Four Gospels

Final Essay Four Gospels Rev. Lucinda Parker

This class was extremely interesting and well constructed. As a non-Christian, I learned a great deal about the variations within the gospels, which undoubtedly lead to the variations in Christian beliefs.

It is very interesting to compare the four gospels to each other and realize the message is not the same nor written for the same audience. Mark was writing presumably to Jews. Matthew was sending the message of Jesus only to Jews. Luke, written later, was writing to both Gentiles and Jews of Israel. John, the newest of the gospels was written to a universal audience.

Many of the same stories appear in at least two of the gospels yet are changed to fit the audience, which in some cases changes the meaning of the story. In Mark, Matthew and Luke, Jesus teaches in parables and he performs exorcisms (healings) In John, Jesus does not teach in parables nor does Jesus perform exorcisms. Comparing the common parables or stories, it is almost like playing the children’s game of “Gossip.” The story changes a little bit with each retelling.

I found John’s message to be the most different from the other three and the most radical. It was also the hardest to read as my own beliefs started to contradict what I was reading. John says Jesus was God. John mentions a virgin birth. John also implies that Jesus raised himself from the grave. John’s gospel presents a Jesus that was not a human teacher, but God himself. Jesus is the “I AM.”

Mark says Jesus was a man. He was the Son of God, the messiah of the Jews. Mark portrays Jesus with limited abilities or authority. Matthew said Jesus was Godlike. Matthew did believe in the Immaculate Conception and that God raised Jesus from the dead.

Luke, the most literary of the writers said Jesus was godlike and the Savior of the World. He repeated Matthew’s stance of the Immaculate Conception and God’s resurrection of Jesus.

John’s message differs greatly in the way he presents Jesus, not only from the other three gospels, but also within his gospel, which leads credence to scholarly writings that John was actually more than one writer. John says Jesus did not associate with outcasts and does not include the stories of the other three where Jesus did associate with the outcasts. Perhaps this reflects the fact John was written much later than the first three and was written only to believers rather than to non- believers of the day.

In John, Jesus talks about himself a lot and his relation with the father and why he is on earth, why he must die, etc. None of the other three gospels portray Jesus in the same light. Jesus says little about himself in the other three gospels nor of his mission here on earth other than to teach, heal and share.

The last big difference I see is that Matthew, Luke and Mark teach that God is love for everyone. Love thy neighbor as thy self. John has a totally different message. John’s message of love seems to stretch only to other believers, and that salvation is not through love and God, but only through Jesus and believing him to be God. That is quite a different message than the other three gospels.

This class was very well written. I would not have taken a course about Christianity if it were not required for the degree. I enjoyed the gospel of Thomas the most. I didn’t even know there was a gospel of Thomas. Luke was the best writer of all and obviously educated for the times.

The book that accompanied the class was an interesting translation. I compared some chapters to the NIV versions. The Greek translation was easy to read.

I would suggest this class to anyone interested in studying the gospels for the differences and similarities, which have given rise to the many denominations within Christianity.

Rev. Lucinda Parker

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