0
Were the Gospels of Matthew and Luke based on the earlier Gospel of Mark?
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Scholars now realise that Mark's Gospel was actually written first, around 70 CE, and that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were copied from Mark. In fact, Matthew contains some 600 of the 666 verses in Mark. Of course, Matthewcontains further material not found in Mark, but which is found in Luke. Scholars have demonstrated that the (anonymous) authors of Matthew and Luke copied this from a hypothetical sayings document called 'Q'. The origin of further material, unique to Matthew, is unknown.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoYes, the Gospel of Mark was not only the first New Testament gospel to be written, it was also the principal source from which the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were written. There are several ways by which this has been demonstrated, to the satisfaction of almost all New Testament scholars and many theologians. In fact all four New Testament gospels were originally anonymous, until attributed to the people whose names they now bear, later in the second century.
By placing the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in parallel and reading them synoptically ('with the same eye') in the original Greek language, scholars have established that there is a literary relationship among the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Matthew contains approximately 90 per cent of the verses from Mark, many of them using exactly the same words in the Greek language. Similarly, Luke contains much of the narrative of Mark, excluding the 'Missing Block', a group of consecutive passages of which the author of Luke appears to have been unaware. Not only is there a literary relationship among the synoptic gospels, but it has been shown that the copying is always from Mark to the other gospels.
An indirect proof that Mark was the main source for the other gospels is found by looking at the structure of Mark's Gospel. All three synoptic gospels have their common passages in the same order. Only in Mark's Gospel is the specific order of those passages essential to the framework structure of the gospel. This shows that the author of Mark chose which events to include and the order in which they were included. Notice how in the following table, each major event forms a pair with a later event, in such a way as to add emphasis or develop themes that would not otherwise be apparent:
A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)
B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)
C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)
D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)
E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)
F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)
G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)
H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.
-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)
I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)
J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)
K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)
L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)
M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up
N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)
O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority
P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)
Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)
R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)
S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)
T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)
U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)
V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)
W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)
X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.
B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)
C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)
D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)
E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)
F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)
G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)
H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)
I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)
J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)
K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)
L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)
M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die
N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)
O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority
P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)
Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)
X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)
-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking
R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)
S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)
T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)
U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)
V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)
-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes
W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)
A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Did Matthew write one of the gospels?
A:No, the apostle Matthew did not write any of the New Testament gospels. The four gospels were originally anonymous and were only attributed to the apostles whose names they now bear, later in the second century. Thus we only have the opinions of the Church Fathers as to who any of the authors were. Seeing a literary dependency among the synoptic gospels, they believed that Matthew, the disciple of Jesus, wrote the first gospel and that the gospels they attributed to Mark and Luke were based on copying and improving Matthew's Gospel. In fact, scholars now say that none of the gospels could have been written by an eyewitness to the events they portray.Scholars can demonstrate that Mark's Gospel was actually the earliest gospel and that Matthew's Gospel was largely based on it, with some 90 per cent of the verses in Mark, as well as containing further sayings material from the hypothetical 'Q' document. Clearly, a disciple of Jesus would not have needed to base almost his entire gospel on these prior sources. Matthew did not write the Gospel of Matthew.
Did Saint Matthew write the first gospel?
No. Scholars have demonstrated that Mark's Gospel was written first, and that Matthew's Gospel was partly based on the contents of Mark's Gospel. Matthew's Gospel was originally written anonymously and only attributed to St Matthew later in the second century. However, scholars say that Matthew could not have been written by an eyewitness to the events it portrays.The disciple Matthew did not write any of the gospels.
What were the main records of the life and teachings of Jesus?
A:The main records of Jesus' life and teachings would be the gospels, which is universally assumed to mean the four New Testament gospels. The main record amongst these is Mark's Gospel, as it has been established that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were substantially based on that earlier gospel, in addition to some further sayings material from the hypothetical 'Q' document. John's Gospel was in turn loosely based on Luke's Gospel. This means there must have been earlier records, even closer to the life and mission of Jesus. Some scholars believe that the Gospel of Thomas and 'Q' were both based on a very early record, which is referred to as the Common Sayings Tradition. We do not know where the narrative in Mark's Gospel really came from.
