Who Was Jesus?

THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEMThe Literary Relationship between the First

Three Gospels in the New Testament: Matthew-Mark-Luke The Synoptic Gospels

• Triple Tradition: Matthew, Mark, Luke Share much common NARRATIVE material, same stories & sayings, often in the same order & using the same wording

• Double Tradition: Matt, Luke - No Mark Matt/Luke share 200 verses of SAYINGS material No parallel material in Mark

THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM Matt Mark Luke

Triple Jesus went Jesus went Jesus went Tradition to the city to the city to the city

and healed and healed and healed the people. the people. the people.

Double Jesus said Jesus said

Tradition “Pray “Pray like this; like this;

‘Our Father. . . ‘Our Father

The Best Solution

The Two Source Hypothesis:(Two Major Source Documents)

1) When Matthew, Mark, and Luke have the same NARRATIVE (story) material:

Matt & Luke both used Mark as a source But did not collaborate with each other

2) When Matthew and Luke have the same SAYINGS material, and Mark has no corresponding material:

Matt & Luke used a Second Written Source Now Lost – Q is the symbol for this source

The Best Solution

Mark Q(uelle)

Matt Luke

THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELSMark: the Original Narrative Gospel• Least valued, most rarely quoted &

commented on in the ancient church;

• No Infancy material, No Resurrection appearances (in oldest mss);

• Little teaching of Jesus; most of its material found in Matt and Luke;

• Thought to be later than Matt: Augustine called Mark the pedisequus et breviator (stable boy and abbreviator) of Matthew

Matt: A NT Gospel Pseudepigraphon?• Written in Antioch, for Jewish-Christians,

Jewish Biblical environment

• Most important source of later Theology, especially in the Roman Church

Luke: Perspective of Paul• Written in Greece for Greco-Romans,

Universal outlook, Holy Spirit Emphasis

THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS

Factors supporting the Primacy of Mark:

1) The great majority of Mark’s material is reproduced in Matt and Luke:

• Matt contains 606 of Mark’s 661 verses 90% of Mark’s subject matter 51% of Mark’s own wording

• Luke contains 350 of Mark’s 661 verses over 50% of Mark’s subject matter 53% of Mark’s own wording

2) The originality of Mark’s order is supported by both Matt and Luke:

a) When either Matt or Luke deviates from Mark’s order, the other follows it

b) Mark is always in the majority, siding with either Matt or Luke

Factors supporting the Primacy of Mark:

3) Mark uses a rougher and more primitive Greek grammar/style:

a) Matthew & Luke smooth out Mark’s inferior Greek language

b) Matthew & Luke omit or tone down Mark’s phrases that they consider to be theologically “offensive”

Factors supporting the Primacy of Mark:

4) Matthew and Luke use Mark in different, independent ways:

a) Matthew uses Mark’s story as his narrative framework

b) Luke uses Mark in alternating blocks with non-Marcan material

Factors supporting the Primacy of Mark:

Synoptic ExamplesThe Baptism of Jesus

Why Do You Call Me Good?

The Confession of Peter

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9-15Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our

debtors; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Luke 11:2-4Father,hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins,for we ourselves forgive every one

who is indebted to us;And lead us not into temptation.

The Gospel of ThomasP.Oxyrhynchus 654

These are the hidden sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Judas Thomas the Twin recorded.

1. And he said, “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death.”

2. Jesus said, “Let one who seeks not stop seeking until one finds. When one finds, one will be troubled. When one is troubled, one will marvel and will rule over all.”

3. Jesus said, “If your leaders say to you, ‘Look, the kingdom is in heaven,’ then the birds of heaven will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside you and it is outside you.

When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you dwell in poverty, and you are poverty.”