Why are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John called the Gospels?
The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. Gospel is the Greek word for ‘good news.’ They have been called that from a very early date. Luke is called a “Gospel” by Paul.
16 But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. 17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you. 18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; 19 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
(2 Co 8:16–19).
Why are there four?
More than one version of the Gospel is what we should expect if it is truly a continuation of the story begun in the Old Testament.
Hebrew parallelism is the Bible’s habit is retelling and restating the same event or thought from different perspectives in order to multiply and give dimensionality to our understanding.
The scriptures begin with two different accounts of the creation story. Gen. 1:1-2:3 narrates the story theocentrically. Gen. 2:4-25 gives the story Anthropocentrically. Samuel, Chronicles, and Kings give many of the same time periods from different perspectives and with different emphases. Many of the Prophets are contemporaries and are prophecying from different places and perspectives about the same events. Joseph, Daniel, and other prophets are given multiple prophecies about the same incident in order to give us a fuller understanding.
Seeing from multiple perspectives is one of the skills of biblical wisdom. The wisdom literature is, therefore, filled to the brim with parallelisms.
Prov. 13:1-7
(1) A wise son heareth his father's instruction:
(2) A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth:
(3) He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life:
(4) The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing:
(5) A righteous man hateth lying:
(6) Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way:
(7) There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing:
Basic Parallelism
There are four basic kinds of parallelism:
Synonymous Parallelism
Psalm 105:23 Israel also came into Egypt; And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
Antithetical Parallelism
Psalm 90:6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; In the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
Emblematic Parallelism (metephorical illumination)
Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Step parallelism
Psalm 29:1–2 1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
So when we come to the gospel story, far from multiple accounts from different perspectives surprising us, it should be exactly what we should expect if Jesus were actually the Messiah fulfilling the Old Covenant Promises. If the promises were given multi-perspectivally in parallel accounts, then we should expect the story of the Messiah to be shown us in the same way.
An Example of Parallelism in the Gospels
The Scourging of Jesus
Matt. 27:27-32
Mark 15:16-21
Luke 23:26-31
John 19:1-5
The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. Gospel is the Greek word for ‘good news.’ They have been called that from a very early date. Luke is called a “Gospel” by Paul.
16 But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. 17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you. 18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; 19 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
(2 Co 8:16–19).
Why are there four?
More than one version of the Gospel is what we should expect if it is truly a continuation of the story begun in the Old Testament.
Hebrew parallelism is the Bible’s habit is retelling and restating the same event or thought from different perspectives in order to multiply and give dimensionality to our understanding.
The scriptures begin with two different accounts of the creation story. Gen. 1:1-2:3 narrates the story theocentrically. Gen. 2:4-25 gives the story Anthropocentrically. Samuel, Chronicles, and Kings give many of the same time periods from different perspectives and with different emphases. Many of the Prophets are contemporaries and are prophecying from different places and perspectives about the same events. Joseph, Daniel, and other prophets are given multiple prophecies about the same incident in order to give us a fuller understanding.
Seeing from multiple perspectives is one of the skills of biblical wisdom. The wisdom literature is, therefore, filled to the brim with parallelisms.
Prov. 13:1-7
(1) A wise son heareth his father's instruction:
but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
(2) A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth:
but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
(3) He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life:
but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
(4) The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing:
but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
(5) A righteous man hateth lying:
but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
(6) Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way:
but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
(7) There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing:
there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
Basic Parallelism
There are four basic kinds of parallelism:
Synonymous Parallelism
Psalm 105:23 Israel also came into Egypt; And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
Antithetical Parallelism
Psalm 90:6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; In the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
Emblematic Parallelism (metephorical illumination)
Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Step parallelism
Psalm 29:1–2 1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
So when we come to the gospel story, far from multiple accounts from different perspectives surprising us, it should be exactly what we should expect if Jesus were actually the Messiah fulfilling the Old Covenant Promises. If the promises were given multi-perspectivally in parallel accounts, then we should expect the story of the Messiah to be shown us in the same way.
An Example of Parallelism in the Gospels
The Scourging of Jesus
Matt. 27:27-32
Mark 15:16-21
Luke 23:26-31
John 19:1-5
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