Relationships: Evangelism

Choose the Right Gospel

The Gospels were written to make believers out of us, and therefore they are the perfect tool for evangelism. But which one should we choose for outreach? And why are there four Gospels?

A Quick Comparison

Mark, the shortest Gospel, is often considered the best choice for evangelism. It is a straight-forward “quick study” for people who have no idea who Jesus is. Matthew was written for Jews, and contains numerous references to show how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophesy. Luke’s historical Gospel is the longest and most sophisticated, emphasizes the Holy Spirit, and was used the basis for the “Passion of Christ” and Campus Crusade’s “Jesus Film.” The Gospel of John is independent from the other three Synoptic (common view) Gospels, is a theological eye-witness account, and is the most popular Gospel.


Witnessing: Order Your FREE Gospels

"I have really enjoyed giving out these Gospels of John. I gave my last Testament last week on the plane to a person who had lost their spouse and was sharing the loneliness. I have handed out Gospel tracts over the years but I really like these little Gospels of John because it is God's Word going out to people and God's Word never returns void. We pray for the people who receive these Gospels that they will open up their hearts and lives to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour."—Anna M. Swift Current, SK

When you ask God to show you sharing opportunities, you'll find them in many different life situations. The Pocket Testament Leaque offers a variety of Gospel covers to make it easy for you to share in any setting. The League encourages believers to order 30 Gospels each month, and give one away every day. Fresh ideas for how to share your faith more effectively are here.

I keep some of these Gospels in my purse all the time. I’ve given them away in most unlikely places, including the hardware store. Chances are, you've got something in your purse or pocket right now. Is it your keys? Your wallet? Small change? Wouldn't it be more exciting if you filled your pocket with the power of God's Word and used it to change someone's life!

Historic Background: Why Four Gospels?

Some Christians believe that the four Evangelists were merely “secretaries” who took divine dictation from God. However, scholars have identified three stages the Gospel materials passed through before arriving in the finished form we have today.

● The first stage involved the very life and ministry of Jesus and his disciples.

● Stage two included Jesus’ twelve apostles whose bold oral testimony was shaped by the needs of believers in the rapidly expanding early church.

● Stage three was motivated by the delay in the return of Christ (parousia) and persecution. It began twenty to thirty years after Christ’s resurrection.

The church fathers became aware of the need to gather together the oral traditions circulating in their churches to pass on to future generations. Inspired by the Spirit, each of the four Gospel writers shaped these existent materials (periscope) into four coherent literary wholes which spoke precisely and eloquently to the communities for whom they were written. Thus, the four Gospel portraits are more than eye-witness diaries of the life of the risen Christ. The Gospel accounts are four unique sermons; they are good news (evangelion) written for four specific audiences. They are meant to be a penetrating message of life.

Gospel of Mark (Lion)

Beginning with the Gospel of Mark, the first thing we notice about Jesus is his authority and power (dunamai). Developed around faith in the resurrected Lord, and drawing on from the fund of the earliest oral traditions, Mark’s Gospel was written for a Roman/Gentile audience. The shortest of the Gospels, Mark gives us a fast-paced visual activity report of Jesus’ mighty deeds that reads like a film script for a modern action movie. Like the disciples, we are “amazed” at his teaching and proclamations; his appearances and works; his exorcisms and healings; and his confrontations with his opponents.

Mark also emphasizes Jesus’ emotions, suffering, and servanthood, and reveals the Messiah who offers his life as a ransom for all humanity (Mk 10:45). Also in Mark, sometimes called “Peter’s Gospel” because of his close association with that disciple (1 Pet 5:13), we see a portrait of Jesus as the “hidden” or “secret” Messiah who often withdraws from the crowds in order to find a quiet place to pray.

Gospel of Matthew (Man)

Turning to Matthew’s Gospel, the next thing we notice about Jesus the Messiah, is that he clearly fulfills the Messianic Old Testament prophesies. Drawing from Mark’s Gospel (and possibly from a lost “Q” for quelle or sayings source), and writing for a Jewish audience, Matthew presents his readers with five collections of Jesus’ kingdom sayings, including Ethics (Chap. 5-7); Mission (Chap. 10); Presence (Chap. 13); Church Discipline and Forgiveness (Chap. 18); and the Future (Chaps. 23-25). Some scholars argue that Matthew grouped these “Rabbinic discourses” this way to parallel the five books of Moses.

Matthew also cites over sixty explicit Old Testament quotations which develop the unmistakable portrait of Jesus as the promised Messiah (Mashiach), the anointed deliverer, “Son of David” and “King of the Jews” foretold in the Scriptures (Matt 27:37). In Matthew, we also see Jesus as the “Son of God” who is testified to by the Father, the devil, the Magi, the disciples, and the Gentile centurion. In Matthew, we also see Jesus as the fulfillment or anti-type of Scriptural Messianic typology: Jesus is a new Moses, he brings a new Exodus, and he is creating a new Israel. Finally, Matthew’s portrait reveals Jesus Messiah as “Joshua” (Yahweh is salvation) and “Immanuel” (God with us).

