We can be quite certain that Luke made use of at least three different sources: the Gospel of Mark, the Q source, or “The Sayings of Jesus,” and a third source that is usually designated as L to distinguish it from other biographies. What three sources were used by Matthew and Luke?
What are 3 themes in Luke's gospel?
The spirituality of all four Gospels is fundamentally the same: the belief in the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; faith and devotion to Him; an emphasis on repentance, faith, and life in community; following Jesus' words and deeds. These are the universal themes of all four Gospels.
What sources did the gospel writers use?
From oral traditions to written gospels Written collections of miracle stories, parables, sayings, etc., with oral tradition continuing alongside these; Written proto-gospels preceding and serving as sources for the gospels; Canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John composed from these sources.
What are Luke's three stages of history?
Thus, Luke divides history into three periods: (1) the end of the prophetic era of Israel as a preparation for revelation, with John the Baptist as the end of the old dispensation; (2) the revelation of Jesus' ministry as the centre of time—with Satan having departed after the temptation and, until he once again ...
How many sources did the Gospels of Matthew and Luke have?
two sourcesThe answer appears to be that Matthew and Luke each had two sources in common: the Gospel of Mark and another gospel, now lost, a collection of sayings known only as Q.
What are the sources of the four Gospels?
A four-document hypothesis or four-source hypothesis is an explanation for the relationship between the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It posits that there were at least four sources to the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke: the Gospel of Mark and three lost sources (Q, M, and L).
Who wrote Luke in the Bible?
The traditional view is that the Gospel of Luke and Acts were written by the physician Luke, a companion of Paul.
Who was Luke's source for his gospel?
Matthew, Luke derives much of his Gospel from that of St. Mark, generally following Mark's sequence and incorporating about 50 percent of Mark's material into his work.
What are the 3 stages of the gospel?
The development of the Gospels consisted of three stages: the first stage being the period of Jesus' life, the second stage being the period of Oral Tradition and the third stage being the period of the Evangelists (16). The first stage is the period of Jesus' life.
Where did Luke get his information?
Most modern scholars agree that the main sources used for Luke were a), the Gospel of Mark, b), a hypothetical sayings collection called the Q source, and c), material found in no other gospels, often referred to as the L (for Luke) source.
What are the two sources for Matthew and Luke?
The two-source hypothesis proposes that the authors of Matthew and Luke drew on the Gospel of Mark and a hypothetical collection of sayings of Jesus known as Q.
What are the two sources for the Synoptic Gospels?
Synoptic Gospels The two-source hypothesis is predicated upon the following observations: Matthew and Luke used Mark, both for its narrative material as well as for the basic structural outline of chronology of Jesus' life. Matthew and Luke use a second source, which is called Q (from German Quelle,…
What are the three Synoptic Gospels?
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called “Synoptic Gospels” because they can be “seen together” (syn-optic) and displayed in three parallel columns. The three gospels contain many of the same stories and sayings, often related in the same relative sequence.
What materials did Matthew use as he compiled his gospel?
The two sources on which most of the material is based are Mark and the Logia. The latter is sometimes called "The Sayings of Jesus" and is often referred to as the Q source. In addition to these materials, another source, sometimes called M, seems to be necessary to account for the unique portions of the gospel.
Is Jesus a part of history?
Virtually all scholars of antiquity accept that Jesus was a historical figure, although interpretations of a number of the events mentioned in the gospels (most notably his miracles and resurrection) vary and are a subject of debate.
When was the canonization of the New Testament?
The first council that accepted the present canon of the New Testament may have been the Synod of Hippo Regius in North Africa (393). A brief summary of the acts was read at and accepted by the Councils of Carthage in 397 and 419.
Where did Luke write the Gospel?
Some traditions suggest that he wrote in Boeotia or Rome. Some scholars today have suggested places such as Caesarea and the Decapolis.
Why Was Luke the Evangelist Important?
