Life201 – Bible Survey
NT, The Gospels
(Lesson 6)
The Gospels
1. Inter-Testamental Period
1.1. Following the decree of Cyrus the king, the Jews returned to their land over a span of about 100
years (536-432 B.C.). The last three books of history in the Old Testament (Ezra, Nehemiah and
Esther) give us the story of the time.
1.2. “From Nehemiah to the beginning of new Testament times, 400 years passed by. During this
period no biblical prophet spoke or wrote. In fact it is called the ‘period of silence.’ As we come
to the year when Jesus was born, it is important that we know some of the things that happened
from the days o Nehemiah and Malachi to that time.”
2. Hellenization & Greco-Roman Culture
2.1. The Septuagint
“Before Alexander the Great died he divided his empire among his four generals, for he had no
heirs to his throne. Egypt, and later Palestine, went to his general Ptolemy. Great numbers of
Jews at this time settled in Egypt, as well as other centers of culture, spreading everywhere the
knowledge of their God and their hope of a Messiah.
“It was during this time, about 285 B.C., that the Old Testament began to be translated into
Greek. This version of the Scriptures is called the Septuagint, meaning ‘seventy,’ because
seventy noted Hebrew scholars did this great work. You will find it referred to by Roman
numerals ‘LXX’.”
2.2. Maccabees Revolt & establishment of the Hasmonean Dynasty (164-63 B.C.)
2.2.1. Syrian King Antiochus Epiphanes persecuted the Jews. Many Jews were martyred.
2.2.2. Matthathias lead a patriotic/religious revolt, followed by his son Judas, and they won!
2.3. “In 63 B.C. Rome gained possession of Palestine, preparing the way and the time for Jesus to be
born. The Jews had some political liberty but were required to pay a yearly tax to the Roman
government.” (WBAA, p.334)
3. The Gospels
3.1. The word “gospel” is derived from the two Anglo-Saxon words God, meaning “good,” and spell,
meaning “tidings” or “history.” This is where we get the term “Good News” from.
3.2. Why multiple accounts?
3.2.1. “Four-witness” testimony: one truth and four corresponding stories
3.2.2.
3.3. The first three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are called the “Synoptics” (the “common or
collective-view”).
3.4. The uniqueness of John’s Gospel
3.5. (HRBL, p.135) “The Gospels, taken as literary wholes, are first of all stories. As readers we can
best organize our total impressions of them around such narrative concerns as the
characterization of the central hero (Jesus), the general (but not strict) chronological
arrangement of incidents in the life of Jesus, the presence of unifying plot conflicts (they mainly
involve Jesus and groups of characters such as the disciples and the Pharisees), a linear or
progressive movement of the action to the climactic death and resurrection of Jesus (if we count
chapters, the four Gospels devote anywhere from twenty-five to thirty-eight percent of the total
story to the Passion and Resurrection), and the distinctive narrative “world” that unifies each
Gospel.”
Life201 – Bible Survey
NT, The Gospels
3.6. Material in the gospels can be roughly divided into sayings and narratives, “that is, teachings of
Jesus and stories about Jesus.”
3.7. What did Jesus teach? About the “Kingdom of God.”
3.8. Literary tools in the gospels:
3.8.1. Narratives (chronological and purposeful)
3.8.2. Parables – to both hide and to reveal
3.8.3. Hyperbole (purposeful overstatement) [Mt.5:29-30; Mk.9:43-48]
3.8.4. Proverbs [Mt.6:21; Mk.3:24]
3.8.5. Similes & metaphors [Mt.10:16; 5:13]
3.8.6. Poetry [Mt.7:6-8; Lk.6:27-28]
3.8.7. Questions [Mt.17:25]
3.8.8. Irony [Mt.16:2-3]
3.9. Difficulties with the gospels:
3.9.1. Meaning of the “Kingdom of God.”
3.9.2. Jesus Himself did not write a gospel; they come from others, not directly from Him.
3.9.3. There are four gospels
4. Matthew
4.1. Jesus is presented as “King”. Matthew is concerned with the coming of a “Promised Saviour.”
4.2. Written primarily for the Jews, Jesus is presented as the Son of David. His royal genealogy is
given in Ch.1.
4.3. In chapters 5-7, through the Sermon on the Mount, we have the manifesto of the King,
containing the laws of His Kingdom.
5. Mark
5.1. Jesus is presented as “Servant”. Mark is concerned with the life of a “Powerful Saviour.”
5.2. Written primarily to the Romans, there is no genealogy, because people are not interested in the
genealogy of a servant. More miracles are found here than in any other Gospel.
6. Luke
6.1. Jesus is presented as “Son of Man”. Luke is concerned with the grace of a “Perfect Saviour.”
6.2. Luke shows Jesus as the perfect Man. It was written to the Greeks; and Jesus’ genealogy goes
back to Adam, the first man. He is seen much in prayer and with angels ministering to Him.
7. John
7.1. Jesus is presented as “Son of God”. John is concerned with the possession of a “Personal
Saviour.”
7.2. John focuses on the deity of Christ. Written to those would will believe, with the purpose of
leading men to Christ (Jn.20:31), everything in this Gospel illustrates and demonstrates His
divine relationship.