Chapter 12 The Four Gospels

by Chaplain Ron McCants

The Literary Worlds of The Gospels

• Mark: The Secret Revealed through Suffering

• Matthew: A Higher Righteousness

• Luke: Good News for All

• John: The Journey of Jesus

Mark: The Secret Revealed through Suffering

• This crucial theme: This Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

• John the Baptizer, "He who is mightier than I" Mark 1:7

• Mark 8:18 Jesus Rebukes the Twelve

Matthew: A Higher Righteousness

• The genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17

• Matthew 7:28

• Like Moses, Jesus delivers an authoritative teaching from a mountain: "You have heard of old… but I say to you…" Clarity of the old.

• Matthew 26:42 Jesus acceptance of the cross

Luke: Good News for All

• Theophilus "friend of God"• Universalism - "all the people Mt. 2:10• Social Justice - Mary Magnificat - Mt. 1:46-55• Compassion for Outcasts - Those branded with

social disapproval receive his attention as in Matthew 7:36-50; 17:11-19; 19:1-10

• The Role of Women - Two sisters, Mary and Martha, Mt. 10:38-42

• The Holy Spirit - Mt. 3:21-22 on Jesus• Risen Lord - Mt. 24:52

John: The Journey of Jesus

• Proclamation of the "Good News"

John 20:31

• The beginning of Jesus' ministry –

Jn 2:13-25

• The "LOGOS" is identified with the light of creation (Gen. 1:3-4) and is the true source of religious illumination.

• Curing a blind man in Jerusalem, John 9

The Historical World: The Settings of the Gospels

Mark the Earliest

• First Peter 5:13

• Acts 12:12

• Assumption that readers are not familiar with Hebrew and Aramaic- Mark 5:41;

7:3-4, 22

Matthew the Tax Collector

• Matthew 9:9 and 10:3

• Presupposes tension between traditional Jews and Christians

Luke the Physician

• also the author of Acts

• Colossian 4:14 and 2 Timothy 4:11

• Acts reflects the influence of Pauline theology

John the "beloved disciple"

• The Evangelist• John 21:24• Portrays Jesus as the Redeemer who

came from the Father to reveal God's glory on earth and then returned to the Father.

• The Johannine School include studies of John's letters

• 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation

Class Assignment• Use the handout

• Skim through Chapter 12 and write some characteristics of the literary world, historical world, and contemporary world of the gospels.

• Be prepared to discuss in class