Essay 4 —“The Synoptic Gospels”
The nature of the four Gospels
When one opens the New Testament, he is introduced to four narratives which are concerned with the activity and teaching of Jesus of Christ. These records are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four Gospels constitute a single literary genre and their central message is distinctive. Their content is similar, but their presentation of Jesus takes on a slightly different form. Each Gospel differs from the other. John is the most dissimilar of the four. At first glance, the gospels seem to be of a biographical or historical nature. They tell the story of Jesus’ life, and give insight into who he was, what he did, and what he said. In that sense, one can say that the Gospels are …show more content…
The attempt to reconcile these similarities and differences has emerged as the foundation for the Synoptic Problem, and originally generated the unobjectionable “question of whether and how” the Synoptic Gospels may be literarily dependent (Linnemann, 1992, p.44). The Synoptic Problem quickly altered into “the study of the similarities and differences of the Synoptic Gospels in an attempt to explain their literary relationship” assuming the fundamental hypothesis that a literary relationship had been corroborated (Goodacre, 2001, …show more content…
The Gospels are the Christians’ most important resource in a study of Christianity. Christians obtain most of their knowledge and understanding of Jesus from the Gospels. Christians regard the Gospels as the Word of God and often treat them with more awe and reverence than other parts of the Bible.
References
Bratcher, Dennis (2013). The Gospels and the Synoptic Problem: The Literary Relationship of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The Voice/Christian Resource Institute. Retrieved from http://www.cresourcei.org/synoptic.html.
Carson, D.A., and Douglas, J. M. (2004). An Introduction to the New Testament. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Gromacki, R. G. (1990). New Testament Survey. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Lea, T.D. and Black, D.A. (2003).. The New Testament its Background and Message. 2nd ed. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.
Linnemann, Eta. Is There a Synoptic Problem: Rethinking the Literary Dependence of the First Three Gospels. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992.
Myers, Allen C., (1997). Synoptic Problem. The Eerdmans Bible
The nature of the four Gospels
When one opens the New Testament, he is introduced to four narratives which are concerned with the activity and teaching of Jesus of Christ. These records are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four Gospels constitute a single literary genre and their central message is distinctive. Their content is similar, but their presentation of Jesus takes on a slightly different form. Each Gospel differs from the other. John is the most dissimilar of the four. At first glance, the gospels seem to be of a biographical or historical nature. They tell the story of Jesus’ life, and give insight into who he was, what he did, and what he said. In that sense, one can say that the Gospels are …show more content…
The attempt to reconcile these similarities and differences has emerged as the foundation for the Synoptic Problem, and originally generated the unobjectionable “question of whether and how” the Synoptic Gospels may be literarily dependent (Linnemann, 1992, p.44). The Synoptic Problem quickly altered into “the study of the similarities and differences of the Synoptic Gospels in an attempt to explain their literary relationship” assuming the fundamental hypothesis that a literary relationship had been corroborated (Goodacre, 2001, …show more content…
The Gospels are the Christians’ most important resource in a study of Christianity. Christians obtain most of their knowledge and understanding of Jesus from the Gospels. Christians regard the Gospels as the Word of God and often treat them with more awe and reverence than other parts of the Bible.
References
Bratcher, Dennis (2013). The Gospels and the Synoptic Problem: The Literary Relationship of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The Voice/Christian Resource Institute. Retrieved from http://www.cresourcei.org/synoptic.html.
Carson, D.A., and Douglas, J. M. (2004). An Introduction to the New Testament. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Gromacki, R. G. (1990). New Testament Survey. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Lea, T.D. and Black, D.A. (2003).. The New Testament its Background and Message. 2nd ed. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.
Linnemann, Eta. Is There a Synoptic Problem: Rethinking the Literary Dependence of the First Three Gospels. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992.
Myers, Allen C., (1997). Synoptic Problem. The Eerdmans Bible