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OF THE FOUR GOSPELS. We have already seen from the Structure on p. 1304, and notes there, that each of the Four Gospels has its own special character and design. These are not to be determined by human ingenuity or on modern lines, but to be gathered from the Structure. This shows that they may be regarded as being the completion of the Old Testament, rather than the beginning of the New. In any case they have nothing whatever to do with the founding of "the Church", or with the beginning of "Christianity" (see Ap. 113, notes on the Structure of the Acts as a whole, and Rom. 15:8). They are the four distinct presentations of the Messiah, and together form one perfect whole. The twofold subject of the Lord's fourfold ministry (Ap. 119) shows this very clearly; and excludes all modern hypotheses. This being so, only those events, miracles, and discourses of our Lord are selected which are needed for the presentation of our Lord and His ministry, and which bear upon, illustrate, and thus emphasize the special object of each Gospel. This is why certain words and works are peculiar to one Gospel, and are omitted from another; and why certain utterances of the Lord are repeated on other occasions, and with varying words. Also why we have "the kingdom of God" in the other Gospels (see Ap. 114). It has been too generally assumed that events and discourses which are similar are identical also. But this is not the case as may be seen from Ap. 116, 152, 153, 155, 156, 157, 158, 163, 164. By failing to distinguish or to "try the things that differ" (Phil. 1:10), and to rightly divide "the word of truth" (2Tim. 2:15) as to its times, events separated by great landmarks of time are brought together and treated as though they were one and the same, whereby difficulties are created which baffle all the attempts of those who would fain remove them. The special object of each of the Four Gospels may be seen from the
Structure on p. 1304.
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