Christian scriptures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Christian scriptures - Essay Example The real purpose of the gospels is therefore to establish faith in Christ (NIV Compact Dictionary, p.226). The first three gospels i.e. of St. Matthew, St. Mark and St. Luke, have an â€Å"obvious and striking† (Catholic Encyclopedia) mutual resemblance, and grouped together are known as the Synoptic Gospels. Synoptic means of the ‘same view’. The fact that some material is common between the synoptic gospels also suggests that some of the synoptic texts were used as source material for the others. These synoptic texts contrast with the final fourth Gospel of St. John â€Å"whose relations with the other three is that of dissimilarity rather than of likeness.† (ibid) This gospel narrates â€Å"few incidents in common with the synoptists, and differs from them in respect to style, language, general plan, etc.† (ibid) That is, its content cannot be harmonized with the synoptic narratives. It also does not contain any parables as the other three. In short, whilst the Synoptic Gospels offer alternative but parallel accounts of the life of Jesus, the Gospel o f St. John the Apostle stands apart from them in terms of its content, coverage and approach. Nonetheless, all four gospels are intimately related in being related to Jesus’ life and teachings. Each gospel writer therefore presents a particular picture of Jesus in their own unique way. â€Å"Matthew concentrates on the relationship of Jesus to the Jewish faith†¦ Mark emphases action rather than teaching†¦ Luke stresses the blessings of salvation brought by Jesus†¦ [and] John reveals Jesus as the One sent by God the Father into the world to be its Saviour.† (Lion Handbook, p.470-472) So, Matthew writes for his fellow Jews, concentrates on Jesus as the Messiah, and carefully records what Jesus said about the kingdom of heaven. â€Å"Matthew’s gospel more than any other is the link between the