What does “Gospel” mean? “The word ‘gospel’ means good tidings, the good news God sends to mankind through his Son. The content of this good news is, in the first place, Jesus Christ himself, his words and his actions.” [1] The term used in the Greek is euangelizo and it is actually a verb that means to announce good news. We must remember that the gospel is something to be shared.
Who wrote the Gospels? “The Gospels were written by men who were among the first to have the faith and wanted to share it with others.” [2] “The four Gospels are the books written by the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John which have for their central object Jesus Christ, God’s incarnate Son: his life, teachings, Passion and glorification, and his Church’s beginnings under the Spirit’s guidance.” [3] We hold the tradition that Matthew and John were written by the apostles Matthew and John who were by the side of Jesus throughout his life. Luke and Mark were written by followers of Paul and Peter respectively. They were given the Apostolic Tradition of the true teachings of Christ. The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are commonly referred to as the “synoptic gospels” because they are relatively in sync with their stories of Christ. The gospel of John stands in its own category.
Activity – Memorize the Gospel with the animal
Each of the gospel writers has a unique animal that represents them. The imagery of the animals and the gospel writers comes from the book of Ezekiel where he speaks of seeing a vision from Heaven and the throne of God being carried by four creatures (cf. 1:1-11). It is also mentioned in the book of Revelation, “The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a human being, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.” (Rev. 4:7) Many theologians have debated which animal belongs to which writer, but we normally follow the thought of St. Jerome: Matthew-Angel, Mark-Lion, Luke-Ox and John-Eagle. A way to memorize which animal goes with which gospel is the acronym “ALOE”.
Angel (Matthew)
Lion (Mark)
Ox (Luke)
Eagle (John)
If you can memorize Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John then just add the letter to the book and this should help memorize and link the two. Why are the gospel writers given their specific animal and not a different one? (For example, why is Matthew connected to the Lion or Luke with the eagle)? As stated before, we follow St. Jerome’s thought. He wrote explaining why he assigned the animals the way he did by saying, “The first face of a man signifies Matthew, who began his narrative as though about a man: ‘The book of the generation of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.’ The second [face signifies] Mark in whom the voice of a lion roaring in the wilderness is heard: ‘A voice of one shouting in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ The third [is the face] of the calf which prefigures that the evangelist Luke began with Zachariah the priest. The fourth [face signifies] John the evangelist who, having taken up eagle’s wings and hastening toward higher matters, discusses the Word of God.” [4]
How were the Gospels formed? The formation of the Gospels are distinguished in three categories: [5]
- The life and teaching of Jesus. The Church holds firmly that the four Gospels, ‘whose historicity she unhesitatingly affirms, faithfully hand on what Jesus, the Son of God, while he lived among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation, until the day when he was taken up.
- The oral tradition. “For, after the ascension of the Lord, the apostles handed on to their hearers what he had said and done, but with that fuller understanding which they, instructed by the glorious events of Christ and enlightened by the Spirit of truth, now enjoyed.”
- The written Gospels. “The sacred authors, in writing the four Gospels, selected certain of the many elements which had ben handed on, either orally or already in written form; others they synthesized or explained with an eye to the situation of the churches, while sustaining the form of preaching, but always in such a fashion that they have told us the honest truth about Jesus.”