Which of the four Gospels is thought to have been written first and provided source material for later Gospels?
A:Mark's Gospel was written first, approximately 70 CE, and was the major source used for the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. John's Gospel is, in turn, loosely based on Luke, but the author also had Mark's Gospel and took some material direct from Mark.
What are the stages of the formation of the gospel?
Traditionalists would say that two of the gospels, those of Matthew and John, were written by eyewitnesses to the mission of Jesus, and that the authors simply wrote down what they had seen and experienced. However scholars say that the four gospels were written anonymously and only attributed to the disciples whose names they now bear later in the second century. Moreover, scholars say that the gospels could not have been written by eyewitnesses to the events they portray, or even by close associates of eyewitnesses to those events.From very early times, Church leaders were aware of a literary dependence among the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. There was simply no other explanation for the gospels using exactly the same words in the Greek language. They made the assumption that Matthew was written first, with Mark andLukebased on Matthew. Modern scholars, using more advanced analyses, say that Mark was the first gospel and that Matthew and Luke were each independently based on Mark, with additional sayings material from the hypothetical 'Q' document. They also say that John's Gospel was inspired by Luke, with some material taken direct from Mark. So the three major stages in the formation of the gospels are:The development of Mark's Gospel, based on unknown sources;The development of Matthew's Gospel and Luke's Gospel, based on Mark's Gospel and the hypothetical Q document;The development of John's Gospel, based on Luke's Gospel and, to a lesser extent, Mark's Gospel.
Why is Matthew traditionally seen as the first gospel?
By the second century, as copies all the gospels were becoming more freely available, and the Church Fathers were able to read the gospels in parallel, they realised that there were striking similarities that could only mean that at least two of the synoptic gospels were copied from the first gospel. All the gospels had been written anonymously and the Church Fathers had attributed them to the apostles whose names they now bear, with the disciple Matthew being assigned the gospels now known as Matthew's Gospel partly because of its superficial Jewishness.The Church Fathers assumed that Matthew's Gospel must have been the earliest gospel, and that Mark's Gospel was a summarised version that omitted less important material such as the nativity story, and that Luke's Gospel was also a copy, written from a gentile perspective. They then assumed that John's Gospel was also an eyewitness account, but written much later than the others. Whether or not the Church Fathers were already aware of the copying at the time they finally attributed authorship, this scheme fits well with the assigned authors: Matthew and John, as original disciples, were expected to have written eyewitness gospels, while Mark and Luke could be excused for using the eyewitness gospels as their real sources.Scholars now know that Mark was really the first gospel to be written, and that Matthew and Luke were based substantially on that first gospel, with John loosely based on Luke (with some material taken direct from Mark).
Why is Matthew traditionally seen as the '?
By the second century, as copies all the gospels were becoming more freely available, and the Church Fathers were able to read the gospels in parallel, they realised that there were striking similarities that could only mean that at least two of the synoptic gospels were copied from the first gospel. All the gospels had been written anonymously and the Church Fathers had attributed them to the apostles whose names they now bear, with the disciple Matthew being assigned the gospels now known as Matthew's Gospel partly because of its superficial Jewishness.The Church Fathers assumed that Matthew's Gospel must have been the earliest gospel, and that Mark's Gospel was a summarised version that omitted less important material such as the nativity story, and that Luke's Gospel was also a copy, written from a gentile perspective. They then assumed that John's Gospel was also an eyewitness account, but written much later than the others. Whether or not the Church Fathers were already aware of the copying at the time they finally attributed authorship, this scheme fits well with the assigned authors: Matthew and John, as original disciples, were expected to have written eyewitness gospels, while Mark and Luke could be excused for using the eyewitness gospels as their real sources.Scholars now know that Mark was really the first gospel to be written, and that Matthew and Luke were based substantially on that first gospel, with John loosely based on Luke (with some material taken direct from Mark).
Which Gospel was written independent of the Synoptic Gospels?
