Reading Guide to the Four Gospels
New Testament: The first book in the NT to be written was Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. The first gospel to be written was Mark. While the order of the books in the canon should not affect the importance that we attribute to them, it is perhaps significant that Matthew was, until very recently, the most quoted gospel. It has recently been supplanted by John.
The Four Gospels
The Synoptic Gospels: The first three gospels appear to share common sources or compositional story.
Mark is considered the earliest gospel and was written around 66 C. E. on the eve of the Jewish revolt that led to the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. Matthew contains 90% of Mark. As a result, Mark is often ignored and sadly, we will tend to do the same in this course. Those who choose to read this gospel will note a number of tendencies. Mark has a breathless style of writing. Sentence after sentence begins with language of immediacy, as though Jesus' baptism sets into effect a cascading series of events that culminate with his execution and then resurrection. Mark also emphasizes a pattern in which Jesus asks people who have witnesses his miracles to keep quiet. Jesus seems to avoid attention rather than seek it. Scholars refer to this as the "Messianic Secret." Evangelical scholars suggest that Mark wants his reader to understand that we cannot fully understand who Jesus was based upon his miracles. We can understand Jesus properly only by looking back at him through the lens of his death and resurrection.
Matthew is written between 80-90 C.E. and is the most Jewish of the gospels. Matthew focuses upon the theme of righteousness and God's kingdom and draws frequently upon Old Testament motifs. The gospel has a distinct structure of 5 discourses framed and connected by narrative.
Sermon on the Mount 5:1-7:29
Missionary discourse 10:1-11:1a
Parables discourse 13:1-52
Ecclesiastical discourse 18:1-35
Eschatological discourse 24:1-26:1a.
Read Matthew's Infancy Narrative (chapters 1-2). Which elements of the "Christmas story," as you know, it are missing from Matthew? [You will probably find them in Luke's account.] How would you characterize the conflict that Matthew introduces in his Gospel? With which book of the Torah can this be compared? Read the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7). With which parts of this sermon are you most familiar? Which demands or encouragements do you find startling? Which demands of the sermon do you find most difficult to meet in your own life? Read Matthew 14:1-17:13. This section of the gospel contains a number of key incidents that mark a turning point in Jesus' ministry from a healing and preaching ministry to the conflict that ends with his death. What does each episode teach you about human kingship versus divine kingship? Read Matthew 21:1-27. When the crowd welcomes Jesus this way, what do you think they are expecting from him? How do you think people who have come a long way for the Passover or are residence of Jerusalem would react to his actions in the Temple? Read chapter 25. This chapter contains 3 parables about final judgment. How does the last one illuminate the sort of vigilance and use of talents to which Jesus refers in the first two parables? Read 26:1-28:20, the passion narrative and the resurrection account. Write out the words that Jesus speaks over the bread and wine at the Last Supper. Write out Jesus’ prayer to God in the garden of Gethsemane. What important teaching about non-violence does Jesus teach at his arrest? What does Jesus call Judas at his arrest? Does this surprise you? How does the choice between Barabbas and Jesus continue the pattern established at the beginning of this gospel? With which elements of the crucifixion story are you most familiar? Which elements are totally new to you? If you were in Jerusalem and had witnessed Jesus’ death, whose account of the empty tomb would you be inclined to believe, that of Mary Magdalene and the disciples or the one told by the soldiers? Why? Jesus’ final commandment in the gospel (28:19) is called the "Great Commission." Memorize the commission. Write down its final promise in verse 20.
Luke is actually part of a two volume work that includes Acts. Luke seems to have written his gospel independently from Matthew at about the same time and also relies upon Mark as well as another source available to Matthew. We call this second source Q for the German word for source, Quelle. Read 1:1-4 and then Acts 1:1-11 to see how the author understands his work. We will limit our reading of Luke to a few distinctive stories. Begin with Luke's infancy narrative (chapters 1-3). Read the following parables that are found only in Luke: the Good Samaritan (10:25-37) and the Prodigal Son (15:11-32). Read the following stories that are unique to Luke: Mary and Martha (10:38-42); the ten lepers (17:11-19) ; Zacchaeus (19:1-10). What are Luke’s special contributions to the "Christmas Story?" What does each of these stories contribute to your understanding of discipleship?
John is very different from the first three gospels. It seems to be dependent upon different sources because it contains different stories, a different chronology and Jesus talks about his identity rather than the Kingdom of Heaven. Most scholars believe John was written a decade or so later than Matthew and Luke (ca. 90 C.E.). Clement of Alexandria, writing in the second century, called it "the spiritual gospel" because it was not concerned with historical events so much as spiritual realities. Read the prologue to the Gospel for a clear idea of what Clement meant (1:1-18). Paraphrase the prologue in language that you use when you speak to friends. The Gospel can be divided into two halves 1-12 and 13-21. The first contains a series of signs performed by Jesus that reveal God's glory and his identity as the Son of God. These signs often provoke discourse, dialogues and debates about their meaning and Jesus' identity. Read the following examples: the Wedding at Cana (2:1-12) and Jesus' dialogue with Nicodemus (3:1-21). Why is it odd that we speak of "being born again?" What would be another way of speaking about “being born again?” Read the Light of the World discourse, the healing of the blind man and the Good Shepherd discourse (8:12-10:21) and the story of the raising of Lazarus and the Jewish authorities' response (11:1-57). How does the conflict with the authorities in John seem different from the conflict in Matthew? The second half is the story of the last 24 hours of Jesus' life and the resurrection. It begins with a long account of the last supper that omits the blessing over the bread and wine. Instead of the Lord's Supper, John contains the institution of foot washing. Read the story in John 13:1-20. Does your church practice foot washing? Do you think it should? Jesus speaks at length to his disciples until chapter 17 when he prays on their behalf. Read the following memorable passages: 13:21-35; 14:15-17; 15:1-17; 16:16-24. What important images and understanding of discipleship do these passages offer? John also includes the story of Peter's denial, but unlike the synoptic gospels, he provides the story of Peter's redemption. Read chapter 21. How does Peter redeem himself?
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