euangelion = gospel = “good news”, as used inMk 1:1
Mt, Mk, Lk = synoptic gospels = “gospelsseeing things alike,” from Greeksynoptikos (“seen together”)
Synoptic problem = how to explain agreementsand disagreements ofwording in Mt, Mk, Lk
“proto-gospel” in Greek, Aramaicor other language, e.g. apocryphal
Secret Mark or Gospel of Peter
Matthew Mark Luke
Proto-gospel theory
Matthew
Mark Luke
Multipleproto-gospeltheory
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Augustine ofHippo (d. 430)
But why didMk cut outso much ofMt?
Matthew
Mark
Luke
J.J. Griesbach(1789)
But if Mk isdigest ofmaterial sharedby Mt and Lk,why is theremuch material that theyshare that Mk omits?
Matthew
Mark
Luke
J.J. Griesbach(1789)
Also, why doMt and Lkcontradict eachother? Why dothey diverge inorder of events when notmatching Mk? Why does Lkomit material shared by Mt and Mk?
Matthew
Mark
Luke
4-Source Hypothesis
Q (Quelle)
LM
Pattern of Agreement
1. All three agreeing2. All three differing3. Two out of three agreeing:
Mk and Mt or Mk and Lk, but veryrarely Mt and Lk if story is also inMk, suggesting that Mk is originalsource
Arguments for the Priority of Mark
Sequence of Narrative
Mt and Lk present Markan materialin same order, but present sharedmaterial not found in Mk in differentorder. Suggests used Mk then pluggedin other material where seemedappropriate. If Mt or Lk used eachother, why would they change order ofnon-Markan material but keepMarkan material in same order?
Arguments for the Priority of Mark
Characteristics of the Changes
Mt and Lk improving on Mk’s Greek
Mk is shortest gospel; why cut outmaterial? Not summary, becausepresents longer versions of storiesfound in Mt
Arguments for the Priority of Mark
Q = Explanation for material shared by Mtand Lk but not in Mk
Mostly sayings of Jesus, but alsonarratives of temptation (Mt 4: 1-11;Lk 4: 1-13) and healing of centurion’sservant (Mt 8: 5-10; Lk 7: 1-10)
Probably written document, to explainlong passages of shared wording. Possiblyhad different editions. Lk’s version asclosest to original sequence?
M and L = Explanation for material only knownto Mt (M) or Lk (L)
Not known if one source each or many, orwritten or oral
Synoptic problem important because if we knowan author’s source, we can see how hemodified it to suit own agenda, giving usinsight into an author’s concerns