Key Takeaways
1. The "Gospel" is the proclamation of God's restorative reign in Jesus
The "gospel," whether in oral or written form, is the message of God’s comprehensively restorative kingdom.
Isaianic roots of hope. The term euangelion (good news) is deeply rooted in the eschatological vision of Isaiah 40–66, which promises comfort, healing, and the return of God's reign. It is not merely a set of rules or a formula for individual salvation, but a public, political, and cosmic announcement that Israel's God has returned as King.
Oral to written transition. In the early church, "gospel" referred to the oral proclamation (kerygma) of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection. Over time, this oral message was naturally committed to writing, transforming the word "Gospel" into a literary designation for the four narrative accounts.
Kingdom-centered definition. To read the Gospels wisely, we must define the gospel as Jesus effecting the long-awaited return of God's restorative reign. This kingdom-centric focus includes:
- The forgiveness of sins through Jesus's atoning death.
- The physical and spiritual restoration of a broken creation.
- The call to repentance and faithful, active discipleship.
2. The Gospels are "Bioi Plus"—theological, kerygmatic, and virtue-forming biographies
Our canonical Gospels are the theological, historical, and aretological (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.
Ancient biographical genre. Modern scholarship has established that the Gospels share a strong family resemblance with Greco-Roman biographies (bioi). Unlike modern biographies, which focus on psychological development and exhaustive chronological details, ancient bioi reveal character through public deeds and sayings to inspire emulation.
Theological and kerygmatic expansion. While the Gospels fit the structural conventions of ancient bioi, they transcend the genre in profound ways. They do not present Jesus as one great historical figure among many, but as the divine Son of God in whom all of human history is consummated.
Aretological purpose. The Gospels are designed to shape the character and virtues of their readers. They are "bioi plus" because they combine:
- The exemplary model of Jesus's life and suffering.
- The kerygmatic proclamation of his saving, atoning death.
- The ongoing presence of the risen Christ as our contemporary.
3. We need the Gospels because narrative theology is irreplaceable
Theology does not overwhelm story, story does not crowd out theology, and neither operates independently of the other...
Paul is not enough. Many Christians suffer from a benign neglect of the Gospels, preferring the straightforward, propositional theology of Paul's Epistles. However, the Epistles actually presuppose and build upon the oral Jesus traditions, meaning we cannot fully understand Pauline theology without the narrative foundation of the Gospels.
The power of story. Humans are inherently story-shaped creatures, and narrative is a comprehensive discourse of truth that engages our intellect, emotions, and imagination. While abstract propositions are valuable, stories embody and incarnate truth in concrete, experiential ways that transform our worldview.
An atlas of truth. We must view the Bible not as a single, flat map of doctrines, but as an atlas containing different types of maps. The narrative map of the Gospels is essential because:
- It provides a direct sense of the Bible's grand story line.
- It offers concentrated exposure to the coming kingdom of God.
- It facilitates a personal, up-front encounter with the living Jesus.
4. The fourfold Gospel offers a rich, unharmonized portrait of Christ
The fourfold gospel points to the profundity of Jesus’ impact on his followers, the inexhaustibility of the truth about him, and the way in which knowledge of Jesus is necessarily self-involving.
Resisting flat harmonization. Throughout church history, critics have pointed to discrepancies among the four Gospels to undermine their historical reliability, prompting attempts like Tatian's Diatessaron to harmonize them into a single, unified narrative. However, the early church wisely rejected these attempts, choosing to preserve the distinct, fourfold apostolic witness.
Unity in diversity. The four Gospels are like stained-glass windows in a cathedral, each refracting the light of Christ in unique, complementary ways. While Matthew highlights Jesus as the Davidic King, Mark rushes toward the cross, Luke emphasizes the universal Savior, and John reveals the divine Word.
Theological richness. Embracing the diversity of the four Gospels allows us to see different theological points that would be lost in a single, flattened account. This pluriformity of witness:
- Reflects the inexhaustible depth of the incarnation.
- Encourages both active and contemplative Christian virtues.
- Prevents us from reducing Jesus to a single, comfortable image.
5. The Gospels provide testimonial history, merging event and theological meaning
Testimony is the category that enables us to read the Gospels in a properly historical way and properly theological way.
The crisis of historicism. Modern historical-critical scholarship, born of the Enlightenment, operates on a naturalistic worldview that seeks to strip away theological "dogma" to find the "real" historical Jesus. This historicism is in crisis because it fails to recognize that all history writing is inherently an act of selective, purposeful interpretation.
