3. Jerusalem: Jesus Christ and St. Paul

Abstract

What we know of the actual life of Jesus comes almost exclusively from the four gospels, primarily from the first three. The earliest of these, believed to be Mark, was written about thirty years after the death of Jesus. Neither Mark nor the other gospels was compiled with a strictly biographical purpose in mind. Each writer selected from written and oral sources what he thought was necessary to provide the Church with an inspiring account of the sayings and acts of its founder, an account which could be used for edifying the faithful and for spreading the gospel In all probability there is in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John a record of no more than 50 or 60 separate days in the life of Jesus. [excerpt