Questions tagged [synoptic-problem]
The synoptic problem refers to the puzzle of the precise literary relationship between the three "synoptic" Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke which share a significant number of parallel passages, often including the same or nearly the same words.
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What are the arguments in favor of Markan priority?
The synoptic problem refers to scholars' attempts to understand the relationship among the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (known as the synoptic gospels because they have so much material in ...
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What are the arguments in favor of Matthean Priority?
Closely Related:
- What are the arguments in favor of Markan priority?
- What are the arguments against Marcan Priority?
The synoptic problem refers to scholars' attempts to understand the ...
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How Is the Date of Composition of the Gospels Estimated?
So considering that the oldest copies of the gospels are dated to around 400 AD (I'm thinking of the Codex Sinaiticus), how do scholars go about estimating the date of composition of the gospels? I ...
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What is the evidence for the existence of the Q document?
According to most scholars, Mark was the first of the four gospels to be written. Matthew and Luke then relied upon Mark and a second written source called Q. What is the evidence for the existence of ...
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Markan priority, Q, and the parable of the mustard seed
I am familiar with and generally accept the current consensus of the writing of the gospels:
Mark was written first
Q is not extant but was thought to be a common source for Matthew and Luke
Matthew ...
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What are the arguments against Marcan Priority?
Closely Related:
- What are the arguments in favor of Markan priority?
- What are the arguments in favor of Matthean Priority?
What are the objections against Marcan Priority?
Wikipedia, Marcan ...
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How did Matthew and Luke get different prices for sparrows?
I got the idea for this question from:
Have any biblical scholars investigated the question of why Luke was getting a better price on his sparrows than Matthew?—@browserdotsys on Twitter
The tweet ...
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Why the change in language between Luke 11:13 and Matthew 7:11?
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” - Luke 11:13 NIV
If you, then, ...
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What are the common solutions to the minor agreements of Matthew and Luke?
There are a number of points where Matthew and Luke agree against Mark in their reading, but which cannot be explained by their supposed reliance on the Q source.
For instance, in the narrative of ...
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Are there any authorities who have argued for the literary independence of the Synoptic Gospels?
Which scholars, historical figures, or churches have argued that the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) were all written independently without access to any of the other gospels? What ...
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"I am the Christ" vs. "I am he" in the Synoptics (Matt 24:5 // Mark 13:6 // Luke 21:8)
In a prior Q&A, we discussed the Semitic background of Jesus' statements recorded in the Gospels as ἐγώ εἰμι (= I am [he]). My understanding based on the answer there and a follow-up Q&A was ...
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What is the longest uninterrupted word-for-word agreement between Matthew and Mark?
In Greek, what is the longest uninterrupted verbatim, word-for-word agreement between Matthew and Mark?
Follow-up question: What is the longest almost uninterrupted word-for-word agreement?
This ...
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Why does Matthew use the Greek word 'seismos' in Matt. 8:24 instead of the 'lailaps' which is used in Mk 4:37 and Lk 8:23?
Matthew uses the Greek word 'seismos' (σεισμὸς) in 8:24. This word is used 9 times in the NT and 8 of the 9 times it is translated as "earthquake." In Matthew 8:24 most translations ...
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When (and where) was the Sayings Gospel of Thomas written?
The Sayings Gospel of Thomas shares several of Jesus' proverbs and parables with the Synoptic tradition. Some websites place Thomas and the three Synoptics in four columns together, to be read in ...
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Could the Gospel of Matthew be dependent on Luke's Gospel?
Why is it that a possible Gospel dependency order of Mark-Luke-Matthew without requiring 'Q' is considered particularly unlikely, when compared to other possible solutions to the synoptic problem? Do ...
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This question is not what does "I am" mean in Mark 14:62, but is the meaning of it affected by Luke 22:70?
Mark 14:61-62
"Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?' 62 And Jesus said, 'I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and ...
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Does anyone know precisely whether the gospel of Matthew was written before or after AD 70?
I pray that someone may have some reliable sources that I would like to use when speaking to atheists.
What is the evidence that Matthew was written before or after AD 70?
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When was the Gospel of Mark written?
We have a variety of questions on the provenance of the Gospel of Mark, such as:
Can we date Mark without first committing to an interpretation of the Olivet Discourse?
Who was the author of Mark?
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How do those who reject Q explain Matthew 5:38-48 and Luke 6:27-36?
Matthew 5:38-48 from the Sermon on the Mount and Luke 6:27-36 from the Sermon on the Plain are clearly related, but there are also substantial differences including reorderings. I've coloured the ...
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Interpreting the variants in Jesus teaching on the unpardonable sin
Can anyone help me to understand why Jesus spoke of the unpardonable sin in different words? Are they the same instance and the Gospel Authors just changed the words a little? Or did Jesus repeat ...
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Did Jesus re-visit John after his wilderness experience?
