Historical Books of New Testament• Gospel are historical accounts, but not

biographies in strictest sense (nor intended to be)

• Each gospel written for a specific community & purpose

• Gospels are “heart of all Scriptures” because they provide the very words & teachings of Jesus

• Accept them as Word of God, as insight into the life of Jesus & His words and actions that we ought to model

• Early Church believed Matthew was first written gospel; therefore more commentaries written about this book

• Matthew the apostle credited as author

Historical Books of New Testament• Mark believed to be written by John

Mark, a disciple of St. Peter• Luke’s account derives from St. Paul• John’s gospel written by the son of

Zebedee• Biblical scholars look at Matthew,

Mark, and Luke together because similar in content.

• Called “Synoptics”• To explain similarities, scholars

suggest Mark’s gospel was first and Matthew & Luke used Mark’s text and another source (Quelle or “Q” which is German for “source”)

Differences Between Mark & Matthew• Mark & Matthew differ in target audiences

& foci• Mark’s perspective directed to Jewish

community to preserve Church oral tradition & to show that Jesus was a hidden messiah, not to be revealed until after His resurrection

• For Mark, faith in Jesus as the Messiah is paramount

• Mark gives us the example of the apostle’s failures & thick-headedness to encourage our own growth

• Matthew also wrote to Jewish community, but his objective is to show that Jesus was fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures

• Matthew aimed to gather Jesus’ teachings & sayings on various subjects & present them in administrative/practical framework

• Matthew wanted to show Jesus as the Messianic Teacher of Israel

Matthew’s New Moses & Luke’s Prophet-Messiah

• Matthew portrays Jesus as the one who revises, reinterprets, & fulfills the Law of Moses

• He implies that those who believe in Jesus are faithful Jews & those who do not are unfaithful

• Luke written to portray Jesus as Prophet-Messiah who speaks the gospel message to the poor

• Luke emphasizes that salvation will come to those who need it most (thus, hints at place of Gentiles in the Church)

• Acts also written by Luke and is a natural “prologue” of his gospel

• Acts describes the beginning of the early Church – Pentecost, early persecutions, life of Peter & Paul