Module 7 Gospel: Comprehensive Study Notes

The Gospel means good news.
The Gospel refers to the four books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel describes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
The Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are canonical Gospels because they were considered by the Church as divinely inspired writings.

The four Gospels were written in the period AD 60 to AD 90, about 30–60 years after the death of Jesus.
Mark’s Gospel was written around AD 70–75, Matthew around AD 75, Luke around AD 80–90, and John around AD 90–100.
The apostles who wrote the Gospels were John and Matthew.
Which Gospel was written first? Mark.
Which Gospel was written last? John.

The two books that tell the story of Jesus birth are Matthew and Luke.
Matthew includes a lengthy genealogy.
Luke includes Mary’s encounter with the angel, her visit to Elizabeth, and an event in Jesus’ childhood.

All four Gospels tell of Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection.
The gospel writers' main purpose for writing their works was to show that Jesus was the Savior and the Son of God.
Mark and John focus on Jesus' ministry; Mark and John do not tell any events of Jesus' life before the start of His public ministry.

Synoptic means seeing together. Their Gospels are called synoptic because they describe similar narratives, contents, style, and wordings about the events of the life and death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in remarkably and complementary ways.
Autoptic means autos meaning self-view; the Gospel of John stands apart because of its more abstract theological scope. The Gospel of John uses symbolic or figurative language. Example: I AM references of Christ: the light of the world, the resurrection, and the life.

The 4 Gospels are trustworthy, authentic and canonical according to Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition of the Church.
The writings of Scripture were canonical at the moment they were written.
They are called canonical Gospels because they are accepted and approved in the official Christian canon of The New Testament and considered by the Church as divinely inspired writings.
Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition constitute the deposit of faith.
The basis of Christianity is found in the authority of Scripture.
How do we know that four Gospels are trustworthy? (Answer: deposit of faith and canonical status.)

Canon is the official list of the inspired books of the Bible.
Catholics list 46 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books in the canon.
The canon is the official collection of books that are considered to be divinely inspired and authoritative for religious teachings.

The magisterium comes from the Latin magister, which means teacher.
The Magisterium is the official teaching authority of the Catholic Church, entrusted with interpreting Scripture and Tradition.
The magisterium is the doctrinal and moral teaching authority of the pope and the bishops united to him.
The Magisterium interprets the word of God in the Scripture and Tradition. It gives the authentic interpretation of the Word of God.
The bishops in communion with the Pope form the magisterium.
The role of the Magisterium is to guide the faithful in matters of faith and morals, ensuring the preservation and transmission of the Church's teachings.
The Church teaches that this authority, derived from the apostles, ensures correct understanding and prevents misinterpretations.

The canon is the official list of the inspired books of the Bible; Catholics list 46 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books.
The canon is the official collection of books considered divinely inspired and authoritative for religious teachings.

The deposit of faith refers to the heritage contained in sacred Scripture.
Sacred Tradition was handed down by the Church.
Teachings of Christ and what He wanted to reveal were entrusted to the apostles and through their successors, the bishops.

St. Matthew – a man; emphasizes Christ's humanity and begins with Christ genealogy.
St. Mark – a lion; begins with the command to prepare the way of the Lord.
St. Luke – an ox or bull; reflects the priestly duties and temple sacrifices.
St. John – an eagle; reflects the lofty language of its opening verses.

The church was founded by Christ several years before the Gospel was written.
The Gospel message was first preached orally; later it was written by the evangelists.
The gospel message was preserved in oral form for many years before being written down.
What came first, the Church or the Gospel? Was the Gospel first spoken or written?