crowd.
✅He preached the gospel to the crowd.
💡When referring to the Christian message (sense 2), do not add a book name after it. Adding a book name shifts the meaning to sense 1.

3. A statement or piece of information that is believed to be completely true and i

3.名詞B2
釋義

A statement or piece of information that is believed to be completely true and is not questioned or examined.

例句

My grandfather took the old family stories as gospel and never doubted a single detail.

take + [something] + as gospel

Fans treat the coach's comments on the game as gospel, repeating them endlessly.

treat + [something] + as gospel

同義詞
  • dogma

    more rigid and often tied to institutional religion; 'gospel' in this sense is informal

  • fact

    objective and verifiable, while 'gospel' implies belief without verification

反義詞
  • rumour

    unverified information; the opposite of something accepted as certain

文法句型

take + object + as gospel

accept + object + as gospel

用法筆記

This sense appears almost exclusively in fixed expressions like 'take something as gospel,' 'accept something as gospel,' or 'treat something as gospel.' It is informal and carries the suggestion that the belief is naive or unquestioning.

常見錯誤

❌I take this fact as gospel truth.
✅I take this fact as gospel.
💡Adding 'truth' is redundant since 'gospel' already implies absolute truth in this sense.

4. An African-American church tradition of singing about faith, marked by strong vo

4.名詞B1
釋義

An African-American church tradition of singing about faith, marked by strong voices, lively rhythms, and deep feeling.

例句

The choir sang a moving gospel song that brought the audience to tears.

gospel song

Gospel music greatly influenced the development of soul, blues, and rock and roll.

Gospel music

同義詞
  • spiritual

    an earlier African-American religious folk song, less structured than gospel

文法句型

gospel + noun

用法筆記

This sense is uncountable ('I love gospel'), but it also frequently functions as a modifier before nouns — 'gospel choir,' 'gospel singer,' 'gospel tradition.' It is a distinct genre from traditional hymns or contemporary Christian music.

常見錯誤

❌She sang a gospel at church.
✅She sang a gospel song at church.
💡'Gospel' as a music style is uncountable; use 'gospel song' or 'gospel music' for countable references.

5. A set of guiding beliefs or principles that a person or group considers extremel

5.名詞C1
釋義

A set of guiding beliefs or principles that a person or group considers extremely important and tries to promote or follow.

例句

The politician preached the gospel of free trade at every campaign rally.

preach the gospel of + [principle]

For years Otis spread the gospel of healthy eating and daily exercise among his colleagues.

spread the gospel of + [idea]

同義詞
  • doctrine

    more formal and institutional; 'gospel' in this sense carries more personal passion

  • creed

    more structured and often written; 'gospel' implies active promotion

  • ideology

    broader and more political; 'gospel' suggests near-religious devotion

文法句型

a/the gospel of + noun (idea or principle)

用法筆記

This sense is a secular extension of the religious meaning. It is used metaphorically, often in a slightly critical tone, to describe a strongly held belief system. The pattern 'the gospel of [idea]' is the most common structure.

gospel — adjective