Scriptures & Tenets Part I -- The Gospels

Part IV -- Hebrew Scriptures and Tenets of the World Christian Church

Tenets of the World Christian Church 21

 The Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--are the immutable record of the earthly ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, the prophesied Messiah of Israel. The centrality of God in Jesus' life, the model for our own life in Christ, is made clear in each of the Gospels.

The three "Synoptic" Gospels broadly overlap their portrayals of Jesus' words and actions; yet each is highly distinctive because the apparent audience to which it is directed. Matthew is obviously written to the Jews, and relies heavily on references to the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish prophesy. Mark, written for Gentile (or at least Roman) readers, tends not to rely on references to prophesy but goes to some length to explain Jewish customs. Luke was written specifically to the otherwise unknown "Theophilus," and even more than Mark, has a need to explain Judaism to its Gentile reader(s). It frequently renders Hebrew names in their Greek equivalents.

The Gospel of John chooses to reveal yet another dimension of the Lord's life and work. It is the most direct revelation of Jesus as

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gh he (Christ) was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates. But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates (failures). Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do what is honest, though we be as reprobates. The Book of Revelation is perhaps the most mysterious of all the writings in the Bible. It has been interpreted in three principal ways: by those who believe the prophesies have been fulfilled, by those who await their fulfillment, and by those who simply stress the spiritual aspects of the writings without attempting to lay dogmatic claim to the mysteries. The author's intimate familiarity with Jewish mysticism and apocalypticism are clearly in evidence. Because of this, the contemporary reader must similarly have some knowledge of prophesy as presented in the Hebrew Scriptures. Prophesy can appear to be for the short term, yet not find fulfillment for many years to come.
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Approximate Word count = 3052
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page)

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