The synoptic problemThe synoptic problem

And our best theory And our best theory as to the answer.as to the answer.

Text and Traditions Text and Traditions Unit 1Unit 1Catholic Regional CollegeCatholic Regional CollegeMelton.Melton.

There are four gospelsThere are four gospels

►There are four gospels: Mark, Matthew, There are four gospels: Mark, Matthew, Luke and John.Luke and John.

►For hundreds of years scholars have For hundreds of years scholars have seen that Mark, Matthew, and Luke are seen that Mark, Matthew, and Luke are similar to each other; and John is quite similar to each other; and John is quite different.different.

►For this reason we call Mark, Matthew, For this reason we call Mark, Matthew, and Luke are called the synoptic and Luke are called the synoptic gospels. Synoptic mean ‘with one eye’, gospels. Synoptic mean ‘with one eye’, or roughly seen together.or roughly seen together.

This Synoptics similaritiesThis Synoptics similarities

► This Venn diagram This Venn diagram shows how similar shows how similar the three synoptic the three synoptic gospels are.gospels are.

► The numbers The numbers represent the represent the number of verses.number of verses.

This Synoptics similaritiesThis Synoptics similarities

► Note that almost all Note that almost all of Mark is found in of Mark is found in both Matthew and both Matthew and Luke.Luke.

► Note also that Luke Note also that Luke and Matthew share and Matthew share some 170 verses, some 170 verses, that are not found in that are not found in Mark at all.Mark at all.

► Both Luke and Both Luke and Matthew also have Matthew also have unique material.unique material.

So why have three synoptic So why have three synoptic gospels which are so similar?gospels which are so similar?

►The answer to this is the emphasis.The answer to this is the emphasis.►Each of the gospels were written in Each of the gospels were written in

different times and places, and for different times and places, and for different reasons.different reasons.

►All of them are proclaiming Jesus Christ, All of them are proclaiming Jesus Christ, but each of them to a different audience.but each of them to a different audience.

►This different audience has a different This different audience has a different situation in lifesituation in life, which we use the German , which we use the German term for: term for: sitz im lebensitz im leben.(situation in life)..(situation in life).

Sitz im lebenSitz im leben

►For instance, Mark is thought to have For instance, Mark is thought to have been written in c.65 AD, in Rome. So this been written in c.65 AD, in Rome. So this is the is the sitz im lebensitz im leben of the author. We of the author. We might find out more about the might find out more about the sitz im sitz im lebenleben by studying about Rome in the 60s. by studying about Rome in the 60s.

►Matthew is though to have been written Matthew is though to have been written c.75 AD, maybe in Syria.c.75 AD, maybe in Syria.

►So you can imagine the different So you can imagine the different problems each community had to deal problems each community had to deal with.with.

Sitz im lebenSitz im leben

►Hence, the Hence, the sitz im lebensitz im leben of each of each community is the reason why each of community is the reason why each of the synoptic gospels has a different the synoptic gospels has a different emphasis.emphasis.

►Each gospel is addressing different Each gospel is addressing different issues in their respective communities.issues in their respective communities.

►They may use the same event in Jesus’ They may use the same event in Jesus’ life to give a different emphasis or life to give a different emphasis or moral to the story.moral to the story.

Here is an example of the Here is an example of the gospels having the same gospels having the same

materialmaterialCompareCompare►Mark 2:13-17 Mark 2:13-17 ►Matthew 9:9-13Matthew 9:9-13►Luke 5:27-32Luke 5:27-32►Note the similarities and slight Note the similarities and slight

differences.differences.

So what does all this So what does all this mean?mean?

The three stages of the The three stages of the gospelgospel

►We need to go back to the beginning to We need to go back to the beginning to understand how the gospels came to be.understand how the gospels came to be.

► In the beginning, we had Jesus Christ In the beginning, we had Jesus Christ preaching the good news (which is what preaching the good news (which is what gospel means). This is the first stage which gospel means). This is the first stage which many call the many call the LogosLogos era. era.

