Why are the gospels each unique?

Answer 1

They are all different in some ways since they are written by various witnesses or from the accounts of eyewitnesses so each recalled or included more or less detail than the others. Some emphasised certain teachings or events, while others skimmed over them or didn't mention them. Each was writing to a different audience and this sometimes is reflected in the themes or emphasis. All of them harmonize with each other when compared side by side. There are no contradictions between them, only differences in minor detail and perspective. Matthew and John had been disciples of Jesus, while Mark and Luke wrote mostly from the accounts of Christ's friends and family.

Answer 2

A:

The traditional explanation is that each evangelist wrote for a particular audience and therefore omitted some material that would not have interested his audience. That would be a plausible explanation for some material being unique to one or the other of the gospels, but could not explain the many inconsistencies.

In fact, we now know that Mark's Gospel was the first to be written and that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were substantially based on it, with further sayings material taken from the hypothetical 'Q' document. John's Gospel was, in turn, loosely based on Luke's Gospel, with some material taken direct from Mark.

The 'Q' hypothesis means that Mark does not contain this material, simply because its author was unaware of this source. The authors of Matthew and Luke wished to provide their readers with stories of the birth and infancy of Jesus, but had no lead from Mark and so developed different nativity stories in isolation from ech other. John Shelby Spong (Born of a Woman: A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus), says that neither of the nativity stories contains any historical truth. Uta Ranke-Heinemann (Putting Away Childish Things) supports this conclusion, saying that the nativity accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are, with respect to time, place, and circumstances, a collection of legends. She also says that both Zacharius and Elizabeth were literary creations by Luke's author.

So it is with the appearances of the risen Jesus, which differ dramatically from gospel to gospel. Mark's Gospel originally ended at verse 16:8 with the young man telling the women that Jesus was risen and they fled in terror, telling no one. With no lead from Mark, the other authors developed their own stories of the resurrection. Later, the 'Long Ending' (verses 16:9-20) was added to Mark in order to harmonise it as far as possible with the other gospels.

John's Gospel contains additional material relevant to the context of the early second century, as well as, for theological reasons, changing the Last Supper and the crucifixion to occur before the Jewish Passover feast.

Answer 3

yes