Sources of the Synoptic Gospels

by Carl S. Patton

From Mk xiii, 9, to xiii, 32, both Matthew and Luke follow Mark’s order. At Mk xiii, 33-37, they come upon a section which Matthew postpones and which Luke has previously inserted. After the insertion of some non-Marcan matter common to Matthew and Luke, and of some matter peculiar to each, both Matthew and Luke go on with the Marcan material, beginning where they left off at Mk xiv, 1. Luke omits Mk xiv, 3-9, because of a duplicate or variant of the passage which he has inserted in his 7th chapter; except for this omission (which does not affect Matthew), the three proceed in the same order down to Mk xiv, 17, where Luke again transposes a few verses, but Matthew follows without deviation. From here on to the end of Mark’s Gospel, Matthew follows practically without deviation, tho adding much matter of his own. Luke makes a transposition of the story of Peter’s denial, and of one or two other items; except for which he also follows Mark’s order substantially as he finds it.

This statement of the relative order of Marcan material in the three Synoptic Gospels has been made in a way to facilitate comparison in the large, and give a general idea of how faithfully Matthew and Luke have followed the order of Mark. For purposes of studying the matter in more detail, Table I is appended. The sections are given and numbered as they occur in Mark, and also as they occur in Matthew and Luke.

TABLE I

Showing Changes Made by Matthew and Luke in the Order of Marcan Material

Subject-Matter of Section	Chapter and Verse			Sec. Nos.
	Mk	Lk	Mt	Mk	Lk	Mt
John the Baptist	i, 1-6	iii, 1-6	iii, 1-6	1	1	1
His messianic announcement	i, 7-8	iii, 15-18	iii, 11-12	2	2	2
Baptism of Jesus	i, 9-11	iii, 21-22	iii, 13-17	3	3	3
Temptation of Jesus	i, 12-13	iv, 1-13	iv, 1-11	4	4	4
Appearance in Galilee	i, 14-15	iv, 14-15	iv, 12-17	5	5	5
Calling first disciples	i, 16-20	v, 1-11	iv, 18-22	6	12	6
In the synagogue	i, 21-28	iv, 31-37	vii, 28-29	7	7	11
Peter’s wife’s mother	i, 29-31	iv, 38-39	viii, 14-15	8	8	13
Healings in the evening	i, 32-34	iv, 40-41	viii, 16-17	9	9	14
Retirement of Jesus	i, 35-38	iv, 42-43	.........	10	10	..
Preaching tour in Galilee	i, 39	iv, 44	iv, 23-25	11	11	7
Healing of leper	i, 40-45	v, 12-16	viii, 1-4	12	13	12
Healing of paralytic	ii, 1-12	v, 17-26	ix, 1-8	13	14	17
Calling of Levi	ii, 13-17	v, 27-32	ix, 9-13	14	15	18
Question of fasting	ii, 18-22	v, 33-39	ix, 14-17	15	16	19
Walk thru the corn	ii, 23-28	vi, 1-5	xii, 1-8	16	17	25
The withered hand	iii, 1-6	vi, 6-11	xii, 9-14	17	18	26
Crowd and healings	iii, 7-12	vi, 17-19	xii, 15-21	18	20	27
Calling of the twelve	iii, 13-19	vi, 12-16	x, 2-4	19	19	22
The pharisaic accusation	iii, 20-22	xi, 14-16	xii, 22-24	20	43	28
Jesus’ defense	iii, 23-30	xi, 17-23	xii, 25-37	21	44	29
Jesus’ true kindred	iii, 31-35	viii, 19-21	xii, 46-50	22	28	30
Parable of the Sower	iv, 1-9	viii, 4-8	xiii, 1-9	23	23	31
Purpose of parables	iv, 10-12	viii, 9-10	xiii, 10-15	24	24	32
