Lesson plan
Three-source hypothesis
The three-source hypothesis is a candidate solution to the synoptic problem. It combines aspects of the two-source hypothesis and the Farrer hypothesis. It states that the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke used the Gospel of Mark and a sayings collection as primary sources, but that the Gospel of Luke also used the Gospel of Matthew as a subsidiary source. The hypothesis is named after the three documents it posits as sources, namely the sayings collection, the Gospel of Mark, and the Gospel of Matthew. The sayings collection may be identified with Q, or with a subset of Q if some (typically narrative-related) material normally assigned to Q is instead attributed to Matthew's creativity in conjunction with Luke's use of Matthew. This theory has been advocated by Heinrich Julius Holtzmann, Eduard Simons, Hans Hinrich Wendt, Edward Y. Hincks, Robert Morgenthaler and Robert H. Gundry. Alternatively, M.A.T. Linssen proposes it as a variant by equating the sayings collection to the Gospel of Thomas, suggesting that Matthew and Luke worked together to write different gospels, each targeted at their own audience.
Article summary
The three-source hypothesis is a candidate solution to the synoptic problem. It combines aspects of the two-source hypothesis and the Farrer hypothesis. It states that the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke used the Gospel of Mark and a sayings collection as primary sources, but that the Gospel of Luke also used the Gospel of Matthew as a subsidiary source. The hypothesis is named after the three documents it posits as sources, namely the sayings collection, the Gospel of Mark, and the Gospel of Matthew. The sayings collection may be identified with Q, or with a subset of Q if some (typically narrative-related) material normally assigned to Q is instead attributed to Matthew's creativity in conjunction with Luke's use of Matthew. This theory has been advocated by Heinrich Julius Holtzmann, Eduard Simons, Hans Hinrich Wendt, Edward Y. Hincks, Robert Morgenthaler and Robert H. Gundry. Alternatively, M.A.T. Linssen proposes it as a variant by equating the sayings collection to the Gospel of Thomas, suggesting that Matthew and Luke worked together to write different gospels, each targeted at their own audience.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.