Smith's Bible Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Gospels
The name Gospel (from god and spell, Ang. Sax. good message or news, which is a translation of the Greek euaggelion) is applied to the four inspired histories of the life and teaching of Christ contained in the New Testament, of which separate accounts are given in their place. They were all composed during the latter half of the first century: those of St. Matthew and St. Mark some years before the destruction of Jerusalem; that of St. Luke probably about A.D. 64; and that of St. John towards the close of the century. Before the end of the second century, there is abundant evidence that the four Gospels, as one collection, were generally used and accepted. As a matter of literary history, nothing can be better established than the genuineness of the Gospels. On comparing these four books one with another, a peculiar difficulty claims attention, which has had much to do with the controversy as to their genuineness. In the fourth Gospel the narrative coincided with that of the other three in a few passages only. The received explanation is the only satisfactory one namely, that John, writing last, at the close of the first century had seen the other Gospels, and purposely abstained from writing anew what they had sufficiently recorded. In the other three Gospels there is a great amount of agreement. If we suppose the history that they contain to be divided into 89 sections, in 42 of these all the three narratives coincide, 12 more are given by Matthew and Mark only, 5 by Mark and Luke only, and 14 by Matthew and Luke. To these must be added 5 peculiar to Matthew, 2 to Mark and 9 to Luke, and the enumeration is complete. But this applies only to general coincidence as to the facts narrated: the amount of verbal coincidence, that is, the passages either verbally the same or coinciding in the use of many of the same words, is much smaller. It has been ascertained by Stroud that "if the total contents of the several Gospels be represented by 100, the following table is obtained: Matthew has 42 peculiarities and 58 coincidences. Mark has 7 peculiarities and 93 coincidences. Luke has 59 peculiarities and 41 coincidences. John has 92 peculiarities and 8 coincidences. Why four Gospels. --
1. To bring four separate independent witnesses to the truth.
2. It is to give the Lord's life from every point of view, four living portraits of one person. There were four Gospels because Jesus was to be commended to four races or classes of men, or to four phases of human thought,--the Jewish, Roman, Greek and Christian. Had not these exhausted the classes to be reached, there would doubtless have been more Gospels. In all ages, the Jewish, Roman and Greek natures reappear among men, and, in fact, make up the world of natural men, while the Christian nature and wants likewise remain essentially the same. The FIRST GOSPEL was prepared by Matthew for the Jew. He gives us the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah of the Jews, the Messianic royalty of Jesus. He places the life and character of Jesus, as lived on earth, alongside the life and character of the Messiah, as sketched in the prophets, showing Christianity as the fulfillment of Judaism. Mark wrote the SECOND GOSPEL. It was substantially the preaching of Peter to the Romans. The Gospel for him must represent the character and career of Jesus from the Roman point of view, as answering to the idea of divine power, work, law, conquest and universal sway; must retain its old significance and ever-potent inspiration at the battle-call of the almighty Conqueror. Luke wrote the THIRD GOSPEL in Greece for the Greek. It has its basis in the gospel which Paul and Luke, by long preaching to the Greeks, had already thrown into the form best suited to commend to their acceptance Jesus as the perfect divine man. It is the gospel of the future, of progressive Christianity, of reason and culture seeking the perfection of manhood. John, "the beloved disciple," wrote the FOURTH GOSPEL for the Christian, to cherish and train those who have entered the new kingdom of Christ, into the highest spiritual life. --Condensed from, Prof. Gregory.
Bibliography Information
Smith, William, Dr "Meaning and Definition for 'gospels' in Smiths Bible Dictionary".
bible-history.com - Smith's; 1901.
Copyright Information
© Smith's Bible Dictionary
Smith's Bible Dictionary Home
Bible History Online Home
Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
Online Bible (KJV)
Naves Topical Bible
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Schaff's Bible Dictionary
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Hitchcock's Bible Dictionary
Popular and Trending:
Meaning and Definition of Pharaoh, Who Was the Pharaoh of the Exodus, Did God Harden Pharaoh's Heart, Which Pharaoh Reigned during the Time of Joseph and Moses , How Many Watches of the Night, What were the Jewish Watches of the Night, What Is the Meaning of the Fourth Watch, Midnight and the Cock Crowing , What Were Thorns and Thistles in the Bible, What were the Different Thorns and Thistles, How Many Different Plants And Trees Had Thorns In the Time of Jesus , Where Was Nineveh, Definition and Meaning of Nineveh, Who Were the Assyrians, Which the Syrian King Made Nineveh Their Capital, Which Palaces Were Nineveh, Did Archaeologists Discovered Nineveh , What is the meaning of Edom and Idumea, Where the Edomites Descendents of Esau, Was Herod and Edomite, When was Petra A City of Edom, Why Did the Edomites Fail When They Attacked Israel After Jerusalem Fell , Why did Noah send a Raven? Was The Biblical Raven A Crow, Why Are Raven's Black, What Was the Raven in the Mosaic Law, Do Raven's Attack the Eyes , What was a Crown of Thorns, Which Thorny Shrub or Plant Was the Crown of Thorns Made from, What Color Was the Crown of Thorns, in Matthew 27:29 Why did the Roman soldiers mock Jesus using a Crown of Thorns , What was a Gergesenes, Where Was Gadara And What Is the Modern Name, Where Was the Place That Jesus Healed the Two Demon Possessed Man, What Is the Meaning of Gadarenes, What Is a Demoniac , What were the 10 Plagues, What Does the Bible Say about Each of the 10 Plagues, Did God Use the 10 Plagues to Mock the Gods of Egypt, in Exodus 3-12 How Are the Plagues Described, Was the Passover Part of the 10th Plague , Where was Zoar, What Is the Biblical Meaning of okaythe Land of Zoar, Has Zoar Been Discovered, Where Was Zoar in Relation to Sodom and Gomorrah