Q: Which Gospel Should I Read First?
A: The Bible contains four accounts of the life of Jesus, called Gospels; each one has its own strengths:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
