The Gospel according to Jesus: What is the Gospel

∆ “A "do it yourself" catalog firmreceived the following letter from

one of its customers: "I built a

birdhouse according to your stupid

plans, and not only is it much too

big, it keeps blowing out of the

tree. Signed, Unhappy.

The "do it yourself" catalog firm

replied: "Dear Unhappy, We're sorry

about the mix-up. We accidentally

sent you a sailboat blueprint. But

if you think you are unhappy, you

should read the letter from the guy

who came in last in the yacht club

regatta."

What is the Gospel?

R.C.Sproul writes “There is no

greater message to be heard than

that which we call the Gospel. But

as important as that is, it is

often given to massive distortions

or over simplifications. People

think they’re preaching the Gospel

to you when they tell you, ‘you can

have a purpose to your life’, or

that ‘you can have meaning to your

life’, or that ‘you can have a

personal relationship with Jesus.’

All of those things are true, and

they’re all important, but they

don’t get to the heart of the

Gospel.”

∆ “A gray-haired old lady, long amember of her community and church

shook hands with the minister after

the service one Sunday

morning.”That was a wonderful

sermon," she told him, "just

wonderful. Everything you said

applies to someone I know."

A.W. Tozer wrote “Unused truth

becomes as useless as an unused

muscle.”

Today we will look at two parts:

Part 1: Dealing with

presuppositions:

In the first part we will look

at the Nature, authenticity of

scripture.

Part 2: Drawing clear lines:

What is the Gospel nature and

how does scripture present it?

Part 1: Dealing with

presuppositions:

Definition: In the Greek New

Testament, gospel is the

translation of the Greek noun

“euangelion” (occurring 76 times)

“good news,” and the verb

“euangelizo” (occurring 54 times),

meaning “to bring or announce good

news.”

Both words are derived from the

noun angelos, “messenger.”

In classical Greek, an “euangelos”

was one who brought a message of

victory or other political or

personal news that caused joy. In

addition, “euangelizomai” (the

middle voice form of the verb)

meant “to speak as a messenger of

gladness, to proclaim good news.”

Further, the noun euangelion became

a technical term for the message of

victory, though it was also used

for a political or private message

that brought joy.

When we look at the Gospels we

describe it by looking at the

following:

Genre:

Richard Burridge dean of King’s

College in London writes “Correct

interpretation of a painting or a

story depends on a correct

identification of what kind of

communication it is, that is, of

its genre. We differentiate between

painting, drama and word, between

the spoken word and the written

word, between fiction and non-

fiction, poetry and prose, tragedy

and comedy, legend and history, and

so on.”

So where do the Gospels find themselves?

During the 20’s scholars like Karl Ludwig

Smith and Rudolf Bultman rejected the

notion that the Gospels were Biographies

and rather tried to confine it to “folk tales”

and oral “superstitions”.

Richard Burridge adds “Many genres

have been proposed, but

increasingly the Gospels are again

seen as biography.”

When were the Gospels written?

William F. Albright wrote, “We can

already say emphatically that there

is no long any basis for dating any

book of the New Testament after

about A.D. 80 …”

Elsewhere Albright said, “In my

opinion, every book of the New

Testament was written by a baptized

Jew between the forties and

eighties of the first century (very

probably sometime between about

A.D. 50 and 75)”

John A. T. Robinson places Matthew

at 40 to after 60, Mark at about 45

to 60, Luke at before 57 to after

60, and John at from 40 to after

65.

This would mean that one or two of

the Gospels could have been written

as early as seven years after the

crucifixion. At the latest they

were all composed within the

lifetimes of eyewitnesses and

contemporaries of the events.

Who wrote the Gospels?

Plutarch, Lucian, Porphyry, Plato

ect. never contains the names in

their writings.

For the Gospel authorship we have:

Papias (120 A.D.) mentioning

Matthew & Mark.

Marcion (145 A.D.) mentioning

Luke.

Justin (150 A.D.) mentioning

Mark & Luke.

Irenaeus (170 A.D.) mentioning

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Anti – Marcionite prologue to

Luke (175A.D.) mentioning Luke.

Theophilus of Antioch (175

A.D.) mentioning Luke.

Clement of Alexandria (200

A.D.) mentions Mark & John.

Muratorian Canon (200 A.D.)

mentioning all four the Gospels.

