1. What are the four main sources of information for the historical Jesus, and how do they differ in their perspectives and purposes? Answer: The four main sources are the canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), the non-canonical gospels (such as Thomas, Judas, and Mary), the epistles of Paul and other early Christian writers, and the writings of Jewish and Roman historians (such as Josephus, Tacitus, and Pliny). They differ in their perspectives and purposes because they were written by different authors with different backgrounds, audiences, contexts, and agendas. For example, the canonical gospels present Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, while the non-canonical gospels emphasize his teachings on wisdom, mysticism, and esotericism. The epistles of Paul and other early Christian writers focus on the theological implications of Jesus' death and resurrection, and the formation of the church, while the writings of Jewish and Roman historians provide external evidence for Jesus' existence, crucifixion, and followers. 2. What are the main arguments for and against the traditional attribution of the authorship of the gospel of Matthew to the apostle Matthew? Answer: The main arguments for the traditional attribution are based on the early church tradition that identifies Matthew as the author, the use of Hebrew terms and quotations from the Old Testament that suggest a Jewish background, and the emphasis on Jesus' fulfillment of the law and his role as the new Moses. The main arguments against the traditional attribution are based on the literary dependence of Matthew on Mark and Q (a hypothetical source of sayings shared by Matthew and Luke), which implies that Matthew was not an eyewitness of Jesus' ministry, the use of Greek as the original language of the gospel, which suggests a non-Jewish audience, and the presence of theological and historical errors and contradictions that cast doubt on the reliability of the author. 3. What are the main characteristics and themes of the gospel of Mark, and how do they reflect its authorship, audience, and context? Answer: The main characteristics and themes of the gospel of Mark are its brevity, simplicity, realism, urgency, secrecy, suffering, and discipleship. They reflect its authorship by a non-apostolic follower of Peter who wrote in Rome for a Gentile audience facing persecution under Nero. They also reflect its context by addressing the questions and challenges posed by the Jewish war, the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, and the emergence of false prophets and messiahs.