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71-631: According to Christian tradition, the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17) took place in Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas) , north of the Dead Sea and east of Jericho . For centuries, al-Maghtas was the most important baptism site for pilgrims, and monasteries and guest houses were established near it. Today in Jordan , Al-Maghtas shows early religious structures connected with baptism or religious baths. Since

142-405: A synopsis of the synoptic gospels. Instead of harmonizing them, he displayed their texts side by side, making both similarities and divergences apparent. Griesbach, noticing the special place of Mark in the synopsis, hypothesized Marcan posteriority and advanced (as Henry Owen had a few years earlier ) the two-gospel hypothesis (Matthew–Luke). In the nineteenth century, researchers applied

213-574: A Son, rejoiced that the redemption of Israel was at hand. He takes a long journey to the Baptist. The Lord goes to the servant to be baptized by him as a common sinner, among publicans and soldiers and the lowest order of the vulgar. Admire the humility of the Son of God, and convince yourself that humility is the best preparation for great works. While the gospel of Luke is explicit about the Spirit of God descending in

284-451: A century after Jesus' death. They also differ from non-canonical sources, such as the Gospel of Thomas , in that they belong to the ancient genre of biography, collecting not only Jesus' teachings, but recounting in an orderly way his origins, his ministry, and his passion, and alleged miracles, and resurrection. In content and in wording, though, the synoptics diverge widely from John but have

355-467: A common mind on a single issue." More recently, Andris Abakuks applied a statistical time series approach to the Greek texts to determine the relative likelihood of these proposals. Models without Q fit reasonably well. Matthew and Luke were statistically dependent on their borrowings from Mark. This suggests at least one of Matthew and Luke had access to the other's work. The most likely synoptic gospel to be

426-523: A conversation between John and Jesus: In v. 14, John said: "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Nevertheless, Jesus convinces John to baptize him "to fulfill all righteousness" (v. 15). Matthew records that the voice from heaven says "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased", but does not indicate who is addressed. Mark's account is roughly parallel to that of Matthew, except for Matthew 3:14 – 15 , which describes John's initial reluctance and eventual consent to baptize Jesus, which

497-463: A great deal in common with each other. Though each gospel includes some unique material, the majority of Mark and roughly half of Matthew and Luke coincide in content, in much the same sequence, often nearly verbatim. This common material is termed the triple tradition . The triple tradition, the material included by all three synoptic gospels, includes many stories and teachings: The triple tradition's pericopae (passages) tend to be arranged in much

568-566: A leper came and worships him, saying: Lord, if you wish, I can be cleansed. And he stretched out his hand and touched him, say ing : I wish it; be cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And , calling out to him, there comes to him a leper and kneeling and saying to him: If you wish, I can be cleansed. And , moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand and touched him and say s to him : I wish it; be cleansed. And immediately

639-578: A number of biblical scholars, who have attempted to relaunch the Augustinian hypothesis , the Griesbach hypothesis and the Farrer hypothesis . In particular, the existence of the Q source has received harsh criticism in the first two decades of the 21st century: scholars such as Mark Goodacre and Brant Pitre have pointed out that no manuscript of Q has ever been found, nor is any reference to Q ever made in

710-518: A visitor center was built. 32°42′40″N 35°34′17″E  /  32.71111°N 35.57139°E  / 32.71111; 35.57139 Baptism of Jesus The baptism of Jesus , the ritual purification of Jesus with water by John the Baptist , was a major event described in the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament ( Matthew , Mark and Luke ) . It is considered to have taken place at Al-Maghtas (also called Bethany Beyond

781-558: Is Marcan posteriority , with Mark having been formed primarily by extracting what Matthew and Luke shared in common. An extensive set of material—some two hundred verses, or roughly half the length of the triple tradition—are the pericopae shared between Matthew and Luke, but absent in Mark. This is termed the double tradition . Parables and other sayings predominate in the double tradition, but also included are narrative elements: Unlike triple-tradition material, double-tradition material

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852-466: Is Marcan priority , whereby Mark was composed first, and Matthew and Luke each used Mark, incorporating much of it, with adaptations, into their own gospels. Alan Kirk praises Matthew in particular for his "scribal memory competence" and "his high esteem for and careful handling of both Mark and Q", which makes claims the latter two works are significantly different in terms of theology or historical reliability dubious. A leading alternative hypothesis

