...Jesus (/ˈdʒiːzəs/; Greek: Ἰησοῦς Iesous; 7–2 BC to AD 30–33), also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ,[e] is the central figure of Christianity, whom the teachings of most Christian denominations hold to be the Son of God. Christianity regards Jesus as the awaited Messiah (or Christ) of the Old Testament,[12] while Islam regards Jesus as a major prophet, second in importance only to Muhammad.[13] Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically,[f] and historians consider the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) to be the best sources for investigating the historical Jesus.[20][21][22][23] Most scholars agree that Jesus was a Galilean, Jewish rabbi[24] who preached his message orally,[25] was baptized by John the Baptist, and was crucified by the order of the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate.[26] In the current mainstream view, Jesus was an apocalyptic preacher and the founder of a restoration movement within Judaism, although some prominent scholars argue that he was not apocalyptic.[21][27] After Jesus' death, his followers believed he was resurrected, and the community they formed eventually became the Christian church.[28] The widely accepted calendar era, abbreviated as "AD" or sometimes as "CE", is based on the birth of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus has a "unique significance" in the world.[29] Christian doctrines include the beliefs that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of a virgin named Mary, performed miracles...
Words: 5691 - Pages: 23
...surrounding the dating of Luke’s Gospel. There has been arguments predicting the date of Luke's gospel and the possible dates are the AD60’s, AD80’s (middle late first century), AD180’s (late second century). The argument for the dating to be the AD60’s is that the book of acts had to have been written before AD62 as the book suddenly ends with the imprisonment of the apostle Paul. The book of acts ended with Paul’s imprisonment which was unexpected as it did not include any of the other important events that happened after the imprisonment took place for example: James martyrdom the brother of Jesus and the leader of Jerusalem which happened in AD62, also Paul’s martyrdom and the persecution of emperor Nero etc. Another example of evidence that Luke’s gospel was written before AD62 is that there is no mention of the fall of Jerusalem in the book of acts which happened in the AD70’s this was quite a big event that took place and was still not mentioned. The book of acts only seems to focus on the events that were relevant before the fall of Jerusalem. If the book of acts was written before AD62 then the gospel of Luke was written a short time before this. Luke’s purpose was to present the progression of the gospel from Jerusalem and Rome. Another possible date that is argued is the AD80’s as Luke’s knowledge of the great fall of Jerusalem as an event of the past is more apparent compared to Matthew and mark. Luke depended on marks gospel which is usually dated in the late...
Words: 1006 - Pages: 5
...The gospels put emphasis on Jesus’ religious meaning, it is to inspire life giving faith in the readers. There are the Synoptic Gospels and then there is the Gospel of John. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are three versions of the same sayings or incidents of Jesus life. They follow the same order of events in narrating Jesus’ public ministry. All four concentrate exclusively on the last phase of Jesus’ life, the period of his public ministry when his teachings both attracted devoted followers and created bitter enemies. Matthew: It tells the story some what differently, avoiding any implications that Jesus made have had limited powers and stating merely that Jesus “did not work many miracles there”. In Matthew, Jesus first public act is to deliver the sermon on the mound demonstrating his authorities as a teacher, upholding and interoperating the Mosaic Law, He also represents Jesus’ birth and ministry as fulfilling prophecies from the Hebrew Bible. Matthew betrays Jesus as a greater Moses who demands a higher righteousness unlike Mark and Luke. All four concentrate exclusively on the last phase of Jesus’ life, the period. Mark: Marks gospel for instance seems to consist a string of incidents, anecdotes, and sayings that are very loosely connected to one another. Mark, is the first Gospel, who was stitched together of previously isolated oral units, individual episodes illustrating Jesus words and deeds. According to Mark, Jesus first act was to drive...
Words: 471 - Pages: 2
...SYNOPSIS OF THE LAST SUPPER ACCOUNTS Student’s Name Date In the New Testament, the Last Supper refers to the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples on the night of his betrayal. This last meal mentioned in different terms in different texts. These terms include the Lord's Supper, Eucharist, communion and mass. The last supper serves as an encouragement and a unifying factor to Christians. It binds them in fellowship of love, trust and mutual acceptance. Sharing of the last supper is one of the orders that Jesus gave to his church. It is ideally Christian’s remembrance of Jesus, acknowledgement of his presence, confident hope in his second coming, fellowship with him and his people, self-examination, thanksgiving and gratitude. 1This paper explores the last supper event as presented by the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and 1st Corinthians. Historical Background of the Last Supper The last supper concept dates back to the early times in the Old Testament where Jews used to celebrate the Passover. The Passover ritual entailed an opening course where the paterfamilias spoke a blessing over the first cup of wine. The preliminary dish comprised green herbs, bitter herbs and a sauce made...
