Blog Post #3

1. What are specific things that you learned about the Gospel Writers from the group presentations?

During the group presentations about the four Gospel writers, I learned so many things I had never known before. Some specifics I learned were the writing styles, relationships, their purposes, symbols, and their experiences. Mark had little detail and wanted to prove that Jesus is the Son of God. Matthew had a first-hand experience and included more detail. Luke's purpose was to show Christianity was non-threatening and his symbol was a winged ox. Finally, John had the most detail and wanted to spread Jesus' word with everyone.

2. Based on class discussion, what were similarities you saw within the 4 Gospel readings?

During the class discussions, the class saw many similarities between the four Gospel writers. They are all apostles and lived during Jesus's time. They all included almost identical stories about Jesus' life. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each had a purpose to spread Jesus's Word and teachings. They had symbols corresponding to who they were, as well as had close relationships with Jesus. All of the Gospel writers shared many similarities.

3. Based on class discussion, what were differences you saw within the 4 Gospel readings?

While the four Gospel writers shared many similarities, the differences made their Gospels unique. Detail was an important difference, Mark had little detail, Matthew and Luke had more, while John had the most. They each had different symbols, Matthew's was an angel, John's was a winged bull, Mark was a winged lion, and John's was an eagle. They also disagreed about the revolutionaries, and if they taunted Jesus or not. They also had different purposes to spread Jesus's word, but all were for the good of people. These differences do not separate the four Evangelists but make them unique.

4. From information you gathered from the presentations and class discussions, which Gospel would you prefer to read and why? (Think about time period, first or second hand account, purpose, etc.)

The Gospel I would prefer to read would be John's. I love detail, and John has the most. He was also a first account for Jesus, and had a very strong relationship with him. He wanted to share Jesus to people around the whole world, and not just a defined area. His message is powerful and wants people to trust Jesus and God. This is very important for my faith, and I find that his message really resonates with me.