<P> Gospel (/ ˈɡɒspəl /) is the Old English translation of Greek εὐαγγέλιον, evangelion, meaning "good news". It originally meant the Christian message itself, but in the 2nd century it came to be used for the books in which the message was set out . </P> <P> The four gospels of the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke and John--are the main source of information on the life of Jesus . For various reasons modern scholars are cautious of relying on them uncritically, but nevertheless they do provide a good idea of the public career of Jesus, and critical study can attempt to distinguish the original ideas of Jesus from those of the later authors . </P> <P> The four canonical gospels, like the rest of the New Testament, were written in Greek, Mark probably c . AD 66--70, Matthew and Luke around AD 85--90, and John AD 90--110 . Despite the traditional ascriptions, all four are anonymous, and none were written by eyewitnesses . </P> <P> In the immediate aftermath of Jesus' death his followers expected him to return at any moment, certainly within their own lifetimes, and in consequence there was little motivation to write anything down for future generations, but as eyewitnesses began to die, and as the missionary needs of the church grew, there was an increasing demand and need for written versions of the founder's life and teachings . The stages of this process can be summarised as follows: </P>

When were the gospels of the new testament written