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| | '''''The Gospels are the single best way to overcome all types of [[addiction]], which afflict everyone in some way'''''. | | '''''The Gospels are the single best way to overcome all types of [[addiction]], which afflict everyone in some way'''''. |
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| − | The authenticity of the Gospels is brilliantly confirmed by how their four authors were ethnically different and socially opposed to each other, and yet independently verify each other's key facts. Two of the authors ([[Mark]] and [[John]]) could be considered outcasts, for different reasons, by most of the [[Apostles]]. | + | The authenticity of the Gospels is brilliantly confirmed by how their four authors were ethnically different and socially opposed to each other, and yet independently verified each other's key facts. Two of the authors ([[Mark]] and [[John]]) could be considered outcasts, for different reasons, by most of the [[Apostles]]. |
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| | The four books of the Gospels have fascinating differences in perspective, and [[ordering the Gospels|their optimal ordering]] is probably not their current one: | | The four books of the Gospels have fascinating differences in perspective, and [[ordering the Gospels|their optimal ordering]] is probably not their current one: |
| | *[[Gospel of Matthew]] - the longest eyewitness account, by [[the Apostles|the Apostle]] [[Matthew]]; thorough with many powerful [[parables]], expanding on the [[Gospel of Mark]] | | *[[Gospel of Matthew]] - the longest eyewitness account, by [[the Apostles|the Apostle]] [[Matthew]]; thorough with many powerful [[parables]], expanding on the [[Gospel of Mark]] |
| | *[[Gospel of Mark]] - first written, also by an eyewitness ([[Mark]]), this is concise, fearless, and irreverent towards [[the Apostles]] and the "Herodians". | | *[[Gospel of Mark]] - first written, also by an eyewitness ([[Mark]]), this is concise, fearless, and irreverent towards [[the Apostles]] and the "Herodians". |
| − | *[[Gospel of Luke]] - the most beautiful book ever written, this longest Gospel describes everything with the elegance of an historian. | + | *[[Gospel of Luke]] - the most beautiful book ever written, this longest Gospel describes everything with the elegance of a historian. |
| | *[[Gospel of John]] - an entirely independent eyewitness account by [[the Apostles|the Apostle]] [[John]], and the most profound and theological. | | *[[Gospel of John]] - an entirely independent eyewitness account by [[the Apostles|the Apostle]] [[John]], and the most profound and theological. |
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| − | The first gospel chronologically was by Mark, probably a [[Gentile]], which is fearless of authorities and irreverent towards all other than Jesus. Matthew then reused 97% of Mark's gospel,<ref>"Matthew adopted all but 304 of Mark's 11,025 words." [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/new-testament-studies/article/abs/matthews-use-of-mark-did-matthew-intend-to-supplement-or-to-replace-his-primary-source/2893B4D82A9178BDD6693A64A9237E53 New Testament Studies, published online by Cambridge University Press]</ref> omitting merely some of its boldness and irreverence, while adding more content. The [[Gospel of John]] was completely independent, and thus a corroboration of what is found in the other Gospels. | + | The first gospel chronologically was by Mark, probably a [[Gentile]], who is fearless of authorities and irreverent towards all other than Jesus. Matthew then reused 97% of Mark's gospel,<ref>"Matthew adopted all but 304 of Mark's 11,025 words." [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/new-testament-studies/article/abs/matthews-use-of-mark-did-matthew-intend-to-supplement-or-to-replace-his-primary-source/2893B4D82A9178BDD6693A64A9237E53 New Testament Studies, published online by Cambridge University Press]</ref> omitting merely some of its boldness and irreverence, while adding more content. The [[Gospel of John]] was completely independent, and thus a corroboration of what is found in the other Gospels. |
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| | The Gospels were originally written in [[Greek language|Greek]], the common [[lingua franca]] (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient. No original Gospels have been found in [[Aramaic]]; the only known Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions. None of the Gospels quotes from Hebrew [[Scripture]]s; only two out of four (Matthew and Luke) quote from Scriptures by using the Greek translation (the [[Septuagint]]). Some say that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for [[Jews]]; the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for [[Roman]]s; the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for [[Greeks]]; and the Gospel according to John was written for everyone. The different