Differences between Luke and Matthew

Question 1

List 2 reasons there could be historical inaccuracies between the accounts.

Answer 1

(1) Redaction Criticism - texts have been altered to fit the agenda of their writer.
(2) Agenda itself, Matthew = Jewish Jesus, King lineage, Luke = universal Jesus, Holy Spirit emphasis.

Question 2

Heritage of Jesus

• Davidic
• Mary, Elizabeth and Aaron

Answer 2

Matthew: Davidic descent
Luke: Mary

• Matthew is keen to appeal to a Jewish audience, and expresses this through the importance of Jesus’ role in fulfilling prophecies. He does this by establishing a link between Jesus and King David (several prophecies in OT promised a Messiah who would be a descendant of King David).
• Luke, however, emphasises the role of Mary, appealing to an audience of gentiles and minorities, therefore no prophecy (Jesus and Kenosis), but Mary’s relationship with Elizabeth (“relative”) leaves the question of Jesus’ royal heritage unclear. As Elizabeth is a descendant of Aaron, if Mary is a relative of hers, then she too is a descendant of Aaron, therefore establishing royal lineage in Jesus.

Question 3

Old Testament

Answer 3

Luke does not have extensive quotations from the Old Testament, but Matthew does.
Why?
- OT has prophecies that Matthew wanted Jesus to be associated with, Luke did not care about this.

Question 4

Historicity of the accounts

• Herod
• Quirinius

Answer 4

• Matthew talks of Herod and the slaughter of the infants, however this is never referenced by any other contemporary Historian. Some say this never happened and that Matthew in fact fabricated it so that a comparison could be drawn between Moses/Pharaoh and Jesus/Herod. BUT ! It does fit in with what we already know about Herod and how he murdered 3 of his own children - it is possible.
• Luke insists on his Gospel being historically accurate, however his chronology seems incorrect. We know Quirinius did govern Syria, but not at the same time as Jesus’ birth.

Question 5

What is the reason some scholars say Luke misleads his audience?
- Songs

Answer 5

He attributes certain songs with certain characters in his Gospel:
- Mary’s song = The Magnificat
- Zechariah’s prophecy = The Benedictus
- Simeon’s song = The Nunc Dimittus
But it is widely thought that these ‘songs’ were already in use as hymns in early Christian communities before Luke’s assignment of them to the characters.