“The design of the Gospels was manifestly not to furnish a biography of Jesus the Messiah, but, in organic connection with the Old Testament to tell the history of the long-promised establishment of the Kingdom of God upon earth.” These were the words written by the great Jewish Christian biblical scholar Theodor Edersheim in his classic Life and Times of Jesus. (Edersheim: ch. IV p145)

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More perfectly the opening words of the book which goes by its writer’s name, Luke, has this to say of the purpose of the gospels penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Himself. The EOE takes delight therefore in opening its short dissertation on the meaning and purpose of the word gospel with what the gospel has to say about itself and its purpose.

“Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
   Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
   It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
   That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.” Luke 1:1-4

Initially, we should view the Gospels from the point of Christ’s dual nature as man and God. It can be said that the first three gospels represent Christ and his human nature and the Gospel of John is indicative more of our Savior’s divine nature. But each Gospel has its peculiar and special meaning that added together makes them a full revelation of the character, life and person of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man. Traditionally, the four Gospels have been compared symbolically to the four rivers in the Garden of Eden, and most notably, to the cherubic representatives of the creation that surround the throne of God, assigning the man cherub to Matthew, the lion to Mark, the ox to Luke and the eagle to John. It has been observed by Christian historians that the apparent contradictions in the four separate accounts sufficiently solve themselves upon examination and rather than hindering credibility serve only to attest to their honesty, impartiality and the divine inspiration of their authorship. At the same time, the four Aversions or perspectives give the believer a varied approach to Christ and a variety of spiritual views that a single account could not have otherwise accomplished. The contrast and complement supplied by this multifaceted look into Christ’s earthly ministry serves to affirm, consolidate and bring to vivid clarity the kind of relationship God wishes to have with man through His only Son. In this way, each Gospel has independent worth but each is only complete when received by their mutual relationship.

It has been further observed that Matthew wrote for the Jews, Mark for the Romans, Luke for the Greeks and John for advanced Christians; but all are suited for all Christians in every age and every nation. Perceiving the Gospels in this way Matthew exhibits Jesus as the Messiah and Lawgiver of the kingdom of heaven who challenges our obedience; Mark is the mighty conqueror and worker of miracles who excites our astonishment; Luke shows Jesus as our sympathizing Friend and Savior who commands our confidence; and John reveals Jesus, the eternal Son of God who became flesh for our salvation and claims our adoration and worship, that through believing in Him we can have eternal life. Notice that this interpretive scope is bracketed in themes of obeying in Matthew and believing in John. And for purposes of understanding show a remarkable and consistent flow from the Old Testament to the New. Matthew announces that God has brought a ‘sampling’ of the kingdom of heaven as a promise of the fullness to come when God will establish the Kingdom of God in full in the glory to come. The whole duty of man, put in simple and direct terms, has always been and still is to believe and obey. Christ’s coming and its revelation in the Gospels shows us the way to belief and the obedience it requires for all those who wish to enter into its eternal utopian bliss.

While there have been many gyrations and scurrilous attempts by Antichrist elements, all under the name of modern critical speculation, over the last few centuries suggesting that the Gospels were written at various times through the first three centuries after Christ’s death and resurrection, they all appear lame upon the most superficial examination of the facts. The first three Gospels, known as the Synoptic Gospels because of their agreement in form and story, were certainly written before the year 70 AD, for they describe the destruction of Jerusalem as an event yet in the future, and thing near to come and something that would kick off the signs of the entire age leading up to the return of Christ. (Olivet Discourse: Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). Had the three Synoptic Gospels been written after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD it surely would have been reported as a fulfilled event and its importance with the return of Christ would probably have been more than partly disconnected to its purpose of kicking off the signs. There is no way to know when the Gospels were penned, but they were probably all written between 50 and 60 AD, or earlier by the very men whose names are assigned authorship. All the authors, with the exception of John, were probably gone, as was Paul, before the destruction of the Temple and the downfall of Jerusalem and Israel in 70 AD. John lived another couple of decades until quite old and his gospel assignment is the only one which does not give an account of the Olivet Discourse which prophesied the destruction of the Temple, even though he was present on those occasions when Christ taught on the signs of His Return. It is easy to understand that his inspired gospel account does not because it would have been ‘old’ news. He would have been talking of prophecy as prophecy when it had already been fulfilled, so it was not appropriate for John’s Gospel to cover the Olivet Discourse serving only to confuse its prophetic tone and integrity.

The disciples…

… never were told to preach the gospel (preach repentance yes but not to preach the gospel, only that they should or would preach the gospel later – after the resurrection. It was after the gospel was revealed in Christ and by Christ that it could be preached in Acts and beyond. Preaching the Gospel is, therefore, a large part of the authority and purpose of the Church, she is to publish, preach and disseminate the gospel: God’s honest truth.

*But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. [Lk 1:4 & Jn 20:31]

*We are told that the gospel was preached before to Abraham. It promised that God would justify the heathen through faith, the faith which had been preached to Abraham which taught that all nations would be blessed in him. [Gal 3:8] 

*The gospel is not with wisdom of words but to be preached. [1 Cor 1:17]

*The gospel which they received and believed, in which they stand and are saved (if they keep it), is the harbinger of salvation and life everlasting – unless they have received it in vain. [1 Cor 15:1-2]

*The Jews are enemies for our sakes as concerning the gospel, but as touching the election they are beloved for the fathers sakes. [Rom 11:28]

*The gospel of salvation and the sealing of the promise of your salvation, is the holy Spirit of promise. [Eph 1:13]

*Gentiles be fellowheirs by the gospel, of the same body and partakers of the promise. [Eph 3:6]

*Gospel of peace part of the armor of God. [Eph 6:15] 

*For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven whereof ye heard by the word of the truth of the Gospel which bringeth forth fruit and is gone into all the world. [Col 1:5] hope of gospel, be not moved, which was preached to every creature under heaven. [Col 1:23]

*Gospel comes not with word, but power and Holy Ghost also. [1 Thess 1:5]

*Punishment of those who know not God and obey not the gospel. [2 Thess 1:8]

*Gospel (is) unto the obtaining of glory. [2 Thess 2:14]

*(We need to) Be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. [2 Tim 1:8]

*(He) Has abolished death; and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. [2 Tim 1:10]  

*To be profitable the gospel must not only be preached but it must be incorporated, or engrafted into a humble ‘receiver’ of truth.

 *For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? [1 Pet 4:17]

*The word is ultimately sewed upon earth when the everlasting gospel is preached from heaven. [Rev 14:6]