- What are the major differences between the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) and the gospels of John concerning the life and teachings of Jesus?
There is very little agreement between the Synoptic gospels and the gospels of
John. When it comes to Jesus’s baptism the Synoptics say he was baptized by John the Baptist and after he went into the wilderness where he was tempted by the Devil. There is no account of his baptism or the wilderness in the Gospel of John. Based off the birth of Jesus in Matthew and Luke, Jesus was about 33 when he started his public ministries. In John there is no sign of his age but early Christians concluded he was in his late 40s. According the Synoptics, Jesus’s ministry lasted for nine months and took place mainly in Galilean. In John,
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The difference is that in John this event took place in the very beginning of Jesus’s career and in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it was the last things to happen in his ministries and is the event that lead him to his arrest. The Caesarea Philippi incident and the praying at Gethsemane that is talked about in the Synoptics is not mentioned in John. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke the Last Supper is the Passover meal and only takes place with Jesus and his 12 disciples. According to the Gospel of John, the Last Supper is not the Passover meal and it does not occur with just him and his disciples. It is found that in the Synoptics Jesus was executed during Passover but in John his death happens the day before Passover. In the Synoptic gospels there are numerous miracles that Jesus performs, most being private exorcisms. He performs these miracles out of compassion and never to prove who he is. In the Gospel of John only nine miracles are performed and none of them are exorcisms. These miracles also were public and were not done out of compassion but strictly to prove himself. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus’ main messages were about the coming of the Kingdom of God, final judgment
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke there’s mention of some things God has done for us that the author of John left out. For instance, John does not mention Jesus ever casting out demons or include much about helping the poor. John instead includes more about his ministry and teaching to others, like Jesus’ early Galilean ministry in John 2, 3, and 4, which is not mentioned in the other gospels. John also implies that Jesus’ ministry took place over three or four years, whereas the other Gospel’s only mention his ministry once. By not including the miracles that Jesus had preformed an focusing on his ministry it shows us that we should not focus on what Jesus can do for us, but instead focus on ministering to others and spreading His word just as Yeshua followers do. The Synoptics also frequently mention the Kingdom of God and all that we will get, while John mentions this once and instead places an emphasis on eternal life. Instead of thinking about what God is going to give us, we should think in a more Yeshua way, and think about eternal life and what that truly
Jesus grew up to become a carpenter in Bethlehem. He continued to do this until the age of 30; at which he started his ministry, approximately at 24 BCE. He gathered 12 apostles (Peter, James the Greater, James the Lesser, Andrew, Bartholomew, Judas Iscariot, John, Simon, Phillip, Jude, Matthew, Thomas), who were his innermost circle of supporters, and hundreds of disciples, who followed him and agreed with his views on religion. As Jesus proliferated his message all over Judea, he also performed many miracles, such as turning water into wine and walking on water. About a week before his death, Jesus returned triumphantly to Jerusalem, a day that is still celebrated by Christians all over the world as Palm Sunday. However, just as soon as Jesus gained popularity, everything suddenly changed.
Throughout Jesus’ life he has effected many people for the better. But each person sees Jesus in a different way and interprets his almighty powers differently. This is where all of these Gospels came from. Each one is unique and talks about Jesus from each authors point of view. For example in the gospel of Luke there are many themes and ideas that are unique to the gospel and wouldn’t find in the other ones like salvation for the people by Jesus being portrayed as the Universal Savor, the Messianic Secret, God’s plan and the focus on poverty and the wealthy.
In the Bible’s New Testaments the book of Matthew is of Gospels genre. In the Old Testament God appointed the people who we know as prophets. They were the ones to describe Jesus life and work. What they wrote, those things did happen during Jesus life on earth. The book of Matthew explains to everyone who doesn’t believe it that Jesus is Christ. It means that Christ is God’s King. People were told by the prophets that they will be saved by the Christ from punishment for their evil deeds. This is the book about Jesus life. It teaches what Matthew wrote in this book about what Jesus taught. It even included the speech by Jesus called “The Sermon on the Mount” in chapters 5-7. It even went on to say that many ill people were cured by Jesus, blind people were able to see again, deaf people were able to hear again and Jesus even freed people who were possessed by evil spirits. There were some people who happen to hate Jesus. Jesus was killed by those who hated him on a cross. According to the prophets they had already written that Jesus would die (Isaiah 53; Matthew 12:40). Jesus was the one to suffer all the punishment from other people’s evil deeds after his death (Matthew 20:28, Matthew 26:28).
