Sources of the Synoptic GospelsPatton, Carl S. (Carl Safford)
Religion
Sources of the Synoptic Gospels
Patton, Carl S. (Carl Safford)
Bible. Gospels -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
In the account of the arrest (Mk xiv, 43-54; Mt xxvi, 47-58; Lk xxii,
47-55) Mark has the words "but that the scriptures might be fulfilled,"
without attaching the "that" to anything. Matthew fills out his incomplete
sentence by writing, "All this happened that the scriptures," etc. Luke
omits the flight of the disciples, because the appearances of the risen
Jesus which he recounts take place in Jerusalem. Both Matthew and Luke
omit the reference to the young man in the linen garment, either because
they did not understand it, or knew it would have no meaning for their
readers, or both. Mark says the crowd who came to arrest Jesus came
"_from_ the chief priests"; Luke has apparently overlooked the
preposition, and so represents the chief priests themselves as taking part
in the arrest.
To Mark's mocking "Prophesy!" addressed to the blindfolded Jesus by the
soldiers, Luke and Matthew add the words, clearly explanatory, "Who is he
that struck thee?"
In the denial of Peter (Mk xiv, 66-72; Mt xxvi, 69-75; Lk xxii, 56-62),
Matthew and Luke omit two obscure and strange words of Mark, προαύλιον in
vs. 68 and ἐπιβαλὼν in vs. 72. In the treatment of Jesus by Pilate, Luke
adds the charge that Jesus had stirred up the people not to pay tribute to
Caesar; it is probably a reflection of the anarchistic charges made
against Christians in Luke's time. Matthew's addition of Pilate's
hand-washing is probably due to his desire, or the desire of the tradition
back of him, to relieve the Roman authorities of responsibility for the
death of Jesus.
In the story of the journey to the crucifixion (Mk xv, 21; Mt xxvii, 32;
Lk xxiii, 26-32), the omission of the names of Rufus and Alexander is
probably due (as already said) to the fact that these men were unknown to
Matthew and Luke and their readers, and added no weight to the testimony
of Simon their father. Luke's extremely vivid touch of Jesus' address to
the "Daughters of Jerusalem" can be explained only as a part of his
special material for this portion of the life of Jesus.
In the story of the crucifixion (Mk xv, 22-32; Mt xxvii, 33-44; Lk xxiii,
33-43), Luke's words, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they
do," are omitted in many manuscripts, are bracketed by Westcott and Hort,
and are probably a later addition. Matthew corrects Mark, who says a man
came with a sponge, saying, "Let him be," etc.; Matthew makes the crowd
address the "Let him be" to the man with the sponge.
Luke apparently differs much more than Matthew, from Mark, in his story of
the crucifixion, and the events that led up to and followed it. This can
be explained by his possession of special sources for these last days of
Jesus, and his desire to use material from these sources with his Marcan
matter. Transpositions are especially frequent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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