The Gospel of John The fourth gospel of the New Testament is the Gospel of John. As is common among Christians who attribute every word of Scripture to direct disciples of Jesus, this gospel was attributed to the apostle John on the basis of the verse in the last chapter: "This disciple

Holy Gospel of John Acts of Jesus: Paraphrase of the Holy Gospel of

Gospel of John Evangelist John the Theologian was a beloved disciple of Christ. He was the son of the Galilean fisherman Zebedee and Solomin. Zebedee was, apparently, a wealthy man, since he had workers, was, apparently, not an insignificant member of the Jewish

The content of the article

MARK, ST. EVANGELIST, According to tradition, he is the author of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament. He was identified with John Mark (Acts 12:25; 13:15), a 1st century Christian. His mother Mary's home in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for Christians (Acts 12:12-17). He was a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10), whom he assisted in his missionary work (Acts 13:4-13; 15:37-40) and through whom he apparently met the apostle Paul. Although at the end of the 40s he had disagreements with Paul, the essence of which is not completely clear (Acts 13:13; 15:37-40), he again joined Paul and was with him in Rome in 62 (Col 4: 10; Phm 24) and later for several years (2 Tim 4:11). The friendly mention of Mark in 1 Peter 5:13 also indicates that he was apparently in Rome in the 60s. According to a rather ancient tradition, going back at least to Papias (c. 130), Mark was Peter's helper, and the content of Peter's sermon on Jesus was reflected in his gospel. Nothing more is known about his life. Mark is considered the patron saint of Venice. Its symbol is a winged lion. Memorial Day of the saint on April 25 (in the Russian Orthodox Church on April 25 according to the old style).

Gospel of Mark.

This shortest of the four New Testament gospels describes the activities of Jesus in the last months of his life, when he wandered through the Galilean villages, preaching in synagogues or just on the street.

The nature and purpose of the gospel.

The author of the gospel pays special attention to the active side of the ministry of Jesus, the power of Jesus over diseases and the forces of evil, or demons, with which the world is full. Jesus claimed to have the power to forgive sins, and in reopening the gates of the Kingdom of God to people, he insisted on his right to call people to follow him. Mark's narrative is imbued with the belief that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and was the expected Messiah (1:1), but Mark sees the fulfillment of the prophecies not in the restoration of the nation state or the prosperity of the Jewish people, but in the suffering and death of Jesus, which he endured for the people ( 10:45), which means that the evangelist proceeds from a purely Christian understanding of the role of the Messiah, which, apparently, was held by Jesus himself. Mark also shares (and puts into the mouth of Jesus) faith in the Last Judgment, at which the Messiah will reward the sinners and the righteous according to their merits.

Main sections: 1:1-13, the beginning of Jesus' public ministry; 1:14-9:50, Jesus preaching in Galilee and performing healings; 10:1-52, coming to Jerusalem; 11:1 - 15:47, the last week of life and the crucifixion of Jesus; 16:1-20, resurrection and last instruction to disciples sent to preach the gospel (good news). The authenticity of verses 16:9-20 concerning the instruction of the disciples is debatable. In the best manuscripts, the text ends abruptly at 16:8, and it is not known whether it had a continuation. Later manuscripts contain various endings, the most common of which is the ending containing verses 9-20 and reproduced, for example, in the Vulgate. Critical editions sometimes cite it in a footnote, along with another, more concise conclusion.

Sources.

The gospel of Mark is based on those facts from the life of Jesus that have been preserved in the memory of the first generation of Christians. The apostle Peter is the main link that connected the Gospel of Mark directly to the life of Jesus. From other sections of the New Testament, we can conclude that all Christian preachers expounded their doctrine in a similar way - at least when they addressed the Jews. At the same time, just as Mark does, they paid special attention to the preaching of John the Baptist, which preceded the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, the activity of Jesus in Galilee, his death in Jerusalem and his resurrection. The main goal of the preachers was to convince their Jewish listeners that they should accept Jesus as the Messiah and, through faith in him, receive the spiritual gifts of the Kingdom of God. There was already a theological interpretation of the person of Jesus in this early sermon: Christian preachers selected episodes from the life of Jesus that could illustrate or confirm what they were saying about him. One consequence of this attitude was that the early Christians showed little interest in purely biographical details of the life of Jesus. They did not seek to preserve the memory of the actual circumstances in which Jesus performed his deeds. The same applies to the sayings of Jesus: it was mainly their religious meaning that was remembered, and not the context in which they were uttered. Although the gospels generally follow a single sequence of events, modern scholars acknowledge that it is not possible to reconstruct a detailed biography of Jesus. And some of them generally deny the reliability of any biographical information about Jesus given in the gospels, with the exception of the most general ones. (On the relation of the gospels to the oral tradition cm. MATTHEW, ST. EVANGELIST)

The gospel of Mark was written for Gentile converts—perhaps the inhabitants of Rome. From the fact that the author of this gospel emphasizes the activity, strength and determination of Jesus, it can be concluded that he wanted to give Christians a model by which they could courageously endure persecution, drawing strength from their faith in someone who once already challenged imperial power and gave people a new life.

Style.

The style of the Gospel of Mark is expressive and simple. In his descriptions, echoes of eyewitness stories are often heard.

Dating.

Protestant scholars generally regard the Gospel of Mark as the earliest surviving gospel. They usually date it to just before the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD) or just after it, believing that Matthew and Luke could rely heavily on this gospel. Catholic scholars favor an earlier date (c. 55–60 AD) and insist on the chronological primacy of the Gospel of Matthew.

Although the gospel of Mark was not read with the same interest in earlier times as the other gospels, it draws attention today because of its picture of the public ministry of Jesus.

S. Lewis Johnson Jr., Th.D.

(S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., “The Argument of Matthew,” Bibliotheca Sacra No. 112/446 (April - June 1955). pp. 143-153.

Per. from English. A. V. Gurtaev; Ed. A. V. Prokopenko. Translated and published with permission

If anyone were looking for a brief quotation from Scripture that would reflect the content of the Gospel of Matthew, it would be difficult to find anything better than the words of Zechariah: "... behold your King is coming to you ..." (Zech. 9:9) . That the Gospel of Matthew revolves around the theme of the coming of the King to Israel is confirmed by the fact that at the time of the official presentation of the King to the people, Matthew quotes the following words: ' Behold, your King is coming to you…’ “” (Mt. 21:4-5; italics ours. – L. J.).

There is no need to note that Matthew, like the prophet Zechariah, says: “The king is yours". It is obvious that the King of Israel is meant, because "your" refers to the people, to the "daughter of Zion" (Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:5). The atmosphere of national royal power fills the book. As McNeill notes, "the special impression which the gospel of St. Matthew gives is the royal majesty of Christ: He is the Messiah." Such an atmosphere pervades the book, beginning with the first question of the sages: "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" – and ending with the answer inscribed on the cross: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (2:2; 27:37).

“But the Kingdom is connected with the King,” notes McNeill. By introducing the King to the readers, the evangelist also introduces them to the Kingdom. When the King first officially appears on the scene, his forerunner, He Himself, and His twelve apostles proclaim the same message: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (3:2; 4:17; 10:7).

So, the theme of the Gospel of Matthew is the presentation of the King and His Kingdom to the people in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy. Within the limited scope of this article, we will try to trace how the evangelist deals with this topic.

THE KING'S PREPARATION (1:1-4:11)

The first chapters of the Gospel of Matthew are devoted mainly to the preparation of the King for his subsequent ministry. After a cursory glance at the origin of the King (1:1-17), the author describes His coming into the world (1:18-2:23), then speaks of His predecessor (3:1-12), and concludes the first section with the approval of the Son by the Father during baptism and temptation (3:13-4:11).

One statement stands out in this section, namely, the introduction to the genealogy (1:1). It notes the direct connection of Christ with the Jewish nation, a royal or national connection. Plummer's translation shows this connection better than the Sanctioned King James Version. Plummer translated these words as follows: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." The key to understanding the contents of this book lies in its first statement. Word order reflects this content. The Messiah is Firstly, "Son of David", and then"Son of Abraham". First, He is the Lord, and only then - the Savior. And this is the order in which Matthew reveals the main idea of ​​the Gospel. As the Son of David, our Lord comes with the offer of the promised Kingdom. After Israel rejects their King and His Kingdom (11:16-19), the focus shifts from the national to the personal. As the Son of Abraham, He brings His blessing to all the believing families of the earth (28:16-20).

It may be noted that the apostle Paul agrees with this order, because he wrote: “I understand this, that Jesus Christ became servant for the circumcised- for the sake of the truth of God, to fulfill the promise to the fathers, A for the pagans - out of mercy, to glorify God…” (Rom. 15:8-9; italics ours. – L. J.).