923-434: Is a key facet of the synoptic problem. The simplest hypothesis is Luke relied on Matthew's work or vice versa. But many experts, on various grounds, maintain that neither Matthew nor Luke used the other's work. If this is the case, they must have drawn from some common source, distinct from Mark, that provided the double-tradition material and overlapped with Mark's content where major agreements occur. This hypothetical document

994-503: Is attested to by 1st-century historian Flavius Josephus and the overwhelming majority of modern scholars view Josephus' accounts of the activities of John the Baptist as authentic. Josephus establishes a key connection between the historical events he recorded and specific episodes that appear in the gospels. The reference in the Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus to John's popularity among

1065-461: Is largely distinct. The term synoptic ( Latin : synopticus ; Greek : συνοπτικός , romanized :  synoptikós ) comes via Latin from the Greek σύνοψις , synopsis , i.e. "(a) seeing all together, synopsis". The modern sense of the word in English is of "giving an account of the events from the same point of view or under the same general aspect". It is in this sense that it is applied to

1136-537: Is mention of further baptisms in Ænon "because there was much water there". John 1:35–37 narrates an encounter, between Jesus and two of his future disciples, who were then disciples of John the Baptist. The episode in John 1:35–37 forms the start of the relationship between Jesus and his future disciples. When John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God , the "two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus". One of

1207-477: Is not described by Mark. Mark uses an unusual word for the opening of the heavens, σχιζομένους , schizomenous , which means "tearing" or "ripping" (Mark 1:10). It forms a verbal thread ( Leitwortstil ) with the rending ( ἐσχίσθη , eschisthē ) of the Temple veil in Mark 15:38, inviting comparison between the two episodes. Luke 1 begins with the birth of John the Baptist, heralded to his father, Zacharias , by

1278-455: Is notable for containing a greater concentration of Semitisms than any other gospel material. Luke gives some indication of how he composed his gospel in his prologue: Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from

1349-560: Is structured differently in the two gospels. Matthew's lengthy Sermon on the Mount , for example, is paralleled by Luke's shorter Sermon on the Plain , with the remainder of its content scattered throughout Luke. This is consistent with the general pattern of Matthew collecting sayings into large blocks, while Luke does the opposite and intersperses them with narrative. Besides the double tradition proper, Matthew and Luke often agree against Mark within

1420-595: Is termed Q , for the German Quelle , meaning "source". Matthew and Luke contain a large amount of material found in no other gospel. These materials are sometimes called "Special Matthew" or M and "Special Luke" or L . Both Special Matthew and Special Luke include distinct opening infancy narratives and post-resurrection conclusions (with Luke continuing the story in his second book Acts ). In between, Special Matthew includes mostly parables, while Special Luke includes both parables and healings. Special Luke

1491-795: The Gregorian calendar ), the feast of Epiphany . In the Roman Catholic Church , the Anglican Communion , the Lutheran Churches and some other Western denominations , it is recalled on a day within the following week, the feast of the baptism of the Lord . In Roman Catholicism, the baptism of Jesus is one of the Luminous Mysteries sometimes added to the Rosary . It is a Trinitarian feast in

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1562-603: The Holy Spirit descending as a dove towards Jesus. Artists usually tried to show the whole body of Christ as he stood in the water, which could give them difficulties. The reasonably coherent 6th-century mosaic image in the Arian Baptistry , Ravenna , with the water hemmed in by two banks, when used in many generations of copies in Western Europe, by artists unskilled in depicting visual recession, led to images like that in

1633-587: The Independence hypothesis , which denies documentary relationships altogether. On this collapse of consensus, Wenham observed: "I found myself in the Synoptic Problem Seminar of the Society for New Testament Studies, whose members were in disagreement over every aspect of the subject. When this international group disbanded in 1982 they had sadly to confess that after twelve years' work they had not reached

1704-707: The Six-Day War , Israel has occupied the west margin of the Jordan river, including the area immediately opposite the Jordanian site, known as Qasr al-Yahud . Due to military activity and excavations in that area of the West Bank, however, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism established Yardenit in 1981 as an alternative pilgrimage site. Yardenit became the first regulated baptism site in Israel. Yardenit thus attracted pilgrims and

1775-400: The leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And behold, a man full of lepr osy. But, upon seeing Jesus, he fell upon his face and requested him, saying: Lord, if you wish, I can be cleansed. And he stretched out his hand and touched him, say ing : I wish it; be cleansed. And immediately the leprosy left him. More than half

