Book Review: The Parallel Lives of Jesus

Parallel Lives of Jesus: A Guide to the Four Gospels. By Edward Adams. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011. 200 pp. $25.00

««««« (four out of five)

I’ve seen it cited many times that J.I. Packer said we should constantly meditate “on the four gospels, over and above the rest of our Bible reading.” I’ve confessed my own preference for Paul’s letters before, because I find his statements to be easier to understand and accept than those of Jesus. It’s far easier for me to take Paul’s general principles and diffuse them into the air than it is to take Jesus’ “hard” statements and talk my way around them.

The four Gospels aren’t just a bunch of morality stories. They communicate truth essential to the salvation of all people. In Edward Adams’ Parallel Lives of Jesus: A Guide to the Four Gospels, he seeks to help believers see the gospels as a coherent unity. It isn’t that we have four gospels, but rather we have four accounts of the life of Jesus, each with its unique contribution and emphasis. Edwards accomplishes a lot in just under 200 pages, making the book both accessible to most readers and a helpful starting point for a more in-depth study of one or more of the Gospels “according to…”

The book is split in three sections. The first is more of an introduction to viewing the Gospels as parallel accounts of the same story. The stress on the unity and coherence is helpful for those who’ve given themselves more to the differences of the Gospels than to the common story. The next two sections are much more detailed. One deals with the unique characteristics of each Gospel as well as its individual contribution to the overall message of the four. Edwards, like most scholars today, believes Mark was written first and that Matthew and Luke used his account in writing their own. He further holds that John was at least aware of the Gospel according to Mark and wrote his account intending to avoid much overlap.

Personally, the last section I found as more of an open door than a walled-in room. It highlights a few important events in the Gospels with multiple attestations. For instance, the account of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee is described in Matthew, Mark, and John. By comparing the various accounts, Edwards presents a fuller picture of the event and helps draw out the individual emphases of each Gospel writer. I’ve been using this practice in our small group study of the Gospel according to Mark and it has helped our people better understand the author’s meaning and more firmly cements the story in their minds. I’m planning on using it more in future studies.

In the end, the book is a useful resource for reading the first four books of the New Testament and developing a more comprehensive understanding of how they fit together and what sets them apart from each other. The final section shows promise as a demonstration of what is possible in both group and individual study. This and a good harmony of the gospels would be more conducive to personal study of the Bible than the more academic (and comprehensive) tomes by Blomberg and Stein, though I find myself frequently turning to those as well.

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I received a digital copy of this work from the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Red Letters

People like John MacArthur amaze me. This man has built much of his ministry preaching through the four Gospels. He writes books about Jesus, the parables, the hard sayings. This is a man who not only prefers the teachings of Jesus, but actively writes about them and lives by them.

I’m smaller than him. I look at passages like Ephesians 1 and Romans 9 and I can’t get enough of it. Open up Titus and I’m there. Whereas some people are afraid of Paul because he talks about election, predestination, and people who are destined to destruction, I’m afraid of the red letters, that is, the words of Jesus. Paul is great for the theologian in me. The red letters are scary for the “me” in me.

Sure, Paul talks about big sacrifices, giving until it hurts, and suffering for the gospel, but for some reason my mind can handle that. It’s when I come to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that I get really uncomfortable.

Do I seek to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven the way Jesus describes, by being servant to all? Do I forgive others or do I hold their sins over them like the wicked servant? Am I more like the self-righteous Pharisee or the wicked tax collector?

Jesus says some pretty tough stuff. He talks about becoming a eunuch for the Kingdom, selling all your possessions, or giving someone the clothes off your back. I struggle with this. I read the words and have to ask, “What is Jesus asking me to do here?” Do you think Jesus doesn’t call some of us to literally sell all? To give up everything? To total celibacy? Beyond this, is there something deeper to which He calls all of His followers?

I’m reading through the Gospels. I plan on spending more time in them than I have in the past. And instead of just reading through them, I’m trying to apply them to my life as well. This is tough. This is challenging. But this is what Jesus has called us to do.