Monday, September 30, 2013

The Gospels Side-by-Side

If you want to know about Jesus of Nazareth whom Christian believe to be the promised Deliverer or Messiah of Israel and yes all mankind a good place to start is in the books identified as the Gospels or Good News written by his followers soon after his life, death by crucifixion and his resurrection from the dead.

Once you read these you will notice certain similarities and differences. You may wonder why are there four Gospels or accounts of Jesus ministry and message?

This colorful and well-designed pamphlet takes you step by step through these and many other facets of the Gospels. It provides an impressive amount of information in a variety of charts and list, which provide a clear comparison of the similarities and difference. One of my favorite charts compares how each writer details the Miracles that Jesus performed.

Some have been frustrated when they have attempted to compare the Gospels to modern or ancient biographies without realizing that the unique style of the Gospels is based in their purpose as well as their historic framework.

I am impressed with the clarity, conciseness and wealth of detail Rose Publishing packed into this study.

Blurb from Rose Publishing Click here
The Bible gives us four biographers for Jesus' life: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
 The Gospels Side-by-Side presents Jesus from four different points of view and shows how their views unite to flesh out an awesome portrait of God. 
The Gospels Side-by-Side includes concise charts that illustrate why there are four Gospels instead of just one, why three Gospels are similar, but the fourth is very different, how the Gospels complement - not contradict - each other, why most of Christ's story focuses on his last week; and more.
14 panels, fits inside most Bibles, 8.5 x 5.5 inches, unfolds to 38 inches long.


Contents The Gospels Side-by-Side:
• Chart showing the point of view, symbol, and audience for each Gospel. It also shows what aspect of Jesus was emphasized depending on whether the audience was Jewish, Greek-speaking, or distinctly non-Jewish (Messiah, Authority/Power over man and nature, Ideal/perfect, Word of God).
• Harmony of the Gospels showing where each story appears in the four Gospels.
• The importance of Jesus' last week and how it is treated in each Gospel.
• Two charts: Jesus' miracles and parables in each Gospel.
• Differences between modern and ancient biographies and what they emphasize in a person's history.
• Where Jesus Walked - tracking his location in the Gospels.
• Map of Jesus' Travels with red lines showing modern-day cities and countries.
• What the four Passovers mentioned in the Gospels tell us about the length of Jesus' ministry.
• Comparison chart of the Book of John with the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke)

The Gospels Side-by-Side is a handy guide for anyone studying the New Testament, Life of Christ, or learning about Bible study.

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