Gospel of Luke (Ox)

Our understanding of Jesus the “Christos” broadens even further beyond Matthew when we read the portrait of Jesus presented in Luke. As a Hellenistic-Jewish physician writing to a Greek-speaking and more universal audience (and specifically to the Christian Theophilus), Luke presents a salvation-historical view of Jesus’ life and beyond to the beginnings of the early church. Considered a Gentile version of Matthew, it is a work in two volumes, including the book of Acts. Luke’s Gospel (also known as “Paul’s Gospel”) adopts portions from Mark, but also draws from a wealth of other eyewitness testimonies. For example, Luke’s birth narrative of Jesus is likely Mary’s own testimony.

Known as the “charismatic Gospel,” in Luke we see Jesus as the One sent by God in the power of the Spirit. Also in Luke, we see Jesus as the exalted Lord, who through death and resurrection goes to God and sends the fiery Holy Spirit to empower and purify the church, and to judge the unrepentant. From Luke, we also see a portrait of Jesus as the “Son of Man,” the proclaimer of the Gospel of Grace, the Savior who reveals “The Way,” and one who offers salvation to both the Jews and the Gentiles (Lk 19:10).

Finally, in Luke we see a warm picture of Jesus’ humanity, including his healing activity, his respect for women, his piety and prayer, and his sympathy for tax collectors, sinners, Samaritans, and the poor.

Gospel of John (Eagle)

Moving beyond Luke, our portrait of Jesus the Messiah finds its final culmination in the Gospel of John. Directed to a Gentile audience, here everything advances to a higher symbolic plane. For example, in John we see the historic Jesus as the pre-existent and creative incarnate Logos, who proceeds from God and returns home to his Father. Also in John, we see Jesus the “Son of God” having long conversations with others; as the Giver of Life; the eschatological prophet; and the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of all humanity (Jn 3:16).

In John, we also see Jesus likened to YHWH of Exodus 3:13-15 with his quotations of Jesus’ seven “I Am” statements. They are the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35); Light of the World (Jn 8:12); The Door (Jn 10:7); Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11-14); Resurrection and Life (Jn 11:25-26); Way Truth Life (Jn 14:6); True Vine (Jn 15: 1-2,5).

Finally in John, we are presented with a portrait of Jesus ministering mostly in Jerusalem, rather than in Galilee, the primary setting of the three Synoptics. In John, we also see Jesus as the true fulfillment of the Jewish festivals held annually in that city, including the Passover Feast and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Jesus Messiah’s Message: The Kingdom of God

The central theme of Jesus’ teaching is the “kingdom of God.” This enigmatic phrase, used by both Mark and Luke, is termed the “kingdom of Heaven” in Matthew. In total, these phrases occur over eighty-seven times in the three Synoptics. (The term “eternal life” is the equivalent in John.) It is evident then, that at the very heart of Jesus’ teaching was the notion that with him, something radically new had come. But what is it?

The kingdom of God was presented by Jesus as a new era in human history characterized by a brand new relationship with God. This new relationship was based on the old relationship that God originally established between himself and the nation of Israel—the blood descendants of the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus taught that this new relationship or “New Covenant” had arrived to fulfill and transcend the former relationship or “Old Covenant” established between God and his people. Now God was graciously offering this new spiritual relationship to the nation of Israel and far beyond: in fact, to all of humankind. In very simple terms, God the immortal One became mortal. God entered into human history in the person of the risen Jesus Christ so that sinful mortal man might become immortal children of God.

I am indebted to the following sources for the information presented above: Fee and Stuart’s How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth; Schanckenburg’s Jesus in the Gospels; Senior’s Jesus: A Gospel Portrait; and Stein’s Jesus the Messiah.

Related

1. Iris at Sting My Heart is sponsoring a writing contest called "Shout His Fame!" The contest deadline is Nov. 20, 2006. She says, "How do you witness? Are you bold? Are you gentle?… I would like you to write a little 'essay' about your own personal witness." There's a very generous prize waiting for the winner!

2. Also, Robin at PENSIEVE has written about the Gospels in her interesting piece, "Blind Men, Elephants and Jesus." Check it out!

3. Many struggle to witness to special family members—particularly to their unsaved husbands. Let Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage encourage you with her wisdom and her prayers.

Do you use the Gospels when you witness?


Photos courtesy of the Book of Kells, dbking, mstephens7, prodigal dog, hans s, and driveby (Flickr)

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