Turning from the theme of the origin of the King to the theme of His coming into the world, Matthew continues to emphasize His royal dignity. The king of the Jews is born in Bethlehem, where the greatest king of Israel was born and anointed. Israel is to be ruled by He Who is called the Branch from the root of Jesse and the Branch from its roots (Is. 11:1), and Matthew notes this (Matt. 2:1-6).

Having described the coming of the King and passing on to His messenger, John the Baptist, the evangelist leaves out about twenty-eight years. Alexander Maclaren skillfully describes the appearance of John the Baptist on the stage: "John appears on the stage unexpectedly, in adulthood and in full armor." His preparatory ministry, in essence, expresses God's command that His people turn to Him because the Kingdom is at hand (3:2). The absence of any further specification makes it clear that John is proclaiming the coming of the earthly messianic kingdom promised in the Old Testament. The kingdom in its eternal invisible sense has always been there. The results of John's ministry are not described in the third chapter, but there is a hint of his failure (3:7-12).

With the help of his characteristic adverb τότε ("then"), Matthew in general terms connects the beginning of the King's messianic ministry with the ministry of His forerunner (3:12). The connection between these two ministries, however, is very important. Together they form a chain of events representing the kingdom of God to the people. "All righteousness" is to be fulfilled (3:15; cf. 5:17), the latter term covering all the details of messianic prophecy and divine dispensation.

After baptism, Matthew moves on to temptation (4:1-11). And again, the connection is indicated by the adverb τότε ("then"). If the pedigree shows legal right of the King to govern the Kingdom, then temptation reveals Him moral right. The order of the three temptations—the historical order given by Matthew—accords admirably with the outline of the book. The first temptation is personal, the second is national, and the third is universal. This progression picturesquely depicts the character of "Jesus (man) Messiah (God), Son of David, Son of Abraham" (1:1)! By his victory over the evil one, the King brings closer the future triumph described by John: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).

DECLARATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE KING (4:12-7:29)

Omitting the ministry in Judea, Matthew begins the story of the work of the King in the great Galilean ministry. The reason is obvious: he represents the King in the process of His public ministry. Therefore, He starts where the predecessor left off. The emphatic position of the Greek participle in the twelfth verse of the fourth chapter (synod. trans.: “ Hearing but Jesus…”) shows that John’s arrest prompts the Messiah to begin his ministry.

Noteworthy is the content of the Messiah's sermon at the beginning of His ministry (4:17). John preached the same thing. The Kingdom of the Messiah is very close, because the King Himself has come. The preaching ministry was accompanied by a healing ministry that signaled the presence of the King (4:24).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew shows the basic principles of the King's teaching. It should be absolutely clear to every careful interpreter that it has nothing to do with individual salvation. It does not use the typical New Testament terminology associated with salvation through faith,justification by faith or rebirth by faith. It is unthinkable that Paul, when asked by the jailer at Philippi about the method of salvation, would say, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (5:3)! Hunter put it very well: “In short, the gospel that the disciples went with 'to turn the whole world upside down' was not good advice, but good news. It told more about God's action than about God's requirement.

The interpretation of this sermon in the light of the general and immediate context (3:2; 4:17) on the basis of grammatico-historical principles leads to the conclusion that the Sermon on the Mount is addressed to the people living at a time when the King offers them His Kingdom. Of course, the principles of this teaching apply to the church today, but it does not directly address the church itself (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17). So the King, in His teaching, outlines the basic principles that should guide the Israelites in the days leading up to the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom.

THE APPEARANCE OF THE POWER OF THE KING (8:1-11:1)

In the next section of the gospel, the author moves from the teachings of the Messiah to His infinite power. Christ's right to the kingdom is confirmed by His messianic ministry. In this section, Christ performs three series of miracles and sends twelve apostles to ministry.

The directions given by the twelve are of great importance. They were told not to go to the Gentiles. This command cannot be reconciled with 28:19 without a dispensationalist approach. The object of their ministry is named in verse 6 of chapter 10, namely, the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The Tsar is still offering the Kingdom to the people. Interestingly, McNeill, not being a dispensationalist, saw the direct significance of the mission of the twelve. He remarks: “If the Jewish people could be converted, then a new age would begin; see Acts. 3:19ff, Jn. 4:22".

The message carried by the twelve apostles (10:7) coincides with the message of John and our Lord. The kingdom is ready for those who are ready. The sermon must be followed by healings that authenticate it (10:8; cf. 4:24; 11:4-6).

REVELATION OF THE KING'S NEW PROGRAM (11:2-13:53)

The turning point in Matthew's account comes in the eleventh chapter. John the Baptist sends from prison to ask if Jesus is the Messiah. That this question concerns messianism is evident from the phrases του Χριστου in the second verse and ερχομενος in the third verse. The latter term is traditionally applied to the Messiah (cf. Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; 19:38; Heb. 10:37).

Our Lord's answer is that His works prove His Messiahship (11:4-6). With the departure of the messengers, He reveals some very important facts about the ministry of John the Baptist and His own ministry. In verse 12, He states that the Kingdom of Heaven is "violent." There is a reference in this statement to the fact that the Jewish leaders were trying to take over the Kingdom and subject it to their own ideas. The kingdom is rejected by the leaders of the people, and John's imprisonment confirms this. Another significant statement is found in the fourteenth verse. According to the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6, John is the Elijah who must come before the establishment of the Kingdom. One can clearly see here the "conditional character" of the Kingdom. Israel's attitude towards the herald and the King determined the timing of the appearance of the Kingdom in all its glory. Israel's response was rejection, as follows from our Lord's words in 17:10-13.

In the following verses (11:16-19) rejection is described in terms of a game of charades. The heart of the people was not disposed to repentance, neither during the ministry of the strict reformer, nor during the ministry of the gracious Redeemer. By this point, it becomes clear that the people are rejecting the Tsar.

The demonstrative adverb of time, τότε, which begins the twentieth verse of the eleventh chapter, plays a very important role. Using it, Matthew notes that our Lord's preaching is now undergoing a radical change. Barnhouse puts it this way: “Those who really want to know the Bible must see that, starting with this verse, we are entering a new state. Draw a thick black line between the nineteenth and twentieth verses. There is a great division there. Truth from this moment flows into another ocean. The verb ηρξατο emphasizes the fact that there is a new beginning here. Instead of the previous emphasis on board King, here comes the topic of retribution Tsar. And the reason that led to this is this: "... because they do not repented... "(our italics. - L. J. Wed 3:2; 4:17; 12:41).

What follows is a brief description of the King's reaction to his people's rejection. His answer contains a word of appreciation, a word of power, a word of attraction. An important statement is made in the twenty-eighth verse. The invitation to come before the King is now addressed to each individual, although the people as a whole have rejected Him. It should be noted that our Lord did not invite them to come to anything or anyone else. It says here: "... To me…” No one but the Messiah could make such a statement.

The personal inner rejection of the Messiah has now occurred; official outward rejection will follow. The choice has already been made. Its implementation in a process of growing opposition will be seen in the next few chapters. The climax comes at the moment of official rejection in the twenty-first chapter and at the time of the crucifixion.

In the twelfth chapter, the opposition grows. Matthew gives five examples of opposition and misunderstanding. But Israel, after careful consideration of the testimonies of heaven, regards them as the testimonies of hell, saying, "He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons" (12:24).

The thirteenth chapter shows another change in our Lord's preaching. He uses the term for the first time in His ministry. parable. Obviously, the purpose of this change is to hide new revelations from an unreceptive people. The parables in this chapter describe the form the Kingdom takes from the moment the King is rejected to the future acceptance of the King. The connection of this chapter with His rejection is evident from the very first phrase, εν τη̣ ημερα̣εκεινη̣, which is translated in the King James Version as "on that day." This phrase refers to the day when Christ was rejected by the people. In addition, it should be noted that, from this moment on, our Lord never again says that the Kingdom of God is at hand, although He speaks a lot about the Kingdom itself. The kingdom is now hidden. A new expression comes to the fore: "Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven" (13:11). It describes the entire period of the rejection of the Tsar. If so, then the relationship between the three great sermons of this gospel is this: The Sermon on the Mount refers mainly to the period when the King offered his Kingdom to the people; the thirteenth chapter refers chiefly to the state of the kingdom in this present age; the sermon delivered on the Mount of Olives deals with events leading up to the establishment of the Kingdom in the age to come.

