05 — The Synoptic Problem and Priority
The literary relationship among Matthew, Mark, and Luke — the “synoptic problem” — and the place of Mark within it. The dominant modern view holds that Mark was written first and was used as a source by Matthew and Luke (Markan priority), against the older view, traceable to Augustine and revived by Griesbach, that Mark wrote after and abridged the others. These files set out the case for Markan priority and the wider synoptic question, including the two-source hypothesis and the hypothetical sayings-source Q, as a structured scholarly dispute.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox (Apostle and Evangelist)
The three “synoptic” Gospels — so called because they can be set side by side and “seen together” — share so much material, often word for word and in the same order, that some literary relationship among them is beyond serious doubt. The question is the direction of dependence, and on it the placement of Mark turns. For most of Christian history Mark was read as second and was little studied; Augustine called him the “follower and abridger” of Matthew. The nineteenth century reversed this judgment: the dominant scholarly consensus now holds Mark to be the earliest and a source for the other two. The Orthodox Church receives all four Gospels as canonical and inspired regardless of the order of composition; this section treats the synoptic question as a literary-historical problem, presented with both the priority hypothesis and its rivals named.
Files in This Section
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| Markan Priority | The dominant modern view that Mark wrote first: the arguments from length, from the harder readings, from order, and from grammar; the contrast with the older Augustinian and Griesbach (two-Gospel) orderings; and the consequences for reading Mark. Presented as a structured dispute. |
| The Synoptic Problem | The wider problem: the triple and double tradition, the two-source hypothesis (Mark + Q), the hypothetical sayings-source Q, the Farrer hypothesis dispensing with Q, and the Griesbach/two-Gospel alternative; the limits of certainty and the Orthodox reception of all four Gospels. |
See Also
- The Gospel of Mark — the Gospel whose priority is in question
- Peter and the Gospel — the early origin the priority hypothesis fits
- Authorship and Dating — how priority bears on the date of Mark
- Holy Scripture — the canon that receives all four Gospels
References
- Streeter, B. H. The Four Gospels: A Study of Origins. London: Macmillan, 1924.
- Augustine. On the Harmony of the Evangelists 1.2.4. Trans. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I, Vol. 6.
- Goodacre, Mark. The Synoptic Problem: A Way Through the Maze. London: T&T Clark, 2001.
- Farmer, William R. The Synoptic Problem: A Critical Analysis. New York: Macmillan, 1964.