Jesus

===Canonical gospels===
{{Main|Gospel|Gospel harmony|Historical reliability of the Gospels}}[[File:P. Chester Beatty I, folio 13-14, recto.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A 3rd-century Greek [[papyrus]] of the [[Gospel of Luke]]|alt=A four-page papyrus manuscript, which is torn in many places]]
The four [[canonical gospel]]s ([[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]], [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]], and [[Gospel of John|John]]) are the foremost sources for the life and message of Jesus.<ref name="Britannica" /> But other parts of the New Testament also include references to key episodes in his life, such as the [[Last Supper]] in [[1 Corinthians 11]]:23–26.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:23–26|9}}.</ref>{{sfn|Blomberg|2009|pp=441–42}}<ref name="Fahlbusch52" />{{sfn|Evans|2003|pp=465–77}} [[Acts of the Apostles]]<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|10:37–38|9}} and {{bibleverse|Acts|19:4|9}}.</ref> refers to Jesus' early ministry and its anticipation by [[John the Baptist]].<ref name="Bruce1988">{{cite book|title=The Book of the Acts|first=Frederick F.|last= Bruce|year= 1988 |isbn= 978-0-8028-2505-6 |page= 362 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing}}</ref>{{sfn|Rausch|2003|p=77}}{{sfn|Vermes|1981|pp=20, 26, 27, 29}} Acts 1:1–11<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|1:1–11|9}}.</ref> says more about the [[Ascension of Jesus]]<ref>also mentioned in {{bibleverse|1 Timothy|3:16}}.</ref> than the canonical gospels do.{{sfn|Evans|2003|pp=521–30}} In the [[Pauline epistles#Authenticity|undisputed Pauline letters]], which were written earlier than the Gospels, Jesus' words or instructions are cited several times.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians 7:10–11, 9:14, 11:23–25|multi=yes}}, {{bibleverse|2 Corinthians|12:9}}.</ref>{{efn|Powell writes: "[Paul] does cite words or instructions of Jesus in a few places,<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Cor. 7:10–11; 9:14; 11:23–25|multi=yes}}; {{bibleverse|2 Cor.|12:9}}; cf. {{bibleverse|Acts|20:35}}</ref> but for the most part he displays little interest in the details of Jesus' earthly life and ministry."<ref>{{cite book |last= Powell |first= Mark A. |title= Introducing the New Testament |url=https://archive.org/details/introducingnewte00powe |url-access= limited |date= 2009 |publisher= Baker Academic |page= [https://archive.org/details/introducingnewte00powe/page/248 248]|isbn= 978-0-8010-2868-7 }}</ref>}}

Some [[Early Christianity|early Christian]] groups had separate descriptions of Jesus' life and teachings that are not in the New Testament. These include the [[Gospel of Thomas]], [[Gospel of Peter]], and [[Gospel of Judas]], the [[Apocryphon of James]], and [[New Testament apocrypha|many other apocryphal writings]]. Most scholars conclude that these were written much later and are less reliable accounts than the canonical gospels.{{sfn|Brown|1997|pp=835–40}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Evans |first1=C. A. |title=Exploring the Origins of the Bible |date=2008 |publisher=Baker Academic |page=154 |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Keener|2009|p=56}}

====Authorship, date, and reliability====

The canonical gospels are four accounts, each by a different author. The authors of the Gospels are pseudonymous, attributed by tradition to the [[four evangelists]], each with close ties to Jesus:{{sfn|Funk|Hoover|The Jesus Seminar|1993|p=3}} Mark by [[John Mark]], an associate of [[Saint Peter|Peter]];<ref name="May Metzger Mark" /> [[Matthew the Apostle|Matthew]] by one of Jesus' disciples;{{sfn|Funk|Hoover|The Jesus Seminar|1993|p=3}} [[Luke the Evangelist|Luke]] by a companion of [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]] mentioned in a few epistles;{{sfn|Funk|Hoover|The Jesus Seminar|1993|p=3}} and John by another of Jesus' disciples,{{sfn|Funk|Hoover|The Jesus Seminar|1993|p=3}} the "[[beloved disciple]]".{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|2005|loc=John, St.}}

