Comparison of The Major Gospels
The material in the Comparison Chart is from the Gospel Parallels by B. H. Throckmorton, The five Gospels by R. W. Funk, The Gospel According to the Hebrews, by E. B. Nicholson & The Hebrew Gospel and the Development of the Synoptic Tradition by J. R. Edwards.
| Item | Matthew, Mark, Luke | John | Thomas | Hebrew Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Covenant | The central theme of the Gospels – Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself | The central theme – Love is the New Commandment given by Jesus | Secret knowledge, love your friends | The central theme – Love one another |
| Forgiveness | Very important – particularly in Matthew and Luke | Assumed | Not mentioned | Very important – Forgiveness is a central theme and this gospel goes into the greatest detail |
| The Lord's Prayer | In Matthew & Luke but not Mark | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Important – “mahar” or "tomorrow" |
| Love & the poor | Very Important – The rich young man | Assumed | Important | Very important – The rich young man |
| Jesus starts his ministry | Jesus meets John the Baptist and is baptized in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar | Jesus meets John the Baptist, 46 years after Herod's Temple is built (John 2:20) | Only speaks of John the Baptist | Jesus meets John the Baptist and is baptized. This gospel goes into the greatest detail |
| Disciples-number | Twelve | Twelve | not mentioned | Twelve |
| Disciples-inner circle | Peter, Andrew, James & John | Peter, Andrew, James & the Beloved Disciple | Thomas | Peter, Andrew, James, & John |
| Disciples-others |
Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon the Zealot, Jude Thaddaeus, & Judas |
Philip, Nathanael, Thomas, Jude (not Iscariot) & Judas |
Matthew, Thomas, James the Just (Brother of Jesus) |
Matthew, James the Just (Brother of Jesus), Simon the Zealot, Thaddaeus, Judas |
| Possible Authors | Unknown; Mark the Evangelist & Luke the Evangelist | The Beloved Disciple | Unknown | Matthew the Evangelist (or "Unknown") |
| Virgin birth account | Described in Matthew & Luke, Mark only makes reference to a "Mother" | Not mentioned, although the "Word becomes flesh" in John 1:14 | N/A as this is a gospel of Jesus' sayings | Not mentioned |
| Jesus' baptism | Described | Seen in flash-back (John 1:32-34) | N/A | Described great detail |
| Preaching style | Brief one-liners; parables | Essay format, Midrash | Sayings, parables | Brief one-liners; parables |
| Storytelling | Parables | Figurative language & Metaphor | proto-Gnostic, hidden, parables | Parables |
| Jesus' theology | 1st century liberal Judaism. | Critical of Jewish Authorities | proto-Gnostic | 1st century Judaism |
| Miracles | Many miracles | Seven Signs | N/A | Fewer miracles |
| Duration of ministry | Not mentioned, possibly 3 years according to the Parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13) | 3 years (Four Passovers) | N/A | 1 year |
| Location of ministry | Mainly Galilee | Mainly Judea, near Jerusalem | N/A | Mainly Galilee |
| Passover meal | Body & Blood = Bread and wine | Interrupts meal for foot washing | N/A | Hebrew Passover is celebrated but details are N/A Epiphanius |
| Burial shroud | A single piece of cloth | Multiple pieces of cloth | N/A | Given to the High Priest |
| Resurrection | Mary and the Women are the first to learn Jesus has arisen | John adds detailed account of Mary's experience of the Resurrection | N/A | In the Gospel of the Hebrews is the unique account of Jesus appearing to his brother, James the Just. |
Read more about this topic: Gospel Of Thomas
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