The Gospels

1
The Gospels

• Most of what we know of Jesus comes from the four
  Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
• (Though the Gospels were written after most of
  Pauls letters. Paul is actually believed to be
  the earliest writer to write about Jesus.)
• Some scholars believe the Gospel of Thomas (not
  in the New Testament) is also an early-enough
  source to contain some reliable sayings of Jesus.
• Hardly any scholars think that any other gospels
  (e.g., Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Judas, etc.)
  contain any reliable historical information.

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An Aside Historical Claims about Jesus in the NT
Outside the Gospels

• Jesus was a human person (Paul, Hebrews,
  non-Christian writings)
• Jesus was a Jew (Paul, Hebrews, non-Christian
  writings)
• Jesus was of the tribe of Judah (Hebrews)
• Jesus was a descendent of David (Paul)
• Jesus mission was to the Jews (Paul,
  non-Christian writings)
• Jesus was a teacher (Paul, James, non-Christian
  writings)
• Jesus was tested (Hebrews)
• Jesus prayed using the word Abba (Paul)
• Jesus prayed for deliverance from death (Hebrews)
• Jesus suffered (Paul, Hebrews, 1 Peter)
• Jesus interpreted his last meal with reference to
  his death (Paul, non-Christian writings)
• Jesus underwent a trial (Paul, non-Christian
  writings)
• Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate (Paul,
  non-Christian writings)
• Jesus end involved some Jews (Paul,
  non-Christian writings)
• Jesus was crucified (Paul, Hebrews, 1 Peter,
  non-Christian writings)
• Jesus was buried (Paul)
• Jesus appeared to witnesses after his death (Paul)

Source Luke Timothy Johnson, The Real Jesus (New
York HarperCollins, 1996), pp. 121-122
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• Gospel means Good News. The word can refer to
  the message preached by Christians as well as to
  the four books we call Gospels.
• The Greek word for gospel is e?a???????
  (e?good a???????news or message). In
  Latin its transliterated to evangelium (u and
  v are the same letter in early Latin).
• From that we get the words evangelical (someone
  focused on the good news) and evangelist
  (proclaimer of the good news).
• And authors of the four Gospels are also called
  the Evangelists.
• Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic
  Gospels because they share a common (syn)
  viewpoint (optic).
• They are similar to each other. The Gospel of
  John is quite different.

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• The Synoptic Gospels
• Begin with John the Baptist or birth and
  childhood stories
• Jesus is baptized by John
• Jesus speaks in parables and aphorisms
• Jesus is a sage
• Jesus is an exorcist
• Gods reign is the theme of Jesus own gospel
  (good news)
• Jesus has little to say about himself
• Jesus espouses the causes of the poor and
  oppressed
• The public ministry lasts one year
• The temple incident is late
• Jesus eats a last supper with his disciples

• The Gospel of John
• Begins with creation no birth or childhood
  stories.
• Baptism of Jesus is not mentioned
• Jesus speaks in long involved discourses
• Jesus is a philosopher and mystic
• Jesus performs no exorcisms
• Jesus himself is the theme of his own teaching
• Jesus reflects extensively on his own mission and
  person
• Jesus has little or nothing to say about the poor
  and the oppressed
• The public ministry lasts three years
• The temple incident is early
• Foot washing replaces the last supper

Adapted from Funk, et al., The Five Gospels (New
York Macmillan, 1993), p. 11
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Which of the Synoptic Gospels Came First?

• While the Synoptic Gospels share much in common,
  they also diverge in significant ways.
• While Matthew and Luke both begin with birth
  accounts (Mark does not), they dont agree very
  closely until they get to Jesus baptism, which
  is where Mark begins.
• While Matthew and Luke both end with stories of
  the risen Jesus appearing (Mark does not), these
  stories dont agree very closely eitherthey stop
  agreeing very closely after Marks stopping
  point.
• Often all three Gospels follow the same order.
  When they dont, then usually Matthew and Mark
  agree against Luke, or Luke and Mark agree
  against Matthew, but Matthew and Luke only rarely
  agree against Mark.
• Therefore, most scholars conclude that Matthew
  and Luke came after Mark, and that they used Mark
  for the outline of their own accounts.

