The primary purpose of Matthew is to persuade Jewish readers that Jesus is their Messiah. While the main verses here are 1:21-23, which show that the birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s prophecy (King James Bible, 1611/2021). In this Gospel, the author attempts to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah and the fulfillment of the prophecy, as well as a descendant of David. Yet, It is unlikely that Matthew is the real author. According to the researchers, it was produced in the 50s-70s AD (Intro to Matthew, n.d.). The Gospel is largely based on the Gospel of Mark and was originally intended for Jews.
The purpose of the Gospel of Mark was to prepare the readers for martyrdom and suffering and teach them to place the Lord before their own life. In this Gospel, the key verses are 8:34-9:1, which teach the readers about the importance of denying themselves in the name of God (King James Bible, 1611/2021). The Gospel explores the theme of discipleship, which is conveyed through the situations described by the author, which show how Jesus teaches his followers to understand his ideas. Another theme is the imperfection of human nature, which is shown through the disciples’ wrongdoings, such as the betrayal of Judas. The Gospel was written by John Mark in the 50s-60s AD and based on apocalyptic discourse and conflict stories (Intro to Mark, n.d.). It was intended for the Gentile audience living in Rome.
The core purpose of the Gospel of Luke was to encourage believers in their faith and to respond to the attacks of those who made false statements about Jesus and his teachings. The Gospel’s key verses are 4:18-19, which stress the idea that the Lord sent Jesus to free the oppressed. Here, the author explores two themes, which are universal salvation and support for the poor and needy. The message of Luke is that salvation is not only for Jews but also for Gentiles if they believe in Jesus Christ. The Gospel also postulates that poor people and sinners who repented can enter the Kingdom of God. It is believed that the Gospel was written by Luke, a companion of Paul, in the 60s-80s AD and based on his investigations and the apostles’ oral accounts (Intro to Luke, n.d.). The intended audience was Theophilus, a possible patron of Luke.
The purpose of the Gospel of John is to announce that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and those who believe in him can have eternal life. The most important verse in the Gospel is 3:16, which postulates that God gave the world his own son because of his love for it. Moreover, the major theme of the Gospel of John is eternal life, which is given to those individuals who believe in God and that Jesus is his son. Another theme in the Gospel is the idea that Jesus is the only savior of the people. The author of the Gospel is the apostle John who wrote it in the 50s-70s AD (Intro to John, n.d.). The Gospel is not based on any sources since it contains John’s own accounts, and it was intended for both Gentiles and Jews.
References
Intro to John. (n.d.). The International Bible Society. Web.
Intro to Luke. (n.d.). The International Bible Society. Web.
Intro to Mark. (n.d.). The International Bible Society. Web.
Intro to Matthew. (n.d.). The International Bible Society. Web.
King James Bible. (2021). King James Bible Online. Web.