The Gospels

A new literary genre.

There are of course four gospels in the New Testament - Matthew, Mark, Luke & John -  four accounts of the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus. The gospels are a unique literary genre - part biography, part spiritual treatise, preserving the teachings of Christ for us.

Question: The Gospels writers spend about a third of their writing on the events of just one week in Jesus' life - Holy Week. What point are they most likely making?


The Synoptics + John

Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the "synoptic" gospels because they "see together" a lot of the same things. Mark was apparently written first, for almost all of his material is found in Matthew and Luke. John's gospel was probably written last, as he shares completely different teachings from Christ. 92% of John's material is unique to his gospel. Most notably, John records the "I am" statements - "I am . . . . the Bread of Life . . . the Light of the World . . . the Good Shepherd . . . the Gate for the Sheep . . . the Resurrection and the Life . . . the Way, the Truth & the Life, and
. . . the True Vine."


One Good News, Four Distinct Views

Matthew wrote his gospel for a Jewish audience, stressing that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

Mark wrote his gospel most likely for a Roman audience, showing Jesus to be the obedient servant of God.

Luke wrote his gospel for a Gentile audience, for a Greek culture, showing Jesus to be Perfect Man and a Savior for all.

John wrote his gospel for Jews & Gentiles, showing Jesus to be the Son of God.

Question: Why is it helpful to have more than one account of the life of Christ?


The Purpose of the Gospels

Two gospel writers tell us why they recorded what they did:

Luke 1:1-4
Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

John 20:30-31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Questions:
Luke says he was writing so folks might know the truth. How convinced are you regarding the truthfulness of what he's recorded? (if you're not very certain the next entry should help). 
John says he writes so that we might have a new kind of life, one that is found in relationship with God through Christ. How have you experienced this new life?

Prayer:
Gracious God, thank you for the gospels. Inspire me to read them, believe them and most of all live them with the New Life you offer from above. In Your Name. Amen.


Extra Credit:

The traditional symbols for the gospel writers are:

Matthew - A Winged Man (Jesus is the Messiah come from God)
Mark - A Lion (symbol of courage and royalty)

Luke - An Ox or Bull (sacrifice, service, strength)

John - The Eagle  (a symbol of the sky, the highest view of Christ)


The wings on each symbolize divine inspiration.

Gospel

What's in a word? In this case, a lot.

Mark begins his account of the life of Christ with these words:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  - Mark 1:1

The word, "gospel," means "good news." It's not just any good news. It's the good news of Jesus Christ - his life, his teachings, his sacrifice, his resurrection and his ongoing presence in the world and in our lives. This message is good news for the world and good news for each of us. So if the gospel we proclaim is not truly good, wonderful news, then we've misunderstood its essence.

Question:  In what way is the gospel of Christ good news for the world today? In what way is the gospel of Christ good news for you today?

Prayer: Lord, help me understand the beauty of the gospel. Help me to marvel at your sacrificial love and to live out this good news with joy and gratitude. Amen.

God

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) spent 7 years writing his theological masterpiece, "Summa Theologica."  It was his attempt to present the entire breath of Christian theology in a systematic format. On December 6, 1273 Thomas was celebrating Mass when he heard Christ speak to him. Christ asked him what he desired. Thomas replied "Only you, Lord. Only you." Following this exchange Thomas had an intense, supernatural experience with God. It was so profound that he refused to go back to work on his masterpiece. When his assistant Reginald of Piperno begged him to return to his writing, Thomas replied,  "Reginald, I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me." Thomas Aquinas left his sum of all theology incomplete and unfinished. He died 3 months later.

I share this story because I think it captures an important issue when it comes to the study of God, theology.  The issue is our words fall short, and yet we must use them. The issue is our finite minds will never fully understand the Infinite One, and yet we're driven to try. The issue is God is knowable but not completely. God is revealed and yet concealed, And most profoundly, God transcends human reason and human comprehension, and yet God was incarnated in human form.

Question: If we'll never fully understand the mystery of God this side of
heaven, why even try?

