Overview of an elegant solution to the Synoptic Problem
The elegance of the Three-Source Theory is two-fold. Firstly it combines the best features of the prevailing Two-Source Theory together with the best features of one of its main rivals: the Farrer Theory. Secondly this solution brings to light a document known for centuries as 'the logia' (the sayings of Jesus), but only now successfully reconstructed and shown to have been a majestic piece of first-century Semitic poetry.
The documents
The relevant documents are the logia and the gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke, written in that order, and with each author having had access to a copy of each earlier document. In other words the logia was a source for all three synoptic gospels, Mark was a source for both Matthew and Luke, and Matthew was a source for Luke.
[1]
Thus the theory involves three sources: the logia, Mark and Matthew. Hence the name "Three-Source Theory".The first gospel
Mark's gospel was the first written story of the life of Jesus, and the account was adapted and developed by both Matthew and Luke.The logia
The logia was an Aramaic collection of sayings attributed to Jesus, known from the testimony of Papias
[2]
: "So Matthew made an orderly arrangement of the oracles (Gk: 'logia') in the Hebrew
[3]
language, and each interpreted/translated according to his ability".The Double Tradition
The key to the solution of the Synoptic Problem is to recognize that the Double Tradition
[4]
was dual-sourced.The aphorisms
A majority of the Double Tradition passages derive from the logia. They contain aphorisms,
[5]
most of which Matthew and Luke translated independently into Greek.
[6]
Where Luke used Matthew
A minority of the Double Tradition passages derive from Matthew. They represent places where Luke copied and edited some of Matthew's extensions to Mark, such as the Temptations, the Centurion's Servant, the Unclean Spirit, and the Lament over Jerusalem.Mark's use of the logia
Mark generally treated the logia with less respect than Matthew and Luke, omitting about half of its sayings, and amending most of those he used.
[7]
However among its aphorisms he did retain a few which are not part of the Double Tradition, such as the saying about the camel and the eye of a needle, and the one about paying taxes to Caesar.
Data flow diagram for literary dependence
In the diagram below,
- Each green arrow represents a flow of data,
- 'DT' means the Double Tradition,
- 'MAs' are the minor agreements between Matthew and Luke against Mark,
- 'most' means that more than 80% of the source material has been used,
- 'some' means that between 20% and 70% of the source material has been used.
Notes
1. The scholarly Luke handled the considerable overlap between Matthew and his other two sources by treating Mark as his primary source for structure and narratives, the logia as his primary source for sayings, and the more recent Matthew as a secondary source.
2. As quoted by Eusebius. Papias (ca. 60-130 CE) was the bishop of Hierapolis.
3. In Papias' time people who wrote in Greek would often use "Hebrew" to mean either Hebrew or Aramaic.
4. The Double Tradition consists of passages which are common to Matthew and Luke but not to Mark.
5. An aphorism is a short pithy saying.
6. In a few exceptional cases Luke appears to have made use of Matthew's translation.
7. Perhaps the surprise here is that Mark retained versions of as many as half of the logia sayings, for his hero Paul had often by implication belittled their importance (1 Cor 2:1-2; 2 Cor 5:14-16; Gal 6:14).