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the origin of nearly everything the Christian Church teaches about Jesus. The Gospels, in turn, serve as the scale or test of truth and authenticity of everything the church teaches about Jesus. It is said that the Gospels are the link between Jesus of Nazareth and the people of every age throughout history who have claimed to be his followers. Although the Gospels teach us about Jesus’ life they may not provide concrete evidence that what they speak of is true there are several other sources.
It is stated in the New Jerusalem Bible that “the Gospels don’t reflect the biography or the life of Jesus but are the four versions of the preaching from Jesus and are full of wonders and mysteries regarding the life of Jesus.” (New J Bible 1147). All the stories in gospels share similar outcomes and main ideas. They are very similar mainly that of Gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke while Gospel of John is a little different from the rest three. The stories from Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the synoptic. It is because they have the same synopsis and are simil...
Compare and contrast the birth narratives in the Gospel of Matthew and that of the Gospel of Luke.
Jesus’ life was ministry and death. Much of the early life of Jesus Christ is a mystery. The preponderance of information on or about his life is found in the four gospels of the New Testaments. Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary in the year “0” B.C. near the town of Bethlehem in a manger outside of an inn. This humble beginning was the foreshadowing of a life of humility and service. At the age of 12 Jesus was seen in the temple talking with, listening to and teaching many learned men. It was then that Jesus declared that he was the Son of God with a divine purpose here on earth. Jesus lived a traditional Jewish life as a simple carpenter. At the age of 30, Jesus was baptized and recognized by John the Baptist; it was now that he began his earthly ministry. The main points of Jesus’ teaching were that God loves you and is with you, to love one another, of the immense value of each person. The Good News: kingdom of God has come to earth. The reality of judgment to heaven or hell and that God forgives those who ask
...itten in, and can also be seen because there is no mention anywhere of the parables, Jesus' primary teaching method according to the synoptic gospels. Instead, John makes use of miracles and uses examples from Jesus' ministry to demonstrate his power and divinity. He uses his power over nature to raise people from the dead, heal a blind man and feed 5000 people with the physical amount of food for only a few.
God’s written law is something that is and should be continuously turned, to not only when Christians find themselves in need, but also throughout in one’s daily life. The four gospels tell to story of Jesus’ life and his teachings he gave while on the earth making it possible for there to be a true example of Christ-like faith. The proposition that there are differences in the story of Jesus and in his teachings seems to question the basis upon which the Christian faith is found upon. Rather than proclaiming the gospels as falsehoods because on the differences they possess, by analyzing the differences in the context of the particular gospel it can be understood that the differences are not made by mistake, rather as a literary device. While the four gospels have differences and similarities, they cannot be regarded as an argument against the faith because their differences are what point to the many aspects of Christ.
The contents of the Bible have dealt with controversy in regards to its inerrancy since publication, and will surely continue to. Historians progress to learn more about biblical stories in order to provide evidence for the reliability of information. Many believers today understand that not everything in the Bible has been factually proven. An outstanding topic many scholars pay attention to lies within the four gospels. The three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, replay essentially the same story with minor inconsistencies, while John portrays Jesus in an entirely different way. The differences in each gospel are due to how each gospel entertains different portrayals of the life and understanding of Jesus himself, in order to persuade
Mark’s gospel and John’s gospel contain many differences from the beginning, but both end with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The gospels of John and Mark represent Jesus as two different people. The disparity is that Mark represents Jesus as a servant while John portrays Jesus as a divine being. However, one must realize the two texts are meant to read by different audiences during different time periods. Each description presents a particular aspect of the life of Historical Jesus.
The first three gospels are sometimes called the 'synoptic' (same view) gospels. This is because they each cover teaching and miracles by Jesus that are also covered in another account. John, writing later, recounts Jesus' other words and miracles that have a particular spiritual meaning.
One of the major differences we can see in both of the text is the idea of Jesus. Who he was, how he died and how he severed his purpose here on earth. The
The four gospels are detailed accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Each portrays a unique story and angle of Jesus, who is the savior of the Jews and the world. Apostle Matthew’s writings are to prove to the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah. Mark stressed the humanity of Jesus and also his deity. Luke wanted to show that the gentile Christian in God’s kingdom is based on the teachings of Jesus. John speaks of Jesus as one sent from God to reveal His love and grace to man. The four gospels work together to elaborate on the several key themes; salvation, spreading His word, and the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise.