New Testament Study Helps

8/8/2019 New Testament Study Helps

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it, and as far as can be ascertained, hisknowledge appears to be accurate. Heis aware of the political attitudes of the Jewishpeopleseenespecially in thehatred of Samaritans (4:9). Heknows of the Palestinian contempt for Jews of the Dispersion

(7:35).3. Knowledge of Palestinian Geography.

The writerhas clearly had first-hand acquaintance with Jerusalem. Heknows the Hebrew name of a pool near the Sheep

gate and knows that it has five porches. This detail was amazingly confirmed by excavationsnear the temple. Heknows theHebrew name of a paved area outside the Praetorium, another detail confirmed by archaeological discovery near the tower

of Antonia. Onnumerous occasions topographical details are givenin this gospel, sometimesinnarratives where the

synoptic gospels lack them.c. Various Propositions Regarding Authorship.

1. The Apostle John.Ashas beenseen, thisis the traditional view, whichhas muchsupport forit ininternal evidence. It may besaid that thereisno evidence which conclusively disprovesit, inspite of much opposition to it. A modification of this view is that theApostle John was the witness and someoneelse was the author. A parallel to thissolution may be found in the traditional

relationship between Pater and Markin the production of thesecond gospel. Thereisno fundamental objection to this

approach, but it doesinvolve a rather broad interpretation of what the author means by "writing" in 21:24.2. John of Jerusalem.

Theexistence of a John of Jerusalem was proposed by H. Delff. In this view the John of the tradition was this JerusalemJohn who later becameinfluential among the Asiatic churches. He was trained in rabbinism and was present at the lastsupper. However, no external evidence of any kind exists forsuch a person.

3. Non-JohannineTheories.Several hypotheseshave beensuggested whichignore thename John altogether.

i. John the Elder.A famousstatement made by Papiashas given rise to a widespread conviction among many scholars that therewas another John who has associations with Ephesus and had some connection with the production of the fourth

gospel. According to this view, John theelder became mixed up in the tradition with John the apostle. However,ifit be granted that anelder John did exist, Papias givesno information regarding his location, nor doeshe giveany hint ofhis literary ability. In fact, evenif thiselder's presence can beestablished withinhistory due toPapias' ambiguous reference, thereisno reason to believe that his pen could have produced the fourth gospel.

The only tenuous connectionis that hehappens to possess thesamename as that to which the fourth gospel was

traditionally ascribed. And if the later Christian church thus mixed up the apostle and theelder, might notPapiashave done thesame, whichin turn destroys the possibility of theexistence ofsuch an Elder John?

3. Purpose

a. The Author's Own Statement.Johnsays "These are written that you may believe that Jesusis the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have lifeinhisname" (20:31). It is clear from thisstatement that the primary aim was to encourage faith. This must mean that the workwas

designed as anevangelistic instrument.b. The View that John was Combating Gnosticism.

This view isnaturally closely tied to a nearsecond-century dating for the gospel, when the movements generally classified asGnosticism were flourishing. The particular form of Gnosticism which Johnis claimed to be combating is Docetism which maintainedthat Christ could neverhave been contaminated by the world which wasessentially evil. This meant that Christ did not really becomeflesh. It may haveseemed asifhehad, but any contact with matter would have defiled him. Hence, he could not suffer, and it wasnot

he who wasnailed to the cross. His purpose was revelatory not redemptive. It isnot difficult to see that John's Gospel would be a veryuseful instrument in combating thiskind oferror, forhe places muchstress on the truly human character of theincarnation and

passion. He depicts Jesus as being tired and thirsty (4:6-7), as weeping at Lazarus' grave (11:35), asexpressing thirst while on the

cross (19:28), and possessing a real body from which flows blood (19:34).

4. Dating

Varioussuggestionshave risen regarding the dating of John's Gospel, ranging from before the fall of Jerusalem to as late as the last quarter of thesecond century. The moreextreme theorieshavesince then been rejected and the majority ofscholars areinclined to accept a datesomewhere

between 90 and 110 AD. Theearliest certainevidence for the circulation of the gospel is found in the Rylands Papyrus 457, whichis recognizedas anearly second-century manuscript. Thisis proof of theexistence of the gospel at anearly date and has, together with the Egerton Papyrus 2,effectively silenced theearlier radical dating of the gospel latein thesecond century.

Source: http://www.theologywebsite.com/nt/john.shtml

The Shape of the Gospel Story:

The Synoptic Gospels

Dennis Bratcher

The Gospels of the New Testament tell us about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. They tell us about Jesus birth, teachings, miracles,journeys, struggles, confrontations with religious leaders, as well as about hissuffering, execution, and appearances afterhis resurrection. Since


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thestory isso familiar to many it iseasy to assume that the Gospels all tell thesamestory in thesame way. It is true that they are telling thesamestory. But the way they tell it is considerably different.

A closerexamination of the Gospels reveals that each of the Gospels was writtenin a particularstyle with a great deal of freedom in what was

selected to include orexclude and how what isincluded is presented. The first three Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Lukeshare more witheach

otherin terms of material and arrangement of the material than they share with the Gospel of John. It is this general similarity between the firstthree Gospelsevenin light of their differences that has given them thename Synoptic Gospels (synoptic = "seeing together"). The content andstructure of Johns Gospel isso different from these three that it is usually studied separately from the Synoptic Gospels (see Introduction to the

Gospel of John).

