We had a question at our home group tonight about whether there is a way to see how the same story is told in the four gospel accounts in the Bible. The answer to that is an emphatic yes. Many editions of the Bible include cross references as part of their study appurtenances but, even easier, is using a parallel version. I’ve seen these in print editions but a quick search turned up a a free online version at Bible Hub.

What you can’t easily do with this version is find a particular passage and its parallels – unless you can guess how it is described and where it falls in the general flow of things. There is uncertainty over the order of certain events and so you have to accept that there is a certain degree of guesswork in the path that is followed. However, it fulfils the core task and lets you compare different stories. You can look for similarities and differences. What does it tell you about the events? What about the author? And is it fair for me to suggest that they add up to four tracks based on eyewitness accounts, which is certainly the general thrust of most evangelical views on the matter?