PREPARATION FOR THE SUFFERING OF THE KING (13:54-19:2)

The description of the rejection of the King at Nazareth begins the fifth major section in the Gospel of Matthew. This is the key to the whole section. The opposition is now spreading, the choice has been made. Plummer believes that the theme of rejection is built around the Old Testament quote: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; but in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men" (15:8-9). The Messiah is opposed by the inhabitants of Nazareth (13:54-58), Herod (14:1-36) and the elders of the people (15:1-16:12).

As opposition mounts, more revelation is given to the disciples (16:13-17:21). It takes the form of a revelation of His person (16:13-16), His purpose (16:17-26), and the coming Kingdom (16:27-17:21). Along with this, Christ begins to place more emphasis on instruction, which is primarily aimed at preparing disciples for the future (17:22-19:2).

REJECTION OF THE PERSON OF THE KING (19:3-26:2)

The sixth section talks about the formal, official presentation of the Tsar to the people. The sixty-ninth week of Daniel's prophecy (9:24-27) is drawing to a close. The fact that the Lord intended to reveal Himself as the King is evident from the following reasoning. First, it is the prophetically foretold time of the appearance of "Christ Lords” (Dan. 9:25, italics ours. - L. J.). According to the prophecy, Christ was to appear at this time. Second, the Israelites understood the messianic significance of the event, although their understanding of it was no doubt flawed (cf. 21:8-11, 46). Third, our Lord's actions reveal His intention to fulfill royal prophecy. He does whatever is necessary to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 (cf. 21:1-5). Fourth, the subsequent teaching in parables was consistent with these purposes (21:42-43). It clearly suggests that the Kingdom was presented to Israel. According to Matthew, the key thought is expressed in the fifth verse: “Say to the daughter of Zion: “Behold, your King is coming to you, meek, sitting on a donkey and a colt, the son of a jackass” ”(our italics. - L. J.).

The cleansing of the temple is the first official act of the King (21:12-17), and then Matthew gives a long list of disputes that took place between the King and His rebellious subjects, the elders of the people (21:18-22:46). But they refuse to see Him as the Son of David and the Son of God.

This section of the gospel continues with warnings addressed to the crowds and disciples (23:1-12), the proclamation of grief addressed to the Pharisees (23:13-36), and the King's weeping for Jerusalem (23:37-39). However, the chapter ends with a glimmer of hope. The Messiah does not cut off His people forever. There is the word "until" (23:39). The following is an explanation of How And When there will be a return of the people, and this explanation continues for two more chapters. But it does not apply to the church. Word church not even mentioned in this conversation. Our Lord answers two questions regarding the seventieth week for Israel. The first question is: "When will it be?" (24:3). The word  refers not only to the temple - it brings the listeners back to 23:36, pointing to all the events of the terrible judgment that will befall the Jews for rejecting the Messiah. The answer to this question is found in verses four through twenty-eight. The second question is: “…what is the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” (24:3). The answer is given in verses twenty-nine through thirty-one. The remainder of the sermon deals with events relating to the tribulation period and its close.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SUFFERING OF THE KING (26:2-27:66)

The last days of the King's earthly ministry at the time of His first advent abound in the fulfillment of messianic prophecies. The loyalty of a small number of disciples who accepted Him stands out against the backdrop of the terrifying evil of the elders, who insensibly crucified their King. The worship of Mary of Bethany is like a light in the midst of great darkness.

Before Caiaphas the King proclaims Himself the Messiah (26:63-64), the same thing happens before Pilate (27:11). But despite His reaffirmation of His kingship over the people, they rejected Him, using His true title as an excuse to mock Him (27:29, 37, 42). The question of messianism was the determining factor in His rejection.

CULMINATION OF THE SUFFERING OF THE KING (28:1-20)

The last and final proof of messiahship was the resurrection of the King, brought about by the Father for the good of the disobedient people (cf. 12:38-40; 16:1-4, the last proof of messianism was the resurrection of the King, brought about by the Father for the good of the disobedient people ()th title k). And here you can see the messianic power and authority.

In the last words of this chapter, the attention of the evangelist shifts from Christ as the Son of David to Christ as the Son of Abraham. The commission given in the last two verses anticipates the new program mentioned in chapter sixteen (16:17-26). It is obvious that the students, by and large, did not know anything about the new program. Only on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon them, did they begin to realize the coming of a new age, the age of the church. But, despite their incomplete understanding, after the Great Commission and until the end of the age, they were to testify of His death and resurrection to all pagan nations. This is the task of the church to this day.

Dallas, Texas.

McNeile. The Gospel According to St. Matthew. C. xvii.

Idem. An Introduction to the Study of the New Testament. P. 10.

There is no need to overly trouble yourself with the question of how best to translate the noun γένεσις. If the first verse refers to the whole book, then this word would be better translated as genealogy. If this verse refers only to the infancy narrative, that is, to the first and second chapters, then the appropriate translation would be Christmas. The latter view is supported by the use of the word in 1:18, where it means Christmas. If Matthew meant the first seventeen verses, then genealogy- the correct option.

G. Campbell Morgan. The Gospel According to Matthew. S. 8.

An Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. C. xxiv.

A common title in this gospel; cf. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15; 22:42.

Cit. production, p. 200.

Bishop Alexander (Mileant)

gospels

History of the Gospel text

The Time of the Gospels

Meaning of the Quaternary Number of the Gospels

Relationships of the Gospels

The Character of Each of the Four Gospels

Gospel of Matthew

Gospel of Mark

Gospel of Luke

Gospel of John

Conclusion

WITHlovo " Gospel" Means good news, or - good and joyful news. This name is given to the first four books of the New Testament, which tell about the life and teachings of the incarnated Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, about all that He did to establish a righteous life on earth and save us sinful people.

Before the coming of the Son of God to earth, people imagined God as an almighty Creator, a formidable Judge, abiding in impregnable glory. Jesus Christ gave us a new concept of God as close to us, merciful and loving Father. “He who has seen Me has seen the Father,” Jesus Christ said to His contemporaries (Jn 14:9). Indeed, the whole appearance of Christ, His every word and gesture, was imbued with infinite compassion for fallen man. He was like a doctor among the sick. People felt His love and were drawn to Him by the thousands. No one heard a refusal - Christ helped everyone: cleansed the conscience of sinners, healed the paralyzed and the blind, comforted the desperate, freed those possessed by the devil. His almighty word obeyed nature and death itself.

In this pamphlet we want to introduce the reader to the time and circumstances of the writing of the Gospels. In the end we will give the selected instructions of the Savior. I would like to delve deeper into the life and teachings of our Savior. After all, the more we read the Gospel, the more firmly we assimilate the correct way of thinking. By acquiring personal spiritual experience, we begin to be convinced of the real proximity of our Savior. We feel that He is our Good Shepherd, who daily delivers us from adversity and guides our lives.

In our age, when people hear and read so many contradictory and unfounded judgments, the Gospel should be made their reference book. Indeed, while all other books contain the opinions of ordinary people, in the Gospel we hear the immortal words of the Lord God!

History of the Gospel text

INAll New Testament holy books are written in Greek language, but not in classical Greek, but in the popular Alexandrian dialect of the Greek language, the so-called “ kini,” which was spoken or, in any case, understood by all cultural inhabitants both in the East and in the West of the then Roman Empire. It was the language of all educated people of that time. Evangelists therefore wrote in this language in order to make the New Testament sacred books accessible for reading and understanding by all educated citizens.

For writing, only capital letters of the Greek alphabet were used, without punctuation marks and even without separating one word from another. Small letters began to be used only from the 9th century, as well as separate spelling of words. Punctuation marks were introduced only after the invention of printing in the 15th century. The current division into chapters was made in the west by Cardinal Hugues in the 13th century, and the division into verses by the Parisian typographer Robert Stephan in the 16th century.

In the person of its learned bishops and presbyters, the Church has always taken care to protect the text of the sacred books from any distortion, always possible, especially before the invention of printing, when books were copied by hand. There is evidence that such pundits of Christian antiquity as Origen, Hesychius, ep. Egyptian and Lucian, presbyter of Antioch (They lived in the second half of the 3rd century after R. Chr.). With the invention of printing, they began to ensure that the New Testament sacred books were printed only according to the best ancient manuscripts. In the first quarter of the 16th century, two printed editions of the New Testament Greek text appeared almost simultaneously: the so-called. The Complutensian Polyglot in Spain and the edition of Erasmus of Rotterdam in Basel. In the last century, it should be noted as exemplary, the works of Tischendorf - an edition that resulted from a comparison of up to 900 manuscripts of the New Testament.

Just as these conscientious critical works, and especially the vigilant care of the Church, in which the Holy Spirit lives and guides, convince us that we now possess a pure, intact Greek text of the New Testament sacred books.