1846-414: The Baptist performed a baptism on Jesus, and view it as a historical event to which a high degree of certainty can be assigned. James Dunn states that the historicity of the baptism and crucifixion of Jesus "command almost universal assent". Dunn states that these two facts "rank so high on the 'almost impossible to doubt or deny' scale of historical facts" that they are often the starting points for

1917-553: The Baptist around AD 26. However, some scholars assume it to be upon the death of his predecessor Augustus Caesar in AD 14, implying that the ministry of John the Baptist began in AD 29. The generally assumed dates for the start of the ministry of John the Baptist based on this reference in the Gospel of Luke are about AD 28–29, with the ministry of Jesus with his baptism following it shortly thereafter. Nearly all scholars believe that John

1988-599: The East side of the River in Jordan has been deemed the earliest place of worship. This site was found following UNESCO -sponsored excavations. Al-Maghtas was visited by Pope John Paul II in March 2000, and he said: "In my mind I see Jesus coming to the waters of the river Jordan not far from here to be baptized by John the Baptist". The Muslim conquest put an end to the Byzantine buildings on

2059-693: The Eastern Orthodox Churches. Mark, Matthew, and Luke depict the baptism in parallel passages. In all three gospels, the Spirit of God — the Holy Spirit in Luke, "the Spirit" in Mark, and "the Spirit of God" in Matthew — is depicted as descending upon Jesus immediately after his baptism accompanied by a voice from Heaven, but the accounts of Luke and Mark record the voice as addressing Jesus by saying "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased", while in Matthew

2130-464: The Fall, was now once more opened by Jesus." Roger Baxter reflects on Christ's baptism in his Meditations : The first act of Christ's public life was to present Himself to be baptized by His precursor, to teach us that those who are employed in the work of God should carry with them a pure and uncorrupted heart. He therefore takes leave of His divine Mother, who, although she grieved at the absence of such

2201-538: The Gospels had been written. For example, Clement of Alexandria held that Matthew wrote first, Luke wrote second and Mark wrote third; on the other hand, Origen argued that Matthew wrote first, Mark wrote second and Luke wrote third; , Tertullian states that John and Matthew were published first and that Mark and Luke came later. and Irenaeus precedes all these and orders his famous 'four pillar story' by John, Luke, Matthew, and Mark. A remark by Augustine of Hippo at

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2272-451: The Jordan), today located in Jordan . Modern biblical scholars view the baptism of Jesus as a historical event to which a high degree of certainty can be assigned. Along with the crucifixion of Jesus , biblical scholars view it as one of the two historically certain facts about him, and often use it as the starting point for the study of the historical Jesus . The baptism is one of

2343-516: The Nazarenes , the idea of being baptized by John came from the mother and brothers of Jesus, and Jesus himself, originally opposed, reluctantly accepted it. Benjamin Urrutia suggests that this version is supported by the criterion of embarrassment , since followers of Jesus would not have invented an episode in which Jesus changes his mind and comes to accept someone else's plan. Plus, the story came from

2414-551: The Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, where there appears to be a standing mound of water. At least one attendant archangel, holding Christ's robe, and often another with a towel, became usual in medieval images. Synoptic gospels The gospels of Matthew , Mark , and Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical wording. They stand in contrast to John , whose content

2485-620: The Temple. 2. He gave us thereby a lesson in humility and obedience, and has taught us that we too must fulfil all justice, i. e. promptly obey all the ordinances of God. 3. By His baptism He sanctified water, and gave to it the power of purifying and sanctifying the soul of man. In other words, He instituted the Sacrament of Baptism by which, under the outward sign of water, we receive remission of our sins. He also notes that, " The opening of heaven signified that Heaven, which had been closed to man since

2556-552: The angel Gabriel . Six months later Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary with an announcement of the birth of Jesus (the Annunciation ). Gabriel also announces to Mary the coming birth of John the Baptist to her kinswoman Elizabeth, who is the wife of Zacharias. Mary immediately sets out to visit Elizabeth and stays with her until John's birth. Luke strongly contrasts the reactions of Zacharias and Mary to these two respective births; and

2627-497: The baptisms performed by John. In Acts of the Apostles , Peter refers to how the ministry of Jesus followed "the baptism which John preached". Another argument supporting the historicity of the baptism is that multiple accounts refer to it, usually called the criterion of multiple attestation . Technically, multiple attestation does not guarantee authenticity, but only determines antiquity. However, for most scholars, together with

