New Testament Survey
Chapter Two: The Synoptic Gospels
The “Synoptic” Gospels “see eye-to-eye”. That is, they agree to a large degree in much of their material, though each makes its distinctive contributions to the story of the Gospel. Basic agreement between these three will become more obvious when we study the fourth Gospel, John’s, written 30 to 40 years later.
I. “Gospel” versus “Gospels” : Two different terms. The second is actually a post-biblical use.
You may have noticed two different uses of the term ‘gospel” above: “Gospels” (of which there are four) and ‘Gospel” (of which there is only one - Gal. 1:6- 7). Instead of over-relying on only one passage (like 1 Cor. 15:3- 4) the following verses should be studied together, in order to get a fuller idea of what the Gospel is:
A.I Cor. 15:3- 4 is the Gospel in its outward evidence.
B. Gal. 1:3- 5 is the Gospel in its spiritual purpose.
C. Romans 1:16- 17 is the Gospel in its inward power.
D. I Cor. 1: 24 is the Gospel in Person: Christ Jesus! (Compare with 1:17)
It is important for us to keep these definitions in mind when we turn our attention to the Gospels.
II. The Synoptics and Gospels in General:
A. They are important as a Foundation to our faith. Christ’s perfect life and sinless death are both attested here, and are both necessary for our salvation.
B. “Characteristics common to the [Synoptic] Gospels”. Text, page 21:
1. ________________________________________________ verses ____________________________________
2. ________________________________________________ verses ____________________________________
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Question: Why must there be more than one Gospel?____________________________________________
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Irenaeus wrote (c. AD 185 in “Against Heresies” III, ix, 9) “It is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer than there are”. (!)
III. Matthew
A. Date: c. 60- 65 AD. He wrote while Temple was still standing, 24:2, 15. Irenaeus said that he wrote his Gospel when Paul and Peter were preaching and church planting in Rome.
B. Written to: the Jews.
C. Presents Jesus as the Messiah of Promise and Prophecy.
D. Purpose: “Fully to win the Jews to Christ”. (Hendriksen)
E. Characteristics.
1. Heavy use of Jewish terms and concepts. (“Kingdom of Heaven” as opposed to “Kingdom of God”. See handout “Kingdom of Heaven versus Kingdom of God”)
2. Out of all Gospels (not all epistles) it quotes the most from the OT, about 60 times.
3. It gives us many of Christ’s lengthy discourses, like the Sermon on the Mount (5- 7) and the Olivet Discourse (24 and 25 *).
4. It gives us the fullest treatment of parables, (“an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”).
5. In common with John, Matthew uses numbers to convey further teaching **.
F. Additional.
1. Matthew could well be an earlier companion volume to Hebrews, being written to the Jews, on the theme of fully convincing them to “close with Christ”.
Notes: _____________________________________________________________________________________
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IV. Mark
A. Date: c. 50- 55 AD. Almost certainly the first written Gospel account. Both Matthew and Luke seem to have used Mark’s Gospel as a template to organize their own respective versions. ***
B. Written to: _______________________________________________________________________
C. Presents Jesus as “the tireless Servant of God and man” (Thompson Chain Reference, Sp.)
D. Purpose: __________________________________________________________________________
E. Characteristics.
1. Christ is always shown as busy, interrupted in prayer (1:35- 37), in meals (3:20), in attempted rest (6:31- 34).
2. Like John, Mark opens with Christ as GOd. But unlike John, it does not expound much on His deity, letting His actions and miracles verify that He is God.
3. Mark shows, by 19 miracles, that Christ is Lord over all of these:
a. Disease and sickness - 8 miracles
b. Nature - 5 miracles
c. Demons - 4 miracles
d. Death - 2 miracles (5:42; 16:1).
F. Additional. ________________________________________________________________________
Notes: ______________________________________________________________________________________
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V. Luke
A. Date: c. __________________________________________________________________________
B. Written to: _______________________________________________________________________
C. Presents Jesus as ___________________________________________________________________
D. Purpose: __________________________________________________________________________
E. Characteristics.
1. Has the most complete biography of Christ.
2. Begins and ends with songs of awe and joy. This is truly a joyous Gospel! (1:28- 33; 1:46- 55; 1:68- 79; 2:13- 14; 2:29- 32; 24:51- 53).
3. It is a very literary and polished example of the best Koine Greek - in places. It is also highly technical and jargonistic (medical terms and nautical as well, esp. in Acts). He uses (in both books) 266 words found nowhere else in the New Testament!.
F. Additional.
1. An unbeliever targeted Luke as his research project to prove the “hollowness” of Christianity. Instead, by his diligent study of this book, he wrote an entirely different book -- as a believer! ****
2. Since Luke was a doctor, both Luke and the companion volume of Acts featured medical terms.
3. Luke may have been written in conjunction with Paul. (Compare I Tim. 5:18 with Luke 10).
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Due Next Week:
Answer questions 1, 2, 4 and 6 on page 23. Be prepared to discuss these next class.
1. What is meant by the “Synoptic Gospels”?
2. To whom was each of the Synoptic Gospels written and for what purpose?
4. Give at least one important biographical fact about each of the writers of these three Gospels.
6. State the five major discourses of Christ in the book of Matthew.
Read chapter 3: Gospel of John.
Read: Luke 4, 10; John 6, 14- 17; Mark 11- 12.
Fill in the blanks in this outline.
Footnotes and Comments:
* Note that there is no break between these chapters 24 and 25. They are actually all part of one message, the second part being an exposition and crucial application of the first.
** While it is easy to go overboard here, clearly numbering is a factor in some parts of the Bible. Matthew, for instance, leaves out some names from his genealogy in order to have a “neat” three sets of 14 names each, from Abraham to David (the high point of OT Jewish history), David to the Captivity, and Captivity to Christ.
*** For further discussion on this “borrowing” of Mark’s basic outline by both Matthew and Luke see Hendriksen’s “Commentary on Matthew”, pages 13- 16 and 29- 30. He outlines a mathematical process to predict where in, say, Luke’s Gospel you find an item you know is in Mark’s. For instance, if you know a certain passage is in chapters 10 through 16 of Mark then, by adding 8, you know that the same event is found in passages 18 through 24 of Luke, respectively (and with minor “discrepancies”).
**** This is also found in Hendriksen’s works, in his “Commentary on Luke”, p. 39. Frank Morison intended to write “Jesus, the Last Phase”, a critical rejection of the Resurrection of Christ. Instead, by God’s grace, he wrote “Who moved the Stone?” (pub. in 1930).