In the second half of the 9th century, the New Testament holy books were translated by the educators of the Slavs, Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius into “the Slovenian language,” to some extent common and more or less understandable for all Slavic tribes, the Bulgarian-Macedonian dialect, which was spoken in the vicinity of the city of Thessaloniki, the homeland of the holy brothers. The oldest monument of this Slavic translation has been preserved in Russia under the name of the Ostromir Gospel, so called because it was written for the Novgorod posadnik Ostromir by deacon Gregory in 1056-57.

Over time, the original Slavic text was subjected to some minor Russification in our country. The modern Russian translation was made in the first half of the 19th century.

The Time of the Gospels

INThe date of writing of each of the sacred books of the New Testament cannot be determined with absolute certainty, but it is absolutely certain that they were all written in the second half of the first century. This is evident from the fact that a number of writers of the second century, such as the holy martyr Justin the Philosopher in his apology, written around 150, the pagan writer Celsus in his work, also written in the middle of the second century, and especially the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer in his in the epistles relating to the year 107 - all make many references to the New Testament sacred books and quote verbatim excerpts from them.

The first of the New Testament books were written messages the holy Apostles, caused by the need to establish in the faith the newly founded Christian communities; but soon there was a need for a systematic exposition of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings. No matter how hard the so-called "negative criticism" tried to undermine the faith in the historical accuracy and authenticity of our Gospels and other sacred books, attributing their appearance to a much later time (eg Baur and his school). the latest discoveries in the patristic field (creations of the holy fathers of the Church). literature with all persuasive evidence that they were all written in the first century.

For a number of reasons, we can conclude that the Gospel of Matthew was written before everyone else and not later than 50-60 AD. according to R. Chr. The Gospels of Mark and Luke were written somewhat later, but in any case earlier than the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, before the year 70 A.D., and St. John the Theologian wrote his Gospel later than everyone else, at the end of the first century, being already in deep old age, as some suggest, about 96 years. Somewhat earlier, the Apocalypse was written by him. The book of the Acts of the Apostles was written shortly after the Gospel of Luke, because, as can be seen from the preface to it, it serves as its continuation.

The Meaning of the Four Gospels

INAll four Gospels, according to each other, tell about the life and teachings of Christ the Savior, about His miracles, suffering on the Cross, death and burial, His glorious resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven. Mutually complementing and explaining each other, they represent a single whole book that does not have any contradictions and disagreements in the most important and fundamental.

A common symbol for the four Gospels is the mysterious chariot seen by the prophet Ezekiel by the river Chebar (Ezek. 1:1-28), and which consisted of four creatures, resembling in their appearance a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle. These beings, taken individually, became emblems for the evangelists. Christian art from the 5th century depicts Matthew with human or an angel, mark co lion, Luca with calf, John with eagle.

In addition to our four Gospels, in the first centuries up to 50 other writings were known, which also called themselves "Gospels" and attributed to themselves an apostolic origin. The Church classified them as "apocryphal" - that is, unreliable, rejected books. These books contain distorted and dubious narratives. Such apocryphal gospels include the “First Gospel of Jacob,” “The Story of Joseph the Carpenter,” “The Gospel of Thomas,” “The Gospel of Nicodemus,” and others. In them, by the way, for the first time legends relating to the childhood of the Lord Jesus Christ are recorded.

Relationship between the gospels

ANDof the four Gospels, the content of the first three - from Matthew, Mark and Luke - largely coincides, close to each other, both in terms of the narrative material itself and in the form of presentation; the fourth gospel of John stands apart in this respect, significantly differing from the first three, both in the material presented in it, and in the style itself, the form of presentation.

In this regard, the first three Gospels are usually called “Synoptic,” from the Greek word “synopsis,” which means: “exposition in one general image.” But although the first three Gospels are very close to each other both in plan and in content, each of them, however, has its own characteristics.

The Synoptic Gospels tell almost exclusively about the activities of the Lord Jesus Christ in Galilee, St. John - in Judea. Forecasters tell mainly about miracles, parables and external events in the life of the Lord, ap. John discusses its deepest meaning, cites the Lord's speeches about the sublime objects of faith.

For all the differences between the Gospels, there are no internal contradictions in them; on careful reading, it is easy to find clear signs of agreement between the weather forecasters and St. John. Yes, St. John tells little about the Galilean ministry of the Lord, but he certainly knows about His repeated and extended sojourn in Galilee; weather forecasters do not convey anything about the early activities of the Lord in Judea and Jerusalem itself, but hints of this activity are often found in them. So, according to their testimony, the Lord had friends, disciples and adherents in Jerusalem, such as the owner of the upper room where the Last Supper took place, and Joseph of Arimathea. Especially important in this regard are the words quoted by the weather forecasters: “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often have I wanted to gather your children,” an expression clearly suggesting the Lord's many stays in Jerusalem.

The main difference between weather forecasters and St. John lies in the conversations of the Lord recorded by them. For weather forecasters, these conversations are very simple, easily accessible to understanding; in John - they are deep, mysterious, often difficult to understand, as if they were intended not for the crowd, but for some closer circle of listeners. But this is true: weather forecasters cite the Lord’s speeches addressed to the Galileans, simple and ignorant people, John conveys, mainly, the Lord’s speeches addressed to Jews, scribes and Pharisees, people experienced in the knowledge of the Mosaic law, more or less high standing on the levels of the then education. In addition, John, as we will see later, has a special goal - to reveal the doctrine of Jesus Christ as the Son of God as fully and deeply as possible, and this topic, of course, is much more difficult to understand than the parables of the synoptics, which are so understandable and easily accessible to understanding. . But even here there is no great disagreement between the weather forecasters and John. If the weather forecasters expose the more human side of Christ, and John, for the most part, the divine, then this does not mean that the weather forecasters do not have the divine side at all, or that John has the human side. The Son of Man among the weather forecasters is also the Son of God, to whom is given all authority in heaven and on earth. Likewise, the Son of God in John is also a true man, who accepts an invitation to the wedding feast, converses friendly with Martha and Mary, and weeps over the tomb of his friend Lazarus.

Thus, weather forecasters and St. John mutually complement each other and only in their totality give the whole image of Christ, as he is perceived and preached by the Church.

Character of each of the Four Gospels

PThe Orthodox teaching about the divine inspiration of the books of Holy Scripture has always maintained the view that, in inspiring the sacred writers, giving them both thought and word, the Holy Spirit did not constrain their own mind and character. The influx of the Holy Spirit did not suppress the human spirit, but only purified and elevated it above its usual boundaries. Therefore, representing a single whole in the presentation of Divine truth, the Gospels differ from each other depending on the personal properties of the character of each of the Evangelists. They differ in the construction of speech, syllable, some special expressions; they differ among themselves and due to the circumstances and conditions under which they were written and depending on the goal that each of the four Evangelists set for himself.

Therefore, in order to better interpret and understand the Gospel, we need to become more familiar with the personality, character, and life of each of the four Evangelists and the circumstances under which each of the four Gospels was written.

Gospel of Matthew

Ethe vangelist Matthew, who also bore the name of Levi, was one of the 12 Apostles of Christ. Before his call to the apostolic ministry, he was a publican, that is, a tax collector, and, as such, of course, he is not loved by his compatriots - the Jews, who despised and hated publicans because they served the unfaithful enslavers of their people and oppressed their people by collecting taxes, moreover, in their desire for profit, they often took much more than they should.

About his calling, St. Matthew himself tells in ch. of his Gospel, calling himself by the name “Matthew,” while the Evangelists Mark and Luke, speaking about the same, call him “Levi.” The Jews used to have several names.

Touched to the depths of his soul by the grace of the Lord, who did not disdain him, despite the general contempt for him by the Jews and especially by the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people - the scribes and Pharisees, Matthew wholeheartedly accepted the teachings of Christ and especially deeply understood his superiority over the traditions and views of the Pharisees, which bore the seal of external righteousness, conceit and contempt for sinners. That is why he alone cites in such detail the strong diatribe of the Lord against the scribes and Pharisees - hypocrites, which we find in ch. his gospels. It must be assumed that for the same reason he took the work of salvation especially close to his heart. exactly his native Jewish people, so saturated by that time with false concepts and views of the Pharisees, and therefore his The gospel is mostly written for Jews. There is reason to believe that it was originally written in Hebrew and only a little later, perhaps by Matthew himself, translated into Greek.

