The Four Gospel Writers

What I Learned

Previously, I did not know much about the Four Gospels.  I have always learned the basics about them, but these presentations allowed me to discover more about each individual Gospel.  One thing I learned about three of the Gospels, specifically the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are that they are known as the synoptic Gospels.  John's Gospel is known as a spiritual Gospel.  I also was taught that all of the Gospels were originally written in Greek.  The main point that I learned from Matthew's Gospel was that it was actually written after Mark's even though Matthew's comes first.  New information I learned about Mark was that he was not an eyewitness to what he wrote about.  I learned that Luke wrote to the Gentiles, people who were not Jewish.  I was taught that John wrote his Gospel to show that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and that Jesus believed in eternal life.  Each Gospel was written for different reasons, but they all come together to form the stories about Jesus.  I chose this image because it shows how old the Gospels are yet how prevalent their words still are.  The Gospels were written between 50-100 A.D. but their messages are still important today.  

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Similarities Between the Gospels

The four Gospels each have their own messages and interpretations, but they also have some similarities that shine throughout each of them.  When reading the stories about Jesus' crucifixion and burial in each of the Gospels, I saw similarities between each author's interpretation.  Matthew and Mark's Gospels both states that Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34)  Even though only Matthew was an eyewitness, both Gospels include this detail about Jesus questioning God.  On the other hand, Luke and John's account show how Jesus fully trusted God.  Both Gospels portray Jesus as having full certainty in his father.  Overall, the Gospels all have details that are reflected in some authors' works but not all.  I chose this image because it is a similarity between all of the stories.  All of the stories explain how Jesus suffered on the cross in order to save all of us.  This picture symbolizes how each Gospel was written to tell of Jesus' goodness.  

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Differences Between the Gospels

The four Gospels, have common factors within one another, yet they also display their own unique details to tell the stories of Jesus.  In stories about Jesus' crucifixion and burial, each author includes details that may not be included in other tellings of the stories.  Matthew includes the conversation with Pilate regarding Jesus' tomb and how it should be guarded.  This detail is not admitted in other interpretations.  In Luke's Gospel, he discusses how the revolutionaries were involved in Jesus' crucifixion.  He explains how one kept doubting Jesus while the other was standing up for Jesus.  John's Gospel contains the most detail since he was an eyewitness.  He vividly recalls how the soldiers did not break Jesus' legs and that blood and water spilled from Jesus when he was stabbed.  John's Gospel also incorporates details from the Old Testament to prove that Jesus' coming was predicted.  The Gospels all tell different accounts of the same stories to paint a more rounded picture about Jesus' life.  I chose this image since it does contain a difference between the Gospels.  Matthew's Gospel includes a conversation about Jesus and his tomb while John's Gospel does not really go into detail about it.  This image shows the contrasts between the Gospels.  

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Which Gospel I Prefer

After learning about each Gospel in depth, John was the most interesting to me.  John's Gospel is thought to be the spiritual Gospel.  He wrote to show that Jesus was truly the Son of God.  Also, John was an eyewitness to all the stories he wrote about Jesus, so they may be more reliable.  I found John's Gospel interesting because he wrote to all people.  Unlike any of the other Gospel writers, John wrote to both the Gentiles and the Jews.  This intrigues me because it shows how he wanted all people to learn about Jesus.  He wanted to preach the goodness of Jesus' message to all people no matter what they believe in.  I also enjoyed how John included short passages from the Old Testament to verify the coming of Jesus.  John's Gospel is currently my favorite and I cannot wait to read more from him.  I chose this image of John to show his holiness.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, he wrote stories about Jesus to be heard by all people.  This picture shows John as a leader in Catholicism.  

                                                                                                                                                       

Works Cited

“BibleGateway.” BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages., www.biblegateway.com/.

Crucifixion cross Jesus Christ condemned death Created by Lomazzo Giovanni Paolo. Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.

quest.eb.com/search/135_1587570/1/135_1587570/cite. Accessed 3 Oct 2017.

The Entombment of Christ, 1559 (oil on canvas) . oil on canvas. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.

quest.eb.com/search/108_4070924/1/108_4070924/cite. Accessed 3 Oct 2017.

Four Gospels in Armenian 1434 . Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.

quest.eb.com/search/300_348175/1/300_348175/cite. Accessed 3 Oct 2017.

Saint John the Evangelist (c. 1 AD - c. 100), author of the Gospel of John. . Photo. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.

quest.eb.com/search/300_169642/1/300_169642/cite. Accessed 3 Oct 2017.