Words: 2341 - Pages: 10
...same meaning in the gospels as they have in the Hebrew Bible? (30% of exam) Messiah is a Hebrew word. It means to be anointed- the king. In David, the word Messiah means the son of God was first used in the story of the descendants. Saul was referred as a Messiah by Samuel in Samuel 1but he failed to please God and David was the one who was Messiah and even God favored him. In the New Testament: all the gospels like in Mark1:1, Mathew, 1:1, Jesus, were referred as Son of God and even Messiah. Peter also addresses to the crowd after Jesus’ death that Jesus, the crucified person was the King- the Messiah, who protected the people of Israel which was the Christianity message indeed. The son of god means in Hebrew bible that someone who is the King, basically the king of Israel and who is faithful to God. In the New Testament, Jesus was referred as Son of God as he used to do miracles by curing the sick and possessed. Jesus was the king of Jews. He proved this by sacrificing his life and forgiving all the sins of the people. Messiah mean anointed one, in Hebrew bible, Messiahs were priests and the kings like David was referred as Messiah and even son of God and even Cyrus was referred too. But Jesus was being called as Messiah in the gospels. After Jesus’ death, his death was referred as” death of anointed”. 2. We discussed how each of the gospels finds some salutary meaning in Jesus’ death by crucifixion. Briefly, what does Mark’s gospel...
Words: 1020 - Pages: 5
...BIBL104 27 NOV 11 Summary of the books of the Old Testament Books Matthew The book of Matthew genre is gospel. The gospel of Matthew bridges the old and new testaments to the prophecy, that Jesus is the messiah. Matthew used more quotes of the Old Testament than all other gospels combined, thus indicating that it was written to a Jewish audience to convince them that Jesus is the savior. Matthew started his gospel by tracing Jesus back forty-two generations from Joseph and Mary to Abraham. Matthew becomes one of the twelve disciples and along with the other eleven they learn about Jesus’s death was coming near. They were also taught what to expect and how to live before Jesus returns. This gospel highlights the Sermon on the Mount, summarizing the ethical standards Jesus established to those that belong to the kingdom of God. The final chapters cover the detail of the last supper, Peter’s denial of knowing Jesus, Jesus’s last words on the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus. LUKE The book of Luke is a genre of gospel. Luke was a missionary associated with the apostle Paul. Luke was also the only known Gentile Christian in the New Testament. Even though Luke was not a witness to Jesus, Luke provides the best complete picture to life of Jesus. Luke in tells the knowledge of Jesus, how at a young age of twelve he was able to understand his unique mission as the son of God. How Jesus came to know John the Baptist and was baptized before gathering his twelve disciples. Jesus...
Words: 738 - Pages: 3
...Answer The synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are so named because they are in substantial agreement on the life of Jesus. Mark's Gospel was the original gospel, and is believed to have been written around 70 CE. Whenever Matthew and Luke copy material from Mark's Gospel, they do so with remarkable consistency, even to the use of words in the original Greek language. John's Gospel, although influenced by Mark's Gospel, is further removed, with its principal source being Luke's Gospel. It is believed that John's Gospel was originally much more Gnostic, but that after the split in the Johannine community, the Gospel was reworked to remove much of its Gnostic flavour. Whereas the synoptic gospels say that Jesus, although the Son of God, was not truly divine, John's Gospel makes it quite clear that he was considered to be both God and pre-existing. Much of the material in John is unique to this Gospel, although passages in John can be seen to be adaptations of similar material in Luke. For example, the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus, in which he tells the disciples to cast their nets on the other side and thus they catch a multitude of fish, is unique to John. However, a very similar episode occurs in Luke before the crucifixion and resurrection. In the synoptic gospels, particularly in Mark, Jesus is at pains to keep his true identity secret. He does not 'cleanse' the Temple until towards the end of his mission, and this violent action is the trigger...