Having written his gospel for the Jews, St. Matthew sets as his main goal to prove to them that Jesus Christ is exactly the Messiah about whom the Old Testament prophets predicted, that the Old Testament revelation, obscured by the scribes and Pharisees, is clarified and perceives its perfect meaning only in Christianity. That's why he starts his gospel genealogy of jesus christ wishing to show the Jews His lineage from David and Abraham, and makes a huge amount references to the Old Testament to prove the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies on Him. The purpose of the first gospel for the Jews is evident from the fact that St. Matthew, mentioning Jewish customs, does not consider it necessary to explain their meaning and significance, as other Evangelists do. It likewise leaves without explanation some of the Aramaic words used in Palestine.

St. Matthew preached for a long time in Palestine. Then he retired to preach in other countries and ended his life as a martyr in Ethiopia.

Gospel of Mark

EThe vangelist Mark also bore the name of John. By origin, he was also a Jew, but he was not among the 12 Apostles. Therefore, he could not be such a constant companion and listener of the Lord as St. Matthew. He wrote his Gospel from the words and under the guidance of St. Apostle Peter. He himself, in all likelihood, was an eyewitness only of the last days of the earthly life of the Lord. Only one Gospel of Mark tells of a young man who, when the Lord was taken into custody in the Garden of Gethsemane, followed Him, wrapped around his naked body in a veil, and the soldiers seized him, but he, leaving the veil, fled naked from them. (Mark 14:51-52 In this young man, ancient tradition sees the very author of the second Gospel - St. Mark. His mother Mary is mentioned in the book of Acts as one of the wives most devoted to the faith of Christ: in her house in Jerusalem, believers gathered for prayer Mark subsequently participates in the first journey of St. Paul the Apostle, together with his other companion Barnabas, to whom he was a maternal nephew, who was with the Apostle Paul in Rome, from which the Epistle to the Colossians was written.

Further, as you can see, St. Mark became a companion and collaborator of St. Apostle Peter, which is confirmed by the words of the Apostle Peter himself in his first conciliar epistle, where he writes:“Greetings to you are the chosen one, like you, the church in Babylon and Mark, my son”(1 Pet. 5:13, here Babylon is probably an allegorical name for Rome). Before his departure, he is again called to himself by St. Ap. Paul, who writes to Timothy: “Take Mark with you, for I need him for my ministry.” According to the legend of St. Ap. Peter placed St. Mark the first bishop of the Alexandrian church, and St. Mark ended his life as a martyr in Alexandria.

According to St. Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis, and St. Justin the philosopher and St. Irenaeus of Lyon, St. Mark wrote his Gospel from the words of St. Ap. Peter. St. Justin even calls it outright "Peter's memoirs." Clement of Alexandria argues that the Gospel of Mark is essentially a record of the oral sermon of St. Ap. Peter, whom St. Mark did at the request of Christians, who lived in Rome. The very content of the Gospel of Mark testifies that it is intended for pagan christians. It says very little about the relationship of the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Old Testament and very few references to the Old Testament sacred books. At the same time, we find Latin words in it, such as “speculator” and others. Even the Sermon on the Mount, as explaining the superiority of the New Testament law over the Old Testament law, is omitted.

But the main focus of St. Mark focuses on giving in his gospel a strong, vivid account of the miracles of Christ, emphasizing this The royal majesty and omnipotence of the Lord. In his Gospel, Jesus is not “the son of David,” as in Matthew, but the Son of God, Lord and Commander, King of the universe.

Gospel of Luke

DThe ancient historian Eusebius of Caesarea says that St. Luke came from Antioch, and therefore it is commonly believed that St. Luke was, by origin, a pagan, or a so-called “proselyte,” that is, a pagan who converted to Judaism. By the nature of his occupation, he was a doctor, as can be seen from the epistle of St. Ap. Paul to the Colossians; church tradition adds to this the fact that he was also a painter. From the fact that his Gospel contains the instructions of the Lord to the 70 disciples, set forth in full detail, they conclude that he belonged to the 70 disciples of Christ. The extraordinary vivacity of his story about the appearance of the Lord to two disciples on the way to Emmaus, and only one of them, Cleopas, is called by name, as well as ancient tradition, testify that he was one of these two disciples who were rewarded with the appearance of the Lord (Luke 24:13 -33).

Then from the book of the Acts of the Apostles it is clear that, starting from the second journey of St. Ap. Paul, Luke becomes his constant collaborator and almost inseparable companion. He was with Ap. Paul, both during his first bondage, from which the epistle to the Colossians and Philippians was written, and during his second bondage, when 2 Timothy was written, and which ended in martyrdom. There is evidence that after the death of Ap. Paul of St. Luke preached and died a martyr in Achaia. His holy relics under Emperor Constance (in the middle of the 4th century). were transferred from there to Constantinople along with the relics of St. Ap. Andrew.

As can be seen from the very preface of the third Gospel, St. Luke wrote it at the request of a noble man, the “venerable” Theophilus, who lived in Antioch, for whom he then wrote the book of the Acts of the Apostles, which serves as a continuation of the Gospel narrative (See Luke 1: 14 and Acts 1:1-2). At the same time, he used not only the narrations of eyewitnesses of the ministry of the Lord, but also some of the written records that already existed at that time about the life and teachings of the Lord. In his own words, these written records were subjected to the most thorough research, and therefore his Gospel is distinguished by particular accuracy in determining the time and place of events and a strict chronological sequence.

“The Sovereign Theophilus,” for whom the third Gospel was written, was not a resident of Judea, and did not visit Jerusalem: otherwise St. Luke to give him various geographical explanations, in the genus, for example. the fact that Olivet is near Jerusalem, at a distance of the Sabbath journey, etc. On the other hand, Syracuse, Rygia, Puteol in Italy, Appian Square and the Three Hotels in Rome were probably better known to him, mentioning which in the book. Acts, St. Luke makes no explanation. According to Clement of Alexandria (beginning of the 3rd century), Theophilus was a rich and noble inhabitant of Antioch (Syria), professed the faith of Christ, and his house served as a temple for Antiochian Christians.

The Gospel of Luke was clearly affected by the influence of St. Ap. Paul, whose companion and collaborator was St. Luke. As the "Apostle of the Gentiles" St. Paul tried most of all to reveal that great truth that the Messiah - Christ came to earth not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles, and He is the Savior of the whole world, of all people.

In connection with this main idea, which the third Gospel clearly pursues throughout its narrative, the genealogy of Jesus Christ is brought in it to the ancestor of all mankind, Adam, and to God Himself, in order to emphasize His significance. for the whole human race(Luke 3:23-38). Such places as the embassy of the prophet Elijah to the widow in Sarepta Sidon, the healing of leprosy by the prophet Elisha of Naaman the Syrian (4:26-27), the parables of the prodigal son, the publican and the Pharisee are in close internal connection with the thoroughly developed teaching of St. Ap. Paul about the salvation of not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles, and about the justification of a person before God not by the works of the laws, but by the grace of God, bestowed solely on the boundless mercy and love of God. No one has portrayed the love of God for repentant sinners so vividly as St. Luke, who cited a number of parables and real events on this topic in his Gospel. Suffice it to recall, in addition to the already mentioned parables of the prodigal son and the publican and the Pharisee, also the parable of the lost sheep, the lost drachma, the merciful Samaritan, the story of the repentance of the head of the publicans Zacchaeus and other places, as well as significant words that“There is joy before the angels of God over the only repentant sinner.”

The time and place of the writing of the Gospel of Luke can be determined, guided by the consideration that it was written previously the book of the Acts of the Apostles, constituting, as it were, its continuation (see Acts 1:1). The book of Acts ends with a description of the two-year stay of St. Ap. Paul in Rome (28:30). This was about the year 63 AD. Therefore, the Gospel of Luke could not have been written later than this time and must have been written in Rome.

Gospel of John

Ethe vangelist John the Theologian was a beloved disciple of Christ. He was the son of the Galilean fisherman Zebedee and Solomiya. Zebedee was, apparently, wealthy, since he had workers, and was apparently also not an insignificant member of Jewish society, for his son John had an acquaintance with the high priest. His mother Solomiya is mentioned among the wives who served the Lord with their property: she accompanied the Lord in Galilee, followed Him to Jerusalem for the last Passover, and participated in acquiring fragrances to anoint His body along with other myrrh-bearing women. Tradition considers her the daughter of Joseph the Betrothed.

