The Churches' Gospels

Sources: Mark Goodacre, The Synoptic Problem: A Way Through the Maze (Continuum, 2001); Graham Stanton, The Gospels and Jesus (Oxford, 1989); David Wenham and Steve Walton, Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Gospels and Acts (IVP, 2001); Raymond E. Brown, The New Testament: an Introduction (Doubleday, 1997); Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3d ed. (Oxford, 2004); Luke Timothy Johnson, The New Testament Writings: An Interpretation, rev. ed. (Fortress, 1999).

I. Memories and Lives of Jesus
The NT letters vary in their attention to the details of Jesus' life.: Some letters suggest a deeper knowledge and teaching than they reveal (Phil 2:8, Rom 14:14 || Matt 15:11, Rom 14:17, 1 Cor 2:8 || Thomas 17, Hebrews, James, Revelation.
Some draw on traditions of Jesus, but not consistently (1 Cor 7:10 || Matt 5:31-32, 1 Cor 9:14 || Matt 10:10, 1 Thess 4:15 || Matt 16:27-28, and 1 Cor 11:23-26 || Luke 22:19-20).
Others draw more consistently on material about or from Jesus' life (1 Pet 2:20-25).
Almost all are grounded in Jesus' death and resurrection as determinative.
The Gospels focus on that story.
What is the Gospels' literary genre?: A Greco-Roman bios (Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana)?
A modern history (Johnston Cheney, Life of Christ in Stereo)?
A special creation of the Church (William Wrede, The Messianic Secret)?
The Gospels' geographic, ethnic, and political setting clarifies details. Why four, and what do we make of their differences? Ask not, "What really happened?" ...: but ask "Are the narrators trustworthy?"

II. An Embarrassment of Riches: The "Synoptic Problem"
The four canonical gospels both resemble and differ from one another.
(Numbered instances from Kurt Aland, Synopsis of the Four Gospels. A synopsis is not to be confused with a harmony!)
Coverage overlaps:: Jesus' baptism (#18); itinerant ministry; passion (#305-360).
Coverage differs:: birth stories (#7-8); Matthew's blocks of teaching (#50ff); Luke's "travel narrative" (#174ff); John's monologues (e.g., #146-149, #314-329); resurrection stories (#352-360).
Orders of events agree:: Matthew and Luke basically follow Mark's order (e.g., #13ff).
Orders depart:: Matthew and Luke tend to disagree where they depart from Mark;
John consistently brings events earlier in his narrative (e.g., the Temple disturbance — #25, 273).
Details match:: Many stories are found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke ("Triple Tradition", e.g., #42-49); many others are in two of the three (e.g., #52-76, 105-110); some are in all four (#114/267, 146, 273).
Details notably differ:: even in common stories (Jesus' baptism, #18; the 'rich young ruler', #254; the greatest, #263; triumphal entry, #269, temple clearing, #273; the crucifixion, #344-349);
also in both short and long stretches of material unique to one gospel (especially John, e.g., #18-32).
Narrative tendencies concur:: numerous literary dependencies (the desolating sacrilege, #290);
Narrative tendencies are distinct:: Matthew and Luke "correct" Mark's syntax and discomforting claims (verb tenses when Jesus leaves Capernaum, #39; rejection at Nazareth, #139; the 'rich young ruler', #254);
all the differences listed above create consistent effects in each Gospel (the leaven of the Pharisees, #155).

III. The Gospels' Editorial Process
Teachings and memories of Jesus begin as apostolic preaching, eyewitness testimony, and oral traditions (Papias of Hierapolis, Richard Bauckham).
Early Church tradition (Augustine): Matthew wrote first, Mark redacted (edited) Matthew.
Griesbach Hypothesis: Matthew wrote first, Luke redacted Matthew, Mark redacted both.
Markan priority (Karl Lachmann): Matthew and Luke draw on Mark (C.K. Barrett: and John as well).
The Two-Source Hypothesis: Matthew and Luke may also draw on another written source, "Q" (for Quelle, "Source"; so H.J. Holtzmann).
Q-Skepticism: Mark is prior, but Luke may have known Matthew as well as oral tradition (A.M. Farrer, M.D. Goulder, Mark Goodacre).
Each Gospel has its own literary character and goal (see each Gospel's prologue etc.).
The Church circulated and soon, universally, canonized our four Gospels.

