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Gospels of Mark and Matthew

            The Gospels of Mark and Matthew while being of the same synoptic tradition contain many differences. Although much of the material is similar we can find many variances between certain accounts of the same stories. There are many theories as to why the stories differ in certain accounts, but the basic reasons for this discrepancy can be discover through critical observation. .
             The two authors have reasons for writing different stories and accounts. Both have a message to convey, and both have an audience to speak to. Each Gospel is written in a manner that reflects what the author's purpose is behind the words and stories, as each is trying to do something different with the same original tradition.
             Through careful study many theologians have discovered that Mark's Gospel most likely was written first, probably around 70 CE. Therefore most scholars conclude that Mark was a source used by Matthew. Because of this we can contrast Mark and Matthew in a more distinct light, and analyze how and why Matthew would have made certain additions or subtractions. .
             The first contrast to look at is the messages of the two Gospels. Mark uses the symbolism of the cross as a representation of Jesus, while Matthew uses the symbol of the Torah. Why the two different symbols? Mark's Gospel focuses on the following of Jesus. Mark tells us we must all pick and bear our own cross in order to follow in the footsteps of our lord. While Mark's Gospel brings us in with its astonishment and wonder, we are dropped of at the roadside half way through being told to walk the rest of the way ourselves.
             Matthews Gospel has a different purpose. Matthew reads more like an instruction manual. This directly relates to Matthew's portrayal of Jesus as a teacher. By following the lessons in Matthew we can follow Jesus. This is probably one of the reasons the Catholic Church liked this Gospel especially. It is easier to understand certain messages when they are laid out in this fashion.


Essays Related to Gospels of Mark and Matthew

1. The Gospel of Matthew - The Messiah

Matthews's gospel was presented around the same time as the gospel of Luke whose author also used the gospel of Mark. ... The next few chapters of Matthew are very similar to the ones in Mark's Gospel. ... Like in the Gospel of Mark Jesus also heals the sick and drives out a number of demons in Matthew's Gospel. ... Another thing that Matthew's Gospel shows that is similar to Mark's Gospel is how Jesus spoke in parables. ... The Gospel of Matthew was very similar to Marks's Gospel that we have already read. ...

  • Word Count: 1632
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Comparison Of Matthew & Mark

In reading the Gospels according to Mark and Matthew I was fascinated by many things. ... Unlike Matthew's explanation, Mark has little tolerance for dialogue and personal reflection. Matthew warms up his audience by giving the some historical background before documentation of a miracle by Jesus; Mark covers three miracles in the first chapter. I found it interesting that both Matthew and Mark did not begin their interpretations with the story Jesus" birth. ... Mark's gospel includes only a sampling of Jesus" parables and focuses on events rather than speeches and perspectives. ...

  • Word Count: 274
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Matthew's Gospel

The story is very similar to that of the one in Matthew's Gospel. ... By doing this it shows the audience that Matthew's gospel was written later then Mark's. ... The Gospel of Matthew as shown came after the Gospel of Mark and this meant that some of the stories would be similar but just written in different ways. ... Also, it taught me the influence that Mark had on Matthew and how much Matthew's Gospel was Mark's but just written without the detail. When first reading the two Gospels, one might think that Matthew's Gospel is better but then one realizes tha...

  • Word Count: 1659
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Mark's Gospel

The Gospel of Mark is so titled because a man named Mark wrote it. ... In all The Gospel of Mark records 18 miracles of Jesus (a similar number to Matthew and Luke) but only 5 parables compared to the 18 in Matthew and 19 in Luke. ... Mark does not include the three specific temptations that we find in Matthew and Luke. ... Chapter 8 of Mark's Gospel brings a turning point in the Gospel. ... Mark's Gospel is not the Gospel for telling of the life of Jesus, that's for Luke and Matthew. ...

  • Word Count: 1145
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Mark

The writer of this gospel is believed to be John Mark and he seems to have been the same Mark mentioned as a traveling companion of Apostle Paul. ... Mark is the shortest gospel, and is believed to be the first gospel written. ... Mark gives us a look at Jesus that is not quite like the gospels that precedes it in the canon (but likely not in history), Matthew. ... Mark also gives an anonymous reference to himself which does not occur in the other gospels. ... Mark seems to be one of the sources relied on by both Matthew and Luke to give the accounts on the life and ministry of Jesus Chr...

  • Word Count: 537
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Matthew

There are four different Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and each has their own unique vision of Jesus's life. Matthew's Gospel is the most read, his is also the longest and most complete of the four. ... These kinds of examples of Matthew's writing style are present through out his gospel. ... In Matthew's gospel Pharisee's are a very strict Jewish people. ... In conclusion, The Jewish - Christian character of Matthew is evident in his concept of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, a theme which is more prominent in Matthew than in either Mar...

  • Word Count: 762
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

7. The Storytellers - The Men Who Wrote the Gospels

The first three gospels of the New Testament of the Bible, the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are referred to as the "Synoptic Gospels " because they each contain many of the same stories, oftentimes having similar wording and being in same sequence as each other. ... However, the most widely accepted theory, named the Four-Source Hypothesis, comes from Marcan Priority and supports that Mark was the first gospel written, making it, along with three other sources, called Q, M, and L, the basis for the stories in Matthew and Luke. One of the stories that occur in Mark that also ...

  • Word Count: 1542
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Structure Of Matthew

The Structure of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew was written nearly two thousand years ago in a language that has since fallen into obscurity. While much of the gospel is still a mystery?... which appears nine times in Matthew and not once in the other gospels (Bacon, Studies in Matthew). ... If the Old Testament prophecies were not enough to establish Jesus as King of the Jews, Matthew's author incorporates a genealogy of Christ that is nonexistent in Mark and largely different from the one in Luke. ... Matthew is the gospel written by a Jew for Jews. ...

  • Word Count: 1823
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. The Gospels of Mark and John

Today the word "gospel" is used to describe the four New Testament books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that present the life of Christ. ... This can be seen in the biblical literature in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. ... The main three themes in the Gospel Mark are very simple. ... The next theme portrayed in the Gospel of Mark is authority. ... The Gospel of Mark is thought to be written by John Mark who is said to be a servant of the disciple Peter. ...

  • Word Count: 1556
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

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