The Gospel of John describes a scene where John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and he made the following statement:
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is
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Why do Matthew & Luke report that Joseph (Jesus' stepfather) had two different fathers?
I ran into a YouTube video that claims the Gospels of Luke and Mathew contradict on the name of Joseph's father. Luke claims that Joseph's father was a man named Heli but Mathew claims that the father ...
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Is the textual evidence to the missing ending to Mark evidence of Mark being the earliest Gospel?
Mark 16:8 seems much too abrupt for an ending to the Gospel of Mark. The textual evidence indicates that none of the four endings we now have after Mark 16:8 are original, in other words the original ...
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What makes scholars think there were one or two discrete gospel sources and not many indistinct ones?
My only knowledge of popular solutions to the synoptic problem comes from Wikipedia, where they all have non-canonical gospel sources numbering about one or two (or sometimes just zero). Not many ...
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What is the argument against the idea that a Hebrew Proto-Matthew is the Q source?
Why can't there be an early Hebrew Matthew, then a Greek Mark, and then a re-written Matthew in Greek, followed by Luke?
I am aware of a number of points on the topic of the priority of the gospels:
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If Matthew was an eyewitness why would he rely on Mark?
If Matthew was an eyewitness to the events of the life of Jesus, why did Matthew then base his gospel off Mark's?
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Were the last 12 verses of the Gospel of Mark in fact taken from Luke?
Were the last 12 verses of the Gospel of Mark in fact taken from Luke?
Here it states that in the Gospel of Mark there is an added portion (Mark 16:9-20)
In this reference I didn't find the following ...
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Why should we think the Q source was an earlier source than Mark?
While I buy the evidence for Q based on parallels in Matthew and Luke that don't use Mark as a source, I find it curious that Q is often thought to be earlier than Mark. Is there evidence for this? ...
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How Can You Tell that a Text a "Translates Beautifully into Hebrew"? How does this apply to the Synoptic Problem?
This answer about possible Lukan-priority of the gospel accounts uses as a major piece of evidence that it "Translates Beautifully into Hebrew". Is this a (semi-)objective approach that ...
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Why did Jesus say the last will be first in the Gospel of Mark...three times?
In Mark 9, Jesus teaches his disciples about leadership:
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to
be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
Then, ...
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What evidence is there that Mark could have been dependent upon Luke?
There are approximately 106 pericopes shared by Mark & Luke (see Synoptic Abstract by Tyson & Longstaff). Most hold to the view that this shared material - and the frequency of its common ...
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If Mark was dependent on Luke, then why would Mark exclude the Q material from Luke?
If Mark had access to Luke, and his edition of Luke already included the so-called "Q material," how can we reasonably explain his failure to include that material in his Gospel?
My question ...
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What are the arguments in favor of Lukan Priority?
The Synoptic Problem explores the relationship among the three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Lukan (or Lucan) Priority is the view that Luke was the first of these documents to be written....
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When was Peter's mother-in-law healed? Chronological contradiction?
Jesus cured Simon Peter's mother-in-law after he cleansed the leper:
Matt. 8:15
Jesus cured Simon Peter's mother-in-law before he cleansed the leper:
Mark 1:30-42, Luke 4:38-5:13
Peter's mother-in-...
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Matthew's Use of Luke? [duplicate]
Does anyone know of any critical scholars who argue for Matthew's use of Luke? I think I recall Hengel once argued this, but I do not know where. This is an option that hardly anyone even considers in ...
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Why does Matthew soften hard statements from Mark?
For example, in Mark 10:18 Mark says:
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good except God alone." (CSB)
But in Matthew 19:17:
"Why do you ask me about ...
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What are the evidences for the Q source theory? [closed]
What exactly are the evidences for the "Q source theory"?
When I say the "Q source theory" I basically mean any of the modern theories that deviate from view that the Gospels were ...
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Is Acts 19:19–20 demonstrating the supremacy of Scripture over magic books?
On the premise that Matthew was published within five to ten years of the resurrection (ref. How would an early Matthew, written before Paul's writings, change our understanding of Paul's writings?), ...
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How would an early Matthew, written before Paul's writings, change our understanding of Paul's writings?
In biblical studies it is often important, when exegeting a New Testament passage, to first determine whether the passage includes any Old Testament citations or allusions, and if so, then to ...
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Matthews account of Jesus' conception appears from the perspective of Joseph. It is often conflated with Lukes version. Are the sources the same? [closed]
It is tempting to counter Mary and the Holy Spirit’s silence in the Matthean account of Jesus' conception with Luke’s poetic detailing through conflation of materials from two gospels. However some ...
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Gospel Parallels Following Matthean Order?
I will be preaching/teaching out of portions of Matthew over the next couple months, and so am tapping into the other Gospels for their elaboration of (seemingly) common events. Of course, the ...
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Was Luke 17:22 added later? I don't see it mentioned in the similar passages in the other Synoptics [closed]
And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it."
Did Jesus actually say this, was this a saying added by ...
