Question 12 from our Scripture Catechism: What are the Gospels and Acts?
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Q12: What are the Gospels and Acts?
A12: A “gospel” is a genre that is a selective biography of the life of Jesus Christ. The gospels are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the synoptic gospels (which means “seen together”). Acts was written by Dr. Luke that shows the first generation after Jesus’ ascension and the spread of the church into Asia and Europe.
Matthew was written primarily to the Jews and emphasized Jesus as our King.
Mark, the amanuensis (secretary) of the Apostle Peter, emphasized Jesus as a servant.
Luke, written to Theophilus (possibly a Roman soldier), was written to the Gentiles and emphasied Jesus as the perfect Man.
John, written about 25-30 years after the Synoptics, was written to both Jew and Gentile and emphasized Jesus as Holy God, the second person of the Trinity.
Acts could well be known as Second Luke—making Luke’s word count the highest in the New Testament. Luke provides an account of the Apostles’ work through the Holy Spirit in the first generation of the church. Acts 1:8 speaks of the witness going from Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth—a pattern that you see play out in this account.
The Gospels and Acts show the fulfillment of the prophecies of the coming Messiah coming to fruition in Christ. The Spirit comes after Christ's ascension to lead them into all truth.
Sermon: Our Unbelieving Belief
I came to Christ when I was just shy of 11 on the last day of Vacation Bible School, July 1982. Ever since that time, I have had different views of what it meant to believe from even before that wonderful day. The way it was presented to me (at least the way I remembered it) was, “If you were to die today, where would you go: heaven or hell? If you don’t trust in Jesus as your Savior, you’re going to hell. But if you trust in His work on the cross, you will go to heaven. Wouldn’t you rather go to heaven?” So, I was going to heaven now. At that time, faith was my ticket to heaven and away from hell.
Over the next eighteen months, my dad’s job took us from Virginia to Michigan, Michigan back to Virginia, then from Virginia to Florida where I stayed until I graduated from college. During that time, I developed a pattern of just trying to fit in. So I adjusted my sense of faith in my hand. No, I wasn’t behaving in a way I heard on Sunday, but God is a God of grace, right? And after all, I’m not as bad as those fellas over there. I was looking at the wrong object in determining correct faith.
In my senior year of high school, God was working. We had some emphases at church that God used to get me thinking. I was scribbling on my folder in Mr. Crockett’s class the sentence, “Jesus is Lord.” Brandon Lewis saw this--and I had known Brandon since 7th grade--and said, “Gee, Perry--I didn’t know you were a Christian.” God used that to remind me that my faith must not be just a decision but a life in Christ.
Soon after, I began to voraciously read my Bible every single day. I began to feel stronger in my faith--but that strength turned into pride. I felt on the mountaintop and began to wonder why those in my church didn’t exhibit such faith that I did. My faith began to be leveraged for my own pride.
Then the valley came. I didn’t feel on the mountaintop. I began to struggle. My emotions were torched. And for about a year, I could not feel God at all. What was worse, I did not feel I could share this horrible situation I was going through with anyone at church--I didn’t feel like anyone could understand. I believed--but my unbelief was terrifying me.
Christ shows us the right type of faith to possess.
Learn How to Read the Gospels