Gathercole argues that the theological content of the New Testament Gospels distinguishes them substantially from noncanonical Gospels. He shows how the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each include four key points that also formed the core of early Christian preaching and teaching: Jesus's identity as messiah, the saving death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and Scripture's foretelling of the Christ event. In contrast, most noncanonical Gospels only selectively appropriated these central concerns of early Christian proclamation. -- Book jacker.