2698-436: The beginning of the fifth century presents the gospels as composed in their canonical order (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), with each evangelist thoughtfully building upon and supplementing the work of his predecessors—the Augustinian hypothesis (Matthew–Mark). This view (when any model of dependence was considered at all) seldom came into question until the late eighteenth century, when Johann Jakob Griesbach published in 1776

2769-412: The centrality of documentary interdependence and hypothetical documentary sources as an explanation for all aspects of the synoptic problem. In recent decades, weaknesses of the two-source theory have been more widely recognized, and debate has reignited. Many have independently argued that Luke did make some use of Matthew after all. British scholars went further and dispensed with Q entirely, ascribing

2840-494: The community that included the family of Jesus, who would have guaranteed the authenticity of the narrative. The Gospel of John (John 1:28) states that John was baptising in " Bethany Beyond the Jordan ". generally considered to be the town of Bethany, also called Bethabara in Perea , on the eastern bank of the Jordan river, near Jericho . In the 3rd century, Origen , who moved to the area from Alexandria , suggested Bethabara as

2911-503: The criterion of embarrassment it lends credibility to the baptism of Jesus by John being a historical event. Justus Knecht answers the question of why Jesus let himself be baptized by John: 1. He did not require to do penance , because He was without sin; but He had taken our sins upon Him to atone for them; therefore He humbled Himself, placed Himself on a level with sinners, and obediently subjected Himself to be baptized, as He had submitted before to be circumcised, and presented in

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2982-449: The crowds ( Antiquities 18.5.2 ) and how he preached his baptism is considered a reliable historical datum. Unlike the gospels, Josephus does not relate John and Jesus, and does not state that John's baptisms were for the remission of sins. However, almost all modern scholars consider the Josephus passage on John to be authentic in its entirety and view the variations between Josephus and

3053-408: The disciples is named Andrew , but the other remains unnamed, and Raymond E. Brown raises the question of his being the author of the Gospel of John himself. In the Gospel of John, the disciples follow Jesus thereafter, and bring other disciples to him, and Acts 18:24–19:6 portrays the disciples of John as eventually merging with the followers of Jesus. According to the non-canonical Gospel of

3124-661: The double tradition to Luke's direct use of Matthew—the Farrer hypothesis of 1955. New attention is also being given (for example, by Robert MacEwen and Alan Garrow) to the Wilke hypothesis of 1838 which, like Farrer, dispenses with Q but ascribes the double tradition to Matthew's direct use of Luke (Matthean Posteriority). Meanwhile, the Augustinian hypothesis has also made a comeback, especially in American scholarship. The Jerusalem school hypothesis has also attracted fresh advocates, as has

3195-478: The double tradition was explained by Matthew and Luke independently using two sources—thus, the two-source (Mark–Q) theory —which supplemented Mark with another hypothetical source consisting mostly of sayings. This additional source was at first seen as the logia (sayings) spoken of by Papias and thus called "Λ", but later it became more generally known as "Q" , from the German Quelle , meaning source . This two-source theory eventually won wide acceptance and

3266-633: The east bank of the Jordan River. The later reverence took place just across the river in the West Bank at Qasr el Yahud . The valley around the Dead Sea, which the Jordan River flows into from the North, is also the lowest place on planet Earth. The baptism of Jesus is generally considered as the start of his ministry , shortly after the start of the ministry of John the Baptist. Luke 3:1–2 states that: In

3337-611: The events in the narrative of the life of Jesus in the canonical Gospels ; others include the Transfiguration , Crucifixion , Resurrection , and Ascension . Most Christian denominations view the baptism of Jesus as an important event and a basis for the Christian rite of baptism (see also Acts 19:1–7). In Eastern Christianity , Jesus's baptism is commemorated on 6 January (the Julian calendar date of which corresponds to 19 January on

3408-414: The fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea   [...] the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. There are two approaches to determining when the reign of Tiberius Caesar started. The traditional approach is that of assuming that the reign of Tiberius started when he became co-regent in AD 11, placing the start of the ministry of John

3479-526: The gospels as indications that the Josephus passages are authentic, for a Christian interpolator would have made them correspond to the Christian traditions. One of the arguments in favour of the historicity of the baptism of Jesus by John is that it is a story which the early Christian Church would have never wanted to invent, typically referred to as the criterion of embarrassment in historical analysis. Based on this criterion, given that John baptized for

