THE FOUR GOSPELS by Rev. L. A. Lambert

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 3, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 22.

THE FOUR GOSPELS.

By Rev. L. A. Lambert

Matthew wrote for the Jews, and he devoted himself to applying to Christ the prophecies of the Old Testament, in order to convince the Jews, who believed them, that Christ was the Messiah—that in his person the predictions of their prophets were accomplished. Mark wrote his gospel for the Gentile converts at Rome. His object was to prove that Christ was the sovereign Master of all things, and he therefore devotes almost all his chapters to a recital of the works of Christ which show his divine power.

Luke wrote his gospel more particularly for Theophilus, a pagan convert. His design was to prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the true Saviour of men, as the facts and circumstances of his life prove. For this purpose he makes known certain facts omitted by Matthew and Mark.

John wrote his gospel to refute the heresies of the Corinthians, Ebionites, and Valentinians, who attacked the divinity of Christ, and denied many of the facts and words of Christ, which the other evangelists had omitted. His primary object was to prove the divinity of Christ, and for this purpose he begins his gospel with these sublime words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The evangelists, then, differ in their recitals according to the different circumstances in which they wrote and the objects in view.—Rev. L. A. Lambert, Notes on Ingersoll, p. 149.