Introduction: What is Synoptic Interdependence?
The first three Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—are called "synoptic" (Greek for "seen together") because they share significant similarities in content, wording, and the order of events. When viewed side-by-side, these parallels suggest the authors were not writing entirely independently but were likely drawing upon each other or common sources.
This page presents the key arguments for this literary interdependence, focusing on the evidence within the texts themselves. The most common scholarly explanation for these connections is the "Two-Source Theory," which proposes that Mark was written first, and both Matthew and Luke used Mark and another shared source (called 'Q') as primary references.
Extensive Verbatim Agreement
Perhaps the strongest argument is the sheer amount of identical wording shared between the Gospels, especially in the original Greek. This agreement goes far beyond what would be expected from independent accounts recalling the same events.
- Multiple passages feature identical Greek phrases and sentences, sometimes spanning several verses.
- This includes unique or unusual Greek phrasing that independent authors would be unlikely to choose simultaneously.
- Even when potentially translating Jesus' Aramaic sayings into Greek, the authors often use the exact same Greek words and grammatical structures.
Example: John the Baptist's Preaching
This passage shows over 60 words of nearly identical Greek text between Matthew and Luke. Crucially, this specific sermon is absent from Mark, strongly indicating Matthew and Luke shared a separate written source (known as 'Q') for this material.
| 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." |
View Greek Text
| Matthew 3:7-10 | Luke 3:7-9 |
|---|---|
| "γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς; ποιήσατε οὖν καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ, λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ. ἤδη δὲ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται." | "γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς; ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας· καὶ μὴ ἄρξησθε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ, λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται." |
Example: The Rich Young Ruler
Comparing this story across all three synoptics reveals close verbal parallels, suggesting borrowing. Mark and Luke's versions of Jesus' response are nearly identical. Matthew slightly alters the question and answer, consistent with editing an existing source (likely Mark).
| Mark 10:17-18 | Matthew 19:16-17 | Luke 18:18-19 |
|---|---|---|
| "As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'" | "Then someone came to him and said, 'Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?'" | "A ruler asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'" |
| "Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.'" | "And he said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.'" | "Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.'" |
View Greek Text
| Mark 10:17-18 | Matthew 19:16-17 | Luke 18:18-19 |
|---|---|---|
| "διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσω ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω;" | "διδάσκαλε, τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω ἵνα σχῶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον;" | "διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω;" |
| "τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός." | "τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθός." | "τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός." |
Agreement in Narrative Order
Beyond specific wording, the Gospels often present events in the exact same sequence. This consistent ordering, especially for material found in all three (the "Triple Tradition"), is highly unlikely to have occurred by chance across independent writings.
- Matthew includes about 90% of Mark's stories, largely in Mark's order.
- Luke includes about 50% of Mark's stories, generally following Mark's sequence.
- Where all three share a story, it almost always falls in the same place relative to other shared stories.
The following table shows a sample of this consistent narrative flow:
| Matthew | Mark | Luke | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1-4 | 1.40-45 | 5.12-16 | Leper |
| 9.1-8 | 2.1-12 | 5.17-26 | Paralytic |
| 9.9-13 | 2.13-17 | 5.27-32 | Call of Levi/Matthew |
| 9.14-17 | 2.18-22 | 5.33-39 | Fasting, New Wine, Patches |
| 12.1-8 | 2.23-28 | 6.1-5 | Plucking Grain on the Sabbath |
| 12.9-14 | 3.1-6 | 6.6-11 | Man with Withered Hand |
| 10.1-4 | 3.13-19 | 6.12-16 | Choosing of the Twelve |
| 12.46-50 | 3.31-35 | 8.19-21 | Jesus' Mother and Brothers |
| 13.1-23 | 4.1-20 | 8.4-15 | Parable of the Sower |
| 8.23-27 | 4.35-41 | 8.22-25 | Calming of the Storm |
| 8.28-34 | 5.1-20 | 8.26-39 | Gerasene Demoniac |
| 9.18-26 | 5.21-43 | 8.40-56 | Jairus's Daughter and Woman |
| 14.13-21 | 6.30-44 | 9.10-17 | Feeding of Five Thousand |
| 16.13-20 | 8.27-30 | 9.18-21 | Peter's Confession |
| 17.1-8 | 9.2-8 | 9.28-36 | Transfiguration |
| 17.14-20 | 9.14-29 | 9.37-43 | Epileptic Boy |
| 19.13-15 | 10.13-16 | 18.15-17 | Little Children |
| 19.16-30 | 10.17-31 | 18.18-30 | Rich Young Ruler |
| 20.29-34 | 10.46-52 | 18.35-43 | Blind Bartimaeus |
| 21.1-9 | 11.1-10 | 19.28-38 | Triumphal Entry |
| 21-28 | 11-16 | 20-24 | Passion Narrative |
Shared Editorial Features
Sometimes the authors insert comments directly to the reader (editorial asides) or make similar small modifications to their source material, further suggesting literary connection.
Example: Shared Aside "Let the Reader Understand"
In Mark 13:14 and Matthew 24:15, during Jesus' prediction about the "desolating sacrilege," both authors interrupt the narrative to insert the identical parenthetical phrase "(let the reader understand)" – Greek: ho anaginōskōn noeitō. Copying this aside directly from Mark is the most plausible explanation for its appearance in Matthew.
| 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), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains..." | "So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains..." |
Minor Agreements (Matthew & Luke Agreeing Against Mark)
While less common, there are instances where Matthew and Luke agree on a small detail or wording against Mark in passages otherwise clearly based on Mark (e.g., adding "Lord" in the Healing of the Leper story - Matt 8:2 // Luke 5:12 vs Mark 1:40). These "minor agreements" are debated but often explained as independent editorial choices or potential overlaps in later manuscript traditions, rather than evidence against Markan priority.
Patterns in Divergence from Mark's Order
When Matthew and Luke do rearrange the material they share with Mark, they almost never agree with each other on the new sequence. If they were both following a source other than Mark for their narrative structure, or if Luke were copying Matthew, we would expect them to align more often when they deviate from Mark. Their consistent lack of agreement in these rearrangements strongly supports the idea that they independently used Mark as their primary narrative source, rearranging his material according to their own theological or literary goals.
Conclusion
The evidence for literary dependence among the synoptic Gospels is substantial:
- Extensive identical phrasing and sequence strongly suggest copying rather than coincidence.
- Editorial patterns indicate later gospels refining earlier material (e.g., smoothing Mark's rougher Greek).
- Common patterns of addition, omission, and modification point to shared sources and direct borrowing.
The Two-Source Theory (Markan priority with Matthew and Luke also using a shared sayings source, 'Q') remains the most widely accepted explanation for these patterns of interdependence. Understanding these relationships highlights how the gospels were carefully crafted literary works, reflecting the perspectives and source materials available to their authors within early Christian communities, rather than independent eyewitness accounts.