Instructions for Reading Gospel Parallels

Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart wrote, "Almost all the difficulties one encounters in [reading and] interpreting the Gospels stem from two obvious facts: (1) Jesus himself did not write a gospel; they came from others, not him. (2) There are four gospels." Thus, the need of strategy for reading gospel parallels that takes into account the selection, arrangement, and adaptation of the narratives about Jesus and the teachings of Jesus in the composition of the gospels (How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 127-48). The proposed strategy seeks to address difficulties encountered in reading and interpreting parallel accounts in the gospels.

Because of the unique nature of the Gospels, the reader/interpreter must do two things - read vertically and horizontally. Reading of the gospels vertically and horizontally helps to understand how the authors selected, arranged, and adapted the narratives, miracle stories, parables, etc. to address the concerns of their respective audiences. Furthermore, vertical and horizontal reading allows the reader to understand how the author used the material to introduce and support the major and minor themes.

1. Reading Vertically

Reading vertically, from beginning to end, means to think in terms of the historical contexts of Jesus, the author and his circumstances.

1. What are the outlines of Matthew, Mark, and Luke at this point? (cf. the textbook or a Bible dictionary for the respective outlines and other relevant information)

2. What are the similarities and differences in the outlines?

3. What plotlines are the authors developing?

2. Reading Horizontally

To read horizontally means that when studying a passage in one gospel, it is helpful to examine parallels in other gospels. There are two basic reasons for reading horizontally. First, parallel accounts give an appreciation for the distinctive features the gospels at the canonical and interpretive levels. Second, parallels highlight the different kinds of contexts in which similar or the same material lived in the early church. Therefore, the purpose of horizontal reading is not to harmonize, to fill in gaps in one account with details from the others. The purpose for reading horizontally is to determine the most obvious differences between the parallel accounts and their significance for understanding the historical context and literary features of the gospels.

Read the temptation of Jesus as told by Mark (1:12-13), Matthew (4:1-11), and Luke (4:1-13) then answer the following questions.

2. Compare and contrast passages (arrange passages in parallel columns - see next page)

1. What are the core elements of this story found in all three versions?

2. What are the detailed differences in how Mark, Matthew, and Luke tell the story?

3. What do the differences tell you about the themes and emphases of each evangelist?

3. Analysis

1. Determine whether the differences are significant or insignificant.

2. If the author is developing some main theme, what might that theme be and how does the material contribute to the development of a theme.

4. Conclusion (summarize your findings)