Originally delivered as one of the Jowett Lectures for 1906, the contents of this booklet emerged during the first quest for the historical Jesus. Somewhat surprisingly, Burkitt discovered that historical criticism increased the historical credibility of the Synoptic Gospels in his estimation. This fifth lecture in the series examines the concept of gospel in Matthew and Luke. Beginning with Matthew, Burkitt notes the distinctive phraseology and style of the evangelist and concludes that his goal is to show forth who Jesus is rather than to chronicle his life precisely. It is the Gospel most akin to the Talmud, yet it also generally records authentic teachings of Jesus that have been amended to fit the circumstances of the Gospel. Luke, on the other hand, is more of the historian. Luke’s writings tend toward teachings of voluntary poverty and asceticism, a view shared by Paul and marked by the concerns of early Christians with eschatology. In this role Luke gives more attention to the women who were supporters of Jesus.

Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864-1935) began his academic career as a student of mathematics. While at Cambridge University he moved to Divinity, becoming the Norrisian Professor. His interest in the text of the New Testament led him to study Syriac manuscripts and to publish widely in the field. He was a fellow of the British Academy.