styles may simply reflect the different backgrounds and ethnicities of the authors. | | The Gospels were originally written in [[Greek language|Greek]], the common [[lingua franca]] (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient. No original Gospels have been found in [[Aramaic]]; the only known Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions. None of the Gospels quotes from Hebrew [[Scripture]]s; only two out of four (Matthew and Luke) quote from Scriptures by using the Greek translation (the [[Septuagint]]). Some say that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for [[Jews]]; the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for [[Roman]]s; the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for [[Greeks]]; and the Gospel according to John was written for everyone. The different styles may simply reflect the different backgrounds and ethnicities of the authors. |
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| − | Each Gospel reflects the perspective of its author. Matthew has economic parables; Mark has a simplistic, youthful style; Luke has the beauty of an historical writer; and John has philosophical truths. | + | Each Gospel reflects the perspective of its author. Matthew has economic parables; Mark has a simplistic, youthful style; Luke has the beauty of a historical writer; and John has philosophical truths. |
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| | ==Etymology== | | ==Etymology== |
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| | ==The relationship of the Gospels== | | ==The relationship of the Gospels== |
| | [[Image:Gospel Leaf.jpg|thumb|Gospel Leaf, [[Ethiopia]].]] | | [[Image:Gospel Leaf.jpg|thumb|Gospel Leaf, [[Ethiopia]].]] |
| − | Although [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] comes first in Biblical order, since the nineteenth century the Gospel of [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] is widely agreed to be the oldest of the Gospels (see [[Bible#The Gospels|Bible: The Gospels]]). However, this view has more recently been disputed.<ref>Eusebius relates the already-existing tradition in his day that Matthew wrote the first Gospel. In every manuscript of the New Testament, Matthew is always placed first, and for almost 1900 years the traditional view prevailed unchallenged that Matthew was the first Gospel written. This is called the [[Augustinian Hypothesis]], which holds that Matthew was the first Gospel, written by Matthew the Evangelist. Mark, according to tradition a Roman, and a companion of Peter, was author of the second Gospel, but beginning in the 19th century Heinrich Julius Holtzmann together with other German scholars, abusing the literary tools of [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)|historical-critical methods]] in opposition to Christian tradition, declared on their authority as German scholars that Mark's gospel was the first to be written down, about A.D. 50. This theory is called "[[Marcan priority]]", and it was aggressively spread as part of [[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck's]] anti-Catholic 'Kulturkampf' policy. See [http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/KULTGOS.TXT Kulturkampf and the Gospel, by John Beaumont]<br/>[http://www.churchinhistory.org/pages/booklets/farmer%28n%29.htm Church in History. The ChurchinHistory Information Centre. BISMARCK AND THE FOUR GOSPELS 1870 - 1914, by William R. Farmer (University of Dallas) Editor of A NEW CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY. The theory that Mark's Gospel was published before Matthew's is widely held in German and English speaking countries. This article shows how this theory, with little supporting evidence, came to be spread as part of Bismarck's anti-Catholic 'Kulturkampf' policy. BIBLIOTHECA EPHEMERIDUM THEOLOGICARUM LOVANIENSIUM. THE FOUR GOSPELS. 1992] (churchinhistory.org). <br>This view is widely held by liberal biblical scholars in German and English speaking countries. In the United States acceptance of Marcan Priority has often been a test of the "academic competency" of those faculty members who teach Biblical Studies. <br>See [https://books.google.com/books?id=UYKvAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA282&lpg=PA282&dq=academic+persecution+regarding+Augustinian+hypothesis&source=bl&ots=iDysvbe5ii&sig=oNOrQku42-Tx-n-yBzhQtzAeQls&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VHKkVNa7IceiyAStsYKYAw&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=academic%20persecution%20regarding%20Augustinian%20hypothesis&f=false Mark's Gospel--Prior or Posterior?: A Reappraisal of the Phenomenon of Order, By David Neville]</ref> The [[hypothesis]] of Marcan Priority holds that Matthew and [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] were probably compiled slightly later, drawing both from Mark, eyewitness accounts, and oral testimony. It is also possible that Matthew or Luke each used the other as a source as