Words: 807 - Pages: 4
...prophet; others worship him as a god, while many others assert that he was merely a wise teacher with no link to the divine. In the second part of Graham Stanton’s book, The Gospels and Jesus, Jesus’ intentions, teachings, and downfall are examined and assessed with notable order and clarity, all in an attempt to resolve the fundamental question of Part II: who was Jesus of Nazareth? Stanton launches Part II with a chapter entitled “What do we know about Jesus of Nazareth?” Here, the debate as to whether or not Jesus existed is considered by exploring archaeological evidence from outside the gospels in an effort to establish what is known about Jesus. He cites various non-Christian, Jewish, and Christian sources after opening the chapter with a theory by G.A. Wells which argues that it was not until 100 CE that Jesus was worshipped as a “Savior” figure. Wells maintains that before 150 CE, there is no independent non-Christian support for the existence of Jesus and that the authors of the four New Testament gospels invented their traditions about the life of Jesus. As Stanton argues, this does not entirely make sense, since it is difficult to find signs of the convictions, emphases, and conflicts of the Christians of that period in the canonical gospels. Stanton continues to refer to sources outside of the gospels such as the non-Christian writings of the Roman historian Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, and satirist Lucian of Samosata. He also investigates the writings of...
Words: 3206 - Pages: 13
...one another in content and expression. As a result they a referred to as the synoptic gospels. The word “synoptic” basically means “to see together with a common view”. This raises the question of why they are similar to one another in these respects. This is known as the synoptic problem. The many similarities between the synoptic gospels have led some to wonder if the gospel authors had a common source, another written account of Christ’s birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection from which they obtained the material for their gospels. Some argue that Matthew, Mark, and Luke are so similar that they must have used each other’s gospels, or another common source. This supposed “source” has been given the title “Q” from the German word “quell” which means “source.” Another problem is that there is no evidence for the “Q” document or even a portion or fragment which has been discovered. “Q” is just the invention of liberal scholars who deny the inspiration of the Bible and they believe it to be nothing more than a work of literature, subject to some criticism given to other works of literature. This in turn renders the source very much unreliable because there is also no evidence for a “Q” document biblically, theologically or historically. If there is no “Q” document, then why are they similar? It is possible that whichever document was written first, most likely Mark, the other Gospels had access to it. Luke in Luke 1:4 say, “Many have undertaken the draw up account of...
Words: 2079 - Pages: 9
...has ever known. To believe in the Bible in our era with so little proof and evidence seems difficult to many of us. Apparently, faith is stronger, and it’s what keeps religion alive. But there has to be something beyond that. Something that’s more reliable and firm. That is why we search for answers. Unfortunately, faith isn’t always enough. The four main gospels in the Bible that we know of are those of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. What most of us don’t know is that these weren’t the only ones written. Imagine the amount of people in that era who decided to write about Jesus’ trials. His life was recorded by thousands of followers across the land. A tale so interesting and compelling, but it was scattered and unorganized because people’s accounts on facts and occurrences differed. The word spread and about 300 years after the crucifixion of Christ, the number of his followers had multiplied which led to Christianity becoming a major movement throughout Eastern Europe. The Bible wasn’t a published book until someone with enough power and a clever plan got their hands on the loose pages that were the gospels. You may know him as Constantine the Great. He was the current Roman Emperor in 325 A.D. Few know that in his day, Rome’s official religion was a pagan cult based on sun worship— and Constantine was the head priest. The more Christianity expanded, the more of a threat it became as to omitting other religions, including Rome’s. The Emperor foresaw the...
Words: 1465 - Pages: 6
...has been part of human history for a very long time and has always been a topic of discussion and question. Looking outside in religion is analogous to H20 having characteristics of ice (the atheists), water itself (the followers), and gas (the fanatics). The focus of this paper is on a part of a religion that generally does not have a visible tie to a specific religion, not until it is investigated further, The Gospels. My Prior understanding a Gospel Church is one where there is a lot of standing and singing about God – this is a misunderstanding. The church itself is focused on the four Gospels and what the real meaning is. The word “Gospel” for Christians refers to the “good news” that is a result of Jesus Christ’s death and its meaning (Keathly, 2004). Another misconception of a Gospel Church is the Bishop has his own agenda and does not focus on the Gospels themselves. Also, I have always felt that the church has become a place to be seen, not just for the sighting itself but also be dressed up in the best clothes possible. Another misconception of the Gospels and Christianity is they have nothing do with Jewish faith and they are completely different. Misconceptions are easy to confirm or debunk with research and a non-partial attitude towards what is being investigated. With so many religions in the world how can anyone be sure which religion is best for them? Religion is a result of nurture and not nature, humans in general were not born to follow a specific religion...