The Luke who was Paul’s companion is of relatively little importance for the development of Christianity. The Luke who wrote the gospel and Acts, however, is of significant importance. Despite having relied heavily on Mark’s gospel, Luke’s has even more new material than does Matthew: stories about Jesus’ childhood, influential and well-known parables, etc. Some of the most famous images of Jesus’ birth (manger, angelic announcement) come only from Luke.
When Did Luke the Evangelist Live?
Assuming that all of the major references to Luke are about the same person and that this person wrote the gospel according to Luke, he would have lived slightly later than the time of Jesus, probably dying some time after 100 CE.
How many times is Luke mentioned in the New Testament?
Luke is mentioned three times in New Testament letters attributed to Paul (Philemon, Colossians, 2 Timothy), only one of which was likely written by Paul himself (Philemon). The inauthentic passages describe Luke as “the beloved physician.”. The authentic passage describes him as someone working with Paul.
Which gospel has more material than Matthew?
Despite having relied heavily on Mark’s gospel, Luke’s has even more new material than does Matthew: stories about Jesus’ childhood, influential and well-known parables, etc. Some of the most famous images of Jesus’ birth (manger, angelic announcement) come only from Luke.
Who was the first to identify the Luke in Paul's letters?
The first to identify the Luke in Paul’s letters with the author of the Gospel according to Luke and Acts was Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons in the late 2nd century. Luke was not, then, an eyewitness of the gospel events. He edited traditional material of which he came into possession. Luke could, however, have witnessed some events in Acts.
Why is the book Acts important?
Acts is important because it provides information on the beginnings of the Christian church, first in Jerusalem and then in the rest of Palestine and beyond. The historical reliability of the stories is questionable and it cannot be denied that the text is designed to convey the author’s theological, political, and social views. Thus, whatever historical truth is contained, it’s only because it accords with the author’s agenda.
What is the close similarity between the first three gospels?
As noted before, the close similarity between much of the content of the first three gospels, in spite of the apparent breadth of choice, does suggest that they used a common body of written or oral materials as a framework for their writings.
Who based the Gospel on Peter?
According to the early church Fathers, Mark (not one of the twelve, but a member of the early church in Jerusalem ( Acts 12:12, 25 et. al.) and later Peter’s interpreter) based his gospel on the oral teachings of Peter.
What is the gospel of sayings?
This is a alleged ‘original’ gospel that has been derived by a process of extrapolation from the ‘Q’ text, based upon unproven and widely disputed assumptions as to the type of things Jesus would or would not have done and said. (E.g. it is asserted that Jesus did not do any miracles, or teach about resurrection of the dead, so such passages cannot be original, etc..)
What is the earliest surviving fragment of John's Gospel?
the earliest surviving fragment of John’s gospel, dated between 125 and 175AD *, was found in Egypt). Moreover, much of what is known about the later apocryphal writings is known precisely because they did stir up controversy. Had these earlier accounts been of any major significance to the early church, it is extremely doubtful that they could have passed so quietly into complete obscurity.
Where did Jesus spend his final years teaching?
Jesus spent his final years travelling all over Israel, teaching in synagogues, homes and the open air. As was typical of teachers of his day, his sayings were structured in such a way as to enable them to be easily memorised. (Despite the relatively high literacy, for Jewish boys were well schooled, writing materials were few and bulky). Teaching as he did in many places, he would have uttered the same, or similar, sayings on a great many occasions, and these would have become very familiar to his disciples. However, it is likely that some of his hearers would have wished to commit some of these to writing at a fairly early stage.
Did the synoptic writers use written sources?
Since earlier verbal and written sources are known to have existed, it seems probable that the synoptic writers could have used these as a framework for their own accounts. The question of how these documents were organised remains a matter for speculation. However, popular theories that claim they differed radically in substance from the gospels run contrary to the available historical evidence; and tell us more about the personal assumptions of their proponents than the real, historical Jesus.
Did Luke write a testimony?
Since Luke was not himself one of the twelve, he probably would have drawn on both verbal and written testimony. Although some scholars dispute the authorship of 2 Timothy, it contains an interesting reference ( 2 Tim 4:13) to certain books and parchments Paul had left at Troas; a place Luke is known to have visited with Paul on at least 2 occasions (c.f. Acts 16:11 20:6 ).
