Gospel Harmony

[BC Editor]

Dear all,

at various times, so-called "gospel harmonies" have been published, in which the records from the four gospels are arranged into a chronological order in an attempt to provide a better overall scope of what the four gospels teach. I have seen and used harmonies for my personal Bible study which are based on either a 3.5 year or a 1 year duration of the public ministry of Jesus.

Has anyone else used gospel harmonies for study? if so, what has been the benefit? Further input and insights are appreciated.

[Durbin]

I read one by Walter Cummins. It addressed harmonious sections and dated events but overall I can't say it answered questions I still have.

I may look into Kurt Aland's harmony. I think he has one. Does anyone know of it or read it?

[BC Editor]

Hi John

I may look into Kurt Aland's harmony. I think he has one. Does anyone know of it or read it?

I know that there is a harmony of the gospels by K. Aland availabe in German, but am not sure where one could find one in English. Perhaps one of the Christian publishers or the American Bible Society may have ...

[Durbin]

I've been reading Raymond E Brown's Introduction to the New Testament and he deals with the Gospels and a harmony. He feels a harmony does more harm, "impoverish" than good, "enrich". He noted the Catholic Church changed it's liturgy practice of reading the Gospels together to reading one book at a time and that other churches have followed suit.

He uses examples of harmonization vs. individual views such as the early cleansing of the temple in John's Gospel and the latter cleansing in others. Then says one must conclude there were 2 cleansings. He then uses other obvious cases and concludes the harmonizer must conclude there was more than one.

Either way, whatever model or framework is used, it still can be interesting to me to see the ministry of Christ from the cannonical Gospels material.