Two thoughts . . .

First, there is much we can know about the Infinite One. The Bible is filled with descriptions of God from mere mortals like us who encountered Divinity along the way. Here are just a few of the descriptions found in the scriptures: Mighty One, Faithful, Living, Eternal, Holy, Righteous, Rock, Redeemer, Savior, Almighty, Fortress, Judge, Strength, Justice, Truth, Compassionate, Forgiving, Love, Abba, Mother, Healer.

And secondly, Jesus Christ has made known the character of God. This is the centerpiece of Christian theology. "Christ is the image of the invisible God."  (Colossians 1:15). He's God's Word (Message) to us made flesh (John 1:14).

Prayer: What do we desire, O God? Only You, Lord. Only You. Give us hearts
to know you, minds to understand your ways, and spirits filled and guided
by your Spirit. Amen.

The First Amendment

Here's what it says:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the  press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government  for a redress of grievances."

The First Amendment contains two clauses concerning the freedom of religion. The Establishment Clause states that the "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion." The Free Exercise Clause adds, "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This amendment rejected the European model of a state religion.

When the amendment was ratified in 1791 it applied only to the federal government and its laws. States were still free to do as they wished. In fact, Massachusetts was officially a Congregational state until 1833. One of the churches I served was built using tax payer dollars. In colonial days all the residents of the village were taxed to pay for a new Congregational church. Those were the good ole days!

Shortly after Thomas Jefferson was elected president, Baptists from Connecticut asked him to declare a national day of fasting in order to help the country heal from a bitterly fought presidential campaign. Jefferson disagreed, feeling that the First Amendment established a "wall of separation" between church and state. Others presidents, government officials and courts have seen it differently through the years (see below). A few days after September 11, 2001 President Bush called for Americans to assemble in their houses of worship for noontime prayer for the nation. Most churches were packed.

Question: what are the advantages of a wall of separation between church and state? What are the disadvantages?

Question: Was the First Amendment meant to keep the church out of the state or the state out of the church? Or both?

Prayer: Holy God, thank you for the freedom to worship you in many and various ways. Inspire us to be a nation of worshippers. In your Name. Amen.

Extra Credit: Teaching About Religion

Question: What is the difference between teaching religion confessionally vs teaching about religion objectively?

Answer: the former is unconstitutional. The latter is not.

On a number of occasions the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that it is constitutional to teach about religion in the public schools.

Justice Robert Jackson in McCollum v. Board of Education (1948) wrote, "Music without sacred music, architecture minus the cathedral, or painting without the scriptural themes would be eccentric and incomplete, even from a secular point of view . . . Certainly a course in English literature that omitted the Bible and other powerful uses of our mother tongue for religious ends would be pretty barren."

Justice Thomas Clark in Abington v. Schempp (1963) wrote: "It might well be said that one's education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization."

Justice Lewis Powell in Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) wrote, "Courses in comparative religion of course are customary and constitutionally appropriate."

Amen.

(The information in the "Extra Credit" section comes from Stephen Prothero's Religious Literacy, pp. 128-129.)

Evangelicals & Fundamentalists

The terms are often used interchangeably. But is there a difference between a Fundamentalist and an Evangelical?

The answer is yes.

Both groups frequently use a number of common terms (born again, saved and the lost, to name a few). And both groups stress evangelism, conversion, conviction, being public about one's faith, knowing the Bible and personal salvation through the atonement of the Cross of Christ.

But there are some differences.

Fundamentalists take a literal approach to every story in the Bible. Evangelicals are sometimes open to other interpretations, such as viewing some of the Old Testament stories as parables.

Fundamentalist reject evolution. Evangelicals vary on the subject.

Fundamentalists believe that the Bible is inerrant - perfect and without error on all subjects, including history and science. Evangelicals tend to use such words as "inspired" and "authoritative," meaning that the Bible is reliable and trustworthy in matters of faith and practice.