3550-476: The influential four-document hypothesis . This exemplifies the prevailing scholarship of the time, which saw the canonical gospels as late products, dating from well into the second century, composed by unsophisticated cut-and-paste redactors out of a progression of written sources, and derived in turn from oral traditions and from folklore that had evolved in various communities. More recently, however, as this view has gradually fallen into disfavor, so too has

3621-593: The last was Luke. The least likely was Mark. While this weighs against the Griesbach proposal and favors the Farrer, he does not claim any proposals are ruled out. No definitive solution to the Synoptic Problem has been found yet. The two-source hypothesis , which was dominant throughout the 20th century, still enjoys the support of most New Testament scholars; however, it has come under substantial attack in recent years by

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3692-476: The lives of John and Jesus are intertwined. Luke uniquely depicts John as showing public kindness to tax collectors and encouraging the giving of alms to the poor (as in Luke 3:11). Luke records that Jesus was praying when Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him. Luke clarifies that the spirit descended in the "bodily form" of a dove, as opposed to merely "descending like" a dove. In Acts 10:37–38,

3763-668: The location. In the 4th century, Eusebius of Caesarea stated that the location was on the west bank of the Jordan, and following him, the early Byzantine Madaba Map shows Bethabara as ( Βέθαβαρά ). The biblical baptising is related to springs and a Wadi (al-Kharrar) close to the Eastern site of the Jordan River , not the Jordan itself. The pilgrimage sites, important for both Christians and Jews, have shifted place during history. The site of Al-Maghtas ( baptism , or immersion in Arabic) on

3834-455: The longstanding majority view favors Marcan priority , in which both Matthew and Luke have made direct use of the Gospel of Mark as a source, and further holds that Matthew and Luke also drew from an additional hypothetical document, called Q . Broadly speaking, the synoptic gospels are similar to John: all are composed in Koine Greek , have a similar length, and were completed in less than

3905-410: The ministry of Jesus is described as following "the baptism which John preached". In John 1:29–33, rather than a direct narrative, John the Baptist bears witness to the spirit descending like a dove. The Gospel of John (John 1:28) specifies "Bethabara beyond Jordan", i.e., Bethany in Perea as the location where John was baptizing when Jesus began choosing disciples, and in John 3:23 there

3976-1212: The only parable of the barren fig tree is in a different point of the narrative. Some would say that Luke has extensively adapted an element of the triple tradition, while others would regard it as a distinct pericope. An illustrative example of the three texts in parallel is the healing of the leper : Καὶ ἰδοὺ, λεπρ ὸς προσελθ ὼν προσεκύνει αὐτ ῷ λέγων · Κύριε, ἐὰν θέλῃς δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι. καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἥψατο αὐτοῦ λέγ ων· Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι· καὶ εὐθ έως ἐκαθαρίσθη αὐτοῦ ἡ λέπρα . Καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν λεπρ ὸς παρακαλ ῶν αὐτὸν καὶ γονυπετῶν καὶ λέγων αὐτ ῷ ὅτι, Ἐὰν θέλῃς δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι. καὶ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἥψατο καὶ λέγ ει αὐτῷ· Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι· καὶ εὐθ ὺς ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἡ λέπρα , καὶ ἐκαθαρίσθη. Καὶ ἰδοὺ, ἀνὴρ πλήρης λέπρ ας· ἰδ ὼν δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἐδεήθη αὐτ οῦ λέγων · Κύριε, ἐὰν θέλῃς δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι. καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἥψατο αὐτοῦ λέγ ων· Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι· καὶ εὐθ έως ἡ λέπρα ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ . And behold,

4047-681: The relation of the synoptic gospels to John ; to non-canonical gospels such as Thomas , Peter , and Egerton ; to the Didache ; and to lost documents such as the Hebrew logia mentioned by Papias , the Jewish–Christian gospels , and the Gospel of Marcion . Ancient sources virtually unanimously ascribe the synoptic gospels to the apostle Matthew , to Peter 's interpreter Mark , and to Paul 's companion Luke —hence their respective canonical names. The ancient authors, however, did not agree on which order

4118-410: The remission of sins , and Jesus was viewed as without sin, the invention of this story would have served no purpose, and would have been an embarrassment given that it positioned John above Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew attempts to offset this problem by having John feel unworthy to baptize Jesus and Jesus giving him permission to do so in Matthew 3:14–15. The gospels are not the only references to