A careful examination of thestructure of the Synoptic Gospels reveals that even though they follow a similarstructure ofevents (compared to

John), there are differences, sometimessubstantial differences, in the orderin which material is placed. Forexample, the first five chapters ofMarkcontain material that is also recounted in Matthew and Luke. While Luke roughly follows the order of Mark, Matthew organizes thatmaterial insignificantly different ways.

Mark Matthew Luke

1:21-45 7:28-8:15 4:31-5:16

2:1-22 9:1-17 5:17-39

2:23-3:12 12:1-16 6:1-6:11, 17-19

3:13-19 10:1-4 6:12-16

3:20-35 12:22-37 6:43-45

4:1-34 13:1-34 8:4-184:35-5:20 8:18-34 8:22-39

5:21-43 9:18-26 8:40-56

Biblical scholarshave concluded that these differences between the Synoptic Gospels that includenot only content and arrangement, but alsochronology, significant themes, and theological motifs point to each Gospel having its own particular theological emphasis. Each Gospel was

likely written for a different community (or communities) of Faith at a different time and location to bring the Gospel witness to bear on theneeds of that particular community. The Gospel writersselectively edited and arranged the diverse traditions about Jesus that were widespread in

theearly church (Luke 1:1-3; cf. John 21:25) to emphasize different aspects ofhis life and teachings. That suggests that each Gospel hasits own

unique literary history as well asshares a great deal of the Jesus tradition with the others (seeThe Synoptic Problem).

Inspite of their many differences, the Synoptic Gospels do share a similar outlineinhow thestoryline unfolds. Whileeach Gospel gives thestory

a particular personality, the Synoptics togethershare a general shapein recounting theevents and significance of Jesus. We cansee that shapeineight basic movements to thestory. However, wehave to keep in mind that these are divisions that help our modern minds follow thestory and

are really artificial and arbitrary in terms of thenarrativeitself.

(Note: Markis listed first becauseit is thesimplest version of thenarrative, which most biblical scholars consider to be the first Gospel written).

1. Introduction

Mk1:1 Mt 1:1-2:23 Lk1:1-2:52

The Synoptics differ widely inhow they begin the Gospel narratives.

Markhas only a one verseintroduction that providesno information beyond labeling the Gospel a "beginning" (1:1)

Matthews two chaptersinclude anintroductory genealogy (1:1-17), Josephs dream about accepting Mary (1:18-25), the visit of the Magi (2:1-

12), the flight of the family to Egypt (2:13-15), Herods murder of theinfantsin Bethlehem (2:16-18), and the familys return to Nazareth (2:19-23).

Luke begins a much longer two chapter account with a four-verse dedication to Theophilus (1:1-4). He then tells us of Zachariahsencounter

with an angel in the temple (1:5-23), the conception of John the Baptist (1:24-25), the Annunciation of Jesus birth to Mary 1:26-38), the visit ofMary with Elizabeth climaxing with Maryssong The Magnificat(1:39-56), the birth of John the Baptist and Zechariahs responsein the

Benedictus (1:57-79), the birth of Jesusin a stable (2:1-7), the visit of theshepherds (2:8-20), the circumcision of Jesus and his presentationin thetemple (2:21-24), the prophecies of Simeon and Anna (2:25-38), and the account of Jesusin theTemple at the age of twelve (2:41-52).

2. Beginning of Jesus Ministry


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Mk1:2-13 Mt 3:1-4:11 Lk3:1-4:13

The beginning of Jesus ministry is very similarin all three Synoptics. All includestories of John the Baptist, Jesus baptism, and his temptation,

although they differinspecific content and arrangement.

Markis typically muchshorter taking only seven verses for John the Baptist (1:2-8), three verses for Jesus baptism (1:9-11), and presenting the

Temptationnarrativein only two verses (1:12-13), omitting any details of what the temptations were.

Matthewexpands the account of John the Baptist, telling us about his appearance as well as the content ofhis message (3:1-12). Matthew adds

the deference of John to Jesus at the baptism (3:14-15). Matthew also expands the temptationnarrative to include thenature of the threetemptations with biblical quotations by Jesus (4:1-11).

Luke follows Matthew closely here but addshistorical details, as well as additional information about the preaching of John (3:10-14) and agenealogy of Jesus (3:23-38).

3. Jesus Galilean Ministry

Mk1:14-8:26 Mt 4:12-16:12 Lk4:14-9:17 [50]

Thisis the largest section of the Gospels and includesnearly half of Markand Matthew and slightly less of Luke. There are many geographical

markers but few indications of time. This combined with the fact that individual stories are placed in different contextsin the Gospels means that

a reliable chronology of the material is virtually impossible. Once again thereis a great deal of differenceinhow the material is arranged andused. Even with those differences, there areseveral features that areshared by all three Gospels.

a. While arranged differently, the teachings of Jesus figure prominently in thissection of the Synoptics. Thisincludessayings associated with

miracles and as responses to people and circumstances, teaching in parables, and teachings directed to the twelve disciples as well as larger groupof followers and the crowdsin general.

b. Thecalling of the twelve, their commissioning, and variousnarrativessurrounding them areincluded in all three Synoptics.

c. Most of themiracle stories of the Gospels arein thissection. About ten of these occurin all three Gospels, although they are given differentcontexts and points ofemphasis. There are other accounts that occurin only one or two of the Synoptics.

d.Hostility and opposition from various representatives of Judaism to Jesusisinterwovenin various ways throughout thenarratives. Jesus

interaction with the traditions of Judaism and its perspective on observance to the law creates opposition to his teachings and ministry.

Marktends to follow a morestraightforward narrativestylein whichincidents are connected with verbs of movement and placenames. The

teachings and sayings of Jesus occurin occasional settingsscattered throughout thenarrative. There are fewer parablesin Markthanin the othertwo Synoptics, although the two major parables, thesower (4:1-9, 14-20) and the tenants (12:1-12) along with theshort explanation of the

purpose of parables (4:10-12), serve to call hearers to response.

Matthewexpands thissection by collecting togetherin blocks of material thesayings and teachings of Jesus that arein other contextsin Mark

and Luke. The largest of theseis the Sermon on the Mount (5-7), as well as the Mission of theTwelve (10), and the Parables of the Kingdom(13). Miraclestories also tend to be clustered together following the Sermon on the Mount, and controversies tend to dominate the later chapters.

Lukeintroduces the theme of Jesus mission at the beginning of thissection (4:16-30) and then arranges theevents, teachings, and healings to

demonstrate the outworking of that mission. Lukehas muchshorter blocks of teaching material thanin Matthew often with different settings. Bynot locating the following section (9:18-36) at Caesarea Philippi, Lukeeffectively extends the Galilean ministry through 9:50.

4. The Turning Point

Mk8:27-9:8 Mt 16:13-17:8 Lk9:18-36

In different ways, all three Gospels use Peters confession at Caesarea Philippi and Jesus response with the first prediction ofhisimpendingsuffering and death (the Passion) to marka turning point in Jesus ministry. In thissense, thissection marks thehinge at which the Gospel story

turns. Before this much of Jesus ministry was public, accompanied and acclaimed by crowds of followers. After this, Jesusis much morereclusivespending more time with the disciples and in prayer and not as willing to perform spectacular public miracles. The references to hiscoming death are accompanied by teachings on discipleship. Thissection also includes the account of theTransfiguration that is almost identical

in all three Gospels. In this way three major themes of the Gospels arehighlighted: the confession of Jesus as the Christ (Greek; Hebrew =


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messiah); thesuffering of Jesus and its relationship to following Jesusin discipleship; and thehidden glory of Jesusseen only through theeyes offaith.

Markpresents the disciples, represented by Peter, as confused and not really comprehending his teachings or believing his predictions about

suffering and death. Jesushasharsh words for Peter ("Satan," Mk8:33) after Peter rebukeshim for talking about his death.

Matthews versionis only slightly longer and presents the disciplesin a better light. Only Matthew tells of Jesus first responding positively to

Peters confession, blessing him by using a word play onhisname ("rock," 16:17-19). Matthew also includes a shortjudgment saying (16:27).

Luke doesnot locate the confession of Peter at Caesarea Philippi. He leavesit and the following events as part of Jesus Galilean ministry andplacesit muchearlier than Matthew. Luke omits Peters rebuke and Jesusstern response.

5. The Journey toward Jerusalem

Mk9:9-10:52 Mt 17:9-20:34 Lk9:37-19:27

Markand Matthew are very similarin thissection, while Lukeis considerably different. Basically all three chart a steady movement from Galileeto Jerusalem. Markespecially includes geographical references that help plot the movement of thestory toward Jerusalem. But since there are

few time references, and the chronology in Johns Gospel is considerably different, it is uncertain whether thisjourney is a physical one or aliterary techniquein whichseveral trips areschematized into one. All three Gospelsinclude theironic accounts of the disciples arguing over whois the greatest and seeking positions ofhonor when Jesus comesinto his Kingdom, inspite of Jesus continued predictions ofhis coming death.

Markis once again thesimplest version of thenarrative with almost everything in Markalso included in the other two Synoptics. In terms ofrhetorical structure, 8:1-10:52 form a largernarrative unit centering on the themes of discipleship and understanding its cost. In thissection, that

theme of discipleship isstressed as well asexamples of faith that illustrate thenature of the Kingdom of God.

Matthew follows Marksstructure but expands thenarrative withquestions about paying taxes (17:24-27) and issues of church discipline (18:15-

20). Also included are two parables that occur only in Matthew, the Unmerciful Servant (18:23-35) and the Laborersin the Vineyard (20:1-16).

Lukeshows the greatest divergencehere and is considerably longer. Thenarrativeis more obviously structured as a journey with anintroductory

statement marking its beginning (9:51). While both Markand Matthew do not mention Samaria (cf. Matt 10:5), Luke recounts Jesus trip throughSamaria (9:51-56, cf. John 4:5-9). Much of Lukesexpanded material in thissection corresponds to material that Matthew presentsin the Sermonon the Mount. Also included are a wholeseries of parables that are unique to Luke: the Good Samaritan (10:25-37), the Fried at Midnight (11:5-

8), the Rich Fool (12:16-21), the Lost Coin (15:8-10), the Prodigal Son (15:11-32), the Unjust Steward (16:1-13), the Rich Man and Lazarus(16:19-31), the Unjust Judge (18:1-8), the Pharisee and Tax Collector (18:10-14), and the Pounds (19:11-27; cf. Mt 25:14-30). Luke also includes

an additional unique account, thestory of the tax-collector Zacchaeus (19:1-10).

6. Holy Week

Mk11:1-14:11 Mt 21:1-26:16 Lk19:28-22:6

All three Synopticsshare thesame basic structure with differencesin arrangement and content. Once again, most of Markinincluded in the other

Synoptics and Lukeshows the most divergence but mostly in details. The final weekbegins with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem followed bythe cleansing of theTemple (located differently in John), which precipitates openhostility from Jewish religious leaders. Jesus responds to

questions about his authority, paying taxes to Caesar, and engages the debate about resurrection. Comments about the coming destruction of the

Temple and Jerusalem lead into teachings on theend of the age, in different formsineach of the Synoptics. Markand Matthew shareseveralfeaturesnot in Luke: the cursing of the fig tree, thequestion about the greatest commandment, and the anointing at Bethany. All three concludewith the betrayal by Judas, although presented from different perspectives.

Markinserts the cursing of the fig tree before the cleansing of theTemple and follows later with theexplanation of the action.

Matthew places the cursing of the fig tree after the cleansing of theTemple. Only Matthew mentions Jesushealing in the temple (21:14). Thereareseveral parables found only in Matthew: theTwo Sons (21:28-32), the Marriage Feast (22:1-14; cf. Lk14:15-24), theTen Virgins (25:1-13),

and theTalents (25:14-30; cf. Lk19:11-27). Matthew also includes a short section on the Great Judgment (25:31-46), and omits the Widows

Offering that isincluded in the other two Synoptics.

Luke omits the cursing of the fig tree and recounts Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (19:41-44). Luke attributes the betrayal by Judas to Satan

entering into him (22:3).

7. The Passion Narratives


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Mk14:12-15:47 Mt 26:17-27:66 Lk22:7-23:56

Again, with many differencesin details the Synoptics follow basically thesame outlinein presenting the Passion orsuffering of Jesus: the Last

Supper/Passover, the Prayerin Gethsemane, Jesus Arrest, theTrial before Caiaphas, Peters denial, theTrial before Pilate, the Release ofBarabbas, the Mocking and Scourging, and Jesus Crucifixion, Death, and Burial. Markand Matthew shareseveral details of thestory that Luke

omits or alters: a man carrying ajar of water who leads them to the place where they eat the Passover meal; the mention of the betrayal at the

beginning of the meal (Luke placesit after the meal), thesinging of a hymn after the meal, thename Gethsemane, Jesus finding the disciples

asleep three times (oncein Luke), the disciples deserting Jesus afterhis arrest, Jesus Cry of Dereliction from the cross, and the tearing of thetemple curtain at Jesus death.

Markbegins with a mention of the Passover lamb (14:12). Only Markmentions a young man following Jesus after the other discipleshad fled(14:51-52), but omits the mention of Peter following at a distance that isin Matthew and Luke.

Matthew follows Markclosely here with minor differences. Matthew includes Jesussaying that he could summon twelve legions of angelsifit

werehisintention to fight. Matthew differs most inincluding several accountssurrounding Jesus death: the remorse of Judas (27:3-9), Pilates

wifes dream (27:19), Pilateshand washing (27:24-26), theearthquake and resurrection of thesaints at Jesus death (27:51-53), and the guard atthe tomb (27:62-66)

Luke differsin many details of the account, which leadssome to conclude that Lukeis working with a different tradition orsource material here.

Lukeincludes the breaking of bread as well as a second cup after the bread (22:19-20). Luke putsinto thissetting an account of a dispute betweenthe disciples over who is greatest (22:24-27) that occursin different settingsin Markand Matthew. Luke also includes a section ofinstruction to

the disciples, including warnings and a promise of prayer for Peter (22:28-32). Thereis also an angel ministering to Jesus ashe prayed, although

now these verses (22:43-44) are considered to be later additions. Only Luke mentions thehealing of theservantsear (22:51), Jesus turning tolookat Peter afterhis denial (22:61), the appearance of Jesus before Herod Antipas (23:6-12), the words to the women of Jerusalem (23:27-31),

and the repentance of one of the criminals (23:42-43). Luke omits the Cry of Dereliction but includes Jesus committing himself to Godshands(23:46).

8. The Resurrection

Mk16:1-8 [9-20] Mt 28:1-20 Lk24:1-53

The resurrection accounts vary widely witheach Gospel telling thestory differently. The finding of theempty tomb by the womenisshared byall three Synoptics, although the details of that account differ.

Markis theshortest account, only eight verses. The longerending of Mark(9-20) is generally considered to be a later addition to the bookaddedto provide closure to the bookby some who thought it ended too abruptly. There are many theories as to why the bookwould end so abruptly at

16:8: part of the bookhas been accidentally lost, the writer wasnot able to finish the book, etc. Someeven argue that the bookwasintended toend at 16:8. In any case, the longerending, orseveral shorterendingsin various manuscripts, are usually rejected asnot being part of the originalGospel. Markdiffersisseveral small details from the other Synoptics.

Matthew mentions anearthquake and an angel rolling backthestone of the tomb and talking to the women (28:2-7). In Matthew, Jesus meets thewomen at the tomb and instructs them to tell the disciples (28:9-10). Also unique to Matthew is the Jewish leaders bribing the guards to lie

(28:11-15), and the appearance of Jesus to theeleven and the Great Commission (28:16-20).