According to the [[Marcan priority]], the first to be written was the Gospel of Mark (written AD 60–75), followed by the Gospel of Matthew (AD 65–85), the Gospel of Luke (AD 65–95), and the Gospel of John (AD 75–100).<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l2sloGWzzV8C&pg=PA58 | title=Can We Trust the Gospels?: Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John | publisher=Crossway | year=2007 | page=58 | isbn=978-1-4335-1978-9 | first=Mark D. | last=Roberts | access-date=14 August 2015 | archive-date=7 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907174109/https://books.google.com/books?id=l2sloGWzzV8C&pg=PA58 | url-status=live }}</ref> Most scholars agree that the authors of Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source for their gospels. Since Matthew and Luke also share some content not found in Mark, many scholars assume that they used another source (commonly called the "[[Q source]]") in addition to Mark.{{sfn|Licona|2010|pp=210–21}}

One important aspect of the study of the Gospels is the [[literary genre]] under which they fall. Genre "is a key convention guiding both the composition and the interpretation of writings".<ref>Burridge, R. A. (2006). Gospels. In J. W. Rogerson & Judith M. Lieu (Eds.) ''The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies''. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. p. 433.</ref> Whether the gospel authors set out to write novels, myths, histories, or biographies has a tremendous impact on how they ought to be interpreted. Some recent studies suggest that the genre of the Gospels ought to be situated within the realm of ancient biography.<ref>Talbert, C. H. (1977). ''What is a Gospel? The Genre of the Canonical Gospels''. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Fortress Press.</ref><ref>Wills, L. M. (1997). ''The Quest of the Historical Gospel: Mark, John and the Origins of the Gospel Genre''. London, England: Routledge. p. 10.</ref><ref>Burridge, R. A. (2004). ''What are the Gospels? A Comparison with Graeco-Roman Biography''. revised updated edn. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans.</ref> Although not without critics,<ref>e.g. Vines, M. E. (2002). ''The Problem of the Markan Genre: The Gospel of Mark and the Jewish Novel''. Atlanta, Georgia: Society of Biblical Literature. pp. 161–162.</ref> the position that the Gospels are a type of ancient biography is the consensus among scholars today.<ref>{{cite book |author=Stanton |first=Graham N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A7wNGMrAiD0C |title=Jesus and Gospel |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-521-00802-0 |page=192 |language=en |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226005236/https://books.google.com/books?id=A7wNGMrAiD0C |archive-date=26 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Rogerson |first1=J. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eKZYMifS1fAC |title=The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies |last2=Lieu |first2=Judith M. |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-19-925425-5 |page=437 |language=en |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225204746/https://books.google.com/books?id=eKZYMifS1fAC |archive-date=25 December 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Concerning the accuracy of the accounts, viewpoints run the gamut from considering them [[Biblical inerrancy|inerrant]] descriptions of Jesus' life,{{sfn|Grudem|1994|pp=90–91}} to doubting whether they are historically reliable on a number of points,{{sfn|Sanders|1993|p=3}} to considering them to provide very little historical information about his life beyond the basics.{{sfn|Köstenberger|Kellum|Quarles|2009|pp=117–25}}{{sfn|Ehrman|1999|pp=22–23}} According to a broad scholarly consensus, the [[Synoptic Gospels]] (the first three—Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are the most reliable sources of information about Jesus.{{sfn|Sanders|1993|p=71}}{{sfn|Theissen|Merz|1998|pp=17–62}}<ref name="Britannica" />