To Fundamentalists "mission" work is often primarily about spreading the faith.
Evangelicals tend to view it as ministering to the poor, sharing the faith in word and deed.

Fundamentalist are part of the Religious Right, conservative in their social and political views. Many Evangelicals lean that way but not all. In fact, there is an "Evangelical Left," folks with standard theological views but liberal socially and politically. As far as I know there are no left-wing Fundamentalists!

Fundamentalists tend to stick to themselves, often refusing to fellowship with those who are not doctrinally pure in their eyes. Evangelicals are more open and ecumenical.

And one more thing . . . Evangelicals tend to view the rest of us as in God's Kingdom and heaven-bound. Most Fundamentalists believe we're going down.

Question: What can we learn from our Evangelical and Fundamentalist friends?

Prayer: Loving God, help us to keep an open mind and learn from the diversity within your church. Amen.


Rev. Billy Graham





Tim Tebow

P.S. Given my own centrist theological perspective (don't we all think  we're the moderate ones?), it was difficult to write this entry. I always want to be respectful of those whose views are different than mine. But sometimes in teaching one must point out the differences. The goal is always to disagree respectfully. I hope I have done so.


Extra Credit:

The term "evangelical" comes from the Greek word, euangelion, which means, "good news." While the word is often used today as a noun and pronounced with a long "e," the same word in theological studies is pronounced with a short "e" and used to refer to theology that is Christ-centered, which by definition most Christian theology is! The Lutheran Church in the U.S. changed their name a few years ago to, "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America." Most Lutherans are not Evangelicals as described above. It was however their way of saying, "Our central message is the Good News of Christ." In this way, most Christian churches are "evangelical" - with a short "e" instead of a long one.

Got it?



Sojourners Magazine - The Evangelical Left



Faith

In the history of Christianity, both in the biblical record as well as throughout church history, the word "faith" has had two basic meanings.

One meaning has to do with beliefs, accepting the basic tenants of Christianity. These tenants include such things as the character and nature of God (loving, holy, just, covenant-making, etc.), our main doctrines about God, such as the Trinity, as well as our beliefs about the person and work of Christ (the incarnation, the atonement of the Cross, his resurrection and his promised return). To accept the Christian faith is to choose to believe these truths about God and Jesus Christ.

The other meaning of faith has to do with trust, as in, "Keep the Faith." Faith is trusting in the goodness and graciousness of God, in spite of one's circumstances.

Here's a thought: these two meanings belong together. To be a Christian is not simply to intellectually accept all the right doctrines. It's to personally trust in the goodness of God and the benefits of Christ. Faith takes God seriously and responds to God's graciousness with gratitude, commitment and discipleship.

Prayer: Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Increase my faith and trust in You. For You are trustworthy, and your graciousness and promises are extended to me. Thank You, Precious Savior. In your Name. Amen.

Extra Credit: Great verses on Faith

Not surprisingly, some of the most wonderful passages in the Bible are
about faith.

Matthew 9:2
Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

Matthew 15:28
Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. "

Mark 10:52
And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road

Romans 3:28
Therefore we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be of courage; be strong.

2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

Ephesians 6:16
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

1 Thessalonians 1:3
We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 6:11
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Titus 1:2
a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

James 2:17
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

1 Peter 1:7
These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:21
Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

1 Peter 5:9
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

1 John 5:4
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.

The Ethics of Christ

One aspect of Christianity that we have to come to grips with is this: the ethics of Christ are not normal. They are often countercultural and sometimes even against common sense. But the gospel writers faithfully recorded his most challenging
teachings . . . . for us.

For instance . . .

But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
- Matthew 5:39-42

You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
- Matthew 5:43-44

You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery." But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
- Matthew 5:27-28

Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times."
- Matthew 18:21-23

Here's a thought: Being a Christian is really, really hard. The sooner we realize this, the better.

Prayer: Gracious and Loving Savior, help me to realize the high calling of your ways. Forgive my failures and stretch me into being the kind of disciple you're calling me to be. I can only do these things with your help. Amen.