Dear Brother Rushmore, A few years ago a man, during a Bible class, mentioned that the four books of the gospels should not be included in the New Testament because they were only written to the Jews concerning matters of the law of Moses. This was the first time I had ever heard such an idea. I heard the same statement made just today from someone from a different congregation in another part of the country. Are you familiar with this “idea” and how would you answer someone who holds this point of view? Your sister in Christ, Teresa Rachels
Usually, there is an underlying reason why one imagines that the Gospel records do not belong in the New Testament canon. It has nothing to do with the proper placement of the Gospel records in either the Old Testament or the New Testament. It has everything to do with a doctrine in the Gospel records that some earnestly desire to disassociate from contemporary amenability. The doctrine is found in Matthew 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18. In these verses, Jesus Christ disallowed divorce and remarriage except for a single reason — “fornication.” Further, our Lord permitted remarriage to the innocent party alone. Understandably, Christ’s words are far from popular in society, and unfortunately, little more popular sometimes among Christians.
There are a number of reasons why any proposal to dislodge the Gospel records from the New Testament canon is misguided and incorrect. (1) There are 400 years of divine silence between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. That by itself is a sufficient line of demarcation between divine revelation of the Old Testament and new revelation pertinent to the New Testament. While it is true that the revelation from God, which when written appears in the Gospel records, was received while Patriarchy (for non-Jews) and Judaism (for Jews) were still effective, the Gospel records were preparatory to and pertained to the Gospel Age. Jesus made a clear distinction between what was permitted under Judaism, for instance, and what he as the Son of God demanded; consider his statements in the Sermon on the Mount when our Lord said, “But I say unto you” (Matthew 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44).
(2) The Gospel records were written well after the Law of Moses was replaced with the New Testament and many years after the church began (Acts 2). The first three Gospel records were written about 30 years after the events they chronicle occurred. The Gospel of John was penned 60 or 65 years after the events in it transpired. Obviously, the instruction in these Gospel records was intended for people amenable to the Gospel, after the Law of Moses and Patriarchy had long since ceased to have God’s approval.
(3) The reason that there are four Gospel records has to do with the different segments of civilization to which each appeals. Matthew was written for the Jewish reader. Mark was written for the Roman reader. Luke was written for Gentile readers. John is a universal Gospel record written for any and every person. Each Gospel record tells the same message, each worded in a way to communicate best with a specific audience. Obviously, Gospel records tailored for Romans, Greeks and people of all races, ethnicities and nationalities pertain to audiences beyond those of Jewish ancestry or those keeping the Law of Moses.
(4) Jettisoning the Gospel records from the New Testament canon to dispense with our Lord’s teaching about marriage, divorce and remarriage also dispenses with other Bible doctrines. For instance, what is often called the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47) and the Christian responsibility to evangelize the world with the Gospel is lost to us when the Gospel records are discarded from the New Testament. Some of our Lord’s parables are styled kingdom parables because they provide valuable insights into the kingdom or church (Matthew 16:18-19), but these teachings are lost to us if the Gospel records are discarded from the New Testament. The emphasis placed by many on the red-letters representing the words of Jesus in the New Testament (mostly in the Gospel records) is largely lost if the Gospel records are disallowed their place in the New Testament. The Gospel records are full of teaching applicable to the Christian Age that are diverted from contemporary application if the Gospel records were removed from the New Testament canon.
(5) The Greek physician Luke and writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts represented the volumes he penned as companion volumes. The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts overlap their accounts to provide an uninterrupted narration. Both books were not only penned by the same person, but they were written to the same recipient. No one imagines that the Book of Acts does not belong in the New Testament; it contains cases of conversion and the history of the early church. Consequently, it is obvious that both the Gospel of Luke (as well as the other Gospel records) and the Book of Acts rightfully belong in the New Testament canon.
(6) The Jews have never included the Gospel records in the Old Testament canon.
(7) Anciently, the Gospel records have been included in the New Testament canon equally with other books that also appear in the New Testament.
Doubtless, other considerations could also be enumerated that substantiate the rightful place of the Gospel records in the New Testament canon. These points above, though, are sufficient to establish the fallacy of discounting the inclusion of the Gospel records in the New Testament.