John was first a student of St. John the Baptist. Hearing his testimony about Christ as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, he immediately, together with Andrey followed Christ (John 1:37-40). However, he became a constant disciple of the Lord a little later, after a miraculous catch of fish in Gennesaret (Galilee). lake, when the Lord Himself called him along with his brother Jacob. Together with Peter and his brother Jacob, he was honored with special closeness to the Lord, being with Him in the most important and solemn moments of His earthly life. So, he was honored to be present at the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, to see the transfiguration of the Lord on the mountain, to hear the conversation about the signs of His second coming, and also was a witness to His Gethsemane prayer. And at the Last Supper, he was so close to the Lord that, in his own words, he reclined at the chest of Jesus (John 13:23-25), whence came his name “confidant,” which later became a common noun to refer to a person, especially to whom or close. Out of humility, without calling himself by name, he nevertheless, speaking about himself in his Gospel, calls himself a disciple, “ whom Jesus loved.” This love of the Lord for him was also reflected in the fact that the Lord, hanging on the cross, instructed him His Blessed Mother by telling him:"Behold thy mother"(John 19:27).

Loving the Lord passionately, John was filled with indignation against those who were hostile to the Lord or alienated from Him. Therefore, he forbade a person who did not walk with Christ to cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ and asked the Lord for permission to bring down fire on the inhabitants of a Samaritan village because they did not receive Him when He traveled to Jerusalem through Samaria. (Luke 9:54 For this, he and his brother Jacob received from the Lord the nickname “boanerges,” which means: “ sons of thunder.” Feeling the love of Christ for himself, but not yet enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, he decides to ask himself, together with brother Jacob, the nearest place to the Lord in His coming Kingdom, in response to which he receives a prediction about the cup of suffering awaiting them both (Mt. 20:20 ).

After the Ascension of the Lord, we often see St. John along with St. Ap. Peter. Along with him, he is considered a pillar of the Church and has his stay in Jerusalem (Gal. 2: 9). Since the destruction of Jerusalem, the place of life and work of St. John is made in Ephesus in Asia Minor. During the reign of the imp. Domitian, he was sent into exile on the island Patmos where im was written Apocalypse(1:9-19). Returned from this exile to Ephesus, he wrote his Gospel there, and died a natural death (the only one of the Apostles), according to legend, very mysterious, in old age, being about 105 years old, in the reign of the emperor Trajan.

According to tradition, the fourth gospel was written by John at the request of the Ephesian Christians. They brought him the first three Gospels and asked him to supplement them with the words of the Lord that he had heard from Him. St. John confirmed the truth of everything written in these three Gospels, but found that much needed to be added to their narrative and, in particular, to set forth more extensively and more clearly the doctrine of Deity Lord Jesus Christ, so that in the course of time people would not think of Him only as the “Son of man.” This was all the more necessary because by that time heresies had already begun to appear that denied the Divinity of Christ - the Ebionites, the heresy of Cerinthus and Gnostics. These circumstances are mentioned by St. Irenaeus of Lyons (mid-3rd century).

From all that has been said, it is clear that the purpose of writing the fourth gospel was the desire supplement the story of the three Evangelists. A distinctive feature of the Gospel of John is also clearly expressed in the name given to it in antiquity. Unlike the first three Gospels, it was mainly called “ spiritual gospel.”

The Gospel of John begins with a presentation of the doctrine of His Divinity, and then contains a whole series of the Lord’s most exalted speeches, in which His Divine dignity and the deepest mysteries of faith are revealed, such as, for example, a conversation with Nicodemus about being born again with water and the Spirit and about the sacrament atonement, a conversation with a Samaritan woman about living water and the worship of God in spirit and true, a conversation about the bread that came down from heaven and the sacrament of communion, a conversation about the good shepherd, and especially remarkable in its content, the farewell conversation with the disciples at the Last Supper with a final wondrous, so called the "high priestly prayer" of the Lord. Here we also find a number of the Lord's own testimonies about Himself as the Son of God. For the teaching about God the Word and for revealing all these deep and sublime truths and mysteries of our faith, St. John and received the honorary title of “Theologian.”

A pure-hearted virgin, who with all his soul surrendered himself to the Lord and was loved by Him for this with special love, St. John penetrated deeply into the sublime mystery of Christian love, and no one, as he did not reveal as fully, deeply and convincingly, as in his Gospel, and especially in his three conciliar epistles, the Christian teaching about the two basic commandments of the Law of God - about love for God and about love for one's neighbor - why is it also called " apostle of love.”

An important feature of the Gospel of John is that while the first three Evangelists narrate mainly about the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ in Galilee, St. John recounts events and speeches that took place in Judea. Thanks to this, we can calculate the length of the Lord's public ministry and, at the same time, the length of His earthly life. Preaching mostly in Galilee, the Lord traveled to Jerusalem for all the major feasts. Such journeys to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, as can be seen from the Gospel of John, were only three, A before the fourth Easter His public ministry the Lord accepted the cross. It follows that the public ministry of the Lord continued about three and a half years, and He lived on the earth of all thirty three and a half years(for he entered public service, as St. Luke testifies in 3:23, at the age of 30).

Selected Teachings of the Savior

Faith:“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-21); “If you can believe a little, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23); “Blessed are those who have not seen and believed” (Jn 20:29. See also Mt 16:17-18; Luke 17:5-10; Mk 16:16).

God's will, follow it: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10); “Not everyone who says to me: Lord! God! enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:2-27).

Gratitude to God : “Were not ten cleansed, where are the nine? How did they not return to give glory to God, except for this foreigner ... Get up, go: your faith has saved you!” (the story of the ten lepers, Luke 17:11-19).

Grace, Holy Spirit : "What is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6); “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty, but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up into eternal life” (Jn 4:13-14); “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13); “The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth… He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). (See also Jn 7:37-39, Jn 14:15-21, Jn 16:13; Mk 4:26-29, the parable of the invisible seed; Mt 13:31-32, the parable of the mustard seed; Mt 25: 1-13, the parable of the ten virgins).

wakefulness“Watch, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrow, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping” (Mark 13:33-37). (See also Luke 11:24-26; Luke 21:34-36; Matt 8:24-30, the parable of the tares.)

To do good:“In everything you want people to do to you, do to them” (Mt 7:12); “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:13-16); “Whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple will not lose his reward” (Mt 10:42. See also Luke 19:11-27; Mt 25:31-46; Luke 10:25-37, parable of the Good Samaritan; see also the parable of the barren fig tree, Luke 13:6-9).

The Lord Jesus Christ constantly taught about the development of good qualities in oneself. See, for example, His Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7). and the Beatitudes, which outline the path to perfection (Mt 5:3-12). In the parable of the sower (Mt 13:3-23). and especially in the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14-30). speaks of the need to develop in ourselves and those natural abilities that God has given us. The combination of grace-filled talents with developed abilities (talents). constitutes the true wealth of man; therefore it is said that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).

Unity, striving for it : “There will be one flock and one Shepherd” (John 10:16); “Let them all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so they too may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (Jn 17:21-26); “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20).

Truth, love for her : “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth, everyone who is from the truth hears my voice” (Jn 18:37. See also Mt 13:44-46, the parable of the treasure in the field).

Cross, bearing it, narrow path : “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go through it. For narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Mt 7:13-14); “The kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it by force” (Mt 11:12); “He who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me” (Mt 10:38. See also Luke 13:22-30; Mr 8:34-38; Luke 14:25-27; John 12:25- 26).

Love for God and people : “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength ... love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:28-34); “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13); “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he loves me; and whoever loves me, he will be loved by my Father… and we will come and make our abode with him” (Jn 14:15-23); “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35); “There is no greater love than if a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13. See also Mt 5:42-48; Jn 13:34-35).

Prayer:“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you” (Mt 7:7-11); “Whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Mt 21:22); “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:23-24. See also Mt 6:5-15; Lk 18:1-8; Mt 18:19-20; Mk 11: 23; John 16:23-27; Mark 14:38; Luke 11:5-8; Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the unjust judge).

Alms: “Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom, ... for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited me, was in prison, and you came to me…” (Mt 25:34-46. See also Mt 6:1-4; Luke 14:12-15; Luke 21:1-4).

non-judgment“Judge not, lest you be judged; for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged” (Mt 7:1-6).

Hope in God:“Are not five sparrows sold for two assaria? And none of them is forgotten by God. And you and the hair on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid: you are more valuable than many small birds” (Lk 12:6-7, Mt 6:25-34); “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, and believe in me” (John 14:1); “What is impossible for men is possible for God” Luke (18:27); “The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Unacquisitiveness, worldly worries : “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of its own. Enough for each day of your care... Seek first of all the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you” (Mt 6:19-34); “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mt 16:26); “How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God” (Mark 10:24. See also Luke 10:41-42; Mark 10:17-27, Luke 12:13-21, the parable of the foolish rich man).

Repentance: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” Mt 3:2; “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mt 9:12-13); “Everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin…if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free” (John 8:34-37); “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (as those crushed under the tower in Jerusalem, Lu 13:3. See also Mt 4:17; John 5:14; Lu 7:47; Lu 13:1-5; Mt 18:11 -14, the parable of the lost sheep; Luke 15:11-32, the parable of the prodigal son; Luke 18:4-14, the parable of the publican and the Pharisee).

