What is a gospel? The word is thrown around rather loosely these days. People might speak of the “gospel truth” as a way of giving surety to their statements, and it seems that there is a “gospel according to” just about everything. Books abound on the gospel according to LOST, The Simpsons, Starbucks, and more. But when Christians speak of this category of writing known as the “gospels” what exactly do we mean? Identifying and properly understanding the genre known as the gospels can help us properly handle criticisms leveled against the historicity of the Gospels.
The Bible is not exactly a flat book. It contains a variety of genres, or different styles of writing. We find within the pages of Scripture poetry, proverb, prophecy, parable, history, letters, and much more. God has spoken to us in a myriad of ways to speak to the myriads of different people that exist. Vern Poythress notes that God can even use fiction for his purposes, though he does not present fiction as if it were fact (Inerrancy and the Gospels, 40). Understanding the type of genre we are reading is crucial to proper interpretation. I use to tell my English students that reading a fantasy novel about riding magical unicorns to the cloud city makes sense, but reading an autobiography where the author speaks about riding magical unicorns to the cloud city is very different. Genre helps us to determine the appropriate interpretive rules. So as we think about how to read and interpret the gospels we should begin by carefully considering their genre. What is a gospel?
The term “gospel” simply means “good news,” but that doesn’t necessarily tells us everything about the type of writing we find in the New Testament. As part of a cursory introduction to the genre of the gospels we will draw out a few key principles. We may begin by asserting that the gospels are a type of historical writing. That’s certainly how Luke views his content. In the prologue to his gospel account we read:
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us,just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)
Note the language that Luke uses here. He is concerned with telling us about things that really happened. He says that the content of the book is a compilation of “the things that have been accomplished among us” (1:1). He mentions “eyewitnesses” to the events (1:2). He has done his research by following “all things closely for some time past,” (1:3) and concerns himself now with writing “an orderly account” in order to give Theophilus “certainty” (1:4). This is a man who views his role as a historian. Vern Poythress notes that in Luke 1:5 the “Greek style shifts to a style imitating the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. By so doing, the Gospel of Luke links itself to the pattern of history writing in the Old Testament” (41). Luke is writing history.
Of course critics may retort that claims to historical accuracy are hardly sufficient support to conclude it is accurate. But remember that Luke’s goal is to give Theophilus “certainty,” writing an inaccurate history doesn’t provide that. Furthermore, since God is the author behind the author we can rest confident that historical accuracy is achieved.
We should be careful here, however, to conclude simply that the gospels are a type of historical writing. For there is more to the gospels than just some similarities to other genres of history. The gospels are really a genre unto themselves. In many ways the genre is distinct because of its unique focus and its unique authority. Poythress notes:
God brought into being this specialized genre in the context of the early church, without any exact parallels preceding it, because the events and their meaning were unparalleled. (44)
The gospels are unlike any other genre because they detail events unlike any other. Their focus is on the redemptive plan of God, and they speak of those events with divine authority. This makes them unique in terms of historical documents. They share similarities to other forms of historical writing, but clearly they are unique.
As we turn to evaluate the gospels we must keep these principles in mind. We cannot apply unilaterally the exact same interpretive rules to the gospels that we would apply to other forms of Hellenistic histories. The gospel is a unique genre, and though God is the creator of all genres, he has a unique relationship to the gospels themselves. Again we see that the worldview we use to evaluate the Scriptures affects how we understand them.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 