Introduction
The synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) share extensive verbal and structural similarities that indicate literary dependence. The most accepted explanation is the Two-Source Theory: Mark written first, Matthew and Luke used Mark plus a shared source ('Q').
Key Statistics
- Matthew reproduces 90% of Mark's content (606 of 661 verses)
- Luke reproduces 50% of Mark's content (350 of 661 verses)
- Only 31 verses in Mark have no parallel in Matthew or Luke
- Matthew and Luke share ~235 verses not found in Mark (Q material)
Extensive Verbatim Agreement
The Gospels contain hundreds of instances of identical Greek phrases across multiple verses—far beyond coincidence for independent accounts.
Triple Tradition Examples (All Three Gospels)
1. Healing the Paralytic
Jesus' words to the paralytic are nearly identical across all three:
| Mark 2:5 | Matthew 9:2 | Luke 5:20 |
|---|---|---|
| "Child, your sins are forgiven." | "Child, your sins are forgiven." | "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." |
View Greek Text
| Mark 2:5 | Matthew 9:2 | Luke 5:20 |
|---|---|---|
| "τέκνον, ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι." | "τέκνον, ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι." | "ἄνθρωπε, ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου." |
2. Peter's Confession
| Mark 8:29 | Matthew 16:16 | Luke 9:20 |
|---|---|---|
| "You are the Messiah." | "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." | "The Messiah of God." |
3. Calming the Storm - Disciples' Question
All three use identical Greek phrasing for the disciples' fearful question:
| Mark 4:41 | Matthew 8:27 | Luke 8:25 |
|---|---|---|
| "Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?" | "What sort of one is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" | "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" |
Double Tradition Examples (Matthew-Luke, No Mark)
4. John the Baptist's Preaching
Over 60 words of nearly identical Greek text:
| Matthew 3:7-10 | Luke 3:7-9 |
|---|---|
| "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." | "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." |
5. The Lord's Prayer
Core phrases are identical despite different contexts:
| Matthew 6:11-12 | Luke 11:3-4 |
|---|---|
| "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." | "Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us." |
6. Temptation of Jesus
Satan's words and Jesus' responses are nearly word-for-word identical:
| Matthew 4:3 | Luke 4:3 |
|---|---|
| "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." | "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." |
Unique Phrases Shared
- "Generation of vipers" (γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν) - Matt 3:7, 12:34, 23:33; Luke 3:7
- "Flee from the coming wrath" - Matt 3:7, Luke 3:7 (absent from Mark)
- "Every tree that does not bear good fruit" - Matt 3:10, 7:19; Luke 3:9, 6:43
- "Whoever is not with me is against me" - Matt 12:30, Luke 11:23
- "The queen of the south will rise up" - Matt 12:42, Luke 11:31
Agreement in Narrative Order
Matthew and Luke almost never agree on narrative sequence when they both deviate from Mark's order. This suggests both independently used Mark as their structural template.
Markan Order Adherence
- Matthew: Maintains Mark's order in 19 of 20 pericopes in Mark 1-9
- Luke: Maintains Mark's order in 17 of 20 pericopes in Mark 1-9
- Key observation: When one follows Mark's order, the other typically does too
Specific Sequential Evidence
| Matthew | Mark | Luke | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1-4 | 1.40-45 | 5.12-16 | Leper Cleansed |
| 9.1-8 | 2.1-12 | 5.17-26 | Paralytic Healed |
| 9.9-13 | 2.13-17 | 5.27-32 | Levi/Matthew Called |
| 9.14-17 | 2.18-22 | 5.33-39 | Fasting Question |
| 12.1-8 | 2.23-28 | 6.1-5 | Grain on Sabbath |
| 12.9-14 | 3.1-6 | 6.6-11 | Withered Hand |
| 13.1-23 | 4.1-20 | 8.4-15 | Sower Parable |
| 8.23-27 | 4.35-41 | 8.22-25 | Storm Calmed |
| 8.28-34 | 5.1-20 | 8.26-39 | Gerasene Demoniac |
| 9.18-26 | 5.21-43 | 8.40-56 | Jairus's Daughter |
| 14.13-21 | 6.30-44 | 9.10-17 | 5000 Fed |
