The Synoptic Problem
The Synoptic Problem, as defined for subsequent scholarship by Heinrich Julius Holtzmann's 1863 work on the tradition of the Gospels, is to determine the nature and direction of literary relationships among the three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We retain that definition for purposes of the present section, in order to maintain contact with previous work on the subject. We will shift to a different definition presently.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the Gospels which are similar enough in narrative outline that it is possible in principle to line them up side by side and view them at one glance, hence "synoptically." They tell much the same story, but with important differences. The immediate question is to account for the differences. The ultimate question, in the minds of most investigators, is to see which of these differing accounts best preserves information about the original Jesus movement. We here depart from that intention: we are interested in seeing all stages in the development of the Jesus movement, and we wish to ascertain what stage or stages in the Jesus movement the Synoptic Gospels actually reflect.
It used to be thought, and until the end of the 19th century it was still thought in some quarters, that the three Synoptics were independent witnesses to the Jesus tradition, and that the best attested parts of the Jesus story were those which all three Synoptics included (the "Triple Tradition"). It is now widely acknowledged that there is some pattern of literary relation among the three, but there is not complete agreement on what that pattern may be. The current majority view is that Mark is the oldest, along with a now lost Sayings Source (called Q, from Gm Quelle "Source"), which is most commonly defined as consisting of the material common to Matthew and Luke but not in Mark.
In this section, we reach a tentative solution to the Synoptic Problem, and support it with several types of evidence. We begin by listing the 25 possible Synoptic Solutions in schematic form, then try to to decide what pattern the relationship has (thus eliminating most of the 25 possible solutions). Finally, we choose among the remaining solutions by examining the directionality of a sample passage.
In addition to these formal arguments, we also consider content arguments. These are based on the probable development of Christian doctrine. The field of search will at that point be widened to include the Acts of the Apostles (usually supposed to be part of the Gospel of Luke) and the Gospel of John. These large historical arguments are meant to complement the preceding small-scale argument.
It emerges from this exercise that Mark is probably the earliest of the Gospels. We then consider some objections to that position, and modify it as may be indicated.
- Basic Theory
- The 25 Possible Synoptic Theories
- Discovering the Typology: The Mustard Seed
- Arguments From General Content
- Gospel Priority
- Directionality Arguments
- The Sanders List (Against Markan Priority)
- Summary
We may next turn to a more detailed examination of the Gospels, one by one, to see how homogeneous they are, and if not homogeneous, what scenario of formation their internal differences imply.
1 Sept 2006 / Contact The Project / Exit to Synoptica Page
