Overview of the Four Gospels and Their Significance
The Gospel is one of the most critical components of the Christian religion. It provides an opportunity to understand not only the rules and aspects that followers of religion should follow, but also to approach and know the Almighty. In the Christian worldview, there are four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, each of which has value both in combination with the others and separately. It is important to note that these scriptures represent four different portraiture traits of Jesus.
The Role of Parables in the Gospel of Luke
One of the critical Jesus’ parables is Luke’s, as it provides valuable insight into such an aspect as the development of the Christian faith throughout history. The study and interpretation of this Gospel provide an opportunity to understand the purpose of its writing for the original audience, first-century Judaism, and contemporary 21st-century people.
First, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that each parable has a hook. It implies a technique of using something shocking and unsettling to draw attention to a specific message of the story. Thus, in the parables of the gospels of Luke, this role is performed by various shifts and turns of events.
An example is the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), which shows the unacceptable behavior of a son who completely squanders his inheritance for many people. He returns home in search of forgiveness and receives it from his father. In this way, the lesson is shown that believers should forgive their loved ones and accept them for their sins, instructing them on the right path.
Lessons from Luke for the Original Audience
Regarding the meaning of the Gospel of Luke for the original audience, it presents the dissemination of the basics and importance of religion. In this narrative, great importance is given to such aspects as the fact that Jesus is a prophet of God, and profit should perish outside Jerusalem. In addition, gossip focuses on such members of society as Gentiles, moral outcasts, and the economically deprived. As good Samaritans, believers should help their neighbors and all people around, especially those in need. Another value of the Gospel of Luke is the provision of knowledge about the vital role of women in society and Christianity, the need and critical contribution of prayers, and the following and respect of the Holy Spirit.
Contemporary Relevance of the Gospel of Luke
In modern society, it should be noted that religion has acquired a different meaning and value. This is due to the constantly transforming world and the people who live in it. For many individuals, Christianity is a way of calming down and finding oneself through the word of God. Thus, the Gospel of Luke broadcasts to the contemporary audience such aspects as the need to get rid of prejudice and promotion and motivation of love for others.
This message is particularly relevant for modern society, where discrimination and segregation are the most disturbing problems. Moreover, for modern and original audiences, the Gospel provides the importance of community and respect that religion provides. Even though many centuries have passed since the original writing, the parables of the Gospel of Luke still have critical value for people and Christianity.
The Synoptic Problem and Literary Independence
One of the topics when studying the gospels is paying attention to the Synoptic Problem. This issue presents a question about the relationship between the gospels and how understanding this connection can help in their better awareness. The Synoptic Problem focuses on the fact that each of their writings is a unique text that carries a separate message. At the same time, when considering gospels in general, they also make sense as one joint work. The application of literary independence theories helps highlight this issue’s rationale.
The Augustinian Hypothesis and Gospel Interactions
The Augustinian Hypothesis is a theoretical approach that can provide a rationale for explaining evidence encountered in the Synoptic Gospels. The connection between the gospels is that those who wrote them relied upon and referred to what was written earlier. Thus, the Augustinian Hypothesis explains the relationship between the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. By virtue of this sequence, it is possible to trace the interaction between the parabolas since each of their authors refers to what was created earlier.
To confirm the derived point of view within the framework of the Augustinian Hypothesis theory, it is possible to give an example of an overlap between Matthew and Luke. Hence, there was an interaction between these gospels in agreeing against Mark, which is reflected in several parts of the scriptures. One of them becomes the aspect when Mark 3:20-21 describes the undesirable and non-accepting attitude towards Jesus from his family, which happened because everyone thought he was out of his mind. When writing this part of Matthew and Luke, it was skipped and not mentioned to the audience.
Bibliography
“BibleGateway.” Web.
Brown, Jeannine K. The Gospels as Stories: A Narrative Approach to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Baker Academic, 2020.
Matricciani, Emilio, and Liberato De Caro. “A Deep-Language Mathematical Analysis of Gospels, Acts and Revelation.” Religions 10, no. 4 (2019): 257. Web.
Wenham, John. Redating Matthew, Mark and Luke: A Fresh Assault on the Synoptic Problem. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2020.