Origen (225 A.D.) mentioning

Mark.

Nobody in antiquity said “the four

Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and

Bob”?

Traditional authors of the Gospels

were known as:

Matthew (Disciple/Eyewitness).

Mark (Secretary to Peter and

Paul).

Luke (Historian/Writing for

Paul).

John (Disciple/Eyewitness).

Why were the Gospels written?

David Allen Black writes in “Why

four gospels” that “The Apostles

realized that they somehow needed

to promulgate those passages of the

Holy Scriptures from “Moses and all

the Prophets” (Luke24:27) that

Jesus had explained to Cleopas on

the road to Emmaus. It also became

clear that the main apologetic task

was to demonstrate to the Jewish

authorities that Jesus had

fulfilled all the prophecies about

the Messiah. These considerations

were the original motivation for

the composition of the Gospel of

Matthew.”

The Gospel of Matthew clearly

written to the Jews to espouse

on the Fulfillment and Person of

Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark written to the

Romans to espouse on what Christ

said and did.

The Gospel of Luke was written to

the Greeks to give a concise

account of what transpired.

The Gospel of John was written to

Gentiles to show their inclusion

in the Story of what Christ has

done.

Have the Words of Christ been changed or are

the words of Christ preserved?

Bart D Ehrman writes in his

bestselling book “Forged”; “we

don't actually have the original

writings of the New Testament. What

we have are copies of these

writings, made years later—in most

cases, many years later. Moreover,

none of these copies is completely

accurate, since the scribes who

produced them inadvertently and/or

intentionally changed them in

places.”

Theologian Mark D. Roberts wrote

“we must remember that the Gospels

gives us what is technically called

the ipsissima vox (His own voice)

of Jesus rather than the ipsissima

verba (His own words)”.

He adds “the autographs of Matthew,

Mark, Luke, and John did not

preserve His original words (except

in a few cases). They do, however,

authentically capture his voice.”

Well personally I think it should

just be the other way around for

three reasons:

1) All thought the NT we find

actual words attributed personally

to Christ speaking authentically

from himself like “you heard it

said but I say unto you” or “Jesus

said” (Matt5:21; 27; 38, John 9:39)

Even Paul records that “Our Lord

Himself said” (Acts 20:35).

2) Biblically He assures me that

what He said is sure: "Heaven and

earth will pass away, but my words

will never pass away". (Mark

13:31)

and:

3) Salvifically He requires me to

trust in that!

He claims in John 6:63 "The words

that I have spoken to you are

spirit and life".

He affirms in John 14:10 "“Do you

not believe that I am in my Father

and my Father in me? The words

which I am speaking, I am not

speaking from myself, but my Father

who dwells within me, he does these

works.”

4) Pneumatically he assures that:

Jesus affirms that all He has said

would be brought back to their

memory by the Holy Spirit to the

immediate disciples;

"He who does not love Me does not

keep My words; and the word which

you hear is not Mine, but the

Father’s who sent Me. “These things

I have spoken to you while abiding

with you. But the Helper, the Holy

Spirit, whom the Father will send

in My name, He will teach you all

things, and bring to your

remembrance all that I said to

you."

(John 14:24; 26).

He also assures us that what He

said would never be corrupted

“Heaven and earth will disappear,

but my words won't ever disappear".

(Luke 21:33).

Lastly and most importantly He

affirms that the words He had

spoken is the words of the Father

God (Joh.14:26) and therefore it is

true. When Christ uttered these words He

therefore assures us of 4 things:

It is true

It is essential

It is preserved

It is the Words of God.

Therefore I have NO doubts, nor am

I confused in ANY way, so I ask you

as well, search truth because Jesus

affirms the words He have spoken is

the truth (John 17:17;8:32).

What about the “lost Gospels?”

Why are the four Gospels seen as

more authoritive in light of

“other” Gospels written?

What was the test of Canonisity?

Was it:

1. Authoritive: Did it come from

the hand of God? “Thus saith the

Lord”.

2. Prophetic: Was it written by a

man of God and a recognized

author?

3. Authentic: Does the book tell

the truth. (About God, Christ,

H.S. ect.)

4. Received: Was it used and

received unanimously by the

Early Church Fathers and

Churches?

5. Historical reliable: Was the

Books written in close proximity

of the actual events.

-The End.-