What is the Synoptic Problem?

What is the Synoptic Problem?

1. “To see together with a common view”

2. A complex pattern of similarities/differences between the gospels

3. Some passages are peculiar to each, different traditions and why?

4. Mark is the most primitive, earliest, longest and roughest in style. Matthew used 600/661 of Mark’s passages. Why?

5. When the material from Mark is taken away, 200 passages are left over unique to Matthew and Luke. Who used which? Where did their sources come from? Oral?

6. The writer’s similarities are slight - independent sources were used from people who had been there

7. Either one gospel writer has copied from another or both used the same source. Which?

8. It is never likely that Matthew copied from Luke because he wrote with a gentile view and Matthew is Jewish. Where did their sources come from?

9. They have a common hypothetical source - Q - ‘Quelle’ - where did it come from? What is in it? Is it real?

10. Which gospel wrote first?

11. Disagreement of chronological order between the gospels