GOSPEL BOOKS (C)
As I said that in the Bible we have four Gospel books. Meaning that the books that speak about birth, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are four books in the Bible.
But also these four books are divided into two categories again
1: synoptic books
2: the gospel according to John
1: SYNOPTIC BOOKS
The word synopsis means looking at a thing with the same eye. Looking at the event with the same view.
Now, there are three books that looks at Jesus Christ with the same view.
Those are the book of Mathew, the book of Mark, and the book of Luke
These three books begin by looking at Jesus Christ from a man aspect
They look at Jesus as a man
This is the reason they begin to trace the geneology of Jesus. (Jesus’ family and geneology) And the birth of Jesus.
Synoptic Gospels, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the New Testament, which present similar narratives of the life and death of Jesus Christ.
they are so similar in structure, content, and wording that they can easily be set side by side to provide a synoptic comparison of their content. (The Gospel According to John has a different arrangement and offers a somewhat different perspective on Christ.)
Now let’s begin touching these books one by one
The book of Mathew
While Mark begins with Jesus’ baptism and temptations, Matthew goes back to Jesus’ origins showing him as the Son of God from his birth, the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament.
The title Son of David identifies Jesus as the healing and miracle-working Messiah of Israel (it is used exclusively in relation to miracles), sent to Israel alone.
As Son of Man he will return to judge the world, an expectation which his disciples recognize but of which his enemies are unaware.
As Son of God, God is revealing himself through his son, and Jesus proving his sonship through his obedience and example.
THE BOOK OF MARK
Mark was an associate of apostle Paul and a disciple of Peter
The book of Mark is the earliest of all four books of the Gospel. And it is believed by the scholars that both Mathew and Luke somehow took some accounts from this book
It is the shortest book of the gospel
The book of Mark being the earliest gospel, it is the primary source of information about Jesus Christ ministry.
Mark’s explanations of Jewish customs and his translations of Aramaic expressions suggest that he was writing for Gentile converts, probably especially for those converts living in Rome. After an introduction (1:1–13), the Gospel describes Jesus’ ministry in and around Galilee (1:14–8:26), his journey to Jerusalem (11–13), the Passion (14–15), and the Resurrection (16). The final passage in Mark (16:9–20) is omitted in some manuscripts, including the two oldest, and a shorter passage is substituted in others. Many scholars believe that these last verses were not written by Mark, at least not at the same time as the balance of the Gospel, but were added later to account for the Resurrection. Mark’s Gospel stresses the deeds, strength, and determination of Jesus in overcoming evil forces and defying the power of imperial Rome. Mark also emphasizes the Passion, predicting it as early as chapter 8 and devoting the final third of his Gospel (11–16) to the last week of Jesus’ life.
One of the most striking elements in the Gospel is Mark’s characterization of Jesus as reluctant to reveal himself as the Messiah. Jesus refers to himself only as the Son of Man, and, while tacitly acknowledging St. Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ (8:27–30), he nevertheless cautions (warns) his followers not to tell anyone about him.
Mark is written in rather crude and plain Greek, with great realism. Jesus’ healing of a blind man is done in two stages: first the blind man sees men, but they look like trees walking, and only after further healing activity on Jesus’ part is he restored to see everything clearly. This concrete element was lost in the rest of the tradition. It is also perhaps possible that this two-stage healing is a good analogy for understanding Mark theologically: first, through enigmatic miracles and parables in secret, and only later, after recognition of Jesus as the Christ, is there a gradual clarification leading to the empty tomb. In chapter 3, verse 21, those closest to Jesus call him insane (“he is beside himself”), a statement without parallel in the other Gospels.
H-LIFE MEDIA 