Episode 559: Harmonizing the Gospels

How do we make sense of the differences within the four Gospels?

Readers of the Bible can't help but notice that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John sometimes tell the same stories differently. Was there one angel at the tomb (Matthew), or two (Luke)? Did Jesus cleanse the Temple at the beginning of his ministry (John), or near the end (Matthew)? In this episode, we explore how to make sense of this variety within the Gospel accounts. We discuss apparent contradictions, the literary conventions of first-century biographies, and how to read the Gospels with wise confidence in the reliability of Scripture.

Chapters: (0:00) Introductions: The Problem of Harmonization (4:27) Not Video Camera Footage (10:50) Place Names and Geography (14:25) Order, Grouping, and Theological Structure (21:09) Letting Matthew Be Matthew