Free Essay - The Gospel Books

The gospels mean good news and are made up of four books that were written in different periods after the death of Jesus Christ. Arranged in chronological order, Mark was the first gospel to be written between ca. 70-80 CE. However, Mathew appears first in the gospels since it creates a strong bridge between the materials of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The other three Gospels, Mathew, Luke, and John, and estimated to have been written between 80-100CE. This paper provides a discussion about the similarities and differences between the four Gospels.

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Differences

Mark is the shortest among the four Gospels. Mark appears to have left out some of the crucial details about the life of Jesus Christ, one of them being his birth. The book introduces Jesus as a fully grown individual. Mark also has short stories and teachings, which create a literary feel for the readers just like a novel. Objectively, the gospel of Mark aims at answering the question; who is Jesus? The book has recurring themes about the Identity of Jesus including baptism, healing, casting out demons, and the fact that he does not want his identity revealed. Another unique feature of the Gospel of Mark is that it appears to be offering teachings through parables.

The Gospel of Mathew appears to be addressing Jews as it includes some specific laws about them as well as portraying Jesus as a teacher. Mathew's role is to convince the dedicated Jews that Jesus is the promised savior and son of God. The gospel begins with a genealogy that traces Jesus back to Abraham. Additionally, the book appears to be highlighting the fulfillment of prophecies such as the one proclaimed by Hosea concerning the birth of Jesus.

The Gospel of Luke focuses on social justice. It describes the life of Jesus as a son of God who liberates the poor and the oppressed. In this book, Jesus shows particular concern to the poor, widows, and social outcasts. Moreover, Luke traces the lineage of Jesus back to Abraham to emphasize that he is the savior of all people.

The Gospel of John appears to be addressing Christian communities facing oppression by emphasizing that Jesus is incarnate, and he is showing humans the way to salvation. The book introduces the pre-existing concept of Jesus. Christ is the divine being dwelling with God before coming to the earth.

Similarities

All four Gospels are written records about the life of Jesus, his ministry, death, and resurrection. The books have similar stories in almost the same pattern and even at times have the same wording. The gospels were written by some of the eyewitnesses who were still alive. The four gospels are just literary writings but are intended to make people believe what they are reading is real and that Jesus is the son of God.

The gospels are written for the sake of people who have not seen Jesus for themselves and for future believers who would not have physical access to eyewitness accounts. In this case, the gospels are meant to ensure that future Christians believe that Christ is the Savior and the son of God. Through faith, people could have life through the name of Jesus.