Lukehas two men at the tomb to explain to the women (24:4-7). The rest of the account and the way it is told is uniquein Luke: the womens

report to the disciples and their response (24:9-12), the two men on the road to Emmaus and their report to the disciples (24:13-35), theappearance to theelevenin Jerusalem and Jesusinstructions to them (24:36-49), and the Ascension (24:50-53)

The content of the Gospelsis adapted from W. D. Stacey, Groundwork of Biblical Studies, Epworth, 1979.

Source: http://www.crivoice.org/gospelshape.html

The Gospels and The Synoptic Problem

The Literary Relationship of

Matthew, Mark, and Luke

Dennis Bratcher

Introduction


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crowd gathered around him, and he taught them.

9 As Jesus was walking along, 14 Ashe was walking along,

hesaw a man called Matthew sitting atthe tax booth; and hesaid to him,

Follow me. And he got up and

followed him.

hesaw Levison of Alphaeussitting at the taxbooth, and hesaid to him, Follow me. And he

got up and followed him.

and saw a tax collectornamed Levi, sitting atthe tax booth; and hesaid to him, Follow me.

28 And he got up, left everything, and followed

him.

10 And ashesat at dinnerin thehouse,

many tax collectors and sinners cameand weresitting withhim and his

disciples.

15 And ashesat at dinnerin Levishouse, many

tax collectors and sinners were also sitting withJesus and his disciples--for there were many who

followed him.

29 Then Levi gave a great banquet forhim in

hishouse; and there was a large crowd of taxcollectors and otherssitting at the table with

them.

11 When the Phariseessaw this, 16 When thescribes of the Phariseessaw that he

waseating withsinners and tax collectors,

30 The Pharisees and theirscribes

they said to his disciples, Why doesyour teachereat with tax collectors andsinners?

they said to his disciples, Why doesheeat withtax collectors and sinners?

were complaining to his disciples, saying, Whydo you eat and drinkwith tax collectors andsinners?

12 But whenheheard this, 17 When Jesusheard this,

hesaid, "Those who are well havenoneed of a physician, but those who aresick.

hesaid to them, "Those who are well haveno needof a physician, but those who aresick;

31 Jesus answered, "Those who are well haveno need of a physician, but those who aresick;

13 Go and learn what this means, I

desire mercy, not sacrifice.

For I have come to call not the

righteous but sinners.

I have come to call not the righteous but sinners. 32 I have come to call not the righteous but

sinners to repentance.

How can weexplain these very close parallels between thesynoptic Gospels, especially considering that the Gospels were likely writtenin

different places at different times? Were they using a common writtensource or a shared traditionin their writing? Did thereexist a record ofJesus that wasearlier than the Gospels that all the writers used in producing their own Gospel? Ifso, why were the Gospels themselves writtenif

there already existed anearlier account? Ifeither writtensources or oral tradition were used in the compilation of the Gospels, were thosesourcesreliable? Would thesourceshave to beinspired in order for the Gospels to beinspired? And exactly how were thesources used? Were the Gospel

writerssimply trying faithfully to reproduce thosesources? Or did the Gospel writers feel free to interpret and apply the Jesus traditions as theywrote their Gospels?These are thequestions that lie at theheart of the Synoptic Problem.

Yet, assimilar as they are, there arestill differences between the Gospels on many levels. Evenin these very similar passages, there are minor

differences of word order, words used, syntax and style of writing, and grammatical variations. There are also differencesin other details betweenthe Gospels, some of which can beseen above. Sometimesnames areincluded or omitted, or are givenin different forms, asin theillustrationabove where Matthew is called Leviin Markand Luke. Sometimes additional details are added in one account, such as thequotation from Hosea

added in Matthew's version above (v. 13). Sometimes a saying of Jesusis recorded in Aramaic, while the parallel passages record it in Hebrew,

forexamplein Jesus'quotation of Psalm 22:1 from the cross, recorded in Aramaic in Mark(15:34) but in Hebrew in Matthew (27:46). Sometimesdifferent but synonymous Greekwords are used in an otherwise parallel passage. In most ways, these variations do not change much about the

narrative. Yet, they aresignificant enough that they arenot easily ignored.

Also there are differencesin minorhistorical details. Forexample, the well-knownstory of thehealing of the blind man Bartimaeus contains

several such differences.

Matthew (20:29-34) Mark (10:46-52) Luke (18:35-43)

46 They came to Jericho. 35 Ashe approached Jericho,

29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd

followed him.

Ashe and his disciples and a large crowd

were leaving Jericho,

30 There were two blind mensitting by theroadside.

Bartimaeusson ofTimaeus, a blind beggar,wassitting by the roadside

a blind man wassitting by the roadside begging.


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When they heard that Jesus was passing by, 47 Whenheheard that it was Jesus ofNazareth,

36 Whenheheard a crowd going by, he askedwhat washappening. 37 They told him, "Jesus

of Nazarethis passing by."

they shouted, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son ofDavid!"

he began to shout out and say "Jesus, Sonof David, have mercy on me!"

38 Thenheshouted, "Jesus, Son of David, havemercy on me!"

31 The crowd sternly ordered them to bequiet;but they shouted even more loudly, "Have

mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!"

48 Many sternly ordered him to bequiet,but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of

David, have mercy on me!"

