Gospel as Genre

Main Points of Each Gospel Book

The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—each emphasize different characteristics of the life and mission of Jesus Christ in different manners, for different audiences and purposes. In emphasizing Jesus as the Messiah and King of the Jews, Matthew presents Him as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. This makes the Gospel appealing to a Jewish-Christian audience because it connects Jesus’ life with Jewish law and Scripture, proving He is the promised deliverer. Mark portrays Jesus as a powerful miracle worker and a suffering servant (Kranz, 2018). Its fast-paced and action-packed narrative is well-suited for Roman Christians who loved strength and immediacy, with much emphasis on Jesus’ actions rather than His teachings.

Luke gives a more elaborate and inclusive portrayal of Jesus as the compassionate Savior who reaches out to marginalized communities. Emphasizing Jesus’ compassion and the universal scope of His ministry in a way that Gentiles could identify with, this Gospel was written by a Greek physician and historian. The social aspects of Jesus’ teaching are brought even more significant relief by Luke’s attention to this theme of His bringing grace and justice. Being the most unique of the Gospels, John focuses on Jesus’ divinity. It presents him as the Logos—the Word made flesh—and represents a theological exploration of unique miracles and long discourses revealing his identity as the Son of God (Kranz, 2018). In its pages, John’s Gospel invites readers—through rich symbolism and a deep spiritual gaze—to see in Jesus the giver of eternal life.

Similarities Between the Four Gospels

Even though each has its emphasis, significant similarities are shared by all Gospels. First, the four accounts of Jesus’ life agree on significant events within His ministry, death, and resurrection. This agreement affirms the core tenets of Christianity and provides a coherent narrative that reinforces the reliability of Jesus’ story. Their consistency adds credence to their message, establishing a unified understanding of His role in salvation history (McClure, 2020).

Notably, the Gospels report the message of Jesus, which involves repentance, love, and news of the Kingdom of God. Such thematic focus brings Christian thought down to ethics and spirituality. Think of parables like the Good Samaritan or teachings like the Sermon on the Mount—found mainly in Matthew but echoed in Luke—values that are repeated throughout the Gospels: those of mercy, compassion, and integrity in moral conduct (Kranz, 2018). This thematic similarity identifies the exact purpose of conveying Jesus’ message and ensuring that His message goes beyond the letter and touches the lives of believers.

Differences Between the Four Gospels

Likewise, there are significant differences between the Gospels, giving clear evidence of their specific purposes and audiences. One of the significant differences is the intended readership. Matthew writes for Jewish Christians, replete with Old Testament allusions to prove that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Luke was written for a much wider Gentile audience and thus emphasized Jesus’ outreach to everybody, regardless of background. This difference in focus helps each Gospel to resonate with its intended readers and reflects the expanding scope of Christianity (Kranz, 2018).

Subsequently, one can also note the dissimilarity in content and narrative style: Mark is concise and to the point, letting Jesus’ actions flow fast and portraying Him as a man of power and sacrifice, quite contrary to John’s profoundly theological and reflective nature, whereas there are fewer events but those are more developed in terms of symbolic and spiritual meaning. While the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—share duplicate accounts with slight variations, John gives the raising of Lazarus and the extended “I Am” statements that highlight Jesus’ divine attributes and relationship with God.

Conclusion

The four Gospels give a broad, multi-dimensional view of Jesus Christ in the final analysis. Their similarities build a coherent and united portrait of His life and teachings, while their differences give varying viewpoints that deepen understanding. With differing audiences, purposes, and content emphases, the Gospels ensure that the message of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection will echo through cultures and ages, strongly affirming His universal importance and the intense depth of his mission.

References

Kranz, J. (2018, July 6). Guide to the Four Gospels. OverviewBible. https://overviewbible.com/four-gospels/

McClure, J. M. (2020). Jesus’s Social Network and the Four Gospels: Exploring the Relational Dynamics of the Gospels Using Social Network Analysis. Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture, 50(1), 35–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146107919892841

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Getting Started

The four gospels in the Bible are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are the first four books of the New Testament, and they tell the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Matthew was written by a Jewish Christian who wanted to show that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy. Mark was written by a Roman Christian who wanted to show that Jesus was a powerful miracle worker. Luke was written by a Greek Christian who wanted to show that Jesus was a compassionate Savior. An eyewitness wrote John to Jesus’ life and ministry.

The four gospels are different, but they all agree on the essential facts of Jesus’ life. As an important part of the Christian faith, they tell us about the life of Jesus and help us to understand his teachings through different lenses and perspectives.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

• List the four main points the author highlights in each Gospel book.
• Discuss ways the four Gospels are different and alike.
  

  Gospel as Genre

Instructions

1. Read the article Guide to the Four Gospels and watch the embedded video on the summary of the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), and then answer the following questions in the Discussion Forum (minimum of 150 words per section).
   1. What are the four main points the author highlights in each Gospel book?  List each main point for each Gospel Book.
   2. List two ways the Four Gospels are like one another.
   3. List two ways the Gospels differ from one another.
2. Note: It may help you to craft your initial and follow-up posts in a Word document before you post in the Discussion Forum. This will help you edit for clarity, check spelling and grammar, etc. You can then copy/paste your edited text into the Discussion thread.
3. Copy each of the assignment questions/prompts and respond after each one. (This will help you stay organized and identify which responses correspond to which question/prompt.)
4. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
5. Make your initial post by Day 4.
6. Post a reply to two of your peers by Day 7
7. Your postings should also:
   1. Be well-developed in quality by providing clear answers or asking integrative questions that give evidence of critical thinking and meaningful engagement with course resources and/or other resources.
   2. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas or thought-provoking questions.
   3. Provide clarification to classmates’ questions and provide insight into the discussion.