THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS AND ACTS
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have much in common, but because the first three share a particularly strong resemblance, they are called the“ Synoptic Gospels”( literally, Gospels with a common vision). The differences between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John are as interesting as they are significant. For example, where the Synoptics have numerous parables focusing on the kingdom of God, the Fourth Gospel rarely includes parables, and the term“ kingdom” is used sparingly( Jn 3:3,5; 18:36). Likewise, in the Synoptic Gospels Jesus is declared to be Messiah at Caesarea Philippi in the middle of the narrative( Mt 16:13 – 16; Mk 8:27 – 30; Lk 9:18 – 20); in John’ s account, Jesus’ messiahship is announced at the beginning of the text( Jn 1:35,49).
The considerable overlap( in terms of plot, wording and substance) between the Synoptic Gospels suggests that the three texts are related— one or more of the evangelists used or was aware of the work of the others. According to the traditional view of the early church fathers, Matthew was the first Gospel written. Mark, who used Matthew as a reference, was written second, and Luke, who used both Matthew and Mark, was written last. Although this view prevailed for centuries, other solutions have been put forward to explain the relation between the Synoptic Gospels.
The most common theory today claims that Mark was the earliest Gospel, composed independently of another early— but lost— source. Both Mark and this hypothesized“ lost source” supposedly provided the basis for Matthew and Luke, who worked independently of each other. This view eventually came to be called the“ Two-Source Hypothesis.” The hypothetical lost source is called“ Q” for“ Quelle,” the German word for“ source.” A variation of this view argues that Mark was, in fact, the first Gospel, but that there was no“ Q”— Matthew used Mark as a source, and Luke used both Matthew and Mark.
THE GOSPEL OF MARK
If the Gospel of Mark was indeed written first, its likely author was not the most illustrious among the evangelists. According to church tradition, John Mark( Ac 12:12,25; 15:37; 2Ti 4:11) authored the Gospel, and there is little reason to think otherwise. Church tradition also reports that he worked under the auspices of the apostle Peter. Exactly when the author of Mark’ s Gospel completed his work is less certain. Depending on a variety of considerations, scholars date this Gospel anywhere between the 40s and the 70s AD. A composition in the mid-60s or just after AD 70 are the most widely accepted options.
Mark’ s Gospel was most likely written in Rome, though Alexandria and Palestine are also possibilities. A Roman setting is suggested by the various Latinisms in the text and by the author’ s numerous attempts to translate events into Roman terms( Mk 12:42; 15:16). The church fathers Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria affirm the likelihood of Rome as the place of composition. 1
The author of the Gospel of Mark seems to have been particularly interested in issues of theodicy( the vindication of God and his ways)— more specifically, why the followers of a supposedly risen
1 Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3.1.1; for Clement of Alexandria, see Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6.15.6 – 7.