It is easy to see the similarities between the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke; both are estimated to have been written between 80 AD and 95 AD, and share close to seventy percent of their content according to many biblical scholars. Among the features shared by the gospel is the common description of the nature of the kingdom of God inaugurated by Jesus. In examining Jesus’s parables, teachings, and miracles in the gospels, one can glean “knowledge of the kingdom of God” in being observant towards who the kingdom is for and what the kingdom accomplishes according to the two gospel writers. One of the central themes that theologians often take note of in Jesus’s teachings, parables, and miracles recounted by Matthew and Luke is the …show more content…
Often misinterpreted as a call for Christians to exemplify “innocence”, Jesus’s proclamation, “Unless you become like a child, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven”, is a stressing of the need for recognition of one’s childlike dependence on God; Jesus calls for trust in God’s mercy and justice. The fulfillment of mercy in the kingdom is evident in the Parable of Unforgiving Servant; “The Kingdom of Heaven may be liked to a king who decided to settle accounts with debtors… When [a debtor who could not pay his large debt] fell down and did him homage… the master was moved with compassion and let him go, forgiving him the loan” (Mt 18:21-27). When the debtor recognized his utter dependence on the master, the master took mercy on the servant. Likewise, God takes mercy on those sinners who repent and recognize their need mercy. The God’s kingdom is the ultimate fulfillment of this divine mercy in that the Lord’s welcoming of those who are so helpless into the salvation is the greatest mercy that exist. Similarly, the kingdom of God is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s justice. Jesus’s commitment to justice and be seen early on in the gospels of Matthew and Luke; Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish the law… Whoever obeys the law and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:17-19). Those who follow the law, the embodiment of justice, will be great in the Kingdom. Concurrently, in this fulfillment of justice, chapter thirteen of Matthew promises the expulsion of evil, saying, “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” (Mt 13:41). These
The contents of the Bible have dealt with controversy in regards to its inerrancy since publication, and will surely continue to. Historians progress to learn more about biblical stories in order to provide evidence for the reliability of information. Many believers today understand that not everything in the Bible has been factually proven. An outstanding topic many scholars pay attention to lies within the four gospels. The three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, replay essentially the same story with minor inconsistencies, while John portrays Jesus in an entirely different way. The differences in each gospel are due to how each gospel entertains different portrayals of the life and understanding of Jesus himself, in order to persuade
Matthew chapter five is a sermon by Jesus. It tells us what perspective we ought to have in dealings with each other and with our attitude. Those who are weak shall be strong, and those who mourn shall be comforted tell of positive actions or humility being rewarded. Jesus goes through a list of these, exalting the poor and the weak. Mt. 5:17-20 is between the first section of what actions are righteous and before the section of what seem to be his own version of commandments relative to the law. It says that all shall be done and judged through and by him. So he gave a perspective on the humble and then judged the law. He tells people to be righteous and then tells them the manner in which to achieve righteousness. It included removing anything from your life that brought you away from Christ. If your eyes were causing you temptation to sin, poke them out. All you do ought to be done in Christ and to glorify God the Father, so whatever didn't achieve those things were not to be done and one should do whatever necessary to stop them.
Jesus was establishing with the Beatitudes new ideals that contain and showed His standards for mercy, compassion and spirituality.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the origin of nearly everything the Christian Church teaches about Jesus. The Gospels, in turn, serve as the scale or test of truth and authenticity of everything the church teaches about Jesus. It is said that the Gospels are the link between Jesus of Nazareth and the people of every age throughout history who have claimed to be his followers. Although the Gospels teach us about Jesus’ life they may not provide concrete evidence that what they speak of is true there are several other sources.
Stanton, Graham. Gospel Truth?: New Light on Jesus and the Gospels. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1995. Paperback.
Damrosch, David, and David L. Pike, eds. "The Gospel According to Luke." The Longman Anothology of World Literature. Compact ed. New York: Pearson, 2008. 822-33. Print.
Baptist Publication Society, 1886). Clarke, Adam; ed. ; pp. 63-63. Clarke's Commentary (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 2003). no date. Criswell, W. A. & Co., W. A. Expository Notes on the Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: Zondervan).
