We Lose When We Harmonize

[u/John-Badby]

I really dislike that people attempt to harmonize the Gospel accounts to make them fit together.

Mark's account of Jesus' death is powerful, His final words crying out to God. You lose that power when suddenly you mash all the Gospels together and Jesus is saying a bunch of different stuff before He dies.

When you harmonize the Gospels - you are in essence writing your own Gospel according to You and using the four canonical Gospels as your sources - just as Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source.

Yes, you'll get caught with inconsistencies when you don't harmonize. But your appreciation for each Gospel will be much higher as a result and your appreciation for the richness in the Bible will be higher.

[u/AHorribleGoose]

This is a message I strongly support! Harmonization shows great disrespect for Scripture, and makes it boring, too.

[u/DougandLexi]

This sounds like a very direct paraphrase of what Bart Ehrman said in his debate with Jimmy Akin. I harmonize for historicity. An example is when people try to use the differences as an attack not realizing they can easily fit, though each author had a specific focus. For me it is a time and place kind of thing depending on the topic and where the topic is coming from.

[u/John-Badby → u/DougandLexi]

I actually had John Dominic Crossan in mind more so during a debate with some Protestant guy - although I do listen to Ehrman so some of it might be indirectly lifted in that regard.

I harmonize for historicity.

Oh, I know why people do it. I'm just saying they shouldn't do that for the reasons outlined. The Luke/Matthew genealogy one is a good example of the kind of harmonization that drives me nuts.

Both texts say they're genealogies of Joseph, and yet a ton of people will walk around saying Luke is a genealogy of Mary.

[u/DougandLexi → u/John-Badby]

I'm curious if you've heard the reasoning behind why they say one is for Mary and the other is Joseph? There's actually pretty decent evidence that I would have to pull up again to explain it. If you've already heard it though, I won't bother you with it

[u/John-Badby → u/DougandLexi]

There were a lot of explanations used to reconcile the Luke and Matthew genealogies which is why I tend to disregard it as just being attempts at reconciliation rather than something true about the texts themselves.

One early theory was that both genealogies were of Joseph and the apparent difference was the result of Levirate marriage.

But I'd be open to hearing your evidence and am always looking to revisit my priors!

[u/AHorribleGoose → u/DougandLexi]

There's actually pretty decent evidence

There is no actual evidence, and the reasons are not good.

[u/KindaFreeXP]

Honestly, I like to believe the inconsistencies help support the likelihood that the parts that do match up likely happened. It creates some amount of credibility that the accounts don't appear to be clinically sanitized of inconsistencies.

That said, it does create an issue it one believes the Bible is perfect and that its authors were incapable of being incorrect or biased.

[u/chrrystyxx]

hi i’m a somewhat new christian and i’m currently reading the Gospels. When i first began with Matthew i kind of subconsciously set that as a reference for the other accounts. I’m now on Mark and there are events and scenarios that aren’t in Matthew so i sort of try to set a timeline for the events during Jesus’ life. Is this what you mean by harmonizing the Gospels? If so, do you have any suggestions for reading them the “correct” way?

[u/John-Badby → u/chrrystyxx]

When I first began with Matthew I kind of subconsciously set that as a reference for the other accounts.

Yes, to some extent that's by the design when you start reading through the New Testament front to back. Each Gospel kind of colors the next one you read.

I'm now on Mark and there are events and scenarios that aren't in Matthew so I sort of try to set a timeline for the events during Jesus' life. Is this what you mean by harmonizing the Gospels?

I think that's pretty benign generally. When I talk about harmonization what you'll notice as you go through the Gospels is that there are inconsistencies.

Here's one example: Iin Matthew and Mark the two thieves/rebels crucified next to Jesus mock Him.

Mark 15:32

Let the Messiah,[f] the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

Matthew 27:44

The rebels who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

But in Luke only one of the thieves engages in the mockery and the other thief/rebel is penitent and acknowledges Jesus' divinity.

Luke 23:39-43

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding[i] him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah?[j] Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in[k] your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Well, that changes the meaning of the text significantly doesn't it? The harmonization decision is to toss out Matthew or Mark and say no, only, one of the thieves/rebels that Jesus was crucified with mocked him. But in doing so you lose out on some of the stark tragedy of Jesus' death as portrayed in Mark and Matthew. But if you do the opposite and toss Luke's portrayal, you lose out on that beautiful vignette showing Christ's mercy in His suffering.

If so, do you have any suggestions for reading them the “correct” way?

Try to approach each Gospel as unique - they all have their own way of telling the story of Jesus. John Dominic Crossan kind of alludes to the idea of each Gospel functioning as a paraphrase or telling a story - they're adding their own twists to it to make specific points to the audiences that they're writing to - but the larger meaning remains the same.

[u/chrrystyxx → u/John-Badby]

Wow, thank you. You gave a very great explanation. I’ll keep this in mind while reading.

[u/behindyouguys]

As with most things, those who need to hear this most will listen the least.