Why Christ in Stereo

My first exposure to a chronological reading of the gospels occurred in 1982 when my Bible Study did The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ Books 1-3.  It was a fabulous experience. Patty, Margaret, Liz, Pat, Kathy, and I walked step by step with Jesus through the pages of Scripture that year, and our lives were forever changed. He sort of rubbed off on us. He still is.

I didn't realize back then that this study was based on A.T. Robertson's A Harmony of the Gospels, but I am looking at my 30 year old study where it says it right there in the preface. Duh. Since that time, I have read through my One Year Chronological Bible several times and purchased A Harmony of the Gospels by Thomas and Gundry that uses a parallel column format that makes it excellent for comparative study of the different gospel texts. Harmonies go all the way back to A.D. 170 when Tatian's Diatessaron appeared to have woven the four gospel accounts into one continuous narrative of the life and words of Jesus Christ.

The first cycle of Year Three of the Bible Book Club, I realized that by the time I was through a couple of gospels, I was constantly referring back to previous backgrounds I had written. So, I got this bright idea to write one background for all the gospels that covered that particular event. So, whether you are reading chronologically or each gospel individually (both beneficial in their own way), I will link it to the background post on this blog.

So why do it this way? Thomas and Gundry write:

A harmony of the gospels provides an important means for studying the four gospels at one time. Though it could never replace the four gospels studied individually, it is an indispensable tool for gaining a well-rounded overview of Jesus' life in all it facets. (p. 5)

Also, it helps you understand the seeming discrepancies in the different gospel accounts:

Another reason for seeming chronological discrepancies in the gospels is that Jesus taught the same truths, told the same parables, and performed similar miracles many times in His three-and-a-half year ministry. So Matthew recorded the contents of the Sermon on the Mount in one large section toward the beginning of Jesus' ministry (Matthew 5-7), while Luke wrote down similar teachings of Jesus throughout His ministry (Luke 6:17-49; 11:1-13; 13:22-30). Undoubtedly Jesus pronounced judgment on those who opposed and harassed Him a number of times, so Matthew tells of an incident in Galilee toward the middle of His ministry (Matthew 12:22-45) while Luke records another such confrontation, this time in Judea, later in His ministry (Luke 11:14-36). These are not contradictions but records of similar events. (The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ: The Beginning, p.5)

So, I hope you can join in the fun. It is a crazy goal, but I am crazy about Jesus. :)

(By the way, I lost Book II of that old version of The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ somewhere along the way, and I just found it on Alibris.com for $4.98. It has also been broken up into seven smaller studies, and you can see it here, but I like the big pages of the old study better.)