Compare and contrast the birth narratives in the Gospel of Matthew and that of the Gospel of Luke.
The book of Luke, found after the books Matthew and Mark, focuses on the ministry of Jesus Christ but it also gives us a look into His birth and growth in totality. In this chapter we see a historical account of some of the journeys that Christ experienced. It is important to keep in mind that the Bible and all of its books do serve as historical accounts but each book is unique in the fact that they incorporate a theological timeline. The Bible is, conceivably, the most important book that has ever been written. It gives the world eyewitness accounts to historical events that helped not only shaped a region of the world but the whole entire world. It is nearly impossible to go through some formal societal education and have never once read a part of the bible or have heard a story that adapts from the stories within the bible. The bible has helped formed institutions, associations and so much more. By reading the Gospel of Luke we are truly reading what is meant for us to read as Christians. The principal plot in the book of Luke is the life of Jesus Christ, his sacrifice, His ability to beat death and remain perfect as the son of GOD despite being human as well. Jesus is seen as the perfect savior for humans in the book of Luke. Luke not only gives multiple examples of the power of Jesus but also it gives us a look at The Lord’s triumph over temptation. Luke also depicts Jesus as a man/GOD who had a very deep concentration on people and relationships. The book of Luke gives Jesus a loving characteristic but doesn’t shy away from showing that at times Jesus got angry too. Jesus showed a great deal of compassion to the sick, those in pain, the poor, and unambiguously the sinful. Jesus had genuine love for everyone. Throughout this...
There are four Gospels in the new testament; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each one writing his perspective story about Jesus, his teachings, his works, his sacrifice, and his resurrection. At the same time, they each seem to elaborate on specific elements of Jesus. The gospel of Matthew writes about the bloodline, the ancestors of Jesus. The gospel of Mark, writes about Jesus as a servant to God. The gospel of Luke, writes about Jesus being the son of a human. The gospel of John, writes about Jesus being the son of God. Having an understanding on the focus of each gospel will help the reader know Jesus and his works better. However, this essay will concentrate on “The Gospel According to Mark,” written in Bruce Manning Metzger, translator of, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version with The Apocrypha (p. 1791). The gospel of Mark is documentation of
God’s written law is something that is and should be continuously turned, to not only when Christians find themselves in need, but also throughout in one’s daily life. The four gospels tell to story of Jesus’ life and his teachings he gave while on the earth making it possible for there to be a true example of Christ-like faith. The proposition that there are differences in the story of Jesus and in his teachings seems to question the basis upon which the Christian faith is found upon. Rather than proclaiming the gospels as falsehoods because on the differences they possess, by analyzing the differences in the context of the particular gospel it can be understood that the differences are not made by mistake, rather as a literary device. While
The gospels explain Jesus’ life and death including His identity but also his activities, works, leadership and his suffering. Jesus is seen as a manifestation of God’s relationship with humans. An important fact about Jesus is the humility and modesty associated with his birth, upbringing and death. The fact that such a person ...
The Kingdom of God and its significance can be found within the gospel of Luke. First off who is Luke? Some experts think that “evidence points towards him being a physician and a companion of Paul" (Franz, 2014). “Luke the physician was one of the disciples who wrote the longest gospel, and it has been speculated that he also was the author of the book of Acts” (Franz, 2014). Within Luke’s gospel it contains a vast amount of information and attention that was documented on the life accounts of Jesus and the kingdom of God. Jesus knew what his mission was early on, as it was described in the early chapters of the gospel of Luke. This paper is being written for personal exploration of the Kingdom of God and is intended to examine information
While both the Gospel of Matthew and John tell of the global reordering plan for the world, each does so in a unique way. The Gospel of Matthew is able to show the reordering of the world by focusing on the aspect of Jesus as a teacher and the results of this; while the Gospel of John shows the reordering occurring as God works through Jesus showing signs to the people of who he is, focusing on the belief this brings to people. “But all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12). Through this verse, we see the reordering in effect, as all who receive him and believe in him have the power to become children of God.
Senior, Donald. 1998. "The Gospel of Matthew and the Passion of Jesus : Theological and Pastoral Perspectives." Word & World 18, no. 4: 372-379. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed March 13, 2014).