The Gospels: One Story, Many Dimensions

*How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Fee & Stuart

Nature of the Gospels
1. Jesus didn’t write the gospels, they are books about him. (There is an extra person that we need to understand.)
2. There are four different gospels: Mark 1st, Matthew and Luke using Mark and then, separately, John.
--They each have their own reason for writing
--One reason for four is that there were different needs in the different Christian communities.

So we must take into consideration the historical setting
1. of Jesus and
2. of the writers.

The Historical Context of
Jesus

1. General historical context of Jesus-
a. 1st century Judaism- Pharisees, Sadducees…
---Also recall some of the things we learned from the excerpt from Philip Yancey on the background of Jesus
b. parables, proverbs
c. hyperbole-gouging out an eye

2. Specific historical context of Jesus-
a. came from individual stories, with a context and saying; (or just a saying)
b.Sometimes there are different contexts for the same saying. (Mt 10:5-20; Lk 9:2; 10:3; 21:12; 12:11)
c. Were the sayings intended for disciples, crowds or opponents?
--What was Jesus’ point?


The Historical Context of
the Evangelist

Why was it that Mark (and the others) wrote their gospels?

Mark- What did it mean to be the Messiah?
1. He was powerful, it is true, but he kept the fact that he was the Messiah secret. (7:36) Why?
They don’t understand what the Messiah was to be like, that he was to be a servant that would die.
2. The cross and servanthood are part of being the Messiah, and are part of being a disciple as well. (8:31 and 34)
3. Probably written in Rome shortly after Peter’s martyrdom, at a time of great suffering. p. 120
This is Mark’s historical setting. He will be more concerned about persecution than the other Gospel writers.

Matthew-Jesus is the promised Messiah; the Messianic kingdom has arrived

Luke-Evangelism-confirming the faith of Theophilus; eyewitnesses, prophecy, defend Christianity as a religion in the Roman Empire

John-that people might believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he was God

The Literary Context

1. Think Horizontally --look at the parallels in the other Gospels.
a. We will see what is distinctive
b. We will see the different contexts for the sayings and stories.

2. Think vertically Jesus’ and the writer’s historical contexts.

Interpreting the Gospels as a Whole
(Factors in composing the Gospels)

1.Selectivity
(John 20:30-31)
(Luke doesn’t use Mark 6:45-8:26)

2. Arrangement
due to different interests (Jn 20:31)
Jesus ministry mostly in Jerusalem & Judea because Jesus was the Jewish Messiah

3. Adaptation
a. Fig tree is withered
Mk 11:12-14, 20-25 and Mt. 21:18-22
b. Take a look at Mark 1:21-3:6
What does this emphasize about Jesus?
--Jesus’ popularity then opposition.

Compare Matthew and Luke's version of the Sermon on the Mount.