The Common Gospel presents the Good News of Jesus in a single, unified book. Combining the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke & John, it presents the times and teachings of Jesus in one common, consolidated framework. As such, The Common Gospel provides a naturally flowing lifeline for the Son of Man – from his humble and holy birth through to his crowning glorification – and brings clarity and focus to the history of Jesus the Messiah.
“The four Christian Gospels distilled into a single tale …
A unified, well-considered Jesus story for the beginning student of Christianity.”
—Kirkus Book Reviews (PDF Review)
Structurally, The Common Gospel is packaged in a book that is designed for readability. It streamlines the language, recasts the material, and displays the text in a format that is clean and elegant. It also provides a distinctive reading experience. One early reviewer noted, “At first, I had difficulty adapting to no books, no chapters, and no verses. It read just like … well … a book.”
Typically the four traditional Gospels are expressed in 4 books, 89 chapters, and 3,779 verses. By contrast, The Common Gospel delivers the Good News in just 1 book, 16 parts, and 108 sections. In addition, thinned of extraneous and redundant expressions, The Common Gospel is 30% more succinct than most Bible texts.
More importantly, the panoramic view that this unified text affords is extraordinary and casts Jesus in new and revealing light. The Common Gospel is a compelling new testament to Jesus the Messiah. In a clear, complete, and accurate account, it bears certain witness to the power and glory of Jesus and cultivates in the reader a profound sense of spiritual insight.
By taking what Mark says, and taking what Luke says, then taking what Matthew and John say and melding them all together, so that Jesus says and does all the things that each of the Gospel writers indicates … [This creates] a new Gospel that is not like any of the ones that have come down to us. —
Bart D. Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus (2005)
Wordsmith Associates is the sponsor and publisher of The Common Gospel, and Wordsmith founder, Rod Mebane, completed the extensive revisioning and precise editorial work that the integration required – in work that spanned a 12-year period.
Availability
Paperback – ISBN 978-0-9759290-4-9 – 5.5″ wide x 8.5″ tall – 332 pages – List Price $14.95
Individual copies of The Common Gospel are available from Amazon and other online & independent booksellers.