Interpretation of Sower	iv, 13-20	viii, 11-15	xiii, 18-23	25	25	33
Saying about a light	iv, 21	viii, 16	v, 15	26	26	9
Hidden and revealed	iv, 22	viii, 17	x, 26	27	27	24
Ears to hear	iv, 23	viii, 8; xiv, 35	xi, 15; xiii, 9	28	30	27
The measure	iv, 24	vi, 38	vii, 2	29	21	10
Whoever has	iv, 25	vi, 38	xiii, 12	30	22	32
Seed Growing of Itself	iv, 26-29	..........	..........	31	..	..
Mustard Seed	iv, 30-32	xiii, 18-19	xiii, 31-32	32	..	34
Speaking in parables	iv, 33-34	..........	xiii, 34-35	33	..	35
Storm on the lake	iv, 35-41	viii, 22-25	viii, 23-27	34	29	15
Gadarene demoniac	v, 1-20	viii, 26-39	viii, 28-34	35	30	16
Daughter of Jairus, and woman with issue of blood	v, 21-43	viii, 40-56	ix, 18-26	36	31	20
Rejection in Nazareth	vi, 1-6	iv, 16-30	xiii, 53-58	37	6	36
Sending out disciples	vi, 6-13	ix, 1-6	ix, 35;	38	32	21
			x, 9-11			23
Judgment of Herod on Jesus	vi, 14-16	ix, 7-9	xiv, 1-2	39	23	37
Death of the Baptist	vi, 17-29	..........	xiv, 3-12	40	..	38
Return of disciples and feeding of five thousand	vi, 30-44	ix, 10-17	xiv, 13-21	41	34	39
Walking on the water	vi, 45-52	..........	xiv, 22-33	42	..	40
Return to Gennesaret	vi, 53-56	..........	xiv, 34-36	43	..	41
About hand-washing	vii, 1-23	..........	xv, 1-20	44	..	42
The Canaanitish woman	vii, 24-30	..........	xv, 21-28	45	..	43
Healing of deaf stammerer	vii, 31-37	..........	..........	46	..	..
Feeding of four thousand	viii, 1-10	..........	xv, 32-39	47	..	44
Demand for a sign	viii, 11-13	xi, 29;	xvi, 1-4	48	45	45
		xii, 54-56			47
Saying about yeast	viii, 14-21	xii, 1	xvi, 5-12	49	46	46
The blind man of Bethsaida	viii, 22-26	..........	..........	50	..	..
Confession of Peter	viii, 27-33	ix, 18-22	xvi, 13-23	51	35	47
Warnings of persecutions	viii, 34-ix, 1	ix, 23-27	xvi, 24-28	52	36	48
The transfiguration	ix, 2-8	ix, 28-36	xvii, 1-8	53	37	49
Question about Elias	ix, 9-13	..........	xvii, 9-13	54	..	50
The epileptic boy	ix, 14-29	ix, 37-43a	xvii, 14-21	55	38	51
Prediction of sufferings	ix, 30-32	ix, 43b-45	xvii, 22-23	56	39	52
Strife about rank	ix, 33-37	ix, 46-48	xviii, 1-5	57	40	53
The unknown exorcist	ix, 38-41	ix, 49-50	..........	58	41	..
About offenses	ix, 42-48	xvii, 1-2	xviii, 6-9	59	49	54
About salt	ix, 49-50	xiv, 34-35	v, 13	60	48	8
Marriage and divorce	x, 1-12	..........	xix, 1-12	61	..	55
Blessing the children	x, 13-16	xviii, 15-17	xix, 13-15	62	50	56
Danger of riches	x, 17-31	xviii, 18-30	xix, 16-30	63	51	57
Prediction of woes	x, 32-34	xviii, 31-34	xx, 17-19	64	52	58
The request for seats	x, 35-45	..........	xx, 20-2	65	..	59
Healing of Bartimaeus	x, 46-52	xviii, 35-43	xx, 29-34	66	53	60
Entry into Jerusalem	xi, 1-11	xix, 28-38	xxi, 1-11	67	54	61
Cursing of the fig tree	xi, 12-14	..........	xxi, 18-19	68	..	63
Cleansing of the temple	xi, 15-19	xix, 45-48	xxi, 12-13	69	55	62
About the fig tree	xi, 20-26	..........	xxi, 20-22	70	..	64
Question about authority	xi, 27-33	xx, 1-8	xxi, 23-27	71	56	65
Parable of the Vineyard	xii, 1-12	xx, 9-19	xxi, 33-46	72	57	66
Question of Pharisees	xii, 13-17	xx, 20-26	xxii, 15-22	73	58	67
Question of Saducees	xii, 18-27	xx, 27-40	xxii, 23-33	74	59	68
The great commandment	xii, 28-34	x, 25-28	xxii, 34-40	75	42	69
The Son of David	xii, 35-37	xx, 41-44	xxii, 41-46	76	60	70
Against the Pharisees	xii, 38-40	xx, 45-47	xxiii, 1-36	77	61	71
Prediction about temple	xiii, 1-4	xxi, 5-7	xxiv, 1-3	78	62	72
Signs of the parousia	xiii, 5-9a	xxi, 8-11	xxiv, 4-8	79	63	73
Warnings of troubles	xiii, 9b-13	xxi, 12-19	xxiv, 9-14;	80	64	74
			x, 17-21			21
Anguish in Judaea	xiii, 14-20	xxi, 20-24	xxiv, 15-22	81	65	75
The crisis	xiii, 21-23	..........	xxiv, 23-25	82	..	76
The parousia	xiii, 24-27	xxi, 25-28	xxiv, 29-31	83	66	77
Parable of Fig Tree	xiii, 28-29	xxi, 29-31	xxiv, 32-33	84	67	78
The “when” of the parousia	xiii, 30-32	xxi, 32-33	xxiv, 34-36	85	68	79
Conclusion of speech	xiii, 33-37	xxi, 34-36	..........	86	69	..
The plot against Jesus	xiv, 1-2	xxii, 1-2	xxvi, 1-5	87	70	80
Anointing at Bethany	xiv, 3-9	..........	xxvi, 6-13	88	..	81
Treachery of Judas	xiv, 10-11	xxii, 3-6	xxvi, 14-16	89	71	82
Preparation for Passover	xiv, 12-17	xxii, 7-14	xxvi, 17-20	90	72	83
Prediction of betrayal	xiv, 18-21	xxii, 21-23	xxvi, 21-25	91	74	84
Institution of Supper	xiv, 22-25	xxii, 15-20	xxvi, 26-29	92	73	85
Prediction of Peter’s fall	xiv, 26-31	xxii, 31-34	xxvi, 30-35	93	75	86
In Gethsemane	xiv, 32-42	xxii, 39-46	xxvi, 36-46	94	76	87
The arrest	xiv, 43-54	xxii, 47-55	xxvi, 47-58	95	77	88
Trial before Sanhedrim	xiv, 55-65	xxii, 63-71	xxvi, 59-68	96	79	89
Denial of Peter	xiv, 66-72	xxii, 56-62	xxvi, 69-75	97	78	90
Delivery to Pilate	xv, 1	xxiii, 1	xxvii, 1-2	98	80	91
Examination before Pilate	xv, 2-5	xxiii, 2-5	xxvii, 11-14	99	81	92
The condemnation of Jesus	xv, 6-15	xxiii, 18-25	xxvii, 15-26	100	82	93
The mocking of Jesus	xv, 16-20	..........	xxvii, 27-31	101	..	94
The death journey	xv, 21	xxiii, 26-32	xxvii, 32	102	83	95
The crucifixion	xv, 22-32	xxiii, 33-43	xxvii, 33-44	103	84	96
The death of Jesus	xv, 33-41	xxiii, 44-49	xxvii, 45-56	104	85	97
The burial	xv, 42-47	xxiii, 50-56	xxvii, 57-61	105	86	98
The empty grave	xvi, 1-8	xxiv, 1-12	xxviii, 1-10	106	87	99

A comparison of the number in the Table which a given section bears respectively in Matthew and Mark or Luke and Mark will show the number and extent of the changes which Matthew and Luke have permitted themselves in their disposition of Marcan material.

DEDUCTIONS FROM THE TABLE

An examination of the preceding table will show how generally both Matthew and Luke have followed the order of Mark.

Of the 87 Marcan sections retained by Luke, only 11 sections (Nos. 6, 12, 21, 22, 23, 42-47) are seriously misplaced. From sec. 35 to the end, the order is particularly well preserved, the only changes being in the placing of 49 before 48, and 74 before 73. Luke’s displacements are usually made in the interest of a better historical or literary sequence; some of them may also be occasioned by his large omissions of Marcan material and his large insertions of peculiar matter.