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Bible Term: Gospels

The Bible contains four Gospels, or biographies of Jesus, focusing on his life, ministry, death, and resurrection.

Each of the Gospels was written by a different author, with a different purpose or audience in mind, and with their own individual focus. As such, we see many similarities, as well as uniqueness, between the four accounts.

Taken together, they provide a rich narrative, with deep insight, into the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as his death and resurrection. The Gospels are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; each named after its author.

There are many parallel passages in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which are sometimes called the synoptic gospels because of their similarities.

Some speculate that Matthew and Luke borrowed passages from Mark or perhaps that all three used a common, but unidentified fourth source. Nevertheless, each provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of Jesus.

John is the most different of the four Gospels, containing the fewest similarities and the most unique passages.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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