SOLUTIONS TO THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM
This solution was proposed in the 19th century. It states that Matthew and Luke both used Mark and the Q-source to write their Gospels, with Matthew relying more heavily on Mark and Luke on Q. Matthew and Luke then improve upon this material (e.g. improving on Mark's Greek and removing Aramaic phrases) and they both add context and background to the material from Q (which is just a collection of logia or sayings).
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Burnett Streeter (1924) suggested this improvement on the 2-Source Solution. Streeter suggests that, as well as drawing upon Mark and Q, Matthew and Luke made use of two proto-Gospels, referred to as Special Matthew (or M, Matthew's unique source, which Streeter thinks comes from Jerusalem) and Special Luke (or L, Luke's unique material, which Streeter thinks comes from Antioch in Syria).
This means there are a total of 4 sources being used: Mark, Q, M and L. Matthew did not have access to L and Luke did not have access to M but both used Mark and Q. |
"Prophesy! Who hit you?" - Matthew 26: 68 and Luke 22: 64
YES
The 2SS and 4SS are both elegant solutions: they don't involve bringing in extra complications; in philosophical terminology, they are PARSIMONIOUS. They also have real explanatory power (they show exactly how the Gospels were put together).
The 4SS has a particular benefit of explaining how the Gospel writers late in the 1st century CE could have access to information from the time of Jesus' ministry in the 20s and 30s CE: they made use of proto-Gospels (Special Matthew and Special Luke).
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NO
These solutions depend on unproven theories. For example, the existence of the Q-source is essential to both of them, but Q has never been discovered and is not mentioned by early writers. Markan Priority also goes against early tradition which is that Matthew is the first Gospel.
This is only an advantage if you refuse to accept that Jesus could have miraculously predicted the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. But if Jesus was the Son of God then he could prophesy and so the Gospels are from the 50s or 60s CE, written by eyewitnesses who don't need 'sources'.
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