The Four Gospels Breakdown

I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved…

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Note: As I was researching, I found I really couldn’t say most of this better than how gotquestions.org put it. Please be aware most of the gospel contrasting is directly copied from gotquestions.org and is not my own work.

Why four gospels? Each gospel was written for a specific audience, each emphasizing different aspects of Christ’s life. Why not just one big gospel? Early law stated the necessity of more than one witness to verify a testimony, and all four accounts match up.

“Well, they don’t match up exactly,” you might say (I thought the same thing). Tell me, if all four gospels written by four different people matched up word for word, would you find that more credible?

Which gospel is best? Yes. They all have distinct purposes and styles, and all are inspired by the Holy Spirit. For your reading and studying pleasure, I have a small comparison and contrast of each gospel with its respective author, audience, and characteristics.

Matthew

Audience: Matthew was writing to a Hebrew audience.

Objective: One of his purposes was to show from Jesus' genealogy and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies that He was the long-expected Messiah, and thus should be believed in. Matthew's emphasis is that Jesus is the promised King, the “Son of David.” The phrase “This was to fulfill the prophesy…” appears repeatedly in Matthew.

Characteristic: Matthew was a tax collector, number-oriented, and often records the number of people at events.

Mark

Audience: Mark wrote for a Gentile audience.

Objective: His Gentile focus is brought out by his not including things important to Jewish readers (genealogies, Christ's controversies with Jewish leaders, frequent Old Testament references). Mark emphasizes Christ as the suffering Servant, the One who came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many.

Additional note: This is a faster-paced, action-packed gospel, highlighting Christ’s miracles and works here on earth.

Luke

Audience: Because Luke specifically wrote for the benefit of Theophilus, a Gentile, his gospel was composed with a Gentile audience in mind.

Objective: His intent is to show that a Christian's faith is based upon historically reliable and verifiable events. Luke often refers to Christ as the “Son of Man,” emphasizing His humanity. Characteristic: He was a detail-oriented doctor and diligent historian and shares many details that are not found in the other gospel accounts. 

Additional notes: Luke also wrote Acts.

John

Audience: Mixed

Objective: John emphasizes the deity of Christ, as is seen in his use of such phrases as “the Word was God,” “the Savior of the World,” “Son of God” (used repeatedly) and several “I Am” statements by Jesus. John also emphasizes the fact of Jesus' humanity, desiring to show the error of a religious sect of his day who did not believe Christ’s humanity. John 20: 30-31 reveals his overall purpose: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Additional note: John writes in a differently layout than the first three “Synoptic Gospels.”

Although all four gospels differ from each other in style and audience, each accurately accounts Christ’s life for us to appreciate who He is and what He has done for us so that we may have life through faith in Him.

Klipsie

Sources:

Gotquestions.org

Journal33.org