Fast: “This kind is driven out only by prayer and fasting” (Mt 17:21. See also Mt 2:19-22; Mt 6:16-18; Mt 9:29).

Righteousness, Pursuing It : “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Mt 5:6); “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt 13:43); “Be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

Reconciliation with neighbors, forgiveness of insults : “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors ... If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will forgive you” Mt 6:14; “Farewell up to seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22. See also Mt 5:23-26; Luke 23:34; Mt 18:13-35, the parable of the evil debtor).

Communion, the need for it : “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:27-58. See also Luke 22:15-20; John 15:34-36).

Joy in God: “Blessed are you… Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in Heaven” (Mt 5:12); “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest… My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Mt 11:28-30); “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28); “Your joy no one will take away from you” (John 16:22).

prudence : “Beware that no one deceives you” (Mt 24:4. See also Luke 14:28-33; Luke 16:1-13, the parable of the unfaithful steward).

Humility, modesty : “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3); “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11); “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29); “Whoever wants to be great among you, let him be your servant” (Mt 20:26. See also Lk 10:21; Lk 18:9-14; Mk 10:42-45; Jn 13:4-17; Mt 20: 1-16, for workers who received equal pay).

Temptations, fighting them : “If your hand offends you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into hell” (Mark 9:42-49); “Woe to the world because of offenses, for offenses must come, but woe to the man through whom the offense comes” (Mt 18:7; Luke 17:1-2).

Patience: "By your patience save your souls" (Luke 21:19); “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Mt 10:22); “Bearing fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). “Remember that you (the rich one) have already received good in your life, and Lazarus evil. Now he is comforted here (in paradise), while you suffer” (the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31).

Chastity, marital fidelity : (Mt 5:27-32; Mt 19:3-12).

Purity of heart: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8); “Evil thoughts come out of the heart… it defiles a person” (Mt 15:19); “Keep the word (of God) in a pure heart” (Luke 8:15); “He who does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” (Mk 10:15); “Ye have already been cleansed through the word which I spoke to you” (John 15:3; Mark 7:15-23).

Language, watch it : “How can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man brings forth good things from a good treasure, and an evil man brings forth evil things from an evil treasure. I tell you that for every idle word that people speak, they will answer in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mt 12:34-37; Mt 5:22-23).

Conclusion

GThe Lord Jesus Christ came to create the Kingdom of God among people - a righteous way of life. He taught us to constantly take care of this and ask:“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth.”But He did not want to plant this Kingdom by artificial, forced means. Therefore, He avoided any interference in the political life of the country and called people to correct their hearts - to spiritual rebirth. And this, in turn, should have led to an improvement in all aspects of public life.

Reading the history of the spread of Christianity, we see that as people assimilated the teachings of the Savior, favorable social and economic changes took place in human society. Indeed, Christianity contributed to the abolition of slavery, exalted the position of women, strengthened the family, created charitable organizations, brought to mankind the highest moral and humane principles. We see quite a different thing in those countries where non-Christian ideas like fascism or "scientific" materialism are being propagated. There, instead of the promised earthly paradise, something like hell arises, instead of worshiping God, a cult of the leader is created.

Only God knows all the shortcomings and weaknesses of human nature, corrupted by sin. Only He can help a person overcome his bad inclinations and solve personal, family and social problems. Therefore, in the teachings of Christ, one must look for guidance on what to strive for and what to do. It also puts faith in God, love for people as the basis of life. It teaches non-possession, compassion, humility and meekness. It calls to do good, to develop in ourselves all the abilities that God has given us. The teaching of Christ brings peace and joy to the soul. It teaches that man was created for eternal bliss in the Kingdom of Heaven and helps man to achieve it. That is why a Christian must constantly read the Gospel thoughtfully and with a prayerful mood, drawing heavenly Wisdom from it.

The Christian New Testament includes four rather lengthy texts called gospels. All of them are original biographies of Jesus Christ. But at the same time, being sacred texts, they are at the same time theological treatises, revealing the personality and mission of Jesus from a theological perspective. This property of them leads to the need to compose versatile commentaries, which have been composed with varying success by exegetes for almost two thousand years. Below we will go through the content, as well as give a brief interpretation of the gospel of Luke.

About the Gospel of Luke

Orthodoxy, like Catholicism and Protestantism, recognizes the Gospel of Luke as a sacred inspired text. Because of this, we know much more about him than about other gospels that are not included in the canon. For example, we know that the gospel of Luke was written around 85 AD. Traditionally, authorship is attributed to one of Paul's companions, a physician named Luke. It was written for the congregations of converts associated with the mission of this apostle. The language of the monument is Greek.

Gospel of Luke: content

Childhood of Christ.

Preparing Jesus for ministry.

Sermon in Galilee.

Transfer to Jerusalem.

Sermon in Jerusalem.

Suffering, death and resurrection.

Appearances of Christ after the resurrection and ascension.

Prologue of the Gospel of Luke

The prologue of this work consists of one long sentence, in which the author presents to the addressee, named Theophilus, the purpose of his writing. It consists in strengthening him in Christian instruction - a creed that he, apparently, had accepted shortly before. At the same time, Luke notes that such works have already been compiled and continue to be compiled by many other Christians. He argues the value of his work by the fact that he previously carefully collected all the information relating to the essence of the case, and built it in a logical, chronologically reliable, in his opinion, order.

Childhood of Christ

Persuading the reader to accept the messianic role of Jesus is the main purpose for which the gospel of Luke was written. Chapter 1 is preparatory in this regard, as are the next few. It must be said that the text of the monument clearly shows a historiographical tendency to divide history into three periods: the time of the Old Testament revelation (Israel), the time of Christ (which is narrated in this gospel), and the time of the Church after Christ (this time will be discussed in the book of Acts, by the same author). So, the first few chapters are called upon to throw a bridge from the Old Testament to the time of the coming of the Messiah into the world. The interpretation of the Gospel of Luke in this place is based on the interpretation of the role of the Old Testament figures coming from the priestly dynasties. They, through the instructions and revelations received from above, and through their response actions, are preparing the world for the coming of the one about whom, according to the thought of the author of the gospel, the Jewish prophets proclaimed in antiquity. To do this, the text cites the Old Testament several times, accompanied by an unambiguous interpretation that the birth of Jesus was foretold long ago and that he is a divine messenger and Deliverer. Among these events, we can distinguish two annunciations to Mary and Elizabeth (who both conceive - Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, respectively), their meeting, stories about the birth of their two babies, bringing Jesus to the Jerusalem temple for circumcision, and an episode in which Jesus appears as a twelve-year-old boy. It is worth dwelling on the last event in more detail.

12-year-old Jesus and the Jewish Wise Men

Jesus, according to the gospel of Luke, from childhood was distinguished by extraordinary wisdom and knowledge. This episode, for example, tells how the family of Christ went from their native Nazareth to Jerusalem for the feast. When the celebration came to an end, all the relatives set off on their way back, but Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, did not miss the boy, thinking that he was with other relatives. However, after three days had passed, it became clear that Jesus had been forgotten in the capital. Returning for him, his parents found him in the Temple, where he communicated with the teachers of the law and sages, delighting and astounding them with his not only adult, but even inhuman wisdom. At the same time, Jesus called God his father, which was by no means typical for Judaism of that time.

Preparing Jesus for Ministry

The Gospel of Luke sets out in some detail how Christ prepared for his entry into public service. This is preceded by a story about the preaching of John the Baptist, who, in accordance with the first chapters of the monument, was his relative. By this time, the grown-up John had become a hermit, preaching in the wilderness and practicing the rite of solemn repentance for sins by washing in the waters of the Jordan River. Christ also went through this ritual. According to the gospel story, when Jesus emerged from the water, the Holy Spirit descended on him like a bird, and from heaven a divine voice proclaimed Jesus to be God's son. Next, the baptismal scene is followed by the genealogy of Christ. The Gospel of Matthew and Luke are the only two texts that have preserved for us the genealogy of the Savior. However, they differ significantly. The strong theological bias seen in these ancestral lists makes them more theological commentaries on the life of Christ than reliable genealogical data. Unlike Matthew, the family tree of Jesus, which goes back to Abraham, Luke goes even further and comes right up to Adam, after which he indicates that Jesus is the Son of God.

The place of genealogy in the composition of the gospel was not chosen by the author by chance. Implicitly, the image of Jesus as the new Moses (and the fulfillment of the latter's prophecy about the new prophet) is emphasized here, the narrative of which was also, after prehistory, interrupted by genealogy (Book of Exodus, chapter 6). After the genealogy follows a story about the temptations of Christ, which he experienced in the desert from the side of the devil. The point of this story is to weed out the false tendencies of the understanding of the Messiahship of Jesus from the readers.

