The four canonical gospels of the Bible all aim to educate religious groups about the existence and purpose of Jesus Christ. However, the four gospels do not describe this teaching in the same way. In fact, the nature of the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of John vary greatly, particularly with respect to the humanity of Christ and the specific ways in which humans are advised to achieve salvation. Nevertheless, although the gospels often differ in character, both clearly affirm the same instrument by which humans can attain deliverance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Essentially, the gospels of Matthew and John both emphasize the idea that salvation can only be obtained through Jesus Christ. Matthew describes salvation as receiving the same reward that Jesus the prophet received; as Jesus teaches: “He who welcomes you welcomes me, and he who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. He who welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous” (New Oxford Annotated Bible Matt. 10:40-41). In this statement, Jesus implies that since God sent him to earth and God will reward him with salvation, the only way for individuals to receive the same salvation is to welcome and accept Jesus and his teachings. Likewise, in John, the acceptance of Christ leads to salvation, as it is professed: "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Although the precise method by which Jesus brings salvation to his disciples differs between the two gospels, both share the assertion that eternal salvation can only be accomplished through acceptance of Christ and his stated purpose on Earth. A closer look at the relationship between Christ and God provides critical insight into the apparent humanity of Christ's person. In Matthew, the relationship between Christ and God reflects the belief that the connection between God and Jesus is constituted by their similar (but not identical) substance, a principle known as homoiousion. There is no evidence that Jesus existed before his appearance on Earth – a belief common to Judaism, the religion established before Christ's arrival. Instead, Jesus refers to God as “the one who sent him,” implying that he was created by God to become a prophet on Earth (Matthew 10:40). Furthermore, Jesus deliberately distinguishes himself from the Holy Spirit, as he teaches: “Whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this age or in the century to come. come” (Matt. 12:32). By calling himself “Son of Man,” Jesus implies that he shares humanity with humanity, a concept that the idea of ​​the Holy Trinity denies. The belief that Christ's nature is humanistic greatly influences the way his teachings are presented, which in turn significantly impacts the foundations of any biblically based religion. Christ's relationship with Jews and Gentiles supports his human nature and his consequent distinction from God. This most likely comes from the fact that the book of Matthew, unlike the book of John, is part of the synoptic gospels. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) all appear to have been written to appeal specifically to people of Jewish origin, most likely inthe hope of reaching a wider audience. As a result, many of the concepts intrinsic to the teachings are directly related to Judaism. For example, Jesus reminds his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished” (Mt 5:17-18). ). Adherence to mitzvot (religious laws) and Old Testament prophecies are identifying characteristics of Judaism. The Jewish perspective has a considerable impact on how the writer outlines Jesus' precise purpose on Earth and the necessary actions of those who follow him. Thus, the gospel focuses more on the disciples' actual works than on their faith as the basis for their judgment from God. A proverb about the relationship between a slave and his master, for example, supports this idea because it is described that “blessed is the slave whose master will find working when he arrives” (Mt 24:46). By portraying Jesus as supportive of the need for concrete laws, the writer appeals to Jews in aligning Christianity with their own ideological concepts. More importantly, this depiction once again communicates to the reader that Christ has been placed in a very human position, in that his role is directly related to the promotion of specific human behavior rather than the culture of a spiritual existence. Clearly, Jesus' humanity has a crucial influence on the depiction of Jesus' teachings in the book of Matthew. Although both gospels state that Christ is the only vehicle by which to attain salvation, the exact manner in which Christ leads his disciples to deliverance differs greatly. . In Matthew, salvation is achieved through the illumination provided by Jesus. Thus, on the Day of Judgment, Jesus will be able to verify that the soul has followed his teachings. A good summary of this is found in chapter 10: “Whoever therefore acknowledges me before others, him will I also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven… those who lose their life for my sake will find it again” (Mt 10:32-33). Christ is presented by the writer as the one who brings to humanity the knowledge of how to live in accordance with the will of God. Because Jesus will effectively represent their good works, men can achieve salvation by following Jesus' teachings. This interpretation reinforces the humanist characterization of Jesus that Matthew continually affirms. While the Gospel of Matthew appears to have been written in a Jewish context, the Gospel of John incorporates some elements of Gnosticism into its teachings and therefore presents Jesus in a very different way. Gnosticism was the belief that each soul contains a broken piece of the same soul that God is composed of, and that certain knowledge will teach how to free the soul so that it can return to God. The opening of the Gospel contains many Gnostic elements: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through him, and without him was nothing made” (John 1:1-3). Jesus, who is the Word, is united to God by a shared soul; it pre-existed with God and was necessary for the existence of beings - a relationship known as homoiousion. This view differs greatly from the perspective seen in Matthew, which is that of a humanist prophet. Rather than existing solely as a prophet, the personality of Jesus in John exists to connect the eternal soul of God to souls, 2001.