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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Gospels

The Bible contains four Gospels, or biographies of Jesus, focusing on his life, ministry, death, and resurrection.

Each of the Gospels was written by a different author, with a different purpose or audience in mind, and with their own individual focus. As such, we see many similarities, as well as uniqueness, between the four accounts.

Taken together, they provide a rich narrative, with deep insight, into the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as his death and resurrection. The Gospels are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; each named after it’s author.

There are many parallel passages in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which are sometimes called the synoptic gospels because of their similarities.

Some speculate that Matthew and Luke borrowed passages from Mark or perhaps that all three used a common, but unidentified fourth source. Nevertheless, each provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of Jesus.

John, is the most different of the four Gospels, containing the fewest similarities and the most unique passages.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

By Peter DeHaan

Peter writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and make a faith that matters. Learn more at https://peterdehaan.com.