Synoptic Gospels

Mark, Matthew and Luke(-Acts)

Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke
Wisdom sayings
Q Sayings (ethical sayings)
Narrative about suffering of miracle worker (aretalogy)
Euangelion: thank offering/reward given to a messenger
History
Narratives about Jesus (life, ministry, words, passion,
death and resurrection)
Proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah/Son of God
Documents written for particular communities
Gospels were intended to be read in public spaces
Written for a particular purpose: Readers should accept
Jesus as the Christ and believe on him (so, it is not just a
biography!)
 Synoptic Problem
The synoptic problem is the question concerning the
literary relationship to one another of the three synoptic
Gospels. How can one explain the remarkable complicated
interrelationship of agreement and differences among
Mark, Matthew and Luke?
Solution of the Synoptic problem
1. Two Source theory: Mark and Q sources functioned as
sources for Matthew and Luke
2. Four Document Hypothesis:
 Understanding the Jesus - Movement
Basileia Movement
Period of Jesus: B.C.E. 4 30/31 A.D.
Jeshua (Aramaic), Yesu (Greek)
Jesus taught the OT as a Jewish rabbi
Jesus ministered in villages (Caana, Gennesareth,
Bethsaida, Magdala), not in cities
Jesus proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God,
healed and gave importance to the oppressed, women,
least
Jesus opposed Pharisees, Sadduccees, scribes and
high-priests (Lk.7:31-35)
Jesus came to fulfil the Jewish law (Mt. 22:37-39)
 Gospel of Mark

The subject of the Gospel is summed up in the opening

verse: “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God.”
 Authorship
The oldest tradition about the author goes back to
Papias, an early Second Century writer and bishop in Asia
Minor.
Author was a Jew
Mark is John Mark of Acts (12:12, 25; 3:5) and also
mentioned by Paul (Col. 4: 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11)
 Date
Most scholars favor a date between 64 and 70 CE.
Mark 13:14 gives a warning about the destruction of
Jerusalem (c70 CE)
Chapter 13 (“little apocalypse”) talks about many wars
and rumors of wars
Persecution of Christians by Nero (64 CE)
Martyrdom of Peter (67CE)
Mark was written in the background of persecution of
the Church under Emperor Nero
The concept of Imminent Parousia prevailed for the
church.
 Place of Origin
Important role attributed to Galilee and numerous
Aramaic sentence constructions (5:14; 7:3-4, talitha cumi,
little girl; Pharisees washing hands) point to Jewish origin
of the author
Latinisms in the text [(bushal in 4:21; census for tribute
(12:14), speculator for ‘executioner’ (6:27), centurio for
‘centurion’ (15:39, 44) suggest the author wrote from
Rome
Ca. 70 written in the East (not Rome)
 Purpose of Mark
Mark wrote to a group of Christians who were displaced
and without hope because of the fall of Jerusalem.
Mark wrote to Christians who did not want a
community to identify with any Jewish group during
that tumultuous period.
Apocalyptic-eschatological expectation of Christians
who were living in Rome, Syria, Galilee to be comforted
and encouraged to persevere in their faith.
Mark wrote to instruct Christians on Jesus’ passion
(protomarkan narrative)
Mark has no chronological interest
 Theology in Mark
Markan Jesus is mostly in Galilee
Stress on Gentile mission
Unbelief of the Jews
Messianic Secret (1:24; 3:11; 10:27; 2:19; 9:2 ff.; 11:1 ff; 27f;
14:62)
 Structure of Mark
1:1 – 13: Introduction
1:14 – 5:43 The authority of Jesus in Galilee
(Galilean ministry)
6: 1 – 8:26 Teachings and miracles of
Jesus, unbelief of fellow Jews, political pressure

of Herod (6:27-29)
8:27 – 10:31 Jesus’ retreat to Caesearea Philippi
10:32 – 16:8 Final journey to the Cross (Jesus in
Jerusalem); Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection
16:9 – 20 Longer ending of the gospel
 Markan sources
Mark uses oral tradition, indicating that most of the
utterances of Jesus and the narratives about him
originated orally in the setting of both Jesus and the early
church.
Mark version of Jesus’ trail and death is quite similar to
John’s and hence, it is likely that both derive from a
common source.
Mark adapted a previously written Passion Narrative to
his gospel.
Mark seems to have used two small written collections of
miracles in the first half of his book.
Mark may have made use of short written collections of
Jesus’ parables (ch. 4?)
Mark wrote from a ‘primitive Mark’ (Ur-Markus)
 Gospel of Matthew
Authorship:
“according to Matthew” was attached to this writing by
the latter half of the 2nd Century.
Papias: “Matthew arranged in order the sayings in
Hebrew language, and each one interpreted as he was
able”
According to Clement of Alexandria, Origen and
Eusebius, Matthew is the First Gospel
Maththaios = mathetes ??
Most scholars support the authorship of a Jewish
Christian
 Date of Writing
Was it in the period between 70 – 100 CE?
Reference to Jerusalem temple (destruction)- 21:31;22:7
Triadic formula (28:19) points to the end of the NT period
Controversies with the Pharisees point to a post 70 period
Dependence on Mark, which is dated around 68-73 CE

Was it before 70 CE?

Matthaean authorship
Matthaean community/place
Matthew was written in Palestine, since it was surmised
that it was originally written in Hebew/Aramaic
Majority view relates Matthew to Syria (Antioch), since
the tradition that Matthew follows (Gospel of
Nazaraeans) circulated in Syria
Ignatius, Didache, who mention Matthew were
associated with Antioch (Syria).
Theological Emphasis of Matthew
Christology:
Jesus as the Messiah, son of the living God (Mt.16:16)
Son of God and Son of Man are prominent
Emmanuel motif appears in the beginning and the end
Jesus is compared with Moses
Davidic parallelism is seen in the genealogy
Jesus is divine wisdom (11:19, 27)
The Son is placed together with the Father and Holy
Spirit
 Ecclesiology
Theme of church foundations appear (16: 18-19)
The church is a place where Jesus is confessed
Kingdom refers to people producing fruit (21:43)
Peter is the rock on which the church is founded
Disciple is described as the function of the church
(ch.18)
 Eschatology
Eschatology in Matthew begins in the Infancy narrative
itself, till the death of Jesus (earthquake, raising of saints,
appearance in Jerusalem), his resurrection (earthquake,
angel descending to open the tomb)
Eschatological morality is stressed (chs.24-25)
Appearance of Jesus ending the Gospel echoes Daniel’s
vision of the final triumph
Promise of the presence of Jesus till the end of time