Four Gospels

Four Gospels Final Essay

By Rev. Patricia Buben

There are four gospels that are in the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The first three (Matthew, Mark and Luke) are synoptic gospels—that is their accounts agree with each other. The fourth, John, is a little bit different. Also included in this course is the study of the Gospel of Thomas. This is not included in the Bible, but is a gospel nonetheless.

Out of everything I studied in this course, I enjoyed the Sermon on the Mount the best. In particular, I liked the beatitudes the way they are translated from the Greek. They are much more understandable than traditional translation.

They are:

“The poor, in spirit, are in luck: the kingdom of the skies is theirs”. Although people might be poor in terms of money, if they are rich in terms of spirit that is what matters in heaven.

“The mourners are in luck: they will be consoled”. There is no need for mourning in the presence of God—spirit is eternal.

“The gentle are in luck: they will inherit the earth”. Love can cure all ills. Love is the only solution to changing a person’s heart. Eventually that will be the way of people on earth.

“Those hungering and thirsting for justice are in luck: they will get their fill.” God has made provisions for justice through Karma. We do not have to enact justice—God has taken care of it.

“The merciful are in luck: they will be treated mercifully”. This sounds like the golden rule... treat others the way you want to be treated.

“The clean-hearted are in luck: they will see God”. Those who are honest and see the good in situations already see God. Those who lie, cheat and steal will only see the bad and not be able to trust others.

“The peacemakers are in luck: they will be called God’s sons and daughters”. Bringing peace to the world, even in your own sphere of influence helps to contribute to world peace.

“Those persecuted for the sake of justice are in luck: the kingdom of the skies is theirs”. When you work for justice and speak out for something you believe in, even if it’s not popular, it will bring you harmony with God.

“You are in luck: when they blame you and persecute you and tell lies of you, because of me, be happy and delighted, because you will be well paid in the skies. After all, they persecuted the prophets before us the same way. Don’t be discouraged if your message isn’t welcomed. It’s difficult for people to hear the truth sometimes.” This is looking at the positive side of a bad situation. 

This course helped me to view the gospels with a different perspective and helped me understand how these could be interpreted in a new way.

The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of the sayings of Jesus. Many of these sayings are new; many are stated similarly in the other gospels. It is enlightening and interesting although when they are taken out of context, they are more difficult to understand.

Overall, I found the course easy to follow and understand and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in studying the gospels to gain a better understanding.

Rev. Patricia Buben

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