====Comparative structure and content====
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Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the [[Synoptic Gospels]], from the Greek σύν (''syn'' "together") and ὄψις (''opsis'' "view"),<ref name="Synoptic" /><ref name="Synoptic2" /><ref>{{OED|synoptic}}</ref> because they are similar in content, narrative arrangement, language and paragraph structure, and one can easily set them next to each other and synoptically compare what is in them.<ref name="Synoptic">{{cite book|title=New Testament Theology|first=Paul |last=Haffner|year=2008 |isbn= 978-88-902268-0-9 |page= 135|publisher=Gracewing }}</ref><ref name="Synoptic2">{{cite book|title=A Guide to the Gospels|first=W. Graham|last= Scroggie |year=1995 |isbn= 978-0-8254-9571-7 |page= 128 |publisher=[[Kregel Publications]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Synoptic Gospels {{!}} Definition & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Synoptic-Gospels|access-date=26 October 2020|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030013859/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Synoptic-Gospels|url-status=live}}</ref> Scholars generally agree that it is impossible to find any direct literary relationship between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John.<ref name="Moloney3">{{cite book|title=The Gospel of John|first1=Francis J.|last1=Moloney|first2=Daniel J.|last2=Harrington|year=1998|isbn=978-0-8146-5806-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/gospelofjohn0004molo/page/3 3]|publisher=Liturgical Press|url=https://archive.org/details/gospelofjohn0004molo/page/3}}</ref> While the flow of many events (e.g., Jesus' baptism, [[Transfiguration of Jesus|transfiguration]], crucifixion and interactions with his [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostles]]) are shared among the Synoptic Gospels, incidents such as the transfiguration and Jesus' exorcising demons{{sfn|Witherington|1997|p=113}} do not appear in John, which also differs on other matters, such as the [[Cleansing of the Temple]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Ladd|first=George E.|title=A Theology of the New Testament|year=1993|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|isbn=978-0-8028-0680-2|page=251|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eIdkM00EdlAC&pg=PA251|access-date=14 August 2015|archive-date=7 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907103156/https://books.google.com/books?id=eIdkM00EdlAC&pg=PA251|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Synoptics emphasize different aspects of Jesus. In Mark, Jesus is the [[Son of God (Christianity)|Son of God]] whose mighty works demonstrate the presence of [[God's Kingdom]].<ref name="May Metzger Mark" /> He is a tireless wonder worker, the servant of both God and man.<ref name="ThompsonPortraits">Thompson, Frank Charles. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. Kirk bride Bible Company & Zondervan Bible Publishers. 1983. pp. 1563–1564.</ref> This short gospel records few of Jesus' words or teachings.<ref name="May Metzger Mark" /> The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes that Jesus is the fulfilment of God's will as revealed in the Old Testament, and the Lord of the Church.<ref name="May Metzger Matthew">May, Herbert G. and Bruce M. Metzger. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. 1977. "Matthew" pp. 1171–1212.</ref> He is the "[[Davidic line|Son of David]]", a "king", and the messiah.<ref name="ThompsonPortraits" />{{sfn|McGrath|2006|pp=4–6}} Luke presents Jesus as the divine-human saviour who shows compassion to the needy.<ref name="May Metzger Luke">May, Herbert G. and Bruce M. Metzger. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. 1977. "Luke" pp. 1240–1285.</ref> He is the friend of sinners and outcasts, come to seek and save the lost.<ref name="ThompsonPortraits" /> This gospel includes well-known parables, such as the [[Parable of the Good Samaritan|Good Samaritan]] and the [[Parable of the Prodigal Son|Prodigal Son]].<ref name="May Metzger Luke" />

The [[John 1:1|prologue to the Gospel of John]] identifies Jesus as an incarnation of the divine Word ([[Logos (Christianity)|Logos]]).<ref name="MayMetzgerJohn">May, Herbert G. and Bruce M. Metzger. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. 1977. "John" pp. 1286–1318.</ref> As the Word, Jesus was eternally present with God, active in all creation, and the source of humanity's moral and spiritual nature.<ref name="MayMetzgerJohn" /> Jesus is not only greater than any past human prophet but greater than any prophet could be. He not only speaks God's Word; he is God's Word.{{sfn|Harris|1985|pp=302–10}} In the Gospel of John, Jesus reveals his divine role publicly. Here he is the [[Bread of Life]], the [[Light of the World]], the [[True Vine]] and more.<ref name="ThompsonPortraits" />

In general, the authors of the New Testament showed little interest in an absolute [[chronology of Jesus]] or in synchronizing the episodes of his life with the secular history of the age.{{sfn|Rahner|2004|pp=730–31}} As stated in [[s:Bible (American Standard)/John#21:25|John 21:25]], the Gospels do not claim to provide an exhaustive list of the events in Jesus' life.<ref>{{cite book |last=O'Collins |first=Gerald |title=Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-19-955787-5 |location=Oxford, England |pages=1–3 |language=en-uk}}</ref> The accounts were primarily written as theological documents in the context of [[early Christianity]], with timelines as a secondary consideration.<ref name="Wiarda75">{{cite book|title=Interpreting Gospel Narratives: Scenes, People, and Theology|first=Timothy |last=Wiarda |year=2010 |isbn= 978-0-8054-4843-6 |pages= 75–78 |publisher= B&H Publishing Group}}</ref> In this respect, it is noteworthy that the Gospels devote about one third of their text to the last week of Jesus' life in [[Jerusalem]], referred to as [[Passion (Christianity)|the Passion]].<ref name="Turner613">{{cite book|title=Matthew|first=David L. |last=Turner|year= 2008| isbn= 978-0-8010-2684-3 |page= 613 |publisher= Baker Academic}}</ref> The Gospels do not provide enough details to satisfy the demands of modern historians regarding exact dates, but it is possible to draw from them a general picture of Jesus' life story.{{sfn|Sanders|1993|p=3}}{{sfn|Rahner|2004|pp=730–31}}<ref name="Wiarda75" />