What are the Synoptic Gospels?

Answer

The Synoptic Gospels consist of the initial three books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These three books, along with John, are collectively known as the “Gospels” as they narrate the positive message of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection—fundamental to our salvation. The Gospel of Matthew was authored by Matthew the apostle, one of the twelve chosen by Jesus. The Gospel of Mark was penned by John Mark, a close companion of the apostle Peter. The Gospel of Luke was written by Luke the physician, a friend and fellow traveler of the apostle Paul.

The first three Gospels are labeled as “synoptic” because they “see together with a common view” (the term synoptic literally means “together sight”). Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount many of the same events in Jesus’ life—mostly from Jesus’ ministry in Galilee—in a similar sequence. Nearly 90 percent of Mark’s content is present in Matthew, and around 50 percent of Mark is included in Luke. All of Christ’s parables are featured in the Synoptics (the Gospel of John does not contain any parables).

There are also distinctions. Both Matthew and Luke are significantly longer than Mark. Matthew was intended for a Jewish audience, Mark for a Roman audience, and Luke for a broader Gentile audience. Matthew extensively quotes from the Old Testament, and his frequent use (32 times) of the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” is distinctive—it does not appear elsewhere in the Bible. Luke emphasizes Jesus’ compassionate actions towards Gentiles and Samaritans. A substantial portion of Luke 10–20 is exclusive to that Gospel.

The challenge of elucidating the similarities and differences among the Synoptic Gospels is known as the Synoptic Problem in the realm of biblical scholarship. Ultimately, the Synoptic “Problem” is not much of a problem at all—God inspired three Gospel writers to document the events surrounding the same Person during the same period.

of His life in the same locations, but with slightly different emphases targeted at distinct readers.