39 Those who werein front sternly ordered himto bequiet; but heshouted even more loudly,

"Son of David, have mercy on me!"

32 Jesusstood still and called them, 49 Jesusstood still and said, "Call him

here."

40 Jesusstood still and ordered the man to be

brought to him;

And they called the blind man, saying to

him, "Takeheart; get up, heis calling you."50 So throwing offhis cloak,

hesprang up and came to Jesus. and whenhe camenear,

saying, "What do you want me to do for you?" 51 Then Jesussaid to him, "What do youwant me to do for you?"

he asked him, 41 "What do you want me to dofor you?"

33 They said to him, "Lord, let oureyes beopened."

The blind mansaid to him, "My teacher, letmesee again."

Hesaid, "Lord, let mesee again."

34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touchedtheireyes

52 Jesussaid to him, "Go; your faithhasmade you well."

42 Jesussaid to him, "Receive yoursight; yourfaithhassaved you."

Immediately they regained theirsight and

followed him.

Immediately he regained hissight and

followed him on the way.

43 Immediately he regained hissight and

followed him

glorifying God; and all the people, when they

saw it, praised God.

In Matthew and Mark, theincident happens as Jesus and the disciples were leaving Jericho (Matt. 20:29, Mk10:46), whilein Luke as they were

entering the town (Lk. 18:35). In Matthew there are two unnamed blind men (20:30), in Luke a single unnamed blind man (18:35), whilein Markheis called Bartimaeusson ofTimaues (10:46). In all three accounts the crowd ishostile to the blind man, but Marktells us that some of the

crowd encouraged him to respond to Jesus (10:49). In Matthew, Jesussimply calls to the two men, whilein Markand Lukehehas the blind manbrought to him. Other differences can benoted as well.

Again, while these differences can be understood in terms of writingsstyles or different purposes of telling thestory within the Gospels, the factthat they aresuch variations on anincident reported in very similar waysin the Synoptics raises thequestion of the relationship between theaccounts.

Other differences areeven moresubstantial, althoughstill variations of what seems like a common tradition. While the basic order ofeventsissimilarin the Synoptics, somesayings of Jesus occurin different settingsin the various Gospels. Forexample, Matthew presents many of Jesus'

sayingsin a large blockof teaching material delivered whileheisseated on a mountain (the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5:1-7:27): "When Jesussaw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and afterhesat down, his disciples came to him. Thenhe began to speak, and taught them, saying . . .."However, many of thesesamesayings arescattered throughout the other two Gospels. Lukehas a muchshorter version of these collected sayings

(Lk. 6:17-49), but the localein which they are placed is different: "He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd ofhisdisciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast ofTyre and Sidon." Because of the location, Luke's version of

Jesus' teachingsisknown as the Sermon on the Plain.

Other parables, teachings, or particulareventsin the Gospels are placed at different pointsin thenarrative orin different literary contexts (seeTheTime of the Crucifixion). Forexample, Luke places Jesus' rejection at thesynagogueinhishometown of Nazareth as one of the first events

ofhis public ministry (Lk4:16-30). However, Markplacesit much later, about halfway throughhis Galilean ministry (Mark6:1-6). Markplaces

Jesus' calling of the disciples beforehis Capernaum preaching (Mark1:16-20), while Luke placesit after (Lk5:1-11).

These arenot isolated examples. A careful examination of thestructure of the Synoptic Gospels reveals that even though they follow a similarstructure ofevents (compared to John), there are differences, sometimessubstantial differences, in the orderin which material is placed. Forexample, the first five chapters of Markcontain material that is also recounted in Matthew and Luke. While Luke roughly follows the order of

Mark, Matthew organizes that material insignificantly different ways.


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Mark Matthew Luke

1:21-45 7:28-8:15 4:31-5:16

2:1-22 9:1-17 5:17-39

2:23-3:12 12:1-16 6:1-6:11, 17-19

3:13-19 10:1-4 6:12-16

3:20-35 12:22-37 6:43-45

4:1-34 13:1-34 8:4-184:35-5:20 8:18-34 8:22-39

5:21-43 9:18-26 8:40-56

Insome passages, the difference between the various Gospelsis compounded. Forexample, Matthew and Luke give us different versions of theLord's prayer, while Markdoesnot even record the prayer. Even within thesame bookthere are a variety of different readings among various

manuscripts (variant readings added insome manuscripts areindicated in red/brackets.)

Matthew 6:9-13 Luke 11:2-4

Hesaid to them,

"Pray thenin this way: "When you pray, say:

Our Fatherinheaven, hallowed be yourname. Yourkingdom come.

Father [inheaven], hallowed be yourname. Yourkingdom come.

[Your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us.]

Your will be done, onearth asit isinheaven. [Your will be done onearth asit isinheaven.]

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Give useach day our daily bread. And forgive us oursins, for weourselves forgiveeveryoneindebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial, And do not bring us to the time of trial."

but rescue us from theevil one. [but rescue us from theevil one.]

[For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

forever. Amen.]

Besides the obvious difference between the prayers, we can also note the different contextsin which they are presented in the two Gospels.

Matthew includes the prayerin the concluding section of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus taught the people about practical piety, howthe peopleshould live out a life of commitment to God. Yet Lukesets the prayerin a narrative context in which the disciplessee Jesus prayingand askhim to teach them to pray.

