Simple Thoughts on Gospel Plots
Christians have historically understood the four gospel accounts as both humanly written and divinely inspired. As such, I do not believe the so-called contradictions between gospel accounts pose any threat to the integrity or historicity of the gospel. Quite the opposite, really. They give evidence to their authorial authenticity, divine design, and historical reliability.
Many critics of the gospels mistakenly see them as works of multiple authors who edited and added to them over time, creating a picture of Christianity that later became a unified narrative of Christ and church dogma. Indeed, despite early Christian defenders' efforts to present the gospels as consistent, errors and inconsistencies persisted in the accounts, undermining the historicity of Jesus, so they say, in a clandestine attempt to smooth them out. However, that is simply a caricature of the ancient writers.
Each of the four writers provides distinctions and differences in the gospels because each author has a similar but different purpose for their testimony. Instead of collaborating to ensure every detail was the same, which would be tantamount to collusion, each had a particular agenda to portray regarding the mission of Christ to His followers. In other words, as God oversaw the writing process, His desire was for each writer to present a distinct theological emphasis, but never at the expense of accuracy or truth. Thus, each gospel account complements rather than contradicts the others. Some authors provide, omit, add to, or emphasize events and details to offer a perspective that would otherwise be missed. Sometimes, events are summarized, paraphrased, or intentionally skipped. The arrangement of events can be presented by theme, topic, or chronology. When things do not strictly line up, that is by accident, but by design.
The differences are not a problem but a blessing because the church needs not only all four gospels, but the entire Bible to understand Christ in His fullest. The message of the gospels provides one piece in a unified story that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. The Gospels, therefore, retain their authorial authenticity, divine design, and historical reliability despite the criticisms of their detractors. So don’t only read the four testimonies of good news, but all 66.
Many critics of the gospels mistakenly see them as works of multiple authors who edited and added to them over time, creating a picture of Christianity that later became a unified narrative of Christ and church dogma. Indeed, despite early Christian defenders' efforts to present the gospels as consistent, errors and inconsistencies persisted in the accounts, undermining the historicity of Jesus, so they say, in a clandestine attempt to smooth them out. However, that is simply a caricature of the ancient writers.
Each of the four writers provides distinctions and differences in the gospels because each author has a similar but different purpose for their testimony. Instead of collaborating to ensure every detail was the same, which would be tantamount to collusion, each had a particular agenda to portray regarding the mission of Christ to His followers. In other words, as God oversaw the writing process, His desire was for each writer to present a distinct theological emphasis, but never at the expense of accuracy or truth. Thus, each gospel account complements rather than contradicts the others. Some authors provide, omit, add to, or emphasize events and details to offer a perspective that would otherwise be missed. Sometimes, events are summarized, paraphrased, or intentionally skipped. The arrangement of events can be presented by theme, topic, or chronology. When things do not strictly line up, that is by accident, but by design.
The differences are not a problem but a blessing because the church needs not only all four gospels, but the entire Bible to understand Christ in His fullest. The message of the gospels provides one piece in a unified story that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. The Gospels, therefore, retain their authorial authenticity, divine design, and historical reliability despite the criticisms of their detractors. So don’t only read the four testimonies of good news, but all 66.
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