well, although which one would have come first is unknown. [[Gospel of John|John]] is the last of the Gospels, the most theologically mature, and the strongest in its emphasis on God's loving sacrifice of his only son, Jesus, and the ways in which this sacrifice redeemed all mankind. The first three canonical Gospels are often called the "synoptic" (''sighted with'' another) Gospels, as they tell slightly different versions of the same underlying story of Christ's life and ministry on earth. | + | Although [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] comes first in Biblical order, since the nineteenth century the Gospel of [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] is widely agreed to be the oldest of the Gospels (see [[Bible#The Gospels|Bible: The Gospels]]). However, this view has more recently been disputed.<ref>Eusebius relates the already-existing tradition in his day that Matthew wrote the first Gospel. In every manuscript of the New Testament, Matthew is always placed first, and for almost 1900 years the traditional view prevailed unchallenged that Matthew was the first Gospel written. This is called the [[Augustinian Hypothesis]], which holds that Matthew was the first Gospel, written by Matthew the Evangelist. Mark, according to tradition a Roman, and a companion of Peter, was the author of the second Gospel, but beginning in the 19th century Heinrich Julius Holtzmann, together with other German scholars, abused the literary tools of [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)|historical-critical methods]] in opposition to Christian tradition, declared on their authority as German scholars that Mark's gospel was the first to be written down, about A.D. 50. This theory is called "[[Marcan priority]]", and it was aggressively spread as part of [[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck's]] anti-Catholic 'Kulturkampf' policy. See [http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/KULTGOS.TXT Kulturkampf and the Gospel, by John Beaumont]<br/>[http://www.churchinhistory.org/pages/booklets/farmer%28n%29.htm Church in History. The ChurchinHistory Information Centre. BISMARCK AND THE FOUR GOSPELS 1870 - 1914, by William R. Farmer (University of Dallas) Editor of A NEW CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY. The theory that Mark's Gospel was published before Matthew's is widely held in German and English-speaking countries. This article shows how this theory, with little supporting evidence, came to be spread as part of Bismarck's anti-Catholic 'Kulturkampf' policy. BIBLIOTHECA EPHEMERIDUM THEOLOGICARUM LOVANIENSIUM. THE FOUR GOSPELS. 1992] (churchinhistory.org). <br>This view is widely held by liberal biblical scholars in German and English-speaking countries. In the United States acceptance of Marcan Priority has often been a test of the "academic competency" of those faculty members who teach Biblical Studies. <br>See [https://books.google.com/books?id=UYKvAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA282&lpg=PA282&dq=academic+persecution+regarding+Augustinian+hypothesis&source=bl&ots=iDysvbe5ii&sig=oNOrQku42-Tx-n-yBzhQtzAeQls&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VHKkVNa7IceiyAStsYKYAw&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=academic%20persecution%20regarding%20Augustinian%20hypothesis&f=false Mark's Gospel--Prior or Posterior?: A Reappraisal of the Phenomenon of Order, By David Neville]</ref> The [[hypothesis]] of Marcan Priority holds that Matthew and [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] were probably compiled slightly later, drawing both from Mark, eyewitness accounts, and oral testimony. It is also possible that Matthew or Luke each used the other as a source as well, although which one would have come first is unknown. [[Gospel of John|John]] is the last of the Gospels, the most theologically mature, and the strongest in its emphasis on God's loving sacrifice of his only son, Jesus, and how this sacrifice redeemed all mankind. The first three canonical Gospels are often called the "synoptic" (''sighted with'' another) Gospels, as they tell slightly different versions of the same underlying story of Christ's life and ministry on earth. |
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| − | Luke was said to have been a Greek physician (see Col 4:14) who accompanied [[Paul]] and also wrote the [[Acts (of the Apostles)|Acts of the Apostles]] describing the arrival of the [[Holy Spirit]]. Unlike the Gospels of Matthew and John, written as firsthand accounts, the Gospel of Luke records eyewitness accounts of others, much as a doctor asks a patient for his medical history and then writes it down in the medical file. Due to Luke's professional nature, his Gospel is very comprehensive about Jesus' life and [[resurrection]], and it also conveys the great sense of [[joy]] that Jesus' family, friends and followers felt. | + | Luke was said to have been a Greek physician (see Col 4:14) who accompanied [[Paul]] and also wrote the [[Acts (of the Apostles)|Acts of the Apostles]] describing the arrival of the [[Holy Spirit]]. Unlike the Gospels of Matthew and John, written as firsthand accounts, the Gospel of Luke records eyewitness accounts of others, much as a doctor asks a patient for his medical history and then writes it down in the medical file. Due to Luke's professional nature, his Gospel is very comprehensive about Jesus' life and [[resurrection]], and it also conveys the great sense of [[joy]] that Jesus' family, friends, and followers felt. |
