This study is a
basic schematic chart, starting from the baptism
of Jesus in the Jordan River up until the disciples prepare to eat the final
Passover with Him in the city of Jerusalem. Although there are parallel and chronological
bibles on the market, I thought it would be interesting to construct a basic
flowchart of the more interesting and important events during Jesus’ three and
one-half year earthly ministry. There are instances in which the gospel
narrators are in consistent agreement, not only with what happened, but with
the order in which it happened. At the same time there is inconsistency and
wide divergence in what is reported; as well as places where an entire section
of occurrences is omitted or missing. Since most Bible scholars believe Mark’s
gospel is the earliest, I have used him as Matthew’s source but in Luke’s case
I consider his source to be independent of the other two. As a helpful tool I
use superscript numbers in parenthesis to show where an event occurred in the
particular individual gospel, irrespective of where it falls on the chart.
This is just a
simple tool as an aid to hermeneutical study or Biblical research, and not as
it were, some kind of authoritative or scholarly work. I find it is useful to
see the information gaps in certain places and try to perhaps figure out why
the author left it that way, and in another case there is information inserted
at a particular point where no other writer even refers to it at all. For
instance, why does Luke’s gospel mention so much about the Samaritans, or Jesus
dining with Pharisees; who were his sources and where did they live? Mark/Matthew
leave quite a gap of information after the disciples complaint to Jesus about
someone casting out demons in His name until the narratives resume with Jesus
being asked about the law on divorce while in the region of Judea [Luke’s
gospel fills in this gap]. Interestingly, Luke’s gospel has a noticeable
omission after recounting Jesus feeding the five thousand with 5 loaves and 2
fish, but it resumes with Peter confessing Jesus as the Christ [Messiah-“Anointed One”] in Caesarea Phillippi.
However, between these two examples, the Mark/Matthew omissions appear, at
least to me, to be the more substantive; and I am curious as to why they are
this way. Be that as it may, these differences and variations don’t impugn the
reliability of the gospels or the veracity of revealed truth; albeit from the
recollections and orally transmitted accounts handed down by those who witnessed
firsthand these things, and entrusted to faithful men and women to carry forth
the message to future generations of believers and nonbelievers alike.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St.
#B-11Tacoma, WA 98402
October 22, 2013
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
