The Synoptic problem
The first three Gospels are known as the Synoptics, and their authors are called the Synoptists. The name is derived from the Greek su,n and o;yij, and is applied to these Gospels, since they, as distinguished from the fourth, give us a common view of the life of our Lord. But notwithstanding the great similarity by which these Gospels are characterized, they also reveal very striking differences. This remarkable agreement on the one hand, and these manifest dissimilarities on the other, constitute one of the most difficult literary problems of the New Testament. The question is, whether we can account for the origin of these Gospels in such a manner that we can explain both the close resemblances and the often surprising differences.
In the first place the general plan of these Gospels exhibits a remarkable agreement. Only Matthew and Luke contain a narrative of the infancy of our Lord and their accounts of it are quite distinct; but the history of Christs public ministry follows very much the same order in all the Synoptics. They treat successively of the Lords preparation for the ministry, John the Baptist, the baptism, the temptation, the return to Galilee, the preaching in its villages and cities, the journey to Jerusalem, the entrance into the Holy City, the preaching there, the passion and the resurrection. The details that fit into this general plan are also arranged in quite a uniform manner, except in some places, especially of the first Gospel. The most striking differences in the arrangement of the material results from the narrative of a long series of events connected with the Galilean ministry, which is peculiar to Matthew and Mark, Matt. 14:22– 16:12; Mark 6: 45–8: 26; and from the history of another series of events related to the journey to Jerusalem that is found only in Luke 9: 51–18:14.
But there is not only similarity in the broad outlines of those Gospels; the particular incidents that are narrated are also in many cases the same in substance and similar if not identical in form. The amount of agreement that we find in this respect is represented by Norton, Genuineness of the Gospels p. 373, and by Westcott, Introduction to the Study of the Gospels p. 201, in the following manner: If the total contents of the Gospel is represented by 100, the following result is obtained:
Mark has 7 peculiarities and–93coincidences
Matthew has 42 peculiarities and—58 coincidences
Luke has 59 peculiarities and—41 coincidences
If the extent of all the coincidences be represented by 100 their proportionate distribution will be:
Matthew, Mark and Luke - 53
Matthew and Luke- 21
Matthew and Mark- 20
Mark and Luke 6
Still another estimate, viz, that by verses, is suggested by Reuss, History of the New Testament, I p. 177:
Matthew out of a total of 971 verses has 330 peculiar to him.
Mark out of a total of 478 verses has 68 peculiar to him.
Luke out of a total of 1151 verses has 541 peculiar to him.
The first two have 170 to 180 verses that are lacking in Luke; Matthew and Luke, 230 to 240 wanting in Mark; Mark and Luke about 50 wanting in Matthew. The number common to all three is 330 to 370.
free bible seminary, free bible courses, free theology courses, free counseling courses, free apologetics courses,
tuition free bible courses, free distance theology courses, free online bible courses, free online theology courses,
free articles on on bible and theology, free articles on counseling, free theology seminary, free bible school, bible school
comments
2 Responses to “The Synoptic problem”
Leave a Reply
[…] I. Gospels Title of the Gospels The Synoptic Problem […]
[…] Gospels Title of the Gospels The Synoptic Problem John’s Gospel and the […]