| | === Q === | | === Q === |
| | A longstanding theory is that a common source, called "Q", was used by [[Matthew]], [[Mark]], and [[Luke]] in their Gospels.<ref name="Zondervan">https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/synoptic-gospels</ref> [[John]] appears entirely independent, more than 90% of his material is new and not found in the other Gospels.<ref name="Zondervan"/> | | A longstanding theory is that a common source, called "Q", was used by [[Matthew]], [[Mark]], and [[Luke]] in their Gospels.<ref name="Zondervan">https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/synoptic-gospels</ref> [[John]] appears entirely independent, more than 90% of his material is new and not found in the other Gospels.<ref name="Zondervan"/> |
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| | In addition to the four Canonical gospels, other texts claiming to record the accounts of Jesus's earthly ministry have survived in part or in whole. Most notable among these is the [[Gospel of Thomas]], which contains additional sayings and teachings. Recently, a [[Gospel of Judas]] surfaced, but this text is decidedly a later one, and its claim for any original authority is very slim. These Gospels are considered apocryphal by modern Christianity, and therefore not authoritative texts. | | In addition to the four Canonical gospels, other texts claiming to record the accounts of Jesus's earthly ministry have survived in part or in whole. Most notable among these is the [[Gospel of Thomas]], which contains additional sayings and teachings. Recently, a [[Gospel of Judas]] surfaced, but this text is decidedly a later one, and its claim for any original authority is very slim. These Gospels are considered apocryphal by modern Christianity, and therefore not authoritative texts. |
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| − | A number of other "gospels" were written sometime between the second to the four centuries, most well after the dates when the disciples lived. They include: the Gospel of the Ebionites, Gospel of the Hebrews, [[Marcion of Sinope|Gospel of Marcion]], Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and the Infancy Gospel of James.<ref>Donald Harman Akenson, Surpassing Wonder: The Invention of the Bible and the Talmuds, 216.</ref> | + | A number of other "gospels" were written sometime between the second to the fourth centuries, most well after the dates when the disciples lived. They include the Gospel of the Ebionites, Gospel of the Hebrews, [[Marcion of Sinope|Gospel of Marcion]], Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and the Infancy Gospel of James.<ref>Donald Harman Akenson, Surpassing Wonder: The Invention of the Bible and the Talmuds, 216.</ref> |
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| | Among fragments that still survive are the gospels according to the Hebrews (much prized by the early Jewish Church), according to the Egyptians, of the Ebionites, of Philip, of Matthias, of Peter, of Thomas (almost complete), of Nicodemus, of Bartholomew, of Pseudo-Melito, of Joseph of Arimathaea, of James, of Pseudo-Matthew, of Barnabas and a whole collection of infancy gospels.<ref>James. M.R, The Apocryphal New Testament (Clarendon, Oxford, 1924)</ref> | | Among fragments that still survive are the gospels according to the Hebrews (much prized by the early Jewish Church), according to the Egyptians, of the Ebionites, of Philip, of Matthias, of Peter, of Thomas (almost complete), of Nicodemus, of Bartholomew, of Pseudo-Melito, of Joseph of Arimathaea, of James, of Pseudo-Matthew, of Barnabas and a whole collection of infancy gospels.<ref>James. M.R, The Apocryphal New Testament (Clarendon, Oxford, 1924)</ref> |
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| | *[http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/Bible/Timelines/TLOJ_Lk.htm The Life of Jesus Showing Coverage by Luke] | | *[http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/Bible/Timelines/TLOJ_Lk.htm The Life of Jesus Showing Coverage by Luke] |
| | *[http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/Bible/Timelines/TLOJ_Jn.htm The Life of Jesus Showing Coverage by John] | | *[http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/Bible/Timelines/TLOJ_Jn.htm The Life of Jesus Showing Coverage by John] |
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| | {{DEFAULTSORT:Gospels, The}} | | {{DEFAULTSORT:Gospels, The}} |