Why are there Four Gospels?

(From 2018)

Introduction

        This question comes up from time to time as to why are there four different individuals telling the same story which is the Life of Christ. Wouldn’t it be easier just to have one person tell the story to get the whole picture of his life? The following will try to explain the purpose of having four different authors to one story.

Witnesses don’t see an Event the same way

        Let’s say that there are two cars that have crashed in the middle of an intersection. On each of the four corners, there is a witness to the accident; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew and Mark can see the front ends of the cars where they crashed but not the backs. Luke and John can see the rear of the cars but not the front. Only Matthew can see the driver of the car that was hit, while John can’t see any people as the trunk lid to the other car has popped open.

        When they give their eyewitness report to the police, their stories vary from one another. Although they have seen the exact same accident, they only can tell what happened from where they were standing.

        This is one reason why there are four gospels; not every witness saw the events of Jesus’ life the same way as the others even though they are seeing the same things.

Four Witnesses; Four Audiences

        You will notice the big difference between the gospels of Matthew and Mark; aside from their lengths, is that Matthew has a little more detail. This is not to say that Mark was sloughing on the job but his audience wasn’t quite as big as Matthew’s.

        Matthew’s gospel was written specifically to the Jews and you’ll notice that when Jesus spoke, he referenced the prophets (and the Old Law) of the Old Testament quite often. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus referenced the Old Law on numerous occasions and then improved upon it. In Matt. 5:38 he says, “You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’.” This is in reference to what the Old Law said in Lev. 24:19-20, ‘If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him- 'fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.’

        The Jewish nation would have been familiar with this law when Jesus talked about it. He went on to improve it in Matt. 5:39-42. Had this been written to the Gentile audience, as Mark’s gospel was, they would have scratched their heads and not know where to find that part of the law. Primarily as they weren’t permitted to read the Old Law themselves as they weren’t allowed in the synagogue. They would understand Jesus’ later verses about “turning the other cheek” but not where it originated from. They just took it on faith that it was part of the law.

As the whole bible came together, those gentiles could then go back and view those things that had been written specifically to the Jews. This, in turn, would give them the bigger picture of how things were handled in ancient times.

Conclusion

        A rather simple explanation but one that should help you to know why there are four gospels instead of just one. Each tells a different view of the same events but all are just as important as the other three. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)