Why are there 4 Gospels? These four gospels through the authority of the Magisterium, supported by Sacred Tradition, and guided by the Holy Spirit have been deemed to be infallible writings and divinely inspired by God. The Sacred Tradition is not to be overlooked, it is the apostolic tradition that helps validate these four gospels. “So established was the four fold Gospel canon by the late second century that writers such as St. Irenaeus were beginning to reflect on its theological significance (A.D. 180). For him, the Church’s acceptance of four Gospels signified that the good news was to spread forth in all direction – to the four winds, as it were (Against Heresies 3, 11, 8).” [6]
“Christianity recognizes and reveres four Gospels, no more and no less. Only the texts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are accepted as inspired witnesses to the life of Jesus and to what he accomplished for our salvation. These four writings stand as four pillar supporting the Church’s faith and proclamation for all time.” [7]
Aren’t there other gospels that were written? Yes, in fact in the Gospel of Luke he points this out, “Since indeed many have tried to tell a story of the things that have been completed among us, just as they themselves who from the beginning saw the word and ministered to him have handed down to us.” (Luke 1:1-2) These are called the “apocryphal” gospels. “Many of these exist, and new manuscripts of some of them have been discovered in the twentieth century. These apocryphas are of different types. Some may embody at least a few trustworthy oral traditions, e.g., the Gospel of Peter, and According to the Hebrews. Others are openly heretical and sought to expound erroneous, especially Gnostic views, e.g., the Gospels of Thomas, Marcion, the Twelve Apostles, and Philip. A third group of writings are pious tales, composed to satisfy popular curiosity, and deal mainly with the childhood of Christ; such as the Childhood Gospel of Thomas, the History of Joseph the Carpenter, and the Departure of Mary. There is record of twenty-one apocryphal Gospels, some available in their full narrative text.” [8]
But none of the writers were at some key moments (Annunciation, Birth of Jesus, etc.) so how do we know that it is accurate? This is true. There are some things that are mentioned in the Bible that were not witnessed by the writers or any of the apostles, for example, the birth of Jesus. There are also things that were not put in Scripture that the apostles did witness, but chose not to include. “Many things about Jesus interest to human curiosity do not figure in the Gospels. Almost nothing is said about his hidden life at Nazareth, and even a great part of his public life is not recounted.” [9] What we must remember is the gospels were written for people to come to believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah; the Son of God. The Gospels are not meant to be strictly a biography put in perfect chronological order. While it is true that the Gospels are some of the most historical and factual pieces of writing in history, they are first and foremost written for believers and non-believers to come to believe in Jesus Christ. “What is written in the Gospels was set down there ‘so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.’ (Jn. 20:30)” [10] After the resurrection, Jesus reveals to the apostles all of the prophecies he fulfills. He fills in any gaps they may have had concerning the prophecies (cf. Lk. 24:27) (as if rising from the dead was not enough!). So events like the Nativity could be explained by Christ telling them of His incarnation and virgin birth, while other events that were emitted from the Gospel’s did not have vital importance in telling the Good News of Jesus Christ as Messiah.
Do we have to believe the Gospels? Yes. Ever since the time of the apostles, Christians must go through a form of initiation. The form has been altered through the years, but certain key elements have always stayed the same. “This journey can be covered rapidly or slowly, but certain essential elements will always have to be present: proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel entailing conversion, profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and admission to Eucharistic communion.” [11]
Aren’t there contradictions in the Gospels? Yes, there are variations and contradictions between the four gospels. The gospels were written by four different people at four different times speaking about someone’s life over the span of three years, not to mention some of the writers were not physically there. We must not get hung up on having an exact perfect time line. Remember, the core of the gospels is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was born of the Virgin Mary, lived, was crucified, died, was buried and resurrected from the dead. On this, all four gospels can agree.
Why are the Gospels important? First, the Gospels are the source material on the life and teachings of Jesus. “The four Gospels occupy a central place because Christ Jesus is their center.” [12]
Secondly, no matter how many times we read the gospels we can find something new, fresh, and beautiful from them. “But above all it’s the Gospels that occupy my mind when I’m at prayer; my poor soul has so many needs, and yet this is the one thing needful. I’m always finding fresh lights there, hidden and enthralling meanings.” [13]
Thirdly, we can receive an indulgence by prayerfully reading Scripture for just 15 minutes a day especially the gospels.
Fourth, without the gospels we do not have a mission. It is in the gospels that we read and are given our order to proclaim the good news. “When she fulfills her mission of proclaiming the Gospel, she bears witness to man, in the name of Christ, to his dignity and his vocation to the communion of persons. She teaches him the demands of justice and peace in conformity with divine wisdom.” [14]
Finally, the gospels give us access to the words and actions of Jesus Christ and thus they possess the highest authority. Because of this, “The Church acknowledges this in various ways, most obviously in the liturgy, where the Gospels are held aloft in procession, perfumed with incense, and proclaimed as the word of God. Selections from all parts of the Scriptures are represented in the Church’s lectionary, but the Gospel reading is always featured as the highpoint of the Liturgy of the Word. The belief is that Jesus is made present to his people in word and sacrament, both in the inspired accounts of the evangelists and in the consecrated elements of the Eucharist.” [15]
[1] Navarre Bible, Gospel of Mark pg. 67
[2] CCC 515
[3] CCC, Glossary, pgs. 880-881
[4] Preface to the Commentary on Matthew, summary and excerpts from N/PNF 2, 6.1036-37
[5] CCC 126
[6] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Introduction to the Gospels, pg. xvii
[7] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Introduction to the Gospels, pg. xvi
[8] Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary, pg. 235
[9] CCC 514
[10] CCC 514
[11] CCC 1229
[12] CCC 139
[13] St. Therese of Lisieux, ms. Autob. A 83v.
[14] CCC 2419
[15] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Introduction to the Gospels, pg. xv