Words: 3797 - Pages: 16
...Theology of the Four Gospels The first three gospels are sometimes called the 'synoptic' or same view gospels. This is because they each cover teaching and miracles by Jesus that are also covered in another account. The fourth gospel, John, writing later, recounts Jesus' other words and miracles that have a particular spiritual meaning. All four gospels present Jesus as both the Son of God and son of man. In this paper information will be provided that describes the major theological differences between the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Information will also be provided that describes a theological perspective of the gospel of John. Finally, information in this paper will include how ones understanding of the various theological perspectives presented in the four Gospels can be used as an additional tool to facilitate the proclaiming of the Four Gospels. Theological Differences between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John The Gospel According to Matthew The first three books of the New Testament have been identified as the synoptic gospels. These books are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The first book of the New Testament is identified as the book of Matthew. Matthew was one of the first twelve disciples of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 9:1; 10:1-4 and therefore an eye-witness. Matthew records more of Jesus' teaching concerning God's heavenly kingdom than the other writers, Mark, Luke, or John. In the first four books of Matthew, the miracle story of Jesus’...
Words: 1178 - Pages: 5
...person. He uses his investigative reporter background to shape the way this book is set up. He proves that Jesus really is the son of God, using a sequence of interviews with 13 well respected Evangelical apologists. The book begins by Strobel using five lines of evidence: eyewitness, documentary, corroborating, scientific and rebuttal. Craig Bloomberg, PhD; whose doctorate is in New Testament, is the first to be interviewed. Bloomberg alleges that Papias and Irenaeus confirmed that the four gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John making them eyewitness testimony. He goes on to dismiss the Gospel Q hypothesis saying it is “nothing more than a hypothesis.” (p. 26) He explains that Q was a collection of sayings or teachings so that Matthew could use Mark’s account of events which he got from Peter that was so close to Jesus. This went along with his independent account. Strobel explains the differences in John’s gospel. He says that John is independent of the other three gospels, which explains a lot of the differences. He blames the translation of Greek...
Words: 2054 - Pages: 9
...Reflection Paper – The Lost Gospels Having watched the documentary “The Lost Gospels” presented by Anglican priest Peter Owen Jones have certainly caught my interest and brought me to analyzing certain possibilities in relation to the composition of our Bible. The documentary basically questions the reason why many Christian texts, that could possibly be included in the New Testament, have not made their way to our Bible. The succeeding paragraphs would tackle these different “lost gospels”, their stories and basically how I think of their content and how I think they would affect our religion today if they were included in the Bible. The first lost gospel discussed can be found in Egypt, which is known to many Egyptians as the gospel of Thomas. It was said that this gospel has the possibility to even be the first ever manuscript that was written about Jesus and it was something that is even widely read. Most of the lines read by an expert were mostly mysterious. The first line of the gospel mainly states that whoever finds the correct interpretations of the secret saying in the Bible will never die or will have eternal life. In my opinion, this is a very strong statement since we all believe that all of us are entitled to an eternal life through our strong faith in God. I think this line brings so much confusion to everyone of us and I personally don’t believe in it. Also, there is this other line that says that women are not worthy of life and Jesus will lead the women...
Words: 883 - Pages: 4
...Reflection Paper 21APR11 THEO104 Phillip A Johnson #L23636707 The Authority of the Bible The purpose of this paper is to share some thoughts of what we learned over this semester. Many thoughts will come from what I have written during the class and from the Core of Christianity, Elmer Towns. The topics I chosen to discuss is Does the Bible have authority, Did Jesus claim to be God and How can we be confident that Jesus is returning. Let us first look at the word authority. Authority means “the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.” ("authority.") This authority can come from a teacher, pastor, principle or anyone else that has the ability to control or command someone or something. The Biblical definition, states that authority is “the legal and/or moral right to exercise power, or power that is rightly possessed. We recognize the Bible is the most significant book in the history of civilization. In the context of Jewish history, the Bible’s impact on politics, history, and religion is without comparison. Along with establishing the covenant-based legitimacy of the Jewish people and their history, the Bible’s political impact is exemplified through prophetic politics, the power of kings, and the effects of political authority. Biblical archeology has discovered biblical structures which supports the historical validity of the Bible. The Bible’s effect on history,...
Words: 1412 - Pages: 6
