The Four Gospels

Background on the Four Gospels

MARK's Gospel was written in Greek and is the only one with Aramaic expressions [Talitha cumi (Mk 5:35-43), Ephphatha (Mk 7:31-37), Abba (Mk 14:36) and Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani (Mk 15:34) - the preservation of the Aramaic words that came from Jesus’ mouth during those hours of his deepest sympathy and suffering]. Mark’s Gospel was probably written around 65-70 AD for a traveling evangelizer meant for a Gentile audience unfamiliar with Jewish scriptures and customs. Shortest of all four, it has only 16 chapters in all. Being the first it served as a model for both Matthew and Luke; so sometimes Mark is referred to as the ‘Essential Gospel’ or ‘Gospel of the Cross’. The Gospel of Mark is different, because unlike Luke and Matthew, it begins with Jesus as an adult. Scripture scholars say Mark was the secretary of St. Peter therefore includes the essential teaching of Peter, who did not write himself. Mark’s name also appears in the Letter of St Paul to Timothy 4:10-17b, indicating that at one time Mark accompanied St Paul as well. 

MATTHEW's Gospel was also written in Greek about 65-70 AD; it has a total of 28 Chapters. It references the Old Testament often since it was written for a Church mainly composed of Greek-speaking Jewish converts located probably in Syria where Jesus is presented as the new Moses bringing the word of God to the people. Scholars seem to believe the author was a male Jew, standing on the margin between traditional and non-traditional Jewish values, and familiar with technical legal aspects of how Jesus was the fulfilment of scripture being debated in his time. On June 19, 1911 Pope St. Pius X proclaimed as Catholic teaching  that Matthew the apostle (and reformed tax collector) wrote the earliest Gospel in Aramaic primarily for a doubting Jewish audience. Later this same Matthew wrote a more complete Gospel in Greek that rightly prophesied the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem; meaning it was also published before 70AD. Interestingly a hand-written copy of the Gospel by Matthew was carried by the Apostle Bartholomew to India; sadly it is no longer traceable.

LUKE's Gospel was also written in Greek in 70 - 80 AD; and has 24 Chapters. St. Luke, said to be a companion of St Paul, was a Syrian (hence a Gentile) born in Antioch and one of the earliest converts to Christianity. Luke, a physician, well-educated in classical Greek and noted for his literary talent including accurate descriptions of illnesses cured by Jesus, wrote his Gospel and a sequel, the Acts of the Apostles, covering the 60 years of the ministry of Christ and the early Church. Luke’s Gospel was for Greek-speaking Church composed of Gentiles and Jews, and places a great emphasis on prayer since his audience were undergoing a fierce persecution both by Jews and the Romans. Jesus was presented as a warrior, in conflict with the agents of evil, like his persecuted followers. 

JOHN's Gospel also in Greek, came out about in 100 AD, comprising 21 chapters. It has no dependence on the other Gospels. He is very independent of them and he is filled with admiration for his youthful hero, Jesus. If the three synoptic Gospels inform us of ‘What Jesus said and did’; then John’s Gospel digs deeper and tells us ‘Who Jesus is’. John is called “The Revelator” because he drew closer to Jesus than any other disciple and was given deeper insight into His divine nature. He was after all the favorite disciple of Jesus, the only one present at the foot of the Cross and the one to whom Jesus entrusted his Mother. His Gospel unveils the true identity of Christ in greater depth than any of the other three synoptic Gospels. John also is credited with writing the Book of Revelations and the first, second and third letters.

NOTES: 

1. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the New Testament, which present similar narratives of the life and death of Jesus Christ, as often called 'Synoptic' which in Greek means: ‘can be read by the same eye’; because they all cover many of the same miracles, parables and events of Jesus' life and ministry. 

2. By contrast the last and fourth Gospel by John has a different set of stories; a different set of miracles (including the first miracle in the Gospel of John where Jesus turns the water into wine); a different set of dialogues (with Nicodemus in chapter 3, or with the Samaritan woman in chapter 4). Many of Jesus’ sayings found in John, are found only in John. Could it be because Mother Mary after the crucifixion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ was taken care of by John, until her own time came to be assumed into heaven?

3. Only in Matthew and Luke we have Infancy Narratives (some stories of Jesus pre-birth, birth and early childhood).