NATURE & Contexts & Message of the Gospels

◩ NATURE OF THE Gospels

- The Gospels are stories about Jesus and sayings of Jesus

- Two difficulties about the Gospels

-- no direct writing by Jesus himself; come through others

-- There are four gospels that differ in perspective

- We do not have the very words of Jesus, even in the sections (Sermon on the Mount) where Jesus' sayings are recorded

- Four gospels rather than one, two, or three begs the question, why? Or how?

 

◩ Contexts of the Gospels

- Different Levels of Historical Contexts

-- Historical context of Jesus in general and in particular

-- Historical context of the gospel writers

-- think vertically...

- Literary Context

-- Understanding Pericopes

-- Compare parallels to notice distinctives

-- Think horizontally...

 

◩ Message of Gospels

- Message of the Whole Gospel

-- Why the stories were selected....

-- How the stories were arranged...

-- How the stories were adapted...

- The Kingdom of God in the ministry of Jesus

-- The mission of Jesus

-- eschatological emphasis-already-not yet