Reading the Gospels

READING THE
GOSPELS
Four gospels – one story

Matthew 8
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion
came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my
servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have

you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my
servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and
he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to
my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to

those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found

anyone in Israel with such great faith.”

Luke 7
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were
listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant,
whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The
centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to
him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they
came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man
deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and
has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends
to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve
to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even
consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and
my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he
goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant,
‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to
the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found
such great faith even in Israel.”

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Reading the Gospels

Gospels….think, pair, share…

◦what are the gospels?

◦ how would you describe them?

◦why do you read them?

Gospels….think, pair, share…

◦ What are your questions about the

gospels?

◦ How do you react to your reading in

Duvall and Hays?
◦ Two insights and a question…

What are the gospels?

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Reading the Gospels

What are the gospels?

◦ books about Jesus – his actions & teaching
◦ reliable records
◦ Luke refers to “research” (Lk 1:1-4)
◦ main focus is to communicate about Jesus
◦ in a 1st century context
◦ summary and paraphrase
◦ not chronological; not a complete account - Jn
20:30
◦ Jesus’ teaching is summarised - in Greek
◦ each writer has a specific focus/interest
◦ some issues from the situations of the author/readers
may have influenced what is included

Reading narratives/stories

◦what are you looking for when

you read narrative/story?
◦ what do you ask?

Reading narratives/stories
◦Story questions:
◦who? (characters - insiders/outsiders?)
◦what is going on? (story line)
◦when? (time)
◦where? (place)
◦who does what - when and how?
◦who says what - when and how?
◦does the author provide any
explanations for any part of the
narrative?

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Reading the Gospels

Reading the gospels

◦the focus is Jesus
◦ what is the author saying, particularly
about Jesus?
◦ that is where main response is likely to be...
◦ NOT – what does this tell us about ourselves?
or what does it ‘mean’ for me?
◦ what is the author saying to the first
readers?
◦ what does that say to us?

Reading narratives/stories
◦ Mark 4:35-41
◦ ask the “story questions”
◦ who? what is going on? when? where? who
does what? who says what? any
explanations?
◦ what bits of this are important?

◦ what does this story say about Jesus?

Gospels - a series of
“stories”
◦look for connections
between the “small stories”
◦authors have put smaller stories
together deliberately
◦the combination may be
significant

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Reading the Gospels

Mark 4 - 5: a series of stories

◦ What happens in each story?

◦ What’s the connection?

◦ What does this tell us about Jesus?

Mark 4 - 5: a series of stories

◦ Connecting the “small stories”

◦ Jesus sovereign over hostile forces:

nature, evil powers, illness and death

◦ Watch the video….

Mark 8:31 – 9:32: a series of stories

◦What keeps coming up?

◦What does this tell us about Jesus?

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Reading the Gospels

Mark 8:31 – 9:32: a series of stories

◦ Jesus teaches about the kind of Messiah he is
◦ suffering and glory – but disciples misunderstand
◦ Moment of exaltation and glory in the
transfiguration but Jesus will not allow his
disciples to think about glory apart from suffering
◦ Suffering and glory belong together for people
of Messiah
◦ And very soon after this in Mark’s gospel, Jesus
will be arriving in Jerusalem!

◦ Continue watching the video…

Four gospels

◦ the “Synoptic problem”

◦ how do Matthew, Mark and Luke relate to
each other?
◦ how do synoptic gospels relate to John?

◦ http://www.narrowgate-
rmartin.com/theo10_classnotes/notes_synopti
c_problem.htm

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Reading the Gospels

Four gospels
◦ the “Synoptic problem”
◦ how do synoptic gospels relate to each
other?
◦ Fee and Stuart (2014) – Mark written first
◦ RT France (1994, 2007) - writing the gospels
was a complex process
◦ lots of oral records circulating
◦ possibly many written records
◦ gospels are composed from a unique
combination of these
◦ Mark probably finished first

Four gospels
◦ there are FOUR gospels
◦ need to respect the differences and
distinctives
◦ elaborate schemes to “harmonise”
are not a “gospel”
◦ our primary focus in interpreting the
gospels should be vertical

Four gospels
◦Matthew
◦Mark
◦Luke
◦John

◦describe the purpose/key themes in

each gospel

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Reading the Gospels

Mark (Bible video project)

Gospels: forms of speech

◦ Some specific forms to be aware of:
◦ overstatement: Mt 5:29-30; Lk 14:26; Mt 7:1
◦ anyone for a “literal” interpretation?
◦ hyperbole: Mt 23:23-24; Mt 7:3-5
◦ literal interpretation impossible!
◦ metaphor & simile: Jn 6:35 Mt 5:13; Lk 13:34
◦ irony (contrast): Matt 9:12-13; parables
◦ rhetorical questions: Mt 5:46, 6:27; Lk 12:51
◦ proverb (?): Mt 6:21, 34; Mk 3:24, 6:4

Reading the gospels – a key issue

◦Kingdom of God
◦ = rule of God; kingship of God
◦ about God’s rule becoming visible
◦ already and not yet

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Reading the Gospels

Kingdom of God: now and not

yet The age to
Life in come (not yet)
the
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This age (now)

Reading the gospels – a key issue

◦ Kingdom of God
◦ = rule of God; kingship of God
◦ about God’s rule becoming visible
◦ already and not yet
◦ Jesus brings a “taste” of God’s final rule now
◦ the Kingdom of God forms the framework of understanding for
the gospels
◦ material possessions: Matt 6:33 & Mk 10:29-30
◦ healing

Klein, W.W., Blomberg, C.L. and Hubbard, R.L., Jr.

(2004) Introduction to biblical interpretation. Nashville,
Thomas Nelson, p.407-409.

Bibliography
◦ Carson, D.A., France, R.T., Motyer, J.A. and Wenham,
G.J. eds. (1994) New Bible commentary. 4th ed.
Nottingham, Inter-Varsity Press.
◦ Fee, G.D. and Stuart, D. (2014) How to read the Bible
for all its worth. 4th ed. Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
◦ France, R.T. (2007) The Gospel of Matthew. New
international commentary on the New Testament.
Grand Rapids, Eerdmans.
◦ Klein, W.W., Blomberg, C.L. and Hubbard, R.L., Jr.
(2004) Introduction to biblical interpretation. Nashville,
Thomas Nelson.

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