WAREHAM, MA — “Comparing the Gospels in parallel can show you things you never saw reading them individually,” according to David A. Reed, editor of Parallel Gospels in Harmony–with Study Guide. “And this book lets you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John side by side.”
Reed’s new book features the four Gospels in parallel columns, arranged so that similar passages appear next to each other. “For example, take the swordplay in the Garden of Gethsemane,” he said. “One of Jesus’ disciples cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant according to all four Gospels. But only John tells us the servant’s name, and that it was Peter who wielded the sword. And only Luke tells us that Jesus healed the wound. This book allows you to see all of this at a glance.”
“Other examples include Jesus’ warnings against “the leaven of the Pharisees’ and “the abomination that causes desolation,'” Reed added. “Neither warning can be fully understood without comparing the passages in Matthew, Mark and Luke side by side.”
The concept is not new. Christian writers have produced parallel works harmonizing the Gospels since the early Church, and there are several such books in print today. But Reed’s is the first to use the modern language World English Bible. He also departs from the tradition of breaking up the text into numbered pericopes or episodes, and instead presents it in an unbroken readable format similar to regular Bibles, with page headings.
An integrated Study Guide adds to this book’s uniqueness among Gospel harmonies. It features questions to facilitate personal study and group discussion.
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Reed also breaks the mold by dedicating his book to the public domain, without copyright restrictions, so that anyone can freely copy or reprint it. Helpful footnotes clarify issues encountered when comparing the different Gospel accounts, and a Scripture Index facilitates finding passages.
David A. Reed has authored more than a dozen books
on Bible topics, including Mormons Answered Verse by Verse and the popular Jehovah’s Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse (Baker Book House). He served for a decade as a contributing editor of Dr. Walter Martin‘s Christian Research Journal.
For more information about this new book see
www.ParallelGospelsInHarmony.com
– Source: Press Release, David A. Reed, July 30, 2009
Buy from Amazon.com
Parallel Gospels in Harmony — with Study Guide
See Also
Research resources on The Bible
The Synoptic Problem Research resources on the similarities and differences in content, order, and wording between the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke
Parallel Gospels
Other books with or about parallel Gospels
Article details
Related topic(s): Bible, David A. Reed, Parallel gospels
First published (or major update) on Monday, August 3, 2009.
Last updated on August 03, 2009. Original content is © Copyright Apologetics Index. All Rights Reserved. For usage guidelines see link at the bottom.
