The Synoptic Problem and Gospel Relationships
The Synoptic Problem addresses the literary relationship among the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which are called the Synoptic Gospels because they share a common viewpoint and significant overlap in content, wording, and order of events [2]. The term "Gospel" itself derives from the Greek euaggelion, meaning "good message" or "good news," and refers to the four inspired histories of Christ's life and teaching in the New Testament [1].
The Synoptic Problem arises from the observation that while these three Gospels recount many of the same events and teachings of Jesus, they also exhibit distinct differences. For instance, Luke explicitly states that he undertook to write an "orderly narrative" based on investigations and accounts from eyewitnesses, rather than claiming to be an eyewitness himself [2]. This suggests a process of compilation and arrangement.
Scholarly approaches to the Synoptic Problem typically propose various hypotheses to explain these similarities and differences. One prominent theory is the Two-Source Hypothesis, which posits that Matthew and Luke independently used two primary sources: the Gospel of Mark and a hypothetical collection of Jesus' sayings known as "Q" (from the German Quelle, meaning "source"). This hypothesis accounts for:
- Markan Priority: The idea that Mark was the first Gospel written, and Matthew and Luke used it as a source. This is supported by the observation that Matthew and Luke rarely agree against Mark in terms of order or wording, and much of Mark's content appears in both Matthew and Luke [2].
- The "Q" Source: This hypothetical source is proposed to explain the material common to Matthew and Luke but absent from Mark, primarily consisting of Jesus' teachings and parables. Parables, in particular, are stories that illustrate spiritual truths through analogy [5, 4]. John Gill, in his commentary on Psalms, notes that the doctrines of the Gospel were often delivered by Christ in parables [6].
Another perspective, as articulated in Easton's Bible Dictionary, suggests that the authors of the first three Gospels "wrote independently of each other," each under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. While acknowledging that "each writer has some things, both in matter and style, peculiar to himself," it also notes that "all the three have much in common" [2]. This view emphasizes divine inspiration as the primary explanation for their content, rather than direct literary dependence.
The dating of the Synoptic Gospels is also relevant to the problem. Smith's Bible Dictionary suggests that Matthew and Mark were composed "some years before the destruction of Jerusalem" (A.D. 70), Luke "probably about A.D. 64," and John "towards the close of the century" [1]. These dates place the Synoptic Gospels within the latter half of the first century, allowing for potential interaction among them or shared access to earlier traditions.
The concept of "mystery" is sometimes used in the New Testament to refer to profound spiritual truths, such as the Gospel itself or specific doctrines like the Trinity or the union of Christ and the Church [3, 7, 9]. The Synoptic Problem, while a matter of literary analysis, touches upon how these divine mysteries were recorded and transmitted through different inspired accounts. The careful comparison of these texts, as John Chrysostom notes in a different context, involves examining not only particular words and constructions but also the general cast of phraseology and sentence structure [8]. This rigorous approach is characteristic of efforts to understand the precise relationships among the Synoptic Gospels.
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Gospels — The name Gospel (from god and spell, Ang. Sax. good message or news, which is a translation of the Greek euaggelion) is applied to the four inspired histories of the life and teaching of Christ contained in the New Testament, of which separate accounts are given in their place. They were all composed during the latter half of the first century: those of St. Matthew and St. Mark some years before the destruction of Jerusalem; that of St. Luke probably about A.D. 64; and that of St. John towards the close of the century. Before the end of the second century, t”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Luke, Gospel according to — Was written by Luke. He does not claim to have been an eye-witness of our Lord's ministry, but to have gone to the best sources of information within his reach, and to have written an orderly narrative of the facts (Luke 1:1-4). The authors of the first three Gospels, the synoptics, wrote independently of each other. Each wrote his independent narrative under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Each writer has some things, both in matter and style, peculiar to himself, yet all the three have much in common. Luke's Gospel has been called "the ”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:32 (BSB) — This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Parable — (The word parable is in Greek parable (parabole) which signifies placing beside or together, a comparison, a parable is therefore literally a placing beside, a comparison, a similitude, an illustration of one subject by another.--McClintock and Strong. As used in the New Testament it had a very wide application, being applied sometimes to the shortest proverbs, (1 Samuel 10:12; 24:13; 2 Chronicles 7:20) sometimes to dark prophetic utterances, (Numbers 23:7,18; 24:3; Ezekiel 20:49) sometimes to enigmatic maxims, (Psalms 78:2; Proverbs 1:6) or metaphors expand”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 13:3: 13:3-9 This parable (interpreted in 13:18-23) addresses the mostly negative responses of the Jewish nation to Jesus and his message. • Parables (Greek parabolē) are stories that usually express an analogy between a common aspect of life and a spiritual truth. To understand a parable, it is necessary to locate the central analogy and understand it in its historical context and in the context of the Gospel text; then the central message can be understood. Speculative allegorical meanings that were not intended should not be found in every element of a parable.”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 49:4: I will incline mine ear to a parable,.... In which way of speaking the doctrines of the Gospel were delivered out by Christ, Mat 13:3. Wherefore the prophet, representing his apostles and disciples, signifies that he would listen thereunto, that he might attain to the knowledge thereof, and communicate it to others; I will open my dark saying upon the harp; the enigmas, riddles, and mysteries of the Gospel, being understood by the ministers of it, are opened and explained in a very pleasant and delightful manner; they are made clear and evident, and are as a lovely ”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 3:3: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery,.... Or "is made known unto me": so the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version. The Gospel, which is sometimes called a mystery, the mystery of the Gospel, the mystery of godliness, and the mystery of faith: the several doctrines of the Gospel are the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; such as a trinity of persons in the Godhead, the union of the two natures in Christ, the saints' union to Christ, and communion with him, the resurrection of the dead, and the change of living saints, ”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: particular words and constructions, as of the general cast, both of the phraseology and the structure of the sentences; but that this similarity arises, not from the identity of the writers, but from the fact that both wrote in somewhat better Greek than is found in the rest of the New Testament. The grammars of the New Testament Greek continually refer to the fact, that certain classical constructions are found only, or at least more frequently, in these writers than elsewhere. But this does not prove more than that the author of this Epistle, as m”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 1:9: Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,.... The Gospel, which is a mystery, a hidden mystery, the mystery of God and of Christ, and the mystery of the Gospel; the several doctrines of it are called the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; such as are concerning the trinity of persons in the Godhead, the union of the two natures in Christ, his sonship and incarnation, the saints' union and communion with him, the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul, the calling of the Gentiles, and the conversion of the Jews, the resurrection of the dead, and the change”