Welcome!

QUESTION 19
Why are there four different gospels?

ANSWER:
In the gospel of  John we read, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”(John 21:25)  I am surprised that there are not four dozen gospels written about Him.

Numbers in the Bible have some significance. The number "four" suggests universality. There are four directions  of the wind on earth. (Matthew 24:31) There were four rivers flowing out of Eden. (Genesis 2) The seed was sown on four types of soil (Matthew 13), and there are four gospel accounts of Jesus.

Each of the four gospel writers are recording a little different view of Him:

Matthew writes to Jewish people and speaks of Him as their Messiah and King (Matthew 2:2)
It is introduced by John the Baptist as the kingdom being offered to them. (Matthew 3:2)
Mark does not record His birth, only His three years of ministry. He describes Him as the Son and Servant of God. He writes more to the Roman or Gentile world. He presents the activities of Jesus, as the Servant
Luke gives much attention to His humanity and the theme of his gospel is “the Son of man is come to seek and to saved that which was lost” (Luke 19:10)

These are called the synoptic gospels because they record much of the same things about Christ.

The fourth gospel of John was written much later and was a general gospel about believing and having eternal life. It is quite different than the other three. The significance of this is that it was much later and contains added information about Christ that was evidently needed at the time. He records much that the others do not.

He alone record this well know truth. John 3;16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  He alone speaks of Jesus saying, “ Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Have you been born again? Have you accepted the Saviour that God gave for us? These are vital truths that determines our eternal destinies. You will be in heaven or hell forever. The answer where you go lies in what you do with the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent and trust Him and be saved or be in hell forever.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

Return to Person of Christ Questions Main Page

Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen