Sources of the Synoptic Gospels

PREFACE

The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to give some account of the investigations recently made in the Synoptic Problem, and the present status of scholarly opinion concerning it; secondly, upon the basis of such established results, to push the inquiry into certain items a step farther.

The first part of the work, including pages 3-120, tho largely occupied with results reached by many different scholars, and bringing the matter up to where the writer adds his own more personal contribution, is yet not a mere survey of results attained. The writer has expressed his own judgment freely thruout it, as to the merits of arguments of others, and as to the points involved in the discussion. But his more personal contribution lies in the analysis of the groundwork Q into the two recensions, Q Mt and Q Lk.

The one book constantly in the writer’s hands during the preparation of this study was A. Huck’s Synopse der drei ersten Evangelien.[1] Without some such parallel edition of the Greek Gospels constantly open before him, one can neither write nor read profitably upon the Synoptic Question. The question of originality, and of giving credit for arguments and suggestions derived from other students, in a study of this sort, is extremely difficult. In the minute comparison of passages in one Gospel with passages in another, many of the differences and resemblances noted are part of the working material of most writers upon the Synoptic Problem; when one has worked thru the analyses of other students, has made their results his own, and has also made his own observations upon the basis of them, it becomes almost impossible for him to say what part of the total result is due to himself and for what part he is indebted to others. The writer is more deeply indebted to Paul Wernle, Sir John Hawkins, and the authors of the Oxford Studies, than to anyone else. The latter book came out after this study had been completed but the results have been revised somewhat under its influence. I have attempted to give credit in footnotes for suggestions received from many sources, but many must have gone unnoticed.

I am under deep obligation to the kind friends who have encouraged and made possible the publication of this Study, particularly to Mr. William H. Murphy, of Detroit.

Carl S. Patton

First Congregational Church
Columbus, Ohio
August, 1914

CONTENTS

PART I: GENERALLY ACCEPTED RESULTS OF SYNOPTIC STUDY
Chapter I: The Dependence of Matthew and Luke upon Mark
	PAGE
The Framework of Mark in Matthew and Luke	3
Up to Luke’s “Great Omission”	3
Luke’s “Great Omission” and Beyond	7
Luke’s “Great Interpolation”: Its Content	8
The Jerusalem Narrative	10
The Story of the Passion	12
The Priority of Mark	13
Luke’s Great Interpolation: Its Non-Use of Mark	16

Chapter II: The Order of Mark’s Gospel Compared with That of Matthew and That of Luke
Order of Mark in Matthew and Luke	19
Table I: Showing Changes Made by Matthew and Luke in the Order of Marcan Material	24
Deductions from the Table	28

Chapter III: The Omissions of Matthew and Luke in the Marcan Narrative
Omissions of Matthew and Luke in Mark	30
Omissions Made by Both Matthew and Luke	30
Omissions Made by Matthew in the Marcan Narrative	31
Omissions Made by Luke in the Marcan Narrative	32

Chapter IV: The Changes of Matthew and Luke in the Narrative of Mark
Changes of Matthew and Luke in Mark	37
The Baptism of Jesus	37
The Calling of the First Disciples	38
Jesus in the Synagogue at Capernaum	38
The Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law	38
The Healing in the Evening	39
The Retirement of Jesus	39
The Calling of Peter	40
The Healing of the Leper	41
The Healing of the Paralytic	41
The Calling of Levi (Matthew)	42
The Question about Fasting	42
The Walk Through the Corn	43
The Man with the Withered Hand	44
The Crowd and the Healings	44
The Calling of the Twelve	44
The Pharisaic Accusation and Jesus’ Defense	45
The True Brotherhood of Jesus; the Parable of the Sower; the Purpose of the Parables	45
The Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower	46
A Group of Detached Sayings	47
The Parable of the Mustard Seed	47
The Storm on the Lake	47
The Gadarene Demoniac	48
The Daughter of Jairus and the Woman with the Issue of Blood	49
The Initial Preaching in Nazareth	51
The Sending out of the Disciples	51
The Judgment of Herod concerning Jesus	52
The Death of the Baptist	53
The Return of the Disciples and the Feeding of the Five Thousand	54
The Walking on the Sea	55
The Return to Gennesaret	56
About the Things That Defile	56
The Canaanitish Woman	57
The Feeding of the Four Thousand	57
The Demand for a Sign	57
The Saying about Yeast	57
The Confession of Peter, and the First Prediction of Sufferings	58
The Demands of Discipleship	58
The Transfiguration	59
The Discussion about Elijah	59
The Healing of the Epileptic Boy	60
The Second Prediction of Sufferings	60
The Strife about Rank	61
Minor Passages	61
Summary of Matthew’s and Luke’s Treatment of the Marcan Narrative	70

Chapter V: Have We the Gospel of Mark in Its Original Form?
Have We Mark in Its Original Form?	72
Discussion of the Analysis of Mark by Wendling and von Soden	74
Conclusions of von Soden and Wendling Compared	83
Matthew and Luke Used Our Mark as a Source	88
The Hypothesis of a Primitive Mark Superfluous; Simpler Explanations	88
Some Remarkable Verbal Resemblances	93

Chapter VI: Use of a Common Document by Matthew and Luke
Use of a Common Document by Matthew and Luke	97
A Recent Attempt to Prove Matthew a Source for Luke	100

Chapter VII: the Existence and Content of Q
Existence and Content of Q	108
Deductions from the Table	109
Table II: Material from Q in Matthew	110
Deductions from Table III	115
Table III: Material in Luke Taken from Q	116
The Necessity for a Further Extension of Q	120

PART II: ANALYSIS OF Q INTO QMt AND QLk
Chapter I: Analysis of Q
Analysis of Q	123
Q Originally an Aramaic Document, Used in Greek Translations by Matthew and Luke	123
The Analysis of Q into QMt and QLk	126

Chapter II: Q, QMt, and QLk, in the Double Tradition of Matthew and Luke
Q, QMt, AND QLk in Matthew and Luke	129
The Preaching of John the Baptist	129
The Messianic Proclamation of the Baptist	130
The Temptation	130
“Blessed Are the Poor”	131
“Blessed Are They That Mourn”	132
“Blessed Are They That Hunger”	132
“Blessed Are The Persecuted”	132
A Saying about Salt	133
A Saying about Light	133
A Saying about the Law	135
“Agree with Thine Adversary”	135
About Non-Resistance and Love of Enemies	135
The Lord’s Prayer	136
A Saying about Treasures	137
A Saying about the Eye	137
About Double Service	138
About Care	138
About Judging	139
The Beam and the Mote	139
About Seeking and Finding	139
The Golden Rule	140
The Narrow Gate	140
The Tree and Its Fruits	141
Warning against Self-Deception	141
The Two Houses	143
The Centurion’s Son	143
“Many Shall Come from East and West”	145
Two Men Would Follow Jesus	146
“The Harvest Is Great”	146
“The Laborer Is Worthy of His Hire”	146
“Greet the House”	147
“More Tolerable for Sodom”	147
“Sheep among Wolves”	148
How to Act under Persecution	148
The Disciple and His Teacher	148
Exhortation to Fearless Confession	149
Strife among Relatives	150
Conditions of Discipleship	150
“He That Receiveth You”	151
The Question of the Baptist and Jesus’ Answer	152
The Woe upon the Galilean Cities	152
“I Thank Thee, O Father”	152
Jesus’ Defense against the Pharisees	153
“He That Is Not with Me”	153
Jonah and the Ninevites	153
A Speech about Backsliding	154
“Blessed Are the Eyes That See”	154
The Parable of the Yeast	154
The Blind Leading the Blind	155
A Saying about Faith	155
A Saying about Offenses	156
The Stray Sheep	156
About Forgiveness	157
Rewards for Discipleship	157
Against the Pharisees	157
“Whoso Humbles Himself”	158
Against the Pharisees	158
A Woe upon the Scribes	159
“I Send unto You Prophets”	160
The Lament over Jerusalem	161
The Day of the Son of Man	161
The Body and the Eagles	161
The Days of Noah	161
The One Taken, the Other Left	162
The Watching Servant	162
The True and False Servants	162
Results of the Preceding Investigation	162

Chapter III: Q in the Single Tradition Of Matthew (QMt)
Q in the Single Tradition of Matthew	166
Two Beatitudes	167
Four More Beatitudes	167
“Ye Are the Light of the World”	169
“Let Your Light Shine”	169
Various Sayings from the Sermon on the Mount	170
A Saying about Offenses	171
The Commandment about Divorce	171
About Oaths	172
The Second Mile	172
Another Old Testament Commandment	173
About Alms-Giving	173
About Prayer	174
About Fasting	175
Pearls before Swine	175
The False Prophets	176
A Saying about Trees	177
“By Their Fruits”	177
An Oft-Repeated Formula	177
The Conclusion of the Story of the Centurion’s Servant	178
“I Will Have Mercy and Not Sacrifice”	179
The Healing of Two Blind Men	179
The Healing of a Dumb Man	180
Instructions to the Disciples	180
Further Instructions to the Disciples	180
A Saying about Elijah	181
“He That Hath Ears, Let Him Hear”	182
The Occasion of Pronouncing Woes upon the Galilean Cities	182
Reason Assigned for the Pronunciation of the Woes	182
“Come unto Me”	183
A Saying about the Law	184
An Old Testament Quotation	184
“Generation of Vipers”	184
A Saying about the Judgment	185
An Interpretation of the Sign of Jonah	185
The Weed in the Field	185
The Parables of the Treasure, the Pearl, the Fish-Net, and the Scribe Instructed in the Kingdom	186
Peter Walking on the Water	187
“To the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel”	187
A Summa PART I ACCEPTED RESULTS OF SYNOPTIC STUDY Clyx.com