Lesson 4 - Other Gospels: What’s the big deal?

I. Introduction to the Issue

A. In recent years many scholars have made arguments that Christianity as we presently understand it needs to be redefined. These arguments are based on the claim that in the early years of the church there was no such thing as orthodoxy; different religious viewpoints about God and Jesus existed side by side. The partial warrant for this claim are Gospels, other than the four canonical Gospels, written during the early years which present different teaching which have recently come to light. (Disclaimer: There are many other documents which influence this debate.)

B. Deeper underneath this situation is a philosophical stance about how a particular viewpoint becomes dominant. It can be stated very simply: "History is written by the winners."

II. The Other Gospels: A Selection

A. The Gospel of Thomas

1. The Gospel of Thomas is one of the documents found at Nag Hammadi. It contains 114 sayings attributed to Jesus largely in the form of proverbs or parables. It is similar to the synoptic Gospels in many respects.

2. The debate is the date of the document. Most scholars date it to the second century, while some date it to the mid first century. It is possible that some material in it can be dated early, while much of it comes later.

3. Sample: Saying 114. "Simon Peter said to them, Make Mary leave us, for females dont deserve life. Jesus said, Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven."

B. The Gospel of Philip

1. The Gospel of Philip was also found at Nag Hammadi. It is a combination of short, theological treatises and short, difficult sayings. Possible roots are in Syria, as some of the word plays only work in Syriac.

2. Scholars date it from mid 2nd century to mid 3rd century.

3. Sample: Chapter 13. "Truth, which has existed from the first, is sowed everywhere. And there are many who see it being sowed, but few who see it being reaped."

C. The Gospel of Peter

1. This Gospel has been known by the church for a long time. Eusebius mentions it in his Ecclesiastical History, written around the middle of the fourth century. It presents Jesus passion.

2. This Gospel is also debated as to its date. A few scholars date it to the mid 50s, but most put it in the 2nd century.

3. Sample: [39] And while they were relating what they had seen, again they see three males who have come out from they sepulcher, with the two supporting the other one, and a cross following them, [40] and the head of the two reaching unto heaven, but that of the one being led out by a hand by them going beyond the heavens. [41] And they were hearing a voice from the heavens saying, "Have you made proclamation to the fallen-asleep?" [42] And an obeisance was heard from the cross, "Yes."

III. Various Claims made by Proponents of Other Texts

A. Originally there were varieties of Christianity, not a fixed orthodoxy.

B. Orthodoxy developed out of the Roman churchs control over other areas in the late 2nd century.

C. Orthodoxy as the dominant position shut out other voices and chose books which represented the dominant position for the canon, thus ensuring its place as the dominant position forever.

D. Orthodoxy did not have the right to throw its weight around; the diversity of early Christianity should have been preserved.

IV. The Proper Response

A. Most every study examining this question finds that heretics were neither early nor strong.

B. There were many other orthodox centers for Christianity, including Antioch and Asia Minor. There is little evidence that Rome held any type of ecclesiastical control this early.

C. All historical data points to orthodoxy represented in our canonical texts as being the oldest, most direct connection to Jesus and the apostolic tradition.

D. Certain ideas in these alternate texts were contested from the start.

V. As one of my colleagues said, "History is written by the winners, but sometimes winners deserve to win."

Download PDF Version Lesson 4

Lesson 3 - Some Background Information for Each Gospel

I. Some introductory Points

A. Technically each Gospel is anonymous; no specific author is stated anywhere within the works.

B. They all have the same person as their subject but there are some major differences in presentation.

1. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are similar enough in presentation and content that they are usually examined as a group with the name "Synoptic Gospels" with questions of dating considered together.

2. John is radically different, so much so that he is usually considered as a separate case.

3. They each have unique themes and foci.

C. Key historical events which must be considered related to each Gospel is the growth of the early church and the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in A.D. 70 by the Romans under the leadership of the general Titus.

II. Mark

A. Author

1. Most argue that the Mark who wrote the Gospel is John Mark mentioned in Acts (12:12, 25; 15:37, 39) and elsewhere (Col 4:10; Phlmn 24; 2 Tim 4:11; 1 Pet 5:13).

2. A quotation from Papias, bishop of Hierapolis until around A.D. 130, preserved in Eusebius Historia Ecclesiastica written in A.D. 325 connects Mark to Peter in Rome.

3. Some even suggest that the unique story about the young man at Jesus arrest (Mark 14:51-52) is a self-reference.

B. Recipients

Due to the suggestions about Marks location when he wrote the Gospel, many argue that the Gospels intended audience was the Roman church.

C. Date

1. Because of the similarity of Mark 13 to the actual destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, many scholars say Mark has to be later than that time. The issue is whether Mark 13 is a prophecy or a retelling of the events after the fact.

