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Whenever you begin to study the gospels, the question of why we have four gospels always arises. As John implies at the end of his gospel, no one book could contain all the things that Jesus did and said (John 21:25). That is the obvious answer. But we may advance three additional reasons for these four accounts.

First, they are a testimony to the accuracy of the records. With four separate accounts, we should expect 4 very different gospels with many contradictions and inaccuracies. This is even more true if, as the liberals purport, these gospels were merely the testimony of the church and not a historical account of Jesus. But instead of massive differences and contradictions, we find 4 records that, though different in style and selection, form a remarkably accurate record.

On the other hand, if the four writers wrote in collusion, we should expect their accounts to be identical. In such a case, 4 gospels that were the same should cause us to be suspect of the writers. Their differences indicate that they wrote independently yet paint the same basic picture of Jesus, His teachings and His deeds.

Matthew Henry reminds us that we do not count multiple witnesses in a court to be “tedious but necessary” to establish accuracy. Thus the four gospels do the same; they provide a multiple testimony to establish accuracy.

Second, the four provide a testimony to the completeness of the picture of Jesus. While we certainly cannot claim to have a record of all that Jesus taught and said (John 21:25), the four gospels provide us with a more complete picture of Jesus, His mission and His teachings than any one gospel could.

One might say that no one photograph would be enough. Would any parent be pleased to have only one photograph of his child? Or would that parent be satisfied in cutting up a variety of pictures of that child and pasting them together to form one? No. In the same way, we are blessed to have the four pictures instead of one composite.

Or consider the following. There have been many books written about Teddy Roosevelt. One deals with his private and domestic life. Another writes about his political life. A third focuses on his military career while a fourth deals with his life as sportsman. In every biography, we would find many common elements. Some events, all would include. But each author would include and exclude other events depending on how they fit with the purpose of the author.

In the same way, each of the gospels contains common accounts. But likewise, each provides accounts and perspectives that the others do not emphasize or include. Together, they give us a more complete picture of the life and teachings of Jesus.

Finally, the four gospels provide four portraits for different audiences. Matthew writes primarily for the Jews. Hence his gospel is full of references to fulfilled prophecies. Mark appeals to his Roman audience by his emphasis on action and servanthood. Luke writes to the Greeks and presents aspects of the life and teachings of Jesus that as the perfect man. John writes for all mean to present the spiritual aspects of the gospel.

Here is a chart that may help put the gospels in perspective.

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International