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“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
(Romans
8:2)
Synoptic
Gospels – Britannica
The following is an Article “Synoptic Gospels” from Encyclopedia
Britannica:
Synoptic Gospels
Synoptic Gospels, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in
the New Testament, which present similar narratives of the life and death of
Jesus Christ. Since the 1780s the first three books of the New Testament have
been called the Synoptic Gospels because they are so similar in structure, content,
and wording that they can easily be set side by side to provide a synoptic
comparison of their content. (The Gospel According to John has a different
arrangement and offers a somewhat different perspective on Christ.) The
striking similarities between the first three Gospels prompt questions
regarding the actual literary relationship that exists between them. This
question, called the Synoptic problem, has been elaborately studied in modern times(see also Biblical literature: New Testament
literature).
Gospel According to Matthew
Gospel According to Matthew, first of the four New
Testament Gospels (narratives recounting the life and death of Jesus Christ)
and, with The Gospels According to Mark and Luke, one of the three so-called
Synoptic Gospels (i.e., those presenting a common view). It has traditionally
been attributed to St. Matthew the Evangelist, one of the 12 Apostles,
described in the text as a tax collector (10:3). The Gospel According to
Matthew was composed in Greek, probably sometime after 70 CE, with evident
dependence on the earlier Gospel According to Mark. There has, however, been
extended discussion about the possibility of an earlier version in Aramaic.
Numerous textual indications point to an author who was a Jewish Christian
writing for Christians of similar background. The Gospel According to Matthew
consequently emphasizes Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (5:17)
and his role as a new lawgiver whose divine mission was confirmed by repeated
miracles.
After tracing the genealogy of Jesus back to Abraham, the
evangelist mentions certain details related to the infancy of Christ that are
not elsewhere recorded—e.g., St. Joseph’s perplexity on learning that Mary is
pregnant, the homage of the Wise Men, the flight into Egypt to escape Herod’s
soldiers, the massacre of the innocents, and the return of the holy family from
Egypt. Matthew then describes the preaching of St. John the Baptist, the call
of the Apostles, and major events in the public ministry of Jesus. The final
section describes the betrayal, Crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection of
Christ.
Exegetes view the main body of the Gospel as five extended
sermons, one of which includes the memorable Sermon on the Mount (chapters
5–7). Numerous parables are recorded, some very well known
but not set down by the other evangelists. One passage, “And I tell you, you
are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”
(16:18), has become the basis of Roman Catholic belief in the divine
institution of the papacy. Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer (6:9–15) is
used in the liturgies of the Christian churches.
Gospel According to Mark
Gospel According to Mark, second of the four New Testament
Gospels (narratives recounting the life and death of Jesus Christ) and, with
Matthew and Luke, one of the three Synoptic Gospels (i.e., those presenting a
common view). It is attributed to St. Mark the Evangelist (Acts 12:12; 15:37),
an associate of St. Paul and a disciple of St. Peter, whose teachings the
Gospel may reflect. It is the shortest and the earliest of the four Gospels,
presumably written during the decade preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in
70 CE. Most scholars agree that it was used by St. Matthew and St. Luke in
composing their accounts; more than 90 percent of the content of Mark’s Gospel
appears in Matthew’s and more than 50 percent in the Gospel of Luke. Although
the text lacks literary polish, it is simple and direct, and, as the earliest
Gospel, it is the primary source of information about the ministry of Jesus.
Mark’s explanations of Jewish customs and his translations
of Aramaic expressions suggest that he was writing for Gentile converts,
probably especially for those converts living in Rome. After an introduction
(1:1–13), the Gospel describes Jesus’ ministry in and around Galilee
(1:14–8:26), his journey to Jerusalem (11–13), the Passion (14–15), and the
Resurrection (16). The final passage in Mark (16:9–20) is omitted in some
manuscripts, including the two oldest, and a shorter passage is substituted in
others. Many scholars believe that these last verses were not written by Mark,
at least not at the same time as the balance of the Gospel, but were added
later to account for the Resurrection. Mark’s Gospel stresses the deeds,
strength, and determination of Jesus in overcoming evil forces and defying the
power of imperial Rome. Mark also emphasizes the Passion, predicting it as
early as chapter 8 and devoting the final third of his Gospel (11–16) to the
last week of Jesus’ life.
One of the most striking elements in the Gospel is Mark’s
characterization of Jesus as reluctant to reveal himself as the Messiah. Jesus
refers to himself only as the Son of Man, and, while tacitly acknowledging St.
Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ (8:27–30), he nevertheless cautions
his followers not to tell anyone about him.
Gospel According to Luke, third of the four New Testament
Gospels (narratives recounting the life and death of Jesus Christ) and, with
The Gospels According to Mark and Matthew, one of the three Synoptic Gospels
(i.e., those presenting a common view). It is traditionally credited to St.
Luke, “the beloved physician” (Col. 4:14), a close associate of the St. Paul
the Apostle. Luke’s Gospel is clearly written for Gentile converts: it traces
Christ’s genealogy, for example, back to Adam, the “father” of the human race
rather than to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. The date and place of
composition are uncertain, but many date the Gospel to
63–70 CE, others somewhat later.
Like St. Matthew, Luke derives much of his Gospel from that
of St. Mark, generally following Mark’s sequence and incorporating about 50
percent of Mark’s material into his work. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew,
however, share a good deal of material not found in The Gospel According to
Mark, suggesting that the two evangelists may have had access to another common
source.
Despite its similarities to the other Synoptic Gospels,
however, Luke’s narrative contains much that is unique. It gives details of
Jesus’ infancy found in no other Gospel: the census of Caesar Augustus, the
journey to Bethlehem, Jesus’ birth, the adoration of the shepherds, Jesus’
circumcision, the words of Simeon, and Jesus at age 12 in the temple talking
with the doctors of the law. It also is the only Gospel to give an account of
the Ascension. Among the notable parables found only in Luke’s Gospel are those
of the good Samaritan and the prodigal son.
Luke’s Gospel is also unique in its perspective. It
resembles the other synoptics in its treatment of the life of Jesus, but it
goes beyond them in narrating the ministry of Jesus, widening its perspective
to consider God’s overall historical purpose and the place of the church within
it. Luke, and its companion book, Acts of the Apostles, portray the church as
God’s instrument of redemption on Earth in the interim between the death of
Christ and the Second Coming. The two books combined provide the first Christian
history, outlining God’s purpose through three historical epochs: the epoch of
the Law and the prophets, which lasted from ancient Israel to the time of St.
John the Baptist; the epoch of Jesus’ ministry; and the epoch of the church’s
mission, from the Ascension to the return of Christ.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia
Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by
Melissa Petruzzello.