Synoptic problem facts for kids

In the New Testament, the gospels of Matthrew, Mark and Luke, are written in a very similar style. They are referred to as the synopic gospels.The forth of the evangelists, John, also tells similar stories, but his style of writing is different. The synoptic problem is to explain why three of the four evangelists have a very similar structure, and the fourth does not.

• There might have been one common text that is now lost, that three of the four evangelists used
• There might have been a profession of "evangelists", which learned the texts by heart, and which then recited or told them when they were asked.
• There might have been two sources, the three used. The gospel of Mark is the oldest. Matthew and Luke, used the text of Mark, plus this other common source, plus other texts they had access to
• Two-gospel hypothesis

Images for kids

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  The calming of the storm is recounted in each of the three synoptic gospels, but not in John.

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  Christ cleansing a leper by Jean-Marie Melchior Doze, 1864.

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  A page of Griesbach's Synopsis Evangeliorum, which presents the texts of the synoptic gospels arranged in columns.

See also

In Spanish: Problema sinóptico para niños