Sermon in Galilee

The ministry of Christ in Galilee is the next important period in the life of Jesus, which the gospel of Luke tells about. Chapter 4 opens this section with an account of the rejection of Christ's messianic claims by his countrymen, the inhabitants of Nazareth. After this incident, the Savior goes to Capernaum and preaches there, as well as in the vicinity of Lake Tiberias. Several significant events take place here. The Gospel of Luke begins the account of this period with the miracle of the casting out of demons. This episode generally opens a series of miracles attributed by the gospel tradition to Jesus Christ. In this monument, there are only twenty-one of them. Those that were performed at Capernaum are summarized by the statement that the whole people followed him. Among this people were the first disciples of the Savior, who later became apostles. This is one of the differences between this gospel and others in terms of the chronology of events. According to the text of the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, the calling of the apostles preceded the miracles of Capernaum.

Such a striking statement about himself in Galilee provoked a reaction from radical Jewish religious groups. Christ became the target of attacks and entered into forced disputes with representatives of the Pharisaic party. There were five of them in total, and they dealt with various aspects of the Mosaic law. Jesus emerges victorious in each of them, leading to a conspiracy against him. Luke then describes the episode in which Jesus selects the twelve chief disciples, his closest circle of trust. And then the author describes an event known as the Sermon on the Mount. The Gospel of Luke, however, describes it somewhat differently than it is presented in the text from Matthew. One of the differences is that the place of preaching is transferred from the top of the mountain to its foot. Plus, its material has been seriously reworked and repackaged.

The next block within the framework of the Galilean sermon tells about the miracles performed by Christ and the parables told by him to the people. Their general meaning is to explain to the reader who he is, to confirm the messianic and divine dignity of Christ. The parables of the gospel of Luke in this respect represent material borrowed from earlier sources. At the same time, the author has largely creatively reworked it in order to adapt it to the purpose of his narrative.

Crossing to Jerusalem

Approximately ten chapters are devoted to the passage of Jesus to Jerusalem and the ministry within it. This is a fundamentally new section in the text, and it is preceded by its own introduction. Jesus, according to the gospel of Luke, realizes that he is not just going to preach and perform miracles, but in order to accept death for the sake of atonement for the sins of the whole world. This one of the basic Christian doctrines is very clearly reflected in the nature of the actions and words of the image of Jesus, which is characteristic of this gospel.

Especially worth noting here is a pamphlet that tells how, on the way to Jerusalem, Christ was met with hostility in a Samaritan settlement. This creates a striking contrast with the Gospel of John, where, on the contrary, Jesus is very welcome in Samaria and even recognized as the messiah en masse. This story is also not devoid of theological and ethical content. In response to the rejection of Christ by the Samaritans, two of his closest apostles - John and James - offer no more, no less, how to bring down fire from heaven in the image of the prophet Elijah and incinerate the city. Christ responds to this initiative with a categorical refusal, reproaching his disciples for not knowing the spirit to which they belong. This plot is followed by three dialogues of Christ with various people who express a desire to follow him. In them, or rather, in the answers of Jesus to these wishes, all the absoluteness and height of the requirements for the disciples of the Savior are revealed. The role of these dialogues in the gospel is to demonstrate the ethical perfection of Christian teaching. This comparison is offered in two perspectives - the pagan world view and the Jewish religious law, which are presented as flawed in comparison with what Jesus offers and preaches.

Gospel of St. Luke further tells about the missionary campaign of the apostles among the seventy-two people. Before that, there was already a similar mission of the twelve apostles, mentioned in passing by the author earlier. It is likely that the two missions are an artistic invention of Luke himself, created on different interpretations of the same material. There is, however, a theological meaning to this. It consists in preparing the reader for the further narration of the book of Acts, in which the dominant role of the coalition of the twelve apostles fades away, and other personalities begin to exert the main influence, the absolute authority and magnitude among which is the apostle Paul, who never saw Christ during his life. In addition, the number twelve in the Old Testament is associated with the twelve tribes of Israel, that is, with the fullness of the Jewish people. Therefore, the twelve apostles of the gospel of Luke also correlate with the Jewish world. But one of the fundamental tasks of this text is to convince the reader of the universality of the mission of Christ, that his ministry is addressed to all peoples of mankind. The fullness of pagan humanity, all the peoples of the earth in the same Old Testament are associated with the number seventy-two. That is why the author needed to create another mission of seventy-two apostles.

The return of the disciples from the missionary campaign ends with the solemn transfer by Christ of a special mystical power to cast out demons and perform miracles. This is interpreted as the fall of the kingdom of Satan under the onslaught of divine power.

What follows is a very important place in the gospel in terms of the ethical content of the gospel of Jesus, which tells about the learned scribe, the Jewish sage, who came to Christ in order to tempt him. He does this by asking about the most important commandment. However, Jesus' answer that all the law and the prophets consist in a single commandment to love God and neighbor enthralls the scribe. Following this, he clarifies who is considered a neighbor. Here, as in the spirit of the Gospel of Luke, Christ tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, by which he illustrates that neighbors mean all people without exception.

Sermon in Jerusalem

Ministry in the capital of Judea and the religious center of the Jewish world is a very short period of the life of Christ, but, nevertheless, extremely important. Jesus spends his nights in nearby villages - Bethany and Bethagia. And during the day, his activities are concentrated in the vicinity of the Jerusalem Temple. As in other gospels, the first entrance to Jerusalem is tinged with solemnity and markedly ritualized. It is described in such terms in order to present this event as the fulfillment of some Old Testament prophecies that the messiah will enter the holy city as a king, sitting on a donkey.
This is followed by a story about the cleansing of the Temple from merchants. The same story is found in other texts, for example, in Mark. However, here Luke again changes the chronology of events, placing the cleansing on the day of entry into Jerusalem, and not the next day after that. After this, Christ begins daily to teach the people. And people en masse listen to him and recognize him as at least a prophet, as the gospel of Luke reports. Christ's sermons boil down mainly to the fact that the contemporary Jewish religious authorities usurped the powers of the priesthood, but by their actions they do not serve God at all. The second important motive in his teachings is his own messianic role. Jesus does not speak directly about it, but by his questions he provokes the people listening to him to accept this fact. The Pharisees and the flower of the Jewish community, when exposed, plot to kill Jesus. However, they are prevented from doing this by the huge popularity of Jesus among the people, so they develop a cunning plan.

Suffering, death and resurrection

The direct story of suffering is preceded by an important episode in which Christ, in the circle of his closest disciples, makes a ritual meal called the Last Supper. In theory, it is a festive Easter meal. Its symbolism is deep enough, since the role of Christ correlates with the role of the sacrificial lamb, which is cooked and eaten on this holiday. In addition, Jesus teaches the disciples bread and wine, which symbolize his own body and blood. Theologically, all this is interpreted as the establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist. After the meal, the holy gospel of Luke tells how the disciples, together with Jesus, go to the Mount of Olives, where they are arrested, and Christ is taken to trial. Without dwelling on the details of these events, we note that their interpretation again correlates with the prophecies of the Old Testament about the suffering righteous man. The suffering and death of Jesus, therefore, is not meaningless - he is serving the punishment for the sins of the whole world, thanks to which every person can henceforth be saved from the kingdom of Satan.

As a result of the Roman and Jewish trials, Jesus is found guilty and sentenced to crucifixion. However, oddly enough, the judges themselves make this verdict involuntarily. Pilate, Herod, and even the Roman soldier who pierced Christ with a spear admitted that he was innocent and a righteous man before God.

Appearances of Christ after the Resurrection and Ascension

The story of the resurrection of Christ from the dead and his appearances to his disciples is the most important thing in the gospel narrative. Here we are not even talking about new ethics, but about soteriology - the ontological salvation of mankind, which is made possible through this very resurrection. Therefore, Christian Easter is the most important church holiday. It is this event that gives meaning to the phenomenon of Christianity and is the basis of religious practice.

The appearances of the resurrected according to Luke, unlike Matthew, are localized not in Galilee, but in Jerusalem and its environs. This emphasizes the special connection of the mission of Christ with Judaism. It consists in the fact that, according to the concept of the gospel author, Christianity is the successor of Judaism. Therefore, Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Temple, as the sacred geographical center of this religion, is the beginning of the Gospel story of Luke and its end. The last appearance of Christ ends with the scene of his ascension to heaven and the return of the disciples in joy and hope to the Jerusalem Temple.