There are far moresignificant differencesin many parallel accounts. These amount to more thanjust differencesin words, but differencesinhow

thestory is used, detailsincluded or omitted, how a passageis related to the Old Testament, eveninhow theevent itselfis presented orhow the

writers understood theevent. Take, forexample, the report of thehealing of Peter's mother-in law and thesubsequent report about Jesus'healingmiracles. Even apart from the differencesin thenarrative context in which the various writers place thestories, or where they place thestoriesinthe chronology of Jesus ministry, there aresignificant differences between the accounts.

Matthew 8:14-17 Mark 1:29-34 Luke 4:38-41

Assoon as they left thesynagogue, After leaving thesynagogue

When Jesusentered Peter'shouse, they entered thehouse of Simon and heentered Simon'shouse.

Andrew, with James and John.

hesaw his mother-in-law lying in bed Now Simon's mother-in-law wasin Now Simon's mother-in-law wassuffering from a high


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with a fever; bed with a fever, fever,

and they told him about her at once. and they asked him about her.

he touched herhand, and the fever lefther,

He came and tookher by thehandand lifted her up. Then the fever left

her,

Thenhestood overher and rebuked the fever, and it lefther.

and she got up and began to servehim. and she began to serve them. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.

That evening they brought to him That evening, at sundown, theybrought to him all who weresick

As thesun wassetting, all those who had any who weresickwith variouskinds of diseases brought them to him;

many who were possessed with demons; or possessed with demons.

and he cast out thespirits with a word, [and cast out many demons; [Demons also came out of many, shouting, "You are the

Son of God!"

and he would not permit the demons

to speak, because they knew him.]

But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak,

because they knew that he was the Messiah.]

And the whole city was gathered

around the door.

and cured all who weresick. And he cured many who weresickwith various diseases,

and he laid hishands oneach of them and cured them.

This was to fulfill what had beenspokenthrough the prophet Isaiah, "He tookour

infirmities and bore our diseases."

and cast out many demons; and hewould not permit the demons to

speak, because they knew him.

Demons also came out of many, shouting, "You are the Sonof God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to

speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

And, of course, there are thesections ofeach of the Synoptic Gospels that do not have parallelsin the other Gospels and are unique to that

Gospel, or are recorded in only one other Gospel. Forexample, the accounts of Jesus' birthin Matthew and Luke arestrikingly different. Lukeincludes anextended description of theevents leading up to the birth, including the activities of Mary and the parents of John, as well as the later

narratives about the visit of theshepherds, thespeeches of Anna and Simeon, and the visit of the young boy Jesus to theTemple. None of theseareincluded in Matthew or Mark. Mathew includes the visit of the Magi and the flight into Egypt that the other accounts omit, while Marksimply

omits any narratives about Jesus' birth.

Are these differences a matter of the Gospel writerssimply trying to clarify certain words or to interpret the meaning more clearly? Are they

writing to different audiences and trying to adapt a common traditioninto local contextsin different geographical regions? Are they writing fordifferent cultural groups within thesame area, and so feel theneed ornecessity to adapt thestory of Jesusinto that cultural context tocommunicateits message?

Are they working with only a rough outline of the Gospel traditions, perhaps an oral tradition, and filling in details to tell thestory? Were thereslightly different versions and traditions about Jesus that were circulating in theearly churchin different areas? Ifso, how do weknow which one

is accurate? Oris that kind ofhistorical accuracy evenimportant? If they are working with a common tradition, do the changes they makesignificantly alter the traditionin any way? If the writers changed the tradition, isit possible that it has been corrupted by otherinfluences (theGospel of Thomasis a good example of the Jesus tradition adapted in ways that significantly alterit)? How do wesee the differencesin terms of

inspiration and the authority of Scripture?

The Nature of the Gospels

There are a range of opinions and suggestions offered to explain the literary relationship of the Synoptic Gospels that addresses thesequestions.But even before weexamine these proposals, perhapsit would behelpful to consider aneven more fundamental issue, that of the very nature of

the Gospels as Scripturein light of thehistory of their formation.

Consideration ofhow the Gospels came to be and some of theimplications of that process for understanding thenature of the Gospels as

literature of theearly church will providesome basis to evaluate the various proposals to address the Synoptic "problem." Thisisno way raises

questions about theinspiration or authority of the Gospels as Scripture for the Church. It only asks that we lookat the Gospels from the


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behold the face of Moses for the glory ofhis countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of thespirit be ratherglorious? Forif the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousnessexceed in glory. Foreven that

which was made glorioushad no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. Forif that whichis done away was glorious, muchmore that which remainethis glorious."

The Old Covenant gives a detailed revealing of theholiness of God in the right standing of the Law and gave a picture and promise of the comingMessiahthe Redeemer ofhumankind. The New Covenant gives a picture of theholiness of God through the righteousness of His Glorious Son.Thus the New Testament includes the writings, which give us the New Covenant.

Thesignificance of the New Testament Centers around:

1. The one who gave Himself for the remission ofsins, Jesus Christ

2. The people (church) who have received thesalvation of Christ.

Thus, the fundamental premise of the New Testament issalvation. The Gospelsestablish the Savior, Christ Jesus. The book, whichis called the

Acts of the Apostles, describes thespread of the good news concerning Christs gift ofsalvation, through a large part of the Mediterranean world

during the first century A.D. The Epistles (letters) give particulars of the blessingssalvation brings, and the Revelation gives a foretaste of theculmination ofsalvation.

