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| The Gospel of Matthew symbol. Matthew the Evangelist, the author of the first gospel account, is symbolized by a winged man, or angel. Matthew's gospel starts with Joseph's genealogy from Abraham; it represents Jesus' Incarnation, and so Christ's human nature. This signifies that Christians should use their reason for salvation. |
Description of Illustration: Black and white illustrations of the four books of the Bible. , transparent backgrounds
Canonical gospels. Of the many gospels written in antiquity, only four gospels came to be accepted as part of the New Testament, or canonical. An insistence upon there being a canon of four gospels, and no others, was a central theme of Irenaeus of Lyons, c. 185. In his central work, Adversus Haereses Irenaeus denounced various early Christian groups that used only one gospel, such as Marcionism which used only Marcion's version of Luke, or the Ebionites, who seem to have used an Aramaic version of Matthew as well as groups that embraced the texts of newer writings, such as the Valentinians (A.H. 1.11).
Irenaeus declared that the four he espoused were the four "Pillars of
the Church": "it is not possible that there can be either more or fewer
than four" he stated, presenting as logic the analogy of the four corners of the earth and the four winds (3.11.8). His image, taken from Ezekiel 1, or Revelation
4:6–10, of God's throne borne by four creatures with four faces—"the
four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side:
and the four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had
the face of an eagle"—equivalent to the "four-formed" gospel, is the
origin of the conventional symbols of the Evangelists: lion, bull,
eagle, man. Irenaeus was ultimately successful in declaring that the
four gospels collectively, and exclusively these four, contained the
truth. He also supported reading each gospel in light of the others.
By the turn of the 5th century, the Catholic Church in the west, under Pope Innocent I, recognized a biblical canon
including the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which had
been previously established at a number of regional Synods, namely the Council of Rome (382), the Synod of Hippo (393), and two Synods of Carthage (397 and 419). This canon, which corresponds to the modern Catholic canon, was used in the Vulgate, an early 5th-century translation of the Bible made by Jerome under the commission of Pope Damasus I in 382.
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| The Gospel of of Mark Symbol, a lion. Mark the Evangelist, the author of
the second gospel account, is symbolized by a winged lion – a figure of
courage and monarchy. The lion also represents Jesus' resurrection
(because lions were believed to sleep with open eyes, a comparison with
Christ in the tomb), and Christ as king. This signifies that Christians
should be courageous on the path of salvation. |
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| The Gospel of Luke Symbol, a bull. Luke the Evangelist, the author of the third gospel account (and the Acts of the Apostles), is symbolized by a winged ox or bull – a figure of sacrifice, service and strength. Luke's account begins with the duties of Zacharias in the temple; it represents Jesus' sacrifice in His Passion and Crucifixion, as well as Christ being High priest (this also represents Mary's obedience). The ox signifies that Christians should be prepared to sacrifice themselves in following Christ. | |
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| The Gospel of John Symbol. John the Evangelist, the author of the fourth gospel account, is symbolized by an eagle
– a figure of the sky, and believed by Christian scholars to be able to
look straight into the sun. John starts with an eternal overview of Jesus the Logos and goes on to describe many things with a "higher" christology than the other three (synoptic) gospels; it represents Jesus' Ascension, and Christ's divine nature.
This symbolizes that Christians should look on eternity without
flinching as they journey towards their goal of union with God. |
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Description of Illustration: bull, apostle seated, symbol of the Gospel of Luke, ancient writings, eyes wide open to recieve the Word of God
