THE EARLY CHURCH AND ITS PREACHING PREFACE The first four books of the New Testament section of the Bible are known as “Gospels” Each of these books in its own way, relates incidents out of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. He lived during the first third of the first century, A. D. Sometimes called Common Era (C. E.), that part of human history which Judaism shares in common with Christianity. According to the information in the Gospels, Jesus was executed during the administration of Pontius Pilate, who was the Roman procurator in Judea from 26 — 36, A. D. In this study, we hope to learn where the four gospels came from. Why were they written? Where did their authors obtain the information they included in their Gospel narratives? The four Gospels traditionally have been regarded as written by Matthew, a tax collector and one of the Twelve; Mark, an assistant to Peter; Luke, a companion of Paul; and John, a son of Zebedee and one of the Twelve.