► After Jesus died and rose, and ascended into After Jesus died and rose, and ascended into heaven, the Apostles and disciples preached heaven, the Apostles and disciples preached what Jesus had taught them…This is called what Jesus had taught them…This is called the the KerygmaKerygma (Greek for proclamation). (Greek for proclamation).

The second stage-KerygmaThe second stage-Kerygma

►The The kerygmakerygma is the oral transmission of is the oral transmission of the gospel.the gospel.

►Like the written gospels themselves, Like the written gospels themselves, the the kerygmakerygma is the word of God and is the word of God and inspired by Holy Spirit.inspired by Holy Spirit.

► It is important to note the kerygma It is important to note the kerygma never stopped by preached…it is still never stopped by preached…it is still preached today by the Catholic Church.preached today by the Catholic Church.

KerygmaKerygma

► Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI preaches the word preaches the word of God. (Kerygma).of God. (Kerygma).

The third stageThe third stage

►But towards the second half of the first But towards the second half of the first century, communities of Christians century, communities of Christians wanted to record the events and deed wanted to record the events and deed and words of Christ in written form.and words of Christ in written form.

►This was so that they had a permanent This was so that they had a permanent record of the events, and to address record of the events, and to address the the sitz im lebensitz im leben of their communities. of their communities.

The third stageThe third stage

► So, the gospels So, the gospels were written.were written.

► First MarkFirst Mark► Then MatthewThen Matthew► Then LukeThen Luke► then Johnthen John

Right: an early papyrus Right: an early papyrus fragment of the gospel of fragment of the gospel of Matthew.Matthew.

Here is a table outlining the probable Here is a table outlining the probable dates of the synoptic gospelsdates of the synoptic gospels

GospelGospel Date Date (approx)(approx)

PlacePlace

MarkMark 70 AD70 AD RomeRome

MatthewMatthew 85 AD85 AD SyriaSyria

LukeLuke 80 AD80 AD AntiochAntioch

So now we can return to the So now we can return to the synoptic problem…synoptic problem…

►But how does this account for the But how does this account for the similarities between the three synoptic similarities between the three synoptic gospels?gospels?

Here is the most favoured theory…Here is the most favoured theory…

The Two Source theory.The Two Source theory.

►We assume the reason all of Mark is We assume the reason all of Mark is found in Luke and Matthew is because found in Luke and Matthew is because they had access to a copy of Mark.they had access to a copy of Mark.

►This is called This is called dependencedependence. Luke and . Luke and Matthew were dependent on Mark for Matthew were dependent on Mark for that material.that material.

The two source theoryThe two source theory

► But there is also But there is also material common to material common to Luke and Matthew, Luke and Matthew, which we don’t find which we don’t find in Mark. Some 170 in Mark. Some 170 verses.verses.

QQ

► We believe that this came from a We believe that this came from a source which we no longer have today. source which we no longer have today. We call this document We call this document QQ. .

► Q is short for Q is short for quellequelle, German for , German for sourcesource..

► So now we have two documents which So now we have two documents which feed into Matthew and Luke…feed into Matthew and Luke…

1)1) Mark.Mark.

2)2) Q.Q.

Here is a diagram to show what Here is a diagram to show what we mean.we mean.

This is called the Two Source This is called the Two Source SolutionSolution

► Trouble is…we still Trouble is…we still have 500 verses in have 500 verses in Luke alone, and 280 Luke alone, and 280 verses in Matthew verses in Matthew alone.alone.

► So scholars being So scholars being scholars make a more scholars make a more complex solution.complex solution.

► We say Matthew and We say Matthew and Luke both had access Luke both had access to their own material; to their own material; which we call M, and L.which we call M, and L.

So now it looks like this…So now it looks like this…

So now we can account for the So now we can account for the synoptic problemsynoptic problem

► It is important to note that there are It is important to note that there are other theories, but this is the most other theories, but this is the most popular answer among scholars.popular answer among scholars.

►Q is thought to be a list of sayings of Q is thought to be a list of sayings of Jesus.Jesus.

►Q might be a document lost to us, or Q might be a document lost to us, or even an oral tradition or even a even an oral tradition or even a person!person!

Fin.Fin.