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Synoptic Gospel Sources


The 'synoptic problem' is to explain the similarities between the synoptic gospels. These similarities are widely believed to result from the use of written sources. This part of the site investigates which of these written sources were used by which gospels. The pages indicated below present the arguments for a common-sense solution to the problem. The proposed solution bridges the gulf between Kloppenborg and Goulder.

The third and fourth pages below constitute a slightly revised version of a 'Short Study' entitled "A Three Source Theory for the Synoptic Problem" published in  Journal of Biblical Studies [http://journalofbiblicalstudies.org] 1:4 (2001).

  1. Overview of an elegant solution to the Synoptic Problem

  2. A brief history of the Three Source Theory

  3. Fundamental flaws in the Two Source Theory

  4. Pericopae wrongly assigned to Q

  5. Luke used Matthew AND a sayings source

  6. The sayings of Jesus

  7. Merits of the Three Source Theory



Log of main changes
date reason for change
  12 Feb 2009 New page: Luke used Matthew AND a sayings source
  21 Jul 2008 New page in 'The sayings of Jesus': The doublets: a template for the logia
  29 May 2008 New page: A brief history of the Three Source Theory
  26 Mar 2008 New page: Overview of an elegant solution to the Synoptic Problem
  14 May 2006 English text of sQ now set out in poetic form
  5 Sep 2005 New page: sQ = Papias' LOGIA
  13 Feb 2003 New page: The 36 links in tabular form
  8 Feb 2003 New page: English text of sQ
  22 Apr 2002 Fully structured sQ with 72 sayings in 36 pairs
  17 Dec 2000 New page: 'A look inside the source sQ'
  21 Nov 2000 The Unclean Spirit and Watchfulness parables also now allocated to xQ
  2 Oct 2000 The 'Lament for Jerusalem' now allocated to xQ (composed by Au_Matt)
  1 Dec 1999 New paragraph on the structure of sQ in 'The source sQ'
23 Nov 1999 First Edition

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