The nature of testimony. The Gospels are best understood as eyewitness testimony, a category of historical writing that was highly valued in the ancient world. Testimony does not separate "brute facts" from their meaning; rather, it presents events and their theological significance in an inextricable, belief-laden coinherence.
Epistemological shift. Reading the Gospels as testimony shifts our focus from trying to historically verify the events behind the text to trusting the trustworthy witnesses of the text. This approach:
- Rejects the false dichotomy between the "historical Jesus" and the "Christ of faith."
- Recognizes that the resurrection is the starting point for all Christian epistemology.
- Values the theological and pastoral intentions of the inspired evangelists.
6. Wise reading requires navigating behind, in, and in front of the text
The surface meaning lies open before us and charms beginners. Yet the depth is amazing, my God, the depth is amazing.
Three avenues of reading. To read the Gospels wisely, we must employ a multi-avenued approach that integrates historical, literary, and canonical-theological readings. This prevents us from becoming one-dimensional readers who rely on a single, restrictive method to the exclusion of other rich insights.
Behind and in the text. The first two avenues focus on the historical and literary dimensions of the text. "Behind the text" readings explore the historical background, grammar, and social setting of the author, while "in the text" readings analyze the literary structure, genre, and narrative techniques of the written document.
In front of the text. The third avenue, "in front of the text," explores how the text is received and applied within the canon and the church. This includes:
- Tracing the history of interpretation and reception history.
- Reading the text in light of the regula fidei (rule of faith).
- Engaging in figural and intertextual readings across the canon.
7. Meaning is not an inert object but a lived, faithful application
To understand a law properly, therefore, is to know how to perform it in a concrete situation.
The limits of objectivism. Modern hermeneutics often treats meaning as a stable, objective container of information that we must extract from the text before optionally applying it to our lives. However, language is not merely informative; it is illocutionary and perlocutionary, designed to perform actions and elicit responses.
Meaning as application. Following the insights of speech-act theory and premodern exegesis, we must recognize that meaning and application are ultimately inseparable. To truly understand a biblical text is to know how to apply and perform it faithfully in our lives; a reading that does not build up love for God and neighbor is no true understanding at all.
The posture of humility. Wise reading requires a spiritual posture of submission and teachability, rather than a detached, scientific mastery of the text. This means:
- Approaching the Bible with a willingness to be read and judged by the text.
- Prioritizing the virtues of faith, hope, and love over mere technical competence.
- Reading the Gospels as the living, active Word of God that demands our obedience.
8. Narrative analysis reveals the theological "hot spots" of Gospel stories
A literary narrative . . . is primarily interested in getting us to relive an experience, not [merely] to grasp an idea.
Moving beyond the WSM hermeneutic. Many readers approach Gospel stories with a "Whatever Strikes Me" (WSM) hermeneutic, taking away whatever random detail catches their attention. While this can be devotionally sweet, it often misses the main, structurally emphasized point of the story as crafted by the inspired author.
The narrative plot arc. Stories communicate through a structured plot arc built on tension and conflict. By identifying the setting, rising action, climax of tension, resolution, and following action, we can map the "thermographic heat" of a story to find its most significant theological points.
Revelation and identification. Once we have analyzed the narrative arc, we must articulate its meaning through the twin lenses of revelation and identification. This involves:
- Discerning how the story reveals who God is for us in Christ (revelation).
- Identifying with the characters to learn what virtues to emulate or avoid (identification).
- Keeping Jesus as the primary "gift" before we apply him as our "example."
9. The Gospels serve as the keystone archway of the entire biblical canon
The Gospels could not possibly be either more or less in number than they are... the pillar and foundation of the Church is the gospel...
The canonical keystone. The fourfold Gospel book functions as the keystone in the Roman archway of the biblical canon. It holds together the Old Testament on one side and the rest of the New Testament on the other, serving as the interpretive fulcrum for the entire Bible.
Fulfilling the Old Testament. On the left side of the arch, the Gospels provide the climax and completion of Israel's story. Jesus does not abolish the Law and the Prophets but fulfills them, transforming our understanding of the Old Testament so that we read it in a properly Christian, Christ-centered way.
Grounding the New Testament. On the right side of the arch, the Gospels provide the foundation for the Epistles and the life of the church. The Epistles are occasional documents that apply the "Law of Christ" to specific situations, but they always presuppose the narrative reality of the Gospels. Thus, the Gospels:
- Provide the comprehensive, narrative theology of the Christian faith.
- Serve as the primary, liturgical "first fruits" of all the Scriptures.
- Guide us into a deep, lived encounter with the living, reigning King.
