What is the harmony of the Gospels?

Answer

The “harmony” of the Gospels refers to the agreement among the four biblical Gospels. The four Gospels in the New Testament can be likened to singers in a four-part choir. Each Gospel has its unique part to sing, yet when combined, they create a beautiful composition. While each of the four Gospels provides a testimony of Jesus from a slightly different perspective, they ultimately convey the same story. Therefore, they are all in harmony with one another. There are also books known as harmonies of the Gospels that align the Gospel accounts chronologically, and some Bibles include a reference section that serves the same purpose, known as a harmony of the Gospels.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the “synoptic” Gospels because they offer a synopsis of many of the same events from Jesus’ life. John, on the other hand, stands apart by filling in details that the others may omit. Each Gospel was written for a distinct audience and highlights different aspects of Jesus. Matthew, for instance, was primarily intended for a Jewish audience, emphasizing how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of a kingly Messiah. Mark, written for Roman or Gentile Christians, includes fewer Old Testament prophecies and provides explanations for Jewish terms and customs. In Mark, Jesus is depicted as the Divine Servant. Luke, also targeting Gentile believers, clarifies Jewish customs and employs Greek names. Luke aimed to present a well-organized account of Jesus’ life, portraying Him as the Son of Man and emphasizing His complete humanity. John’s Gospel underscores Jesus as the Son of God, containing more of Jesus’ self-revelations than the other Gospels and offering a more detailed narrative of the events during Jesus’ final days.

Some individuals have sought to undermine the credibility of the Bible by highlighting inconsistencies in the Gospel narratives, such as variations in the sequence of events.Errors corrected:

– Changed “ed” to “ing” in “carrying” for proper verb form.
– Replaced “like” with “such as” for clarity.
– Replaced “answered” with “explained” for variety.
– Changed “veracity” to “accuracy” for better word choice.
– Replaced “Imagine” with “Consider” for variety.
– Changed “lad” to “youth” for a more formal term.
– Replaced “harmonious” with “consistent” for variety.
– Replaced “way” with “means” for clarity.
– Changed “intervention” to “intervention” for consistency.
– Replaced “amazingly accurate” with “remarkably precise” for variety.
– Added a comma after “God” for proper punctuation.
– Replaced “scripture” with “Scripture” for correct capitalization.
– Changed “reproof” to “rebuke” for variety.
– Replaced “compose” with “present” for variety.

Here is the revised text:

During the events or minor details within those events. When the four accounts are placed side by side, we see that they do not all follow the same strict chronology. Much of the narrative in the Gospels is arranged in a topical order, where an event brings to mind a similar thought. This is the way most of us carry on conversations every day. The differences in minor details such as the angels at Christ’s tomb (Matthew 28:5;Mark 16:5;Luke 24:4;John 20:12) are also explained by allowing the text to speak. The differences are complementary, not contradictory. New information is added, but it does not take away from the accuracy of the old information.

Consider the rest of Scripture, the four Gospels are a beautiful testimony of God’s revelation to man. Consider a tax collector (Matthew), an untrained Jewish youth with a history as a quitter (Mark), a Roman doctor (Luke), and a Jewish fisherman (John) all writing consistent testimonies about the events in the life of Jesus. There is no means, without the intervention of God, that they could have written these remarkably precise accounts «All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for rebuke, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: », (2 Timothy 3:16). The historical references, the prophetic references, and the personal details all work together to present one very detailed, very accurate picture of Jesus—the Messiah, the King, the Servant, and the Son of God.