What are the main sources used in Luke?
Most modern scholars agree that the main sources used for Luke were (a) the Gospel of Mark, (b) a hypothetical sayings collection called the Q source, and ( c) material found in no other gospels, often referred to as the L (for Luke) source. The author is anonymous; the traditional view that it was Luke the Evangelist, the companion of Paul, ...
What is the purpose of Luke's Gospel?
Luke was written to be read aloud to a group of Jesus-followers gathered in a house to share the Lord's supper. The author assumes an educated Greek-speaking audience, but directs his attention to specifically Christian concerns rather than to the Greco-Roman world at large. He begins his gospel with a preface addressed to "Theophilus": the name means "Lover of God," and could mean any Christian though most interpreters consider it a reference to a Christian convert and Luke's literary patron. Here he informs Theophilus of his intention, which is to lead his reader to certainty through an orderly account "of the events that have been fulfilled among us." He did not, however, intend to provide Theophilus with a historical justification of the Christian faith – "did it happen?" – but to encourage faith – "what happened, and what does it all mean?"
What does the name Theophilus mean in the Gospel of Luke?
He begins his gospel with a preface addressed to "Theophilus": the name means "Lover of God," and could mean any Christian though most interpreters consider it a reference to a Christian convert and Luke's literary patron.
What is the New Testament?
t. e. The Gospel according to Luke ( Greek: Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Λουκᾶν, romanized : Euangélion katà Loukân ), also called the Gospel of Luke, or simply Luke, tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, ...
How much of the New Testament is Luke?
Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-volume work which scholars call Luke–Acts; together they account for 27.5% of the New Testament.
What is the Gospel of Luke?
The Gospel according to Luke ( Greek: Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Λουκᾶν, romanized : Euangélion katà Loukân ), also called the Gospel of Luke, or simply Luke, tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-volume work which scholars call ...
When was Mark written?
Mark, written around 70 AD, provided the narrative outline for Luke, but Mark contains comparatively little of Jesus' teachings, and for these Luke likely turned to a collection of sayings called Q source, which would have consisted mostly, although not exclusively, of "sayings".
Overview
Views on authorship
The traditional view is that the Gospel of Luke and Acts were written by the physician Luke, a companion of Paul. Many scholars believe him to be a Gentile Christian, though some scholars think Luke was a Hellenic Jew. This Luke is mentioned in Paul's Epistle to Philemon (v.24), and in two other epistles which are traditionally ascribed to Paul (Colossians 4:14 and 2 Timothy 4:11).
The view that Luke-Acts was written by the physician Luke was virtually unanimous in the early …
Common authorship of Luke and Acts
The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles make up a two-part work, Luke–Acts, by the same anonymous author. It is usually dated to around 80–90 AD, although some scholars suggest 90–110. The first part, the Gospel of Luke, tells how God fulfilled his plan for the world's salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the promised messiah. Acts continues the st…
Interpretation of the "we" passages in authorship discussions
The "we" passages—a number of verses in Acts are written in the first person plural ("we") apparently indicating that the writer is participating in the events he is describing—were first interpreted by Irenaeus as evidence that the writer was a personal eyewitness of these events, and a companion of Paul on his travels; the traditional Luke. This interpretation had come under sustained criticism by the middle of the twentieth century.
Language
Scholars have characterised the language used by the author of Luke–Acts as 'a more polished Greek than Mark', saying it 'at times lacks Mark's Hebraisms (cf. Mk 11:9; 14:36) or uses Greek equivalents (Lk 3:12; 6:15; 23:33).' However, some typical Hebraic phrases such as 'and it came to pass' can still be commonly found in Luke–Acts, and especially the L source verses appear to be based on Semitic sources; E. Earle Ellis (1999) cited as examples Luke 1:5–2:40; 5:1–11; 7:11–1…
See also
• The Lost Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles
• Historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles
• Authorship of the Pauline epistles