Chapter 12 The Four Gospels by Chaplain Ron McCants
Jan 03, 2016
Chapter 12 The Four Gospels
by Chaplain Ron McCants
The Literary Worlds of The Gospels
• Mark: The Secret Revealed through Suffering
• Matthew: A Higher Righteousness
• Luke: Good News for All
• John: The Journey of Jesus
Mark: The Secret Revealed through Suffering
• This crucial theme: This Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
• John the Baptizer, "He who is mightier than I" Mark 1:7
• Mark 8:18 Jesus Rebukes the Twelve
Matthew: A Higher Righteousness
• The genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17
• Matthew 7:28
• Like Moses, Jesus delivers an authoritative teaching from a mountain: "You have heard of old… but I say to you…" Clarity of the old.
• Matthew 26:42 Jesus acceptance of the cross
Luke: Good News for All
• Theophilus "friend of God"• Universalism - "all the people Mt. 2:10• Social Justice - Mary Magnificat - Mt. 1:46-55• Compassion for Outcasts - Those branded with
social disapproval receive his attention as in Matthew 7:36-50; 17:11-19; 19:1-10
• The Role of Women - Two sisters, Mary and Martha, Mt. 10:38-42
• The Holy Spirit - Mt. 3:21-22 on Jesus• Risen Lord - Mt. 24:52
John: The Journey of Jesus
• Proclamation of the "Good News"
John 20:31
• The beginning of Jesus' ministry –
Jn 2:13-25
• The "LOGOS" is identified with the light of creation (Gen. 1:3-4) and is the true source of religious illumination.
• Curing a blind man in Jerusalem, John 9
The Historical World: The Settings of the Gospels
Mark the Earliest
• First Peter 5:13
• Acts 12:12
• Assumption that readers are not familiar with Hebrew and Aramaic- Mark 5:41;
7:3-4, 22
Matthew the Tax Collector
• Matthew 9:9 and 10:3
• Presupposes tension between traditional Jews and Christians
Luke the Physician
• also the author of Acts
• Colossian 4:14 and 2 Timothy 4:11
• Acts reflects the influence of Pauline theology
John the "beloved disciple"
• The Evangelist• John 21:24• Portrays Jesus as the Redeemer who
came from the Father to reveal God's glory on earth and then returned to the Father.
• The Johannine School include studies of John's letters
• 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation
Class Assignment• Use the handout
• Skim through Chapter 12 and write some characteristics of the literary world, historical world, and contemporary world of the gospels.
• Be prepared to discuss in class