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Kalimera thaskale, here’s one for you, why do we have 4 gospels when I believe Mark “wrote “ the first one and is almost indistinguishable from the others apart from the fact the others have a juicier ending, why not just stick with the first one which was far closer historically to Jesus’s time
Answer to Question 437
The first three Gospels are very similar which we call the Synoptic Gospels, but each supplements the other with certain details which are exclusively only found in each Gospel. For centuries it was believed that Matthew's Gospel was the first to be written, but now modern Bible scholars tell us that they believe Marks was the first. Mark begins from Christ's baptism, but Matthew and Luke begin from the Nativity of Christ. Matthew was one of the Twelve disciples so he had first hand knowledge of the things he wrote. Matthew addresses himself chiefly to the Jewish Christians as can be clearly seen by the content of the Gospel. His purpose is to prove that Jesus Christ is the expected Messiah who descended from their race. He proves this by firstly showing them Christ’s genealogy going back to David the King and then back to Abraham who is considered the father of the Jewish nation.
He then proceeds to show that Christ is the Messiah that is mentioned by the Prophets. He compares and puts side by side the verses from the prophets which make mention of the various episodes in Christ’s life and repeatedly says: “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.” In a masterly way he connects and ties together the Old Testament with the New and in spite of the fact that Matthew directs himself to the Jews, he doesn’t restrict God’s grace only within the tight boundaries of the Jewish nation and Jewish understanding, but ends the Gospel with “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matth. 28: 19) thereby accepting the universality of the Christian faith.
Mark was the Nephew of the Apostle Barnabas and was also known by the name John. He wasn’t one of the Twelve Apostles neither was he one of the wider circle of the 70 Apostles. He hadn’t heard the preaching of Christ directly, but heard of him through his devout mother and Uncle Barnabas and came to believe in him and dedicated himself to the work of the Gospel. In the beginning he accompanied the Apostles Paul and Barnabas during their first apostolic journey and later on we find him again in Rome with Paul. But he was also a companion of the Apostle Peter and he appears to be a very important co-worker of his that it is said that he was called Peter’s interpreter. The Tradition of the Church accepts that Mark interpreted everything Peter did and whatever Peter remembered and told him of what Jesus did and said, Mark wrote it down exactly. So within the pages of the Gospel, Mark conveys the preaching of Peter who was the most important and closest of Christ’s disciples.
Luke was a travelling companion of St. Paul and the rich material found in Luke’s Gospel comes mainly from Paul’s preaching. But Luke didn’t only write what he heard from Paul. He carefully investigated all the facts concerning Christ and came into contact with other disciples and relatives of St. John the Baptist and of Christ, especially the Mother of God. He is the only Evangelist who writes about the birth of St. John, the Annunciation, the angels and shepherds at the Nativity of Christ, the details of Christ Circumcision, his Presentation at the temple 40 days after his birth, and the appearance of the 12 year old Christ in the temple and is the only Evangelist, apart from Mark, who writes about the Ascension.
The last of the four Gospels is that according to St. John the Theologian, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who leaned on his breast at supper. John wrote the Gospel sometime between the years 85- 95AD. He was aware of the three other Gospels already written by the other Evangelist so what was the purpose of writing another Gospel? Two main reasons are given. The first is given to us by John himself towards the end of the Gospel “these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:31) The second reason was to supplement the narration of the other three synoptic Gospels, As a disciple who was close enough to be with Christ at all times, he heard and saw a great many more things than the other Evangelists. His teaching concentrated more on the Divine nature and the Holy Spirit something not found in the synoptic Gospels and his friends and other Bishops and Priests of Asia Minor pressured him to write about the things they only heard from him. It would have been impossible to mention everything the Lord said or did so he left out events covered by the others or supplemented where he felt was necessary. This gave him room to concentrate his Gospel on a higher spiritual level and write of the Divinity of Christ, which he did from the very first chapter, and on the Holy Spirit.
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