Background to the New Testament: Why Four Gospels?

Background to the New Testament: Why Four Gospels


When one looks at a glossy automobile brochure one often finds photos of the vehicle taken from different angles – front, rear, side, interior, which together give a more accurate picture of the vehicle than one view alone could do. Similarly, the four gospels give us four different perspectives of Jesus, correlating with the character and insights of the authors.

The first three, Matthew, Mark and Luke, called collectively the Synoptic Gospels, have similar core material, 85% of Mark appearing in the other two. Luke and Matthew share some material that is not contained in Mark; each also has some independent material. John’s Gospel has some of the same stories but told in different words. The rest of John is quite different in the way it is presented. Mark was probably written first, although Matthew appears first in the Bible.

Matthew:

Author: Matthew, also called Levi, a Jewish tax-collector and public servant who had collaborated with the Romans but became one of Jesus’ 12 disciples.
Portrait of Jesus: the King of the Jews
Intention: to demonstrate Jesus’ claim to the title of King, his royal lineage, eg the visit of the wise men looking for the King of the Jews, King Herod’s jealousy, the charge of treason for claiming to be a king and the label on the cross all point to the Kingship of Jesus.
Intended audience: Jewish believers or inquirers. Also provides a discipleship manual for both Gentile and Jewish believers rooted in the Jewish faith.
Starting point: genealogy of Jesus’ legal father, Joseph, back through King David to Abraham, the progenitor of the Hebrew people.
Characteristics: quotes the Old Testament more than the other gospels. Very Jewish in character despite the opposition which Jesus received from the Jewish authorities. Teaching of Jesus divided into 5 sections (cf the five books of Moses), separated by actions of Jesus, eg. miracles, which illustrate the teaching.

*****************
Mark:

Forms the back-bone of Luke’s and Matthew’s gospels but is written in a fast-paced style.
Author: John Mark, a young Jewish believer from a wealthy family. Cousin of Barnabas. Has a Jewish first name and Latin second name, suggesting he may have been a Roman citizen. His mother’s home in Jerusalem as a gathering place for the early church. Accompanied Paul, Barnabas, and Silas on various journeys. Personal assistant/secretary to Peter when he was in Rome. Collected Peter’s sermons.
Portrait of Jesus: Son of Man
Intention: to show that Jesus was both God and Man. Jesus’ identity is a key question.
Intended audience: Gentiles in Rome.
Starting point: John the Baptist (or the baptizer), Jesus’ cousin, a colourful character, preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry by preaching in the wilderness about the need for repentance as the Kingdom of God is about to appear.
Characteristics: Fast moving newscast consisting of “sound-bites” of Jesus’ deeds and sayings. Jesus gradually reveals who he is in order to avoid prematurely encouraging people into declaring him the Messiah and provoking the Romans too soon. Jesus’ humanity and divinity both emphasized. People’s response to Jesus was either fear or faith. His disciples gradually progress from fear to faith. Gospel has three possible endings found in different manuscripts, the shortest of which ends in mid-sentence immediately after Jesus’ resurrection, the longest version appears to summarize the endings of the other gospels.

******************
Luke

Author: Luke, a Greek-speaking physician, seasoned traveler and meticulous historian who accompanied Paul on some of his missionary journeys and was able to research his information over several years. Luke is the only Gentile author to pen a book in the Bible. Luke also wrote the book of Acts (which appears after John) as a sequel to his Gospel. Acts tells the story of the early church, from the time that Jesus ascended, until just before Paul and Peter were martyred in Rome.
Portrait of Jesus: The Saviour of the world, a “light to the Gentiles”
Intention: to persuade his readers that Jesus was innocent, and that the early Christians, were not a threat to the Roman Empire. Paints the Romans in a good light as wanting to declare Jesus innocent. Portrays Jesus as not only the Jewish saviour but as the saviour of the whole world, including the Gentiles.
Intended audience: written for someone by the name of Theophilus (see Acts 1:1) whose title of “most excellent” suggests he was a member of the legal profession or judiciary, possibly as a legal brief to assist in Paul’s trial on a charge of sedition. By extension, it is for Gentiles interested in the new Christian faith.
Starting point: the events surrounding the birth of Christ and his childhood. Jesus’ genealogy is traced back to Adam (stressing Jesus common humanity with all races, not just his Jewish heritage), following Mary’s line, rather than Joseph’s. Also tells us the background of John the Baptist.
Characteristics: Dr Luke’s compassion for the human condition is evident in his description of healing miracles and the nativity story, told from Mary’s perspective. He has a bias towards the poor, the marginalized and disadvantaged, such as Samaritans, tax-collectors and prostitutes. Instead of Matthew’s account of the Magi, Luke tells us about the humble shepherds coming to the stable and about Gentiles who have faith in Christ.

He tells more stories about women than the other gospels do. He also talks more about the role of the Holy Spirit, of angels and about heaven than the other Synoptics, and about the prayer-life of Jesus. Some of the most well-known parables (eg the Good Samaritan and the prodigal son) are found only in Luke.


*********************
John

Author: John, son of Zebedee the fisherman, and brother of James. Jesus’closest friend and follower, one of the 12 disciples, the one Jesus assigned to look after His mother Mary when Jesus was crucified. The only one of the twelve to die of old age in exile on the island of Patmos (the others were all martyred). Also authored the letters of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, and the book of Revelation.
Portrait of Jesus: eternal Son of God
Intention: (a) to encourage followers of Christ to continue believing in Him and thereby inherit eternal life. (b) to address two opposite early heresies in the early church: one which denied Jesus’ true humanity and the other which denied His divinity. John takes pains to show that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine.
Intended audience: committed Christians.
Starting point: Jesus’ eternal pre-existence as the Word of God, the reason (Greek “Logos”) behind all of creation. This “Word”, who was God, took on human flesh, lived, died and rose again bodily.
Characteristics: probably the last of the four gospels written. Shares only a small amount of material with the Synoptic gospels and uses different vocabulary even when he tells the same story. The most theologically-developed Gospel. Mentions only 7 miracles (in addition to the resurrection of Christ) and relatively few stories but recounts long discourses of teaching by Jesus. The miracles mentioned each set the stage for the teaching which follows. Tells of a number of different visits Jesus made to Jerusalem (the other Gospels only mention 1). Contains more teaching on the Holy Spirit than the other gospels. Doesn’t describe the institution of the Lord’s Supper (communion) but does provide spiritual teaching about it. He also quotes the 7 “I am” sayings of Jesus: I am…the door (or the gate), the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way the truth and the life, the true vine, the light of the world, the bread of life.

If you are new to reading the scriptures, start with Mark or Matthew, then read Luke and Acts (the sequel to Luke) and finally John’s gospel.