Mark 1,174 (or in all 3,825) with Luke 34+
Luke 1,174 (or in all 3,825) with Mark 20-
C. –– Words peculiar to Matthew 10,363, or 56+ percent.
Words peculiar to Mark 4,540, or 40+ percent
Words peculiar to Luke 12,969, or 67+ percent
Total 27,872
D. –– These figures give the following results:
(a.) The proportion of words peculiar to the Synoptic Gospels is 28,000 out of 48,000, more
than one half.
In Matthew 56 words out of every 100 are peculiar.
In Mark 40 words out of every 100 are peculiar.
In Luke 67 words out of every 100 are peculiar.
(b.) The number of coincidences common to all three is less than the number of the
divergences.
Matthew agrees with the other two Gospels in 1 word out of 7.
Mark agrees with the other two Gospels in 1 word out of 4½.
Luke agrees with the other two Gospels in 1 word out of 8.
(c.) But, comparing the Gospels two by two, it is evident that Matthew and Mark have most
in common, and Matthew and Luke are most divergent.
One-half of Mark is found in Matthew.
One fourth of Luke is found in Matthew.
One-third of Mark is found in Luke.^885
(d.) The general conclusion from these figures is that all three Gospels widely diverge from
the common matter, or triple tradition, Mark the least so and Luke the most (almost twice as much
as Mark). On the other hand, both Matthew and Luke are nearer Mark than Luke and Matthew are
to each other.
The Solution of the Problem.
Three ways open themselves for a solution of the Synoptic problem: either the Synoptists depend
on one another; or they all depend on older sources; or the dependence is of both kinds. Each of
these hypotheses admits again of several modifications.^886
A satisfactory solution of the problem must account for the differences as well as for the
coincidences. If this test be applied, the first and the third hypotheses with their various modifications
must be ruled out as unsatisfactory, and we are shut up to the second as at least the most probable.
The Canonical Gospels Independent of One Another.
There is no direct evidence that any of the three Synoptists saw and used the work of the
others; nor is the agreement of such a character that it may not be as easily and better explained(^885) The following lines, representing the relative lengths of the three Gospels, show the extent of their verbal coincidence and
divergence. The dots divide the lines in half, and the marks into thirds:
Luke, ———— ––——————————
Mark, ———|—•—|———
Matthew, —————•——————
(^886) German scholars have convenient terms for these various hypotheses, as Benützungshypothese ("borrowing" hypothesis),
Urevangeliumshypothese, Traditionshypothese, Tendenzhypothese, Combinationshypothese, Diegesentheorie, Markushypothese,
Urmarkushypothese, etc. See the Notes (II)at the end of this section.
A.D. 1-100.