The Gospels are the center and climax of Scripture. In them we finally meet the anticipated fulfillment of the stories and promises of the Old Testament.
In The Four Jesus, the Hope of the World , Patrick Schreiner demonstrates the critical importance of the gospel narratives, not only as the stories of our Savior, but also as the climax of God’s story. Schreiner’s close and nuanced readings of the Gospels skillfully illustrate how the stories of Jesus, and even his very words, interact with the preceding testimony of Israel. For each Gospel, he provides outlines, an overview of the book’s content, and an examination of theological themes and emphases. Schreiner concludes each chapter with an examination of the Gospel as a discipleship text, giving insight for what it means to follow Jesus.
As part of the Scripture Connections series, The Four Gospels includes helpful sidebars with ancient, biblical, gospel, and life connections. Written in an accessible manner, this book will help readers engage more deeply with the stories of the Savior.
The Scripture Connections series is a concise and accessible guide to the Bible that focuses on Scripture's natural unity. Each volume covers a particular set of biblical books, providing a thorough overview of the content and background in a shorter page count than a traditional textbook. The authors bring forward connections between Scripture and the ancient world, other biblical texts, the good news of the gospel, and everyday life, inviting readers to engage more deeply with God's Word.
You can read a longer version of this review at SpoiledMilks (10/10/24). In The Four Gospels, Patrick Schreiner masterfully introduces readers to the shape, structure, and theological aims of each Gospel. Rather than placing the Gospels above the rest of Scripture, Schreiner presents them as its climax—the moment when the light breaks in and Jesus appears. He urges readers to approach the Gospels through three lenses: historical, literary, and whole-book context.
Schreiner provides outlines, interpretive overviews, tables, and sidebars that explore major topics like purity laws, the kingdom, and temple cleansing. He shows how each Gospel writer builds their unique theology of Jesus. Importantly, each chapter ends with connections to the Old Testament, the rest of the Gospels, and life application, along with resources for further study.
Schreiner writes with clarity and energy—this isn’t a dry academic volume but a passionate exploration of the Jesus we meet in Scripture. Students, teachers, and everyday readers alike will benefit from this engaging, well-organized introduction.
Review Disclosure: I received this book free from B&H Academic for an honest review.
While I struggle often with books of this style being falling into the trap of being too much like a textbook OR not giving enough actual information and just being a personal memoir of sorts, this book does an excellent job of threading that needle perfectly.
I learned so much about the depth of the Gospels and how each of them interconnect as well as how they are unique individually because of this book.
Highly, highly recommended reading for anybody pursuing their faith.
Ready this over the 4 months for one of my discipleship group at church. I loved it and learned a lot. It deepened my knowledge on my faith and gave me new perspectives of things I already knew.
What stands out to me about this book is the conciseness. In a relatively short manner, each gospel is explained very well from context and background to gospel applications. Very useful