Episode 243 Show Notes
How Do We Reconcile the Differences Between the Gospels?
From the Show
How do we reconcile the differences between the Gospels?
They all were witnesses to the same event but at different times and in different places and from different positions. So, there are what are called discrepancies, these aren't contradictions, they’re discrepancies (one person arrives on the scene five minutes later than two other people and gives a rather different account). It doesn't contradict anything in the earlier scene, but it adds to it…. But that's exactly what you would expect. That's why you have a jury, and their job is to listen to the symphony of all the witnesses. And when we do that, we find we have four gospels that are doing different things; Matthew is especially trying to make the Gospel clear to the Jews, John's Gospel is particularly focused and is built around the festivals, making the argument that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Jewish types and shadows of the law, especially around the festivals that organized Israel's calendar. And so he's not really thinking chronologically as much as he is theologically about how he's going to tell the story. They all have different purposes, they have different aims. They're different gospels, otherwise it would be four repeats of the same chronology. It's not a chronology. They're called the Gospels for a reason, they're evangelists…they're making a case. They're proclaiming Christ! — Michael Horton
Questions in this Episode
1. What does the Bible mean when it calls Jesus the mediator?
2. Is there a rise of liberalism in the church? If so, how should we be dealing with that?
3. How do we reconcile Matthew, Mark, and Luke, with John? I know that there are skeptics who use this as a way to say that the Gospels are just made up accounts.
4. How has God used the church to be a blessing in your life? Do you think the blessing of the church is a good reason to be part of a church?
5. Is it selfish to pray for yourself? Should our prayer life be focused on others or is it okay to pray that God would bless us?
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