Question: Which Gospel Should I Read First?
Answer: The Bible contains four accounts of the life of Jesus, called Gospels. Each one has its own strengths:
Matthew
The Gospel written by Matthew does much to connect Jewish history and understanding to the life of Jesus.
It is great as a bridge from the Old to New Testament of the Bible and for those interested in better seeing the connections between Judaism and Christianity – and the connections are significant.
Mark
The Gospel written by Mark is the shortest. It is an ideal source to quickly gain an essential understanding of who Jesus is and what he did.
Luke
The Gospel written by Dr. Luke contains details and information not included by Matthew and Mark, serving to nicely round out our understanding of Jesus.
John
The John contains more unique content than the other three accounts. John was a disciple of Jesus and part of the inner circle, so he was an eyewitness to what he recorded.
His writing is poetic in nature and great for those who want to mull over and contemplate what he says.
Pick the Gospel that seems the best fit for you. Read it first, then consider the other three.
[See more Bible FAQs for answers to other frequently asked questions.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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