2. Many scholars who want to date Mark conservatively (i.e., early) put him in the mid 50s, approximately 20 years after Jesus crucifixion in A.D. 33.

D. Key Themes

1. Mark presents Jesus as the servant of God who acts mightily.

2. Mark emphasizes discipleship.

E. Key Verses

1. Mark 10:45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

2. Mark 15:39: Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, "Truly this man was Gods Son!"

III. Matthew

A. Author

1. Most argue that Matthew, one of the original disciples, a tax-collector by occupation, was the author.

2. Those who argue that Matthew was not the author posit either a Matthean disciple or school or an unknown non-eyewitness.

B. Recipients

1. Due to Matthews strong emphasis on Jewish concerns, many believe that his audience was located in Palestine or a city near Palestine with a large Jewish population.

2. However, due to the dispersion of Jews all over the Greco-Roman world, this is speculation and cannot be determined with any certainty.

C. Date

1. If Matthew was dependent upon Mark, that date must be taken into consideration. A date of mid-60s is reasonable.

2. Many argue for a late date for Matthew on the basis of the Temple destruction, similarly to Mark, as well as because of his developed theology.

D. Key Themes

1. Jesus was the authoritative interpreter of the Law and therefore of how to relate to God.

2. Jesus was the promised Messiah to whom the OT pointed.

E. Key Verses

1. Matthew 7:28-29: When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law.

2. Matthew 28:18, 20: Then Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. . . . And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

IV. Luke

Luke presents a unique difficulty in that the book of Acts must be considered in tandem.

A. Author

1. Since Luke was not an apostle, to have his name attached to the book is strong evidence that he was the author.

2. Luke was a companion of Paul (the "we" passages in Acts; Col 4:14).

B. Recipients

1. A single individual, Theophilus, is mentioned by name (Luke 1:3).

2. Probably a much wider audience was in view as well.

C. Date

1. Luke had to be written later than A.D. 62, since Acts ends at that point.

2. Similarly to Mark, the relation to the Temple destruction has to be considered.

3. A date of mid-60s is preferred by many.

D. Key Themes

1. Luke wanted to present a history of the early church which started with Jesus and went all the way through Paul.

2. The Holy Spirit is an integral part of Jesus ministry and the growth of the early church.

E. Key Verses

1. Luke 1:3-4: So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know for certain the things you were taught.

2. Luke 24:49: And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

V. John

A. Author

1. Many argue that the apostle John is the author.

2. Some postulate on the basis of the Johannine epistles that an elder named John, but not the apostle, wrote the book.

3. Some argue that it was simply another person named John.

B. Recipients

1. John spent much of his later life in Ephesus, so that church is a reasonable recipient.

2. This is not a unanimous decision, though.

C. Date

1. John is perhaps the most difficult of all the Gospels to date. It could reasonably fit in a number of places.

2. Many scholars place John in the 90s, but there are good arguments for placing him earlier, even before A.D. 70.

D. Key Themes

1. Jesus is the pre-existent word, who was with God at the beginning.

2. Jesus reveals God the Father perfectly

E. Key Verses

1. John 1:18: No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.

2. John 20:31: But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Download PDF Version Lesson 3

Lesson 2 - What Are The Gopels

I. The Importance of the Question

A. Answering the question helps us interpret the documents.
This point is largely about genre, which is the large category of literature, defined by certain regular, recurring characteristics, to which a particular written piece belongs. Knowing the genre is an essential part of interpreting it as it immediately tells the reader how certain things will be done and thus how the reader in turn should understand it..

B. Answering the question helps us understand the history of the early church.
Like any biblical book, the Gospels are a window into the faith and life situation of the early church. They show both what the church was thinking about Jesus and what the church was thinking about its place in the world. Knowing this gives the modern reader a fresh take on our own view of the present-day church and its place in the world.

C. Answering the question helps us convey biblical truth today.
The Gospels are a wonderful model of how to communicate truth about Jesus Christ. They show that truth can be communicated in multiple ways, and theological understanding can be achieved by more than propositional truth or creedal statements.

II. Each Gospel is a Written History.

A. The Gospels focus upon Jesus, a person who lived in space and time and about whom information can be accurately and truly known.
In this sense, the Gospels look backwards in time as all histories do to a significant subject worthy of understanding.B. Jesus teaching and activity birthed a community upon which he placed the mandate of self-perpetuation.

Throughout Jesus ministry, specifically in Matthew in chap. 10 and in 28:18-20, he mandated mission for those who follow him.

B. The Gospels point to the impact of Jesus’ life.
History is often less about the raw facts and more about the impact of those facts upon the world. The Gospels function similarly in that they seek not to just give info but to show how that info fits into the world we know.

C. The Gospels describe details of his life which show his place in history.
1. The Gospels describe significant people.
2. The Gospels describe significant events.
3. The Gospels present a chronological backbone of Jesus’ life.

III. Each Gospel is a Theological Treatise.

The Gospels seek to convey truth about God and his activity in the world. This is done on three separate levels, each of which should be understood as clearly as possible.
A. The Gospels present Jesus’ beliefs and teachings.
B. The Gospels present the author’s beliefs and teachings.
C. The Gospels present the beliefs and teachings of the early church.

>

IV. Each Gospel is a Narrative Story.

The Gospels are high art, literature with depth that has a tremendous impact upon the reader. Their subject matter speaks of grand issues with an importance beyond what might appear at first glance. The Gospels have characteristics shared with other great literature that should be understood for proper interpretation.
A. The Gospels have intricate plots, telling the central story of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection with emphasis on particular aspects as the author desires.
B. The Gospels have important characters which serve to move the plot forward.
C. The Gospels have settings—geographical, religious, political—which help tell the story. D. The Gospels use thematic elements to guide the reader to certain theological conclusions.
E. The Gospels use narrators to guide the reader in proper interpretation and understanding of the story.

V. A Working Definition
The Gospels are multi-faceted, written documents which give historical information about Jesus within a narrative framework to convey theological truth about him and his role in God’s plan.

Download PDF Version Lesson 2

Lesson 1 - The History Behind The Gospels

I. The Importance of the Question

A. What this question is not trying to answer

This question is not concerned primarily with the historical occasion which caused the particular Gospel writer to take up a pen and write his particular book. That is an important question, but the question we are asking is a bigger question.

B. What this question is trying to answer

With this question I am concerned with why the Church would have developed these particular books which came out looking as they did. Why do the Gospels look like they do? Why do they have Jesus as their subject? Why do they preserve the information about him which they do?

II. The Life and Ministry of Jesus

Answering the question requires that we start at the point which began it all: the life and ministry of Jesus.

A. The church was convinced that God had entered the world in Jesus as part of his divine plan of redemption.

This in fact is the clear view of Matthew, who uses many OT citations to show that God was in control of history and had worked specifically to bring Jesus at the time he did.

B. Jesus teaching and activity birthed a community upon which he placed the mandate of self-perpetuation.

Throughout Jesus ministry, specifically in Matthew in chap. 10 and in 28:18-20, he mandated mission for those who follow him.

C. This community saw Jesus teaching and activity as the primary vehicle for that self-perpetuation, as the community had its genesis in Jesus and was centered around him.

III. The Oral Period

A. The earliest period immediately following Jesus resurrection and ascension was marked by oral communication.

This often comes as a surprise to many since we only know about Jesus through the written Gospels, but in the early church oral communication was the primary medium in which people communicated about him. Consider all the preaching in Acts.

B. During this time Jesus teaching, stories about his activity, theological conclusions about him, remembrances from those who walked with him, and proclamations about him would be passed from believer to believer, from teacher to student, from church to church, from missionary to convert orally.

IV. The Collection of Tradition

A. Many of the materials were organized into cohesive units.

1. This took place on the level of the individual story or teaching, as repeatable, memorable forms could more readily be passed along orally.

2. This also took place on the level of groups of teachings or stories, as units with similar themes would naturally be collected together.

B. Large units developed which became sources for the written Gospels.

Among other units, Matthew and Luke shared a large block of teaching material and both Matthew and Luke have distinct infancy narratives.

V. The Writing of the Gospels

A. At some point the Church began to record the traditions about Jesus into more permanent form, presumably as the church expanded widely into Gentile areas and as eyewitnesses began to pass from the scene.

B. There is evidence that much of Matthew and Luke existed in written form before those Gospels as a whole did.

C. There is evidence from the early Church that each Gospel may have had an apostolic source to its teaching.

(1). The Gospels of Matthew and John were attributed to actual apostles.

(2). Mark was connected to Peter while he was in Rome.

(3). Luke was connected to Paul at various points, and Paul himself had contact with the Apostles.

Download PDF Version Lesson 1

The Importance of Bible Study

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.—Matthew 11:29

In all probability, very few individuals of rational mind would fail to appreciate the wise man’s counsel,

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding" (Prov. 4:7).

The dictionary defines wisdom as the power of true and just discernment of a high degree of knowledge. Understanding is described as the sum of the mental powers by which knowledge is acquired, retained and extended; the power of apprehending relations and making inferences from them.

Although there are shades of difference between the terms wisdom and understanding, inherent in the acquisition of either is the process of diligent study. The attainment of success in virtually every secular field of endeavor depends largely upon the degree to which one commits himself to study. For the Christian, study is an all-important ingredient in following the Master’s admonition,

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33)