Keynotes used in class for WTC residential.

1. Introducing the Synoptic Gospels
COURSE
TH4903
Rev. Jon Swales
DATE
JAN 2013 LOCATION
WTC RESIDENTIAL

2. AIMS
1. To introduce students to a systematic critical
study of Jesus and the gospels in their ancient
literary, theological and historical context paying
particular attention to the way in which the meaning of
NT texts is determined by to the challengesC1st
2. To sensitize students OT tradition and and
problems presentedJudaism.
by an historical study of the
gospels; their principal themes, interpretative puzzles
and the theological issues they raise.
3. 2.ToTo sensitize students to the challenges textual
provide students with foundational NT and
problems presented a the formation of a biblical
resources towards by an historical study of the
gospels; theirwhich impacts discipleship, ministry,
theology principal themes, interpretative puzzles
leadership, mission and Christian they raise. in the
and the theological issues engagement
public square.
3. To provide students with foundational NT textual
resources towards a the formation of a biblical
theology which impacts discipleship, ministry,
leadership, mission and Christian engagement in the

3. HOW DO DO WELL IN THIS MODULE
•Read the Synoptics
•Keep up with course reading
•Read the Synoptics
•Ask questions
•Active engagement in lectures.
•Begin thinking about Essays sooner
rather than later
•Read good secondary literature
•Refer to primary source material
•Pray
Introducing the Synoptic Gospels

5. QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
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6. WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
•Sin Management
•4 Spiritual Laws
•Bridge Diagram
•Conversion
Process
•Justification by
Faith
•Rhetorical Package
•Personal Salvation
•Do we need
Matthew, Mark,
Luke & John?

7. WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
Gk: euangellion (noun)
Gk: euangelizomai (Verbal Cognate: gospelize, preach/bring good
news)
Matthew 24:14 (ESV)
14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed
throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations,
and then the end will come.
Acts 15:7 (ESV)
7
And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up
and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early
days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth
the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and
believe.

8. WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
Romans 1:16 (ESV)
16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of
God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek.
Galatians 1:6–9 (ESV)
6
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who
called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different
gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some
who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But
even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a
gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be
accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If
anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you
received, let him be accursed.

9. PRIENE INSCRIPTION
It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opinion of the high priest
Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: Since providence, which has ordered all
things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by
giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit
humankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendants, that
he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his
appearance excelled even our anticipations, surpassing all previous
benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he
has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of
the good tidings for the world that came by reason of him, which Asia
resolved in Smyrna.

10. 1 Corinthians 15:1–8 (ESV)
1
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to
you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which
you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to
you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of
first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our
sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the
Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the
twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers
at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have
fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the
apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared
also to me.
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

11. Romans 1:1–6 (ESV)
1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set
apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand
through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his
Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4
and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to
the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus
Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and
apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake
of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are
called to belong to Jesus Christ,

12. APOSTOLIC PREACHING
(1) Acts 2:14-39
(2) Acts 3:12-26
(3) Acts 4:8-12
(4) Acts 5:29-32
(5) Acts 10:34-43
(6) Acts 13:16-42
(7) Acts 17:22-31

13. 1.The story of Israel is the
story of God in the world,
and Israel’s story finds its
completion in Jesus.
2.The story of Jesus brings
Israel’s story to its
completion.
3.Christ died “for our sins”
4.Jesus is the Messiah,
King of God’s kingdom,
Saviour, Son of God and
Lord.

14. Four Gospels, One Jesus
UNITY AND DIVERSITY

15. Structure of Matthew
5 Blocks of Teaching
1. The Sermon on the Mount (5:1‑7:28) 2.
The Missionary Discourse (10:1‑42) 3. The
Parable Discourse (13:1‑53) 4. The
Community Discourse (17:22‑18:35) 5. The
Apocalyptic Discourse (24:1‑25:46)
Structural Markers“when Jesus finished
saying these things…” (7:28, 11:1, 13:53,
19:1, 26:1).

16. Four Gospels One Jesus
UNITY AND DIVERSITY

17. Four Gospels One Jesus
UNITY AND DIVERSITY

18. Luke refers to thirteen women not mentioned elsewhere in the
Gospels.
•Birth Narratives: Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna.
•The widow of Nain (7:12–15),
•The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet (7:36–50), the women who
supported Jesus (8:1–3),
•The woman with a blood disease (8:43–48),
•Mary and Martha (10:38–42),
•the “daughter of Abraham” (13:10–17),
• the poor widow (21:1–4),
•the “daughters of Jerusalem” who lament Jesus (23:27–31), those
who watched the crucifixion (23:49),
•those who report the resurrection (23:55–24:11).

19. Four Gospels One Jesus
UNITY AND DIVERSITY

20. Synoptics (View
Together)

21. What is the genre of
the gospels?
Richard A. Burridge, What Are The Gospels?, page 218
(emphasis his):
Thus, there is a high degree of correlation between the
generic features of Graeco-Roman βίοι and those of the
synoptic gospels; in fact, they exhibit more of the features
than are shown by works at the edges of the genre, such as
those of Isocrates, Xenophon, and Philostratus. This is surely
a sufficient number of shared features for the genre of the
synoptic gospels to be clear: while they may well form their
own subgenre because of their shared content, the
synoptic gospels belong within the overal genre of
βίοι.

22. What is the genre of the
gospels?
‘Our canonical gospels are the theological, historical, and artological
(virtue-forming’ biographical narratives that retell the story and
proclaim the significance of Jesus Christ, who through the power of the
Spirit is the Restorer of God’s reign’ Pennington
‘In summary, we can classify the Gospels as historical narrative
motivated by theological concerns. Their intention is not only to convey
accurate historical material about Jesus but also to explain and
interpret these salvation-bringing events. The Gospels were written not
by detached uninterested observers but by Evangelists, ‘proclaimers of
good news,’ announcing the good news of Jesus CHrist and calling
people to faith in him’ Strauss

23. Why were the Gospels
Written?
•Historical
•Catechetical
•Liturgical
•Exhortatory
•Theological
•Apologetic
•Evangelistic

24. Why do we
need four
Gospels?