The Gospels

Explain why the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels.

• Synoptic Gospels are the similar Gospels.
• The Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke are similar.
• Mark wrote his Gospel in the year 70 AD.
• His sources were from the oral stage.
• Matthew and Luke used Mark's Gospel and the Q Document as sources for writing their Gospels in the year 85 AD.
• This is why the content of these three Gospels are very similar.

Explain two reasons why the Gospels are described as documents of faith.

• The Gospels are described as documents of faith because the Evangelists believed that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God.
• The Evangelists collected information to provide evidence to support their beliefs about Jesus.
• The Gospel writers invited everyone to share their beliefs.
• The Gospels were a part of a sacred text and the Gospels invite people to believe in Jesus and to follow him
• The Gospel is a document of faith written by the people who believe that Jesus is God in order to help others to believe that Jesus is God.

Outline what was involved in three different stages in the development of the Gospels.

• The life stage lasted for three years.
• During the life stage, Jesus spent his last three years as a travelling teacher.
• He told parables and performed miracles.
• He shared meals with outcasts in society and this was known as table fellowship.
• He did this to spread the Kingdom of God.
• The oral stage lasted 40 years.
• After Jesus died, his disciples began to travel around the Roman Empire to spread the Good News.
• The Good News was that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God.
• The teachings of Jesus still spread by disciples work.
• The written stage lasted 30 years.
• Jesus' apostles decided to write down Jesus' parables, miracles, table fellowship and teachings so they would never be with Jesus.
• The Evangelists eventually wrote down all of this information to form the Gospels.
• It was important to write down his message accurately.
• They were finally inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the Gospels.