Generally used as a means to record someone's thoughts and experiences, gospels were similar to something like the (more formal) diary or Facebook posts of the day; they looked very different depending on who authored them.
To be honest, I don't use Facebook much. (I am currently logged out and can't seem to find my way back in, but maybe the Lord is teaching me self-control against the temptations of Facebook Marketplace.) Yet what I understand about Facebook is that it can look different for everyone. Your political uncle only reposts (controversial) news commentary on his feed; your sister spends all day on the community pages for her church, neighborhood, and kids' school; and your mom only reposts your photos and her own vacation photos. If you're like me, you use it only for the great deals found on Facebook Marketplace. (I love a good virtual garage sale.)
Similarly, first-century gospels looked different from author to author. There weren't necessarily literary rules to a gospel, but they were personal accounts for whatever someone wanted to use them for. The gospels we have about Jesus that were not canonized in the Bible are those that weren't considered historical accounts but rather were categorized as lore or personal reflections. The Gospels that are canonized are historical recordings (with theological purpose and focus) of actual events and the teachings of Jesus.
While it is important to understand that gospels were a popular form of literature in their day, it's also essential to realize that the Gospels we have in the Bible are different from the other gospels of their day in that they are canonized. It is widely accepted that they were being shared and passed around in the years after Jesus' resurrection and ascension — and that these Gospels weren't like any other type of gospel. These were Gospels that God was working through. They were truth, and in them was the truth of life in Jesus. These Gospels were — and Remain — God's Word.
There's really nothing in our daily lives quite like this.
Maybe it's slightly similar to when a breakout song or show suddenly gains popularity because of its special take on some universal experience. We share it, sing it, and quote it because we relate to it. The Gospels we have in our Bibles today were understood to be like that. They weren't like everyone else's gospels; these Gospels were telling truth. They told firsthand accounts — testimonies of what Jesus said and did. First century peers read them and said, "Yes! This is it. Let's share this."
They told a narrative that first-century readers resonated with, experienced, and heard about from their friends and families. That's why the Gospels reference specific people, places, and events.3 They were written in the midst of real history, and the writers wanted us to know that.
The Gospels as Theology
This leads us to the second point of the Gospels, which is that they are theological in nature. If you've ever done a close reading of any of the four gospels, you may have noticed that they do not include every date and detail like a history textbook does. They also don't contain every theological statement and meaning like a book of systematic theology would. The Gospels are the Word of God meeting our everyday lives. So, you have references to the fish the disciples ate alongside eternal truths from the mouth of the Messiah Himself.
Even more interesting, these Gospels don't record everything. They record what is necessary, and they record with a theological purpose in mind. John 20:31 tells us that the gospel of John is written that we may believe. Matthew writes to the Jewish Christians to encourage them in their faith and give them confidence. Mark writes to Jews and gentiles facing persecution, highlighting how Jesus suffered so he can encourage his readers to have endurance through their own persecutions. Luke describes how Jesus came for everyone — the lowly and even the pious higher-ups.
The Gospels were written with a focus and a purpose.
That's why they don't record every meal or every conversation with Jesus.4 That wasn't the point (although that would have been cool). The point was that believers would be encouraged in their faith and come away with a stronger understanding of Jesus' message and mission — and of their call to follow Him.
Right now, you might be wondering what this has to do with your daily Bible studies: "Faith, what does this even mean for me and my life? What does this change?" Well, this changes everything. When you read the Gospels with this perspective, you'll know that they are not just a history or just a theology — and you won't treat them solely as either! You'll see that Matthew included the details he included for a reason. He could have left some things out. When you come across a different order of events or details of a story in the Gospels,5 you won't be shocked or doubt their reliability because you know they weren't written just as a history textbook — they were written with a theological emphasis.
When you're tempted to skim over the genealogy presented in Matthew 1, you'll remember that Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience, and he spent time writing out that genealogy in order to emphasize that Jesus is the Messiah who had been prophesied to come from the bloodline of David.6 Many people who make the mistake of reading the Gospels merely as a first-hand account miss the rich theological framework that shapes the way John structures his gospel or Mark ends his gospel (in a seemingly weird way7).
All the Gospels use their various firsthand accounts to encourage Jewish and gentile believers who were facing persecution and martyrdom, reminding them that Jesus was everything they had been looking for — and that Jesus on the cross was everything the Old Testament believers had anticipated. This is why the Gospels hightail it to the cross, because the first-century believers (and those of us today) desperately needed to see that Jesus was everything they had been looking for. They needed to receive the same message we do today:
In His dying is our living.
We can join with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and run to the cross, because this is where we are redeemed.
- Thanks, Star Wars.
- Thanks, Hunger Games.
- See for example the reference to ancient "mutuals," Alexander and Rufus, in Mark 15:21.
- John 21:25.
- See the difference between Mark 14:1 and John 12:1.
- Matthew 1:17.
- Some manuscripts end the book with 16:8. There is much debate about whether the final verses 9–20 were original or added later due to the odd ending. Don't worry — this shouldn't challenge the reliability of Scripture, but rather if it does end at 16:8, we have this implied question: Will we follow Jesus if we are afraid? This is a large theme of the gospel written to Christians facing martyrdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment