All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Lord expanded His church through the writing of the New Testament. Last time we considered the New Testament “epistles” (meaning letters). This time let’s give brief thought to the four gospels.
First, “the Gospel” is not the same as the four New Testament books we call “the gospels.” The Gospel (singular) is the good news of Jesus Christ that, when believed and obeyed, equals salvation. The Gospel is the plan of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
The gospels (plural) are the four New Testament books that tell us about Jesus—His life, death, and resurrection. So, what about these four gospels?
There are four of them, written by four different men, all telling the same story but from different vantage points having four different emphases. The first three (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), called the synoptic gospels, are similar and more biographical than the fourth gospel (John).
Matthew, written by a Jew primarily for a Jewish audience, presents Jesus as the King of the Jews and the One who fulfills Jewish prophecy. Matthew was one of the original twelve disciples.
Mark was not one of the original twelve disciples, but was tutored by Peter who was one of the twelve. Mark presents Jesus as the Servant. This gospel is the shortest and moves at a rapid pace.
Luke was not one of the original twelve disciples. He was not Jewish, but a Gentile. Luke wrote based on the information he gathered from eye witnesses (Luke 1:1-2). Luke is the longest of the four gospels and the longest book in the New Testament. Luke presents Jesus as the Son of Man, emphasizing the humanity of Jesus (while not neglecting His deity).
John was one of the original twelve disciples, and was also one of the three who made up Jesus’ inner circle. (The other two were Peter and James.) John presents Jesus as the Son of God, emphasizing the deity of Jesus.
Each of the four gospels deserve to be read and studied individually, as their unique emphases are important. There is also great value in reading one of the many merged treatments of the four gospels-in-one to get the most comprehensive picture of Jesus’ life. Personally, my favorite is the gospel section of “The Daily Bible,” by F. LaGard Smith.