What was the basic truth that the gospel writers hoped to potray by including Jesu' mircles in their writing?

Answer 1

A:Each of the four New Testament evangelists had a different purpose in writing his gospel. Before explaining this, it is useful to point out that we do not actually know who the evangelists were. All four gospels were written anonymously and only attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John later in the second century. New Testament scholars dismiss those attributions and say that none of the gospels could have been written by an eyewitness to the events portrayed.

Scholars have also established that Mark's Gospel was the first gospel to be written, approximately 70 CE, at just the time that the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed by the Romans. Mark's Gospel might have been written to assure the Romans that Christians were no threat to the Roman peace. Perhaps more likely, it was written to show that Christianity was the natural successor to Second Temple Judaism, which was now in turmoil. If that was Mark's intention, rabbinical Judaism ultimately succeeded over Christianity in placing itself as the successor to Second Temple Judaism.

Matthew's Gospel was written some fifteen years later, while Judaism was still in turmoil after the First Roman-Jewish War. This Gospel was based on Mark's Gospel, containing some 90 per cent of the verses in Mark, often word for word in the Greek language. This means the author did not need to write a new gospel unless he believed Mark needed updating. Matthewimproves on Mark and places the gospel more firmly in the Jewish milieu, with frequent allusions to the Old Testament. Although the author himself does not appear to have been a Palestinian Jew, this focus on the Old Testament might have been intended to show that Christianity was the natural successor to Second Temple Judaism.

By the time Luke was written, rabbinical Judaism had taken hold among the Jews, both in Palestine and in the diaspora, and Christianity was no longer such a serious contender to succeed Second Temple Judaism. Luke improves on Mark and places it in a historical context, although sometimes inaccurately. This gospel writer sought to attract the poorer members of society.

John's Gospel was loosely based on Luke, with some material taken direct from Mark. It seems to have been written in a mildly Gnostic Christian community and was probably amended after the split in the community that is indicated in 1 John. This gospel also addresses some issues that seem to have arisen in the second century. The theme of 'doubting Thomas' is seen through the gospel and indicates possible rivalry between two communities or groups of Christians. The theme of the 'beloved disciple' is used invariably to show the beloved disciple as more worthy than Peter,perhaps because of excessive veneration of Peter in the early years of the second century.

Answer 2

That Jesus was truly the son of God. And that the miracals showed that he loves and cared for all