4189-482: The same order in all three gospels. This stands in contrast to the material found in only two of the gospels, which is much more variable in order. The classification of text as belonging to the triple tradition (or for that matter, double tradition) is not always definitive, depending rather on the degree of similarity demanded. Matthew and Mark report the cursing of the fig tree , a single incident, despite some substantial differences of wording and content. In Luke,

4260-458: The shape of a dove, the wording of Matthew is vague enough that it could be interpreted only to suggest that the descent was in the style of a dove. Although a variety of symbolisms were attached to doves at the time these passages were written, the dove imagery has become a well known symbol for the Holy Spirit in Christian art . Depictions of the baptismal scene typically show the sky opening and

4331-409: The so-called "Great Omission" from Luke of Mk 6:45–8:26 . Most scholars take these observations as a strong clue to the literary relationship among the synoptics and Mark's special place in that relationship, though various scholars suggest an entirely oral relationship or a dependence emphasizing memory and tradents in a tradition rather than simple copying. The hypothesis favored by most experts

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4402-469: The study of the historical Jesus. John Dominic Crossan states that it is historically certain that Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. In the Antiquities of the Jews (18.5.2) 1st-century historian Flavius Josephus also wrote about John the Baptist and his eventual death in Perea. The existence of John the Baptist within the same time frame as Jesus, and his eventual execution by Herod Antipas ,

4473-523: The synoptic gospels. This strong parallelism among the three gospels in content, arrangement, and specific language is widely attributed to literary interdependence, though the role of orality and memorization of sources has also been explored by scholars. The question of the precise nature of their literary relationship—the synoptic problem —has been a topic of debate for centuries and has been described as "the most fascinating literary enigma of all time". While no conclusive solution has been found yet,

4544-470: The three synoptic gospels often agree very closely in wording and order, both in quotations and in narration. Most scholars ascribe this to documentary dependence , direct or indirect, meaning the close agreements among synoptic gospels are due to one gospel's drawing from the text of another, or from some written source that another gospel also drew from. The synoptic problem hinges on several interrelated points of controversy: Some theories try to explain

4615-539: The tools of literary criticism to the synoptic problem in earnest, especially in German scholarship. Early work revolved around a hypothetical proto-gospel ( Ur-Gospel ), possibly in Aramaic , underlying the synoptics. From this line of inquiry, however, a consensus emerged that Mark itself served as the principal source for the other two gospels— Marcan priority . In a theory first proposed by Christian Hermann Weisse in 1838,

4686-467: The triple tradition tend to be explanatory elaborations (e.g., "the stone was rolled back, for it was very large " ) or Aramaisms (e.g., " Talitha kum ! " ). The pericopae Mark shares with only Luke are also quite few: the Capernaum exorcism and departure from Capernaum, the strange exorcist , and the widow's mites . A greater number, but still not many, are shared with only Matthew, most notably

4757-420: The triple tradition to varying extents, sometimes including several additional verses, sometimes differing by a single word. These are termed the major and minor agreements (the distinction is imprecise ). One example is in the passion narrative, where Mark has simply, "Prophesy!" while Matthew and Luke both add, "Who is it that struck you?" The double tradition's origin, with its major and minor agreements,

4828-411: The very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus , so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed. The "synoptic problem" is the question of the specific literary relationship among the three synoptic gospels—that is, the question as to the source or sources upon which each synoptic gospel depended when it was written. The texts of

4899-562: The voice states "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–23). After the baptism, the Synoptic gospels describe the temptation of Jesus , where Jesus withdrew to the Judean desert to fast for forty days and nights. Matthew's account is unique in several respects: He asserts that Jesus left Galilee for the purpose of being baptized by John (πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ). He includes

4970-446: The wording in this passage is identical. Each gospel includes words absent in the other two and omits something included by the other two. The triple tradition itself constitutes a complete gospel quite similar to the shortest gospel, Mark. Mark, unlike Matthew and Luke, adds little to the triple tradition. Pericopae unique to Mark are scarce, notably two healings involving saliva and the naked runaway . Mark's additions within

5041-426: Was seldom questioned until the late twentieth century; most scholars simply took this new orthodoxy for granted and directed their efforts toward Q itself, and this is still largely the case. The theory is also well known in a more elaborate form set forth by Burnett Hillman Streeter in 1924, which additionally hypothesized written sources "M" and "L" (for "Special Matthew" and "Special Luke" respectively)—hence

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