A:John's Gospel is certainly quite different to the synoptic gospels. It is almost completely independent of Mark's Gospel, from which scholars say that Matthew and Luke were copied. However, it is not really independent, as it was loosely based on Luke, with a small amount of material taken direct from Mark. Being further removed from Mark, and having been written with somewhat less concern compared with Matthew and Luke for following the source as closely as possible, John's Gospel is relatively independent of the Synoptic Gospels.
Were Matthew and John eyewitnesses to the mission of Jesus?
A:According to the gospels, Matthew and John were disciples of Jesus and therefore eyewitnesses to his mission, but according to scholars they did not write the gospels that now bear their names. The New Testament gospels were originally anonymous and were only attributed by the Church Fathers to the apostles whose names they now bear, later in the second century. Thus we do not really know who wrote the gospels. Scholars say that none of the gospels could really have been written by eyewitnesses to the events they portray, which would certainly rule out authorship by Matthew and John. Moreover, scholars have demonstrated that Matthew's Gospel was based on Mark's Gospel, containing some 600 of the 666 verses in Mark, often using exactly the same words in the Greek language. Luke's Gospel was similarly based on Mark, and John's Gospel was loosely based on Luke, with some material taken direct from Mark. Since the disciples would never have had to rely on an outside source, this is further evidence that they did not write the gospels that now bear their names.
Why is the Gospel of Matthew often called the first Gospel?
Based on the integrity of the primary sources that place the Gospel of Matthew first in the New Testament canon, it is often called the first Gospel by those of a judicious disposition. Primary Sources include: 1. Origen: His words relating to canon Scriptures: 'The Gospel of Matthew which he wrote in Hebrew on a roll, when he was at Caesarea...then the Gospel of Mark ...Gospel of Luke ...Gospel of John...' Ref: History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church at Alexandria, of Demetrius the Twelfth Patriarch. 2. Jerome: 'Matthew who had first set forth the Gospel in Hebrew letters in Judea' Ref: Jerome, Preface for the Gospels. 3. Hillel III (circa A.D.100): Cites the order of the gospels as Matthew Mark Luke and John. Ref: p. 248 Hillel Letters, The Archko Volume. 4.Irenaeus: 'Matthew issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect'. Irenaeus then cites the other gospels in the order of Mark Luke and John. Ref: Against Heresies Book 3 Ch. 1. 5.Epiphanius: 'For Matthew was the first to become an Evangelist. He was directed to issue the Gospel first.' Ref: Panarion Book 2. 50.1. 6.Mahboub: 'Matthew wrote in Hebrew to the Hebrews', where follows in listed order, Mark Luke and John. Ref: Agapius, Universal History; the Second part of the History of Mahboub.
What are the three stages in the formation of the Gospels?
The books were not arranged in the order of when written but according to subject matter. The first five books are about Jesus life and His activities preaching the good news of the kingdom along with Acts being about what those first four books led to, that is the activities of the apostles and the forming of congregations by the preaching work Jesus commanded them to do at Matthew 28:19-20. The next 21 books were of the inner workings of the congregations. Last the book of revelation which talks of the future out come of God's people and the world.
What gospel is the origin of the synoptic gospels?
All the New Testament gospels were originally anonymous and were only attributed to the apostles whose names they now bear later in the second century. The first gospel was the one now known as Mark's Gospel.Scholars can demonstrate that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were largely based on Mark's Gospel, even having exactly the same words in the Greek language. Matthew and Luke also shared a sayings source, now known as the hypothetical 'Q' document. Scholars also say that John's Gospel is loosely based on Luke's Gospel, with some material taken direct from Mark. So the synoptic gospel that was the starting point for the other gospels is Mark's Gospel.It is uncertain where the author of Mark's Gospel obtained his source material. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) simply says that Mark seems to depend on traditions (and perhaps already shaped sources) received in Greek. It is possible that Mark's Gospel could have been influenced by the Gospel of Thomas, a sayings gospel, but that is at best a minority opinion among scholars who continue to debate whether Thomaswas even written during the first century.
