Reading the Bible

Structural and Geographical Comparisons of the Four Gospels

GOSPEL acc. to...	Mark	Mattew	Luke	John
Approximate Date	very late 60’s	late 70’s (or 80’s)	(late 70’s) or 80’s	late 80’s or 90’s
Number of Chapters	16	28	24	21
Introduction:      Literary Preface      Genealogy      Infancy Narrative	1:1      1:1 ("good news")       xxx       xxx	1:1 - 2:23       xxx       1:1-17       1:18 - 2:23	1:1 - 2:52      1:1-4 ("orderly account")       [3:23-38]       1:5 - 2:52	1:1-18 (prologue)       1:1-18 ("Word of God")       xxx       [1:14]
Preparatory Episodes:      John Baptist's Preaching      Baptism of Jesus      Temptation of Jesus	1:2-13       1:2-8       1:9-11       1:12-13	3:1 - 4:11       3:1-12       3:13-17       4:1-11	3:1 - 4:13       3:1-20       3:21-22       4:1-13	1:1-51       1:19-36       [1:31-33]       xxx
Jesus' Early Ministry,  mostly to Jews in Galilee:      Initial Preaching      Call of First Disciples      Outside of Galilee	1:14 - 8:21       1:14-15       1:16-20       5:1-20, 7:24 - 8:13	4:12 - 16:12       4:12-17       4:18-22       8:28-34 15:21-28	4:14 - 9:17       4:14-30       5:1-11       8:26-39, xxx	[Ch. 2, 4, 6]       xxx       1:35-51       xxx
On the Way to Jerusalem     Initial Stages         1st Passion Prediction         2nd Passion Prediction     To Jerusalem Itself         3rd Passion Prediction	8:22 - 10:52    8:22 - 9:50       8:31-33       9:30-32    10:1-52       10:32-34	16:13 - 20:34    16:13 - 18:35       16:21-23       17:22-23    19:1 - 20:34       20:17-19	9:18 - 19:27    9:18-50       9:22       9:43-45    9:51 - 19:27       18:31-34	[xxx]       [7:1-9]       xxx       xxx      [2:13, 5:1, 7:10]       xxx
Ministry in Jerusalem      Teachings & Disputes      Eschatological Discourse	11:1 - 13:37      11:1 - 12:44      13:1-37	21:1 - 25:46      21:1 - 23:39      24:1-36	19:28 - 21:38      19:1 - 21:4      21:5-36	[Ch. 3, 5, 7-12]      most of this      xxx
Passion Week      Last Supper      Crucifixion	14:1 - 15:47      14:17-31      15:22-41	26:1 - 27:66      26:20-35      27:33-56	22:1 - 23:56      22:14-38      23:33-49	13:1 - 19:42      13:1 - 17:26      19:17-37
Resurrection Narrative      Empty Tomb Story       Appearance Stories	16:1-8      16:1-8      xxx [16:9-20 added later]	28:1-20      28:1-8      28:9-10,16-20	24:1-53      24:1-12      24:13-53	20:1-31 [21:1-25 added later]      20:1-13      20:14-31, 21:1-25

This page is also convenient to compare the Synoptic Gospels in the context of the Q Source.