Diversity in Interpretations*

   Christian biblical books evolved over about a one-hundred-year period. We know that our primary accounts of Jesus are in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Although hundreds of stories could have been used, the Gospel writers chose certain ones to interpret the life, purpose, and ministry of Jesus for new believers. This selection and shaping of the stories to address the questions and needs of their respective communities resulted in our four Gospels.

Stained glass window of Jesus with symbols of his identity, Church of the New Covenant, Kani, Alaska. Made of plastic with glass chips by Betty Ames and Clarice Kipp.

   Variations exist among the Gospels. For example, the writer of John does not mention bread and wine at the Last Supper, but he includes a discourse about the Bread of Life. Some of the most ancient versions of Mark stop at chapter 16, verse 8, before any witness to the resurrection. The Lord’s Prayer appears only in Matthew and Luke, and these are not identical. The story of raising Lazarus from the dead appears only in the Gospel of John.

   These variations do not mean that one Gospel is true and the others are not. When the early church compiled these texts into our Bible, they decided that all four were valid witnesses to Jesus. They did not require word-for-word parallel texts and they did not merge them into one narrative. The differences stood as a witness to the diverse communities in the early church.

   John addressed a largely Greek audience and used the dualism of light and dark imagery that evoked Greek philosophy. Matthew wrote primarily to Palestinian Jews and used the language of fulfillment of Hebrew Scriptures. Paul addressed his letters to cosmopolitan, urban, Hellenized Jews. The circumstances and cultures of the writers affected the style and the content used to communicate the message of Jesus.

   Although we affirm diversity, and the early church did welcome Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free, church history has included conflict and division. Today, there continues to be division within the Body of Christ, based on issues of interpretation and authority of Scripture. Some divisions reflect petty differences, but many are based on substantive issues.

   Symbol of Trinity, Celtic Knot Style

    Crucial historical and church issues such as Holy Communion, the role of women, church structure and authority, the nature of the Trinity, race relations, baptism, salvation by faith, and speaking in tongues--to name a few--contributed to the divisions we live with today. These divisions led to the formation of thousands of Christian denominations and faith communities.

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