christian@topaz.UUCP (02/18/87)
The four gospels represent four views of Christ, similar to the vision which Ezekiel saw concerning Christ: As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, And the face of a lion, on the right side: And they four had the face of an ox on the left side; They four also had the face of an eagle. Ezekiel 1:10 If I am not mistaken, we see the following figures and types in the four gospels: Matthew is the face of the lion (king/royalty/David/kingdom of heaven) Mark is the face of the ox (service/sacrifice) Luke is the face of a man (son of man/salvation/adam) John is the face of an eagle (divinity/son of God/Jesus Christ our God) As can be seen, each of the four gospels presents Jesus Christ in one of these four types. When we read through Matthew we sense Christ as king, when we read through Mark we sense Christ as the servant, when we read Luke we sense Christ as the son of man in His humanity, and when we read John we sense Christ as the son of God, God in the flesh, manifesting God's glory to man. The differences or contradictions we read between the four are not difficulties with the gospels, but difficulties in our own understanding. There are no errors in the gospels, as in all Scriptures. The events portrayed all happened as written. Each writer, as God well intended, saw and wrote what he saw under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and therefore expressed the glory of God the way God wanted it expressed. Ken Hall Atlanta, GA