IV. Some Themes in the Gospels
The content of the OT and its apocalyptic perspective are affirmed, even intensified; but 'fulfilled' and reintepreted rather than just affirmed.
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are a turning point in God's saving action for Israel and the world. Jesus' church is the new central locus of God's commissioned people in the world and for its sake. These points are (and should be) communicated in different ways by different voices to different audiences.

V. Gospels' Distinctives and Commonalities

Mark John Matthew Luke-Acts

written for Gentiles familiar with Latin but not Aramaic (e.g., 5:9, 5:41) written "so you may believe" (20:30-31) written for Jews (1:1-17, 6:1-18) written for educated, cosmopolitan audiences "so you would know the truth of your catechesis" (1:4)

hurried narrative, surprise, and irony suggest that it is counter-cultural (1:10, 1:24, 15:33-39, 16:1-8) emphasizes deeper significance of words and events (6, 9) affirming and critical (5:17-48, 13:51-52, 23) emphasizes reversal of social status (1:46-55, 4:16-19, 6:20-26, etc.)

thesis: "Jesus is [apocalyptic] Messiah, Son of God" (1:1) affirms Mark's thesis, content, structure, and moral ... affirms Mark ... affirms Mark and Matthew ...

content: Jesus' post-baptismal ministry announces the approach of "the Kingdom of God" (1:14-15) + adds monologues from Jesus (e.g., 6, 14-17) + adds birth narratives (1-2) + adds different birth/infancy narratives (1-2) as well as 'travel narrative' to Jerusalem (9:51-~19:48)

structure: its reception culminates in his misunderstanding, rejection, crucifixion, and resurrection + two-part structure of "Signs" (1-11) and "Glory" (12-21) + five blocks of Jesus' teaching (e.g., 5-7) + locates the gospel in world history and context (2:1-5, 3:23-38)

moral: this story is "good news": the key to all life, history, and meaning + theme of growing separation of darkness from light (1:4-5) + locates the gospel in Jewish history and context (1-2) + continues the story in the similar story of the early church (Acts)
All the overlaps and differences listed above create consistent effects in each Gospel.: Each Gospel has its own literary character and goal (see each Gospel's prologue).
Audiences are distinct within a broader fellowship rooted in the apostolic witnesses.
The church circulated and soon, universally, canonized these four Gospels.: The church borrowed Ezek 1's four messengers to characterize each Gospel, noticing each one's distinctives.
To read a Gospel well,: read it in one sitting; resist critiquing right away; respect structure, plot, story, and significance; postpone questions until afterward.

Mark	John	Matthew	Luke-Acts
written for Gentiles familiar with Latin but not Aramaic (e.g., 5:9, 5:41)	written "so you may believe" (20:30-31)	written for Jews (1:1-17, 6:1-18)	written for educated, cosmopolitan audiences "so you would know the truth of your catechesis" (1:4)
hurried narrative, surprise, and irony suggest that it is counter-cultural (1:10, 1:24, 15:33-39, 16:1-8)	emphasizes deeper significance of words and events (6, 9)	affirming and critical (5:17-48, 13:51-52, 23)	emphasizes reversal of social status (1:46-55, 4:16-19, 6:20-26, etc.)
thesis: "Jesus is [apocalyptic] Messiah, Son of God" (1:1)	affirms Mark's thesis, content, structure, and moral ...	affirms Mark ...	affirms Mark and Matthew ...
content: Jesus' post-baptismal ministry announces the approach of "the Kingdom of God" (1:14-15)	+ adds monologues from Jesus (e.g., 6, 14-17)	+ adds birth narratives (1-2)	+ adds different birth/infancy narratives (1-2) as well as 'travel narrative' to Jerusalem (9:51-~19:48)
structure: its reception culminates in his misunderstanding, rejection, crucifixion, and resurrection	+ two-part structure of "Signs" (1-11) and "Glory" (12-21)	+ five blocks of Jesus' teaching (e.g., 5-7)	+ locates the gospel in world history and context (2:1-5, 3:23-38)
moral: this story is "good news": the key to all life, history, and meaning	+ theme of growing separation of darkness from light (1:4-5)	+ locates the gospel in Jewish history and context (1-2)	+ continues the story in the similar story of the early church (Acts)