Why Four Gospels?

by Arthur W. Pink

Why does the New Testament contain four Gospels—four different accounts of the same Man? And don’t the Gospels contradict one another? Masterful Bible teacher Arthur Pink explains how the four Gospels do not contradict but rather collaborate in order to provide us with a deeper, multifaceted description of the person of Jesus Christ. In Matthew, we see Jesus as Messiah and King of the Jews. In Mark, we are introduced to the Servant of Jehovah. In Luke, we see the human Jesus as the Son of Man, Adam’s descendant. Finally, in John, we thrill to the supernatural Jesus who is undoubtedly the Son of God. No believer can truly know Jesus without having an understanding of the four distinct roles He fulfilled in His time on earth. Pink’s in-depth look at the four Gospels will boost your faith and bring you ever closer to a Savior who is fully human, fully divine, and above everything, Lord of all.  

Genres: Christian, Theology

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2009

About the author

Arthur Walkington Pink was born in Nottingham, England on April 1, 1886 and became a Christian in his early 20s. Though born to Christian parents, prior to conversion he migrated into a Theosophical society (an occult gnostic group popular in England during that time), and quickly rose in prominence within their ranks. His conversion came from his father's patient admonitions from Scripture. It was Proverbs 14:12, 'there is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death,' which particularly struck his heart and compelled him to renounce Theosophy and follow Jesus.

Desiring to grow in knowledge of the Bible, Pink migrated to the United States to study at Moody Bible Institute. In 1916 he married Vera E. Russell, from Kentucky. However, he left after just two months for Colorado, then California, then Britain. From 1925 to 1928 he served in Australia, including as pastor of two congregations from 1926 to 1928, when he returned to England, and to the United States the following year. He eventually pastored churches Colorado, California, Kentucky and South Carolina.

In 1922 he started a monthly magazine entitled Studies in Scriptures which circulated among English-speaking Christians worldwide, though only to a relatively small circulation list of around 1,000.

In 1934 Pink returned to England, and within a few years turned his Christian service to writing books and pamphlets. Pink died in Stornoway, Scotland on July 15, 1952. The cause of death was anemia.

After Pink's death, his works were republished by the Banner of Truth Trust and reached a much wider audience as a result. Biographer Iain Murray observes of Pink, "the widespread circulation of his writings after his death made him one of the most influential evangelical authors in the second half of the twentieth century." His writing sparked a revival of expository preaching and focused readers' hearts on biblical living.

Reviews

[Carol Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book by Pink. I have enjoyed and learned from all of his books that I have read. I do feel that he rather stretched the point of some of his arguments but overall, it was very informative concerning the divine purpose of the writing of each of the four gospels.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and learned through it. Nothing was a massive change, but a simple explanations of the focus of the 4 Gospels. Matthew is focused on Jesus as King, Mark on Jesus as Servant, Luke focuses on Jesus as the Son of Man and John on Jesus as the Son of God. I want to read each gospel looking for these traits.
A few criticisms, I think there was too much emphasis on numbers. For example, Luke is the 42 book of the Bible which is significant because 7x6=42 and both 7 and 6 have meanings (and so on and so forth). I know that there is a lot of number things in the Bible that we has modern Western readers do not see, but some of Pink's reasoning seemed a bit of a reach.
My other criticism is the lack of Greek. Pink is very good about giving references throughout the whole book, but some of his points could have been strengthened by the Greek. I don't know how much education Pink had but it seems like it might not have included Greek.
Overall it was good and a worthwhile read. I look forward to reading more by A. W. Pink.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Really easy to follow.

Main highlights were:
Matthew: Focused on Jesus' royal lineage. Aimed at Jewish readers
Mark: Focused on Jesus' servanthood. Aimed at those who serve in the Church.
Luke: Focused on Jesus' humanity. Aimed at all men + women.
John: Focused on Jesus' divinity. Evangelical focus.

Pink is great at highlighting their differences, but also how they aid each other in allowing the believer to understand the depth of Jesus' life. Really liked his focus on numbers, never read any Christian book with such an astute focus on the importance of numbers in the bible.

This is a book to read and re-read!

[Holly Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching The Chosen tv series, I have been on a learning journey to learn more about the disciples. I found this book at the Christian bookstore and so glad I picked it up! I never realized how uniquely different each of the four gospels are! Each gospel focuses on a different description of the person of Jesus! This is a great read!

Here is a quick overview:

“Matthew as King, Mark as Servant, Luke as Son of Man and John as Son of God.”

[Matthew Croswhite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book! So helpful in understanding not only why we have 4 Gospels, but also the nuances between them!

[Abhinay Bitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very informative outlining the intricate details of Holy Spirit's work in relation to the four evangels.

[David Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book that I have read by A.W. Pink and it has me looking forward to reading more of his works. It was a great introduction into the purposes of the four gospels in the New Testament. There were some sections that I felt stretched the text a bit as far as the context of what it meant. That being said, there were several eye opening points that really help build the faith of the reader about the divine inspiration of the books from beginning to end. I recommend on that level alone. Enjoyable read.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the writing can at times seem tedious or redundant, the book is valuable for its in-depth look at the gospels. Pink explains the reason for 4 gospels thoroughly in terms that any reader can understand. Further, he provides detailed examinations of each of the 4 gospels, so that the purpose of each is better illuminated. I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to enrich their understanding of the gospels; the book can also boost faith, as Pink's explanations show explicitly the divine purpose of having exactly 4 gospels.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was great! I absolutely love how he explained how Christ was portrayed in each of the gospels, what things were included in each, and which were left out. His comparisons and contrasts for a story/parable that was in multiple gospels was helpful in really understanding what he had written about previously. I took notes even! :)

[Luís Branco · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is short enough to attract any reader, it is profound in its significance, and I really enjoyed.

[Gabriel Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good little analysis on the Gospels.....Very interesting!