Reading the Gospels Well 6 Week Course Begins

READING THE GOSPELS WELL

Understanding, Interpreting, and Applying the Story of Jesus.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The four Gospels stand at the heart of the Christian faith. They introduce us to Jesus—his words, his actions, his ministry, his death and resurrection; and invite us to become his disciples. But how do we know that the Gospel accounts we read today are reliable? Why do Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John sometimes tell the same stories differently? How should we understand a passage in its historical, literary, and biblical context? And how do we move from reading a Gospel passage to understanding what it means and applying it faithfully? This six-week course will provide practical tools for studying the Gospels with greater confidence and depth. The first three weeks will establish the foundations; and each week will be hands-on workshops where we learn by studying Gospel passages together.

SESSION DATES & TIMES

Pending the launch of our Stamford Campus, sessions will be held on Wednesday evenings at the Stamford Campus for 90 minutes, from 6:30 PM - 8 PM, and will be taught by Pastor Chuck. Below are each week's focus and content. 

10/14 | Week 1 - Can we trust the Gospels?

Reliability of the Gospel texts; how the New Testament text has come down to us; manuscripts and textual transmission; authorship and eyewitness testimony; what textual variants do—and do not—mean for our confidence in Scripture.

10/21 | Week 2 - Four Gospels, One Jesus

How the Gospels developed and why we have four; similarities and differences among Matthew, Mark, and Luke; the distinctive character of John; historical and literary context; how the Gospels fit within the larger story and flow of the Bible.

10/28 | Week 3 – Learning to Study the Gospels

Introduction to a practical study method: Observation → Interpretation → Application. Learning to ask good questions of the text; examining context, structure, repeated words, characters, geography, Old Testament connections, and theological themes. Introduction to study Bibles, commentaries, Bible dictionaries, online resources, and tools such as BibleProject.

11/04 | Week 4 – Practicum I: Learning to Observe

Participants work through a selected Gospel passage with minimal outside resources. Learning to slow down and see what is actually present in the text: structure, repetition, movement, dialogue, characters, contrasts, surprises, and questions. Groups compare observations before consulting outside resources.

11/11 | Week 5 – Week 5 – Practicum II: Learning to Interpret

Participants work with a more complex Gospel passage, moving from observation to interpretation. Attention will be given to historical setting, literary context, parallel Gospel accounts, Old Testament background, cultural information, word studies, and the appropriate use of commentaries and digital tools.

11/18 | Week 6 – Practicum III: From Text to Life

Participants complete a Gospel study from beginning to end: Observation → Interpretation → Application. The session will focus on identifying the central message of the passage, connecting it to Jesus and the larger biblical story, and developing faithful contemporary applications. Participants leave with a repeatable method for studying Gospel passages independently.