the reverent loyalty of all the Synoptists to the teaching of the great Master, but also, on the other
hand, their freedom and independence of observation and judgment in the narration of facts. Words
can be accurately reported only in one form, as they were spoken; while events may be correctly
narrated in different words.
Numerical Estimates Of The Harmony And Variation.
The extent of the coincidences, and divergences admits of an approximate calculation by
sections, verses, and words. In every case the difference of size must be kept in mind: Luke is the
largest, with 72 pages (in Westcott and Hort’s Greek Testament); Matthew comes next, with 68
pages; Mark last, with 42 pages. (John has 55 pages.)- Estimate by Sections.
Matthew has in all 78, Mark, 67, Luke, 93 sections.
Dividing the Synoptic text into 124 sections, with Dr. Reuss,^881
All Evangelists have in common 47 sections.
Matthew and Mark alone have 12 "
Matthew and Luke " " 2 "
Mark and Luke " " 6 "
Sections peculiar to Matthew 17
" " " Mark 2
" " " Luke 38
Another arrangement by sections has been made by Norton, Stroud, and Westcott.^882 If the
total contents of the Gospels be represented by 100, the following result is obtained:
Mark has 7 peculiarities and 93 coincidences.
Matthew has 42 " " 58 "
Luke has 59 " " 41 "
[John has 92 " " 8 " ]
If the extent of all the coincidences be represented by 100, their proportion is:
Matthew, Mark, and Luke have 53 coincidences.
Matthew and Luke have 21 "
Matthew and Mark have 20 "
Mark and Luke have 6 "
"In St. Mark," says Westcott, "there are not more than twenty-four verses to which no
parallel exists in St. Matthew and St. Luke, though St. Mark exhibits everywhere traits of vivid
detail which are peculiar to his narrative."
how small a part of each Gospel there is any verbal coincidence with either of the other two; and to how great a degree such
coincidence is confined to passages in which the evangelists professedly give the words of others, particularly of Jesus.-The
proportions should, however, be further compared with those which the narrative part of each Gospel bears to that in which the
words of others are professedly repeated. Matthew’s narrative occupies about one-fourth of his Gospel, Mark’s about one-half,
and Luke’s about one-third. It may easily be computed, therefore, that the proportion of verbal coincidence found in the narrative
part of each Gospel, compared with what exists in the other part, is about in the following ratios: in Matthew as one to somewhat
more than two, in Mark as one to four, and in Luke as one to ten .... We cannot explain this phenomenon by the supposition that
the Gospels were transcribed either one from another, or all from common documents; for, if such transcription had been the
cause, it would not have produced results so unequal in the different portions into which the Gospels naturally divide themselves."(^881) Geschichte der heil. Schriften N. Test., I., p. 175 (5th ed., 1874). See also his Histoire Evangelique, Paris, 1876 (Nouveau
Testament, I. partie).
(^882) See Westcott, Introd. to the Gospels, p. 191, fifth ed.
A.D. 1-100.