Alva Review-Courier -

This semester, I have the honor of teaching a section entitled “Jesus and the New Testament.” The name is a bit of a misnomer, though, as we only cover the first four books of the New Testament, commonly known as the Gospels. For many Christians, these four books are their favorite literature in the world, since it is within these pages that we find the story of Jesus’ earthly ministry, death and resurrection. Some of the students are surprised, however, to find out some of the things the Gospels are NOT.

First, the Gospels are not designed to give us a biography. Sure, the writers include som...