| 16.13-20 | 8.27-30 | 9.18-21 | Peter's Confession |
| 17.1-8 | 9.2-8 | 9.28-36 | Transfiguration |
| 19.13-15 | 10.13-16 | 18.15-17 | Little Children |
| 19.16-30 | 10.17-31 | 18.18-30 | Rich Young Ruler |
| 21.1-9 | 11.1-10 | 19.28-38 | Triumphal Entry |
Editorial Features
Identical Editorial Asides
1. "Let the Reader Understand"
Mark 13:14 and Matthew 24:15 both insert identical Greek parenthetical: ho anaginōskōn noeitō
| Mark 13:14 | Matthew 24:15 |
|---|---|
| "But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand)..." | "So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place... (let the reader understand)..." |
2. Shared Geographic/Cultural Explanations
- Mark 7:3-4, Matt 15:2: Both explain Jewish hand-washing customs to gentile readers
- Mark 7:11, Matt 15:5: Both define "Corban" for non-Jewish audience
- Mark 12:42, Luke 21:2: Both explain that two lepta equal a penny
Systematic Improvements to Mark
Matthew's Editorial Changes
- Grammar: Improves Mark's rough Greek (e.g., Mark 1:32 vs Matt 8:16)
- Redundancy: Removes Mark's "immediately" (εὐθύς) - appears 42x in Mark, 5x in Matthew
- Reverence: Softens harsh treatment of disciples and Jesus' family
- Christology: Removes references to Jesus' emotions (Mark 3:5 anger omitted in Matt 12:13)
Luke's Editorial Changes
- Style: Classical Greek vs Mark's colloquial Koine
- Medical terms: More precise medical language (Luke 4:38 "high fever" vs Mark 1:30 "fever")
- Social concern: Emphasizes women, poor, outcasts more than Mark
- Geography: Corrects/clarifies Palestinian geography for wider audience
Minor Agreements (Matthew-Luke vs Mark)
Over 300 instances where Matthew and Luke agree against Mark in shared passages:
- Healing the Leper: Both add "Lord" (Matt 8:2, Luke 5:12 vs Mark 1:40)
- Plucking Grain: Both omit Mark's difficult phrase "on the way" (Mark 2:23)
- Mocking Jesus: Both add "Who is it that struck you?" (Matt 26:68, Luke 22:64 vs Mark 14:65)
- Centurion's Confession: Both change "son of God" to "righteous man/innocent" (Matt 27:54, Luke 23:47 vs Mark 15:39)
Divergence Patterns
Matthew-Luke Never Agree When Both Differ from Mark
Statistical analysis shows Matthew and Luke never agree on alternative sequencing when both deviate from Mark's order. This pattern occurs in:
- Birth narratives: Completely different accounts, no shared elements
- Genealogies: Contradictory lineages with minimal overlap
- Resurrection accounts: Different locations, appearances, details
- Unique material placement: Sermons, parables inserted at different points
Independent Redaction Evidence
| Feature | Matthew's Pattern | Luke's Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Mark's Material Used | 90% (606/661 verses) | 50% (350/661 verses) |
| Order Changes | Groups by theme | Follows chronological logic |
| Additions to Mark | 5 major discourses | Travel narrative (9:51-19:27) |
| Omissions from Mark | Mainly duplicates | Theological concerns |
Source Combination Evidence
- Doublets: Matthew has 10, Luke has 12 instances of same saying from different sources
- Q material placement: No agreement on where to insert shared non-Markan sayings
- Contextual differences: Same sayings in completely different narrative settings
Conclusion
The evidence demonstrates clear literary dependence:
Quantitative Evidence
- 606 of Mark's 661 verses reproduced in Matthew (91.7%)
- 350 of Mark's 661 verses reproduced in Luke (53.0%)
- Over 8,500 words of identical Greek text across the three gospels
- 235 verses of Matthew-Luke agreement absent from Mark (Q source)
- 300+ minor agreements between Matthew-Luke against Mark
Qualitative Patterns
- Systematic editorial improvements to Mark's Greek style
- Identical rare phrases and unusual constructions
- Shared editorial asides and explanations
- Consistent narrative sequencing following Mark
- Independent divergence patterns when not following Mark
This evidence points conclusively to the Two-Source Theory: Mark written first, both Matthew and Luke independently used Mark plus a shared sayings source (Q), resulting in the observable patterns of agreement and disagreement across the synoptic tradition.