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Luke 440-41 As the sun was setting, all those
who had any who were sick with various kinds of
diseases brought them to him and he laid his
hands on each of them and cured them. Demons also
came out of many, shouting, You are the Son of
God! But he rebuked them and would not allow
them to speak, because they knew that he was the
Messiah.
Matthew 816-17 That evening they brought to him
many who were possessed with demons and he cast
out the spirits with a word, and cured all who
were sick. This was to fulfill what had been
spoken through the prophet Isaiah, He took our
infirmities and bore our diseases.
Mark 132-34 That evening, at sundown, they
brought to him all who were sick or possessed
with demons. And the whole city was gathered
around the door. And he cured many who were sick
with various diseases, and cast out many demons
and he would not permit the demons to speak,
because they knew him.
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Matthew 2029-34 As they were leaving Jericho, a
large crowd followed him. There were two blind
men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that
Jesus was passing by, they shouted, Lord, have
mercy on us, Son of David! The crowd sternly
ordered them to be quiet but they shouted even
more loudly, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of
David! Jesus stood still and called them,
saying, What do you want me to do for you? They
said to him, Lord, let our eyes be opened.
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes.
Immediately they regained their sight and
followed him.
Mark 1046-52 They came to Jericho. As he and his
disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho,
Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was
sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it
was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and
say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!
Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he
cried out even more loudly, Son of David, have
mercy on me! Jesus stood still and said, Call
him here. And they called the blind man, saying
to him, Take heart get up, he is calling you.
So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came
to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, What do you
want me to do for you? The blind man said to
him, My teacher, let me see again. Jesus said
to him, Go your faith has made you well.
Immediately he regained his sight and followed
him on the way.
Luke 1835-43 As he approached Jericho, a blind
man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he
heard a crowd going by, he asked what was
happening. They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is
passing by. Then he shouted, Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me! Those who were in front
sternly ordered him to be quiet but he shouted
even more loudly, Son of David, have mercy on
me! Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be
brought to him and when he came near, he asked
him, What do you want me to do for you? He
said, Lord, let me see again. Jesus said to
him, Receive your sight your faith has saved
you. Immediately he regained his sight and
followed him, glorifying God and all the people,
when they saw it, praised God.
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Luke 241-10 But on the first day of the week, at
early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the
spices that they had prepared. They found the
stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they
went in, they did not find the body. While they
were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women
were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground, but the men said to them, Why do you
look for the living among the dead? He is not
here, but has risen. Remember how he told you,
while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners, and be
crucified, and on the third day rise again. Then
they remembered his words, and returning from the
tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all
the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary
the mother of James, and the other women with
them who told this to the apostles.
Matthew 281-8 After the sabbath, as the first
day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly
there was a great earthquake for an angel of the
Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled
back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was
like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
For fear of him the guards shook and became like
dead men. But the angel said to the women, Do
not be afraid I know that you are looking for
Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for he
has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place
where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his
disciples, He has been raised from the dead, and
indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee there
you will see him. This is my message for you.
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great
joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Mark 161-8 When the sabbath was over, Mary
Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and
Salome bought spices, so that they might go and
anoint him. And very early on the first day of
the week, when the sun had risen, they went to
the tomb. They had been saying to one another,
Who will roll away the stone for us from the
entrance to the tomb? When they looked up, they
saw that the stone, which was very large, had
already been rolled back. As they entered the
tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white
robe, sitting on the right side and they were
alarmed. But he said to them, Do not be alarmed
you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was
crucified. He has been raised he is not here.
Look, there is the place they laid him. But go,
tell his disciples and Peter that he is going
ahead of you to Galilee there you will see him,
just as he told you. So they went out and fled
from the tomb, for terror and amazement had
seized them and they said nothing to anyone, for
they were afraid.
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The Q Document

• While Matthew and Luke follow Marks outline,
  they also share considerable material in common
  (about 200 verses) that does not appear in Mark
  at all. Again, they agree very closely, even in
  word usage.
• Almost all of this material consists of sayings
  or parables.
• Much of this material is also found in the Gospel
  of Thomas.
• Therefore, most scholars conclude that there is
  another source that Matthew and Luke drew upon,
  which they have dubbed Q (from the German word
  Quelle which means source).
• Nobody has ever found a copy of Q, but most
  scholars think it represents a common source,
  which may have been oral or written or a bit of
  both.

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Luke 620b-23 Blessed are you who are poor, for
yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you
who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will
laugh. Blessed are you when people
hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you,
and defame you on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely
your reward is great in heaven for that is what
their ancestors did to the prophets.
Matthew 53-12 Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the
earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive
mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they will be called children of God. Blessed
are those who are persecuted for righteousness
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and
persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against
you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward is great in heaven, for in the
same way they persecuted the prophets who were
before you.
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Matthew 69-13 Pray then in this way Our
Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your
kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it
is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to
the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil
one.
Luke 112-4 He said to them, When you pray, say
Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom
come. Give us each day our daily bread. And
forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive
everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to
the time of trial.
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Two Source Theory
Four Source Theory