The New Testament is an arrangement of 27 books written by nine authors going under the assumption that Paul did not write Hebrews. The

writing of the New Testament books covers a period of about 50 years. The books of the New Testament logically fall into four categories:

1. The Gospels: In the Gospels we find the description of the life and times of Jesus Christ. The Gospels were written later than most of the NewTestament books but since they speakmainly of the birth and life of Christ, they were properly placed at the beginning.

2. 2. The Acts of the Apostlesis the account of the church and thespread of Christianity all over the Mediterranean world.

3. 3. The books from Romans through Jude (21 letters) detail mostly the life of Paul and his missionary trips to the churches.

4. 4. The Revelation describes the victorious triumph of Jesus.

The actual order of writing of the books of the New Testament according to time writtenis like this:

All dates are A.D.

1. James 45-50

2. Galatians 49

3. 1 and 2 Thessalonians 51

4. Mark50s

5. 1 Corinthians 56

6. 2 Corinthians 57

7. Romans 58

8. Luke 60

9. Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon 61

10. Acts 61

11. Matthew 60s


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12. 1 Timothy 63

13. 1 Peter 63

14. Titus 65

15. 2 Timothy 66

16. 2 Peter 66

17. Hebrews 64-68

18. Jude 70-80

19. John 85-90

20. 1,2,3 John 90

21. Revelation 90s

The books of the New Testament werenot collected as a bookover a period of a few yearsinstead it tookover 350 years to gather the books ofthe New Testament. The church collected and scrutinized the books as to authorship, spiritual content, inspired by God and its reception by thechurches. The Council of Carthage finally approved the canon of the New Testament in 327 A.D. No original canon of the New Testament

remains today although more than 8,000 Latin manuscripts, 4,500 Greekmanuscripts and around 1000 various manuscripts do exist from whichwe get our translations.

The beginning of the New Testament issimilarinnature to the beginning of the Old Testament. It is a beginning of life. In the Old TestamentGod creates life:

"In the beginning God created theheaven and theearthAnd God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life,and fowl that may fly above theearthin the open firmament ofheaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth,which the waters brought forth abundantly, after theirkind, and every winged fowl afterhiskind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed

them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the watersin theseas, and let fowl multiply in theearth. And theevening and the morning werethe fifth day. And God said, Let theearth bring forth the living creature afterhiskind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of theearth afterhis

kind: and it wasso. And God made the beast of theearth afterhiskind, and cattle after theirkind, and every thing that creepeth upon theearth

afterhiskind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make manin ourimage, after our likeness: and let them have dominion overthe fish of thesea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all theearth, and overevery creeping thing that creepeth upon theearth. So God created maninhis ownimage, in theimage of God created hehim; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and

God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish theearth, and subdueit: and have dominion over the fish of thesea, and over thefowl of the air, and overevery living thing that moveth upon theearth."

In the New Testament a lifeis born, that gives life:

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When ashis mother Mary wasespoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found

with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Josephherhusband, being ajust man, and not willing to makeher a publickexample, was minded to put heraway privily. But whilehe thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son ofDavid, fearnot to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that whichis conceived inheris of the Holy Ghost. And sheshall bring forth a son, and thou

shalt call hisname JESUS: forheshall savehis people from theirsins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which wasspoken of theLord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virginshall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call hisname Emmanuel, which beinginterpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had biddenhim, and tookunto him his wife: And

knew hernot till shehad brought forthher firstbornson: and he called hisname JESUS."

The Gospels begin the New Testament. The word Gospel means good news.The good news contained in the Gospelsis thenews of the birth of

a savior and the doorway to salvation for all humankind.

Christianity wasquickly spreading across the Mediterranean countries leaving a need for written accounts of the life and ministry of the Messiah.

Many of the first hand witnesses to the accounts of Christs life were getting old and death wasimminent for them so written accounts of theevents were recorded for future generations.

Although many other Gospelsexist, only four of them were deemed holy. The four deemed worthy ofinclusionin the New Testament werewrittenearlier than the other Gospels. The basis fornot including the other Gospels asholy Words of God is due to the whimsical and fted


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writing style. Many of the Gospelsnot included containstories that differ greatly from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Many of the other Gospelwritings contain references that promotesectarian and heretical viewpoints. Each of theincluded Gospels were written by Apostles and directed

toward individual groups of people:

1. Matthew for the Jews

2. 2. Markfor the Romans

3. 3. Luke for the Gentiles

4. 4. John for the Christians

Three of the Gospels containstories that are parallel to each other and these are called the Synoptic Gospels coming from the root word, synopsis,meaning viewing together. Theeventsin these three booksshow the life and ministry of Christ with all but 31 verses of Markhaving parallelsin

Luke orin Matthew. Most of the material in the Gospel of Johnisexclusive and formatted in discourses to the Christians. The four books of theGospels are complimentary to each other and to the redemptive life and ministry of Christ.

Resources:

KJV Holy Bible

NIV Holy Bible, Thompson Chain Study Reference

New Jerusalem Bible

Matthew Henry Commentary

Darby Commentary

RSV Holy Bible

Barclays Commentary

Source: http://www.essortment.com/all/booksinthenew_rkgm.htm

New Testament Study Helps

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