Priority of Mark

Question 1

Intro:

Answer 1

Scholars been debating and trying to work out for many years which gospel was written first. As a result of this, many different theories and questions have formed. In this essay I will be exploring the evidence that the gospel of Mark was the first gospel to be written.

Question 2

LENGTH

Answer 2

• Shortest of 3, with 661 verses. Only 31 of these are not found in Mt or Lk. Also, 97% of words in Mark are in Mt, and 88% Mark in Luke. Shows that if Mark wrote first, others would have used his material as source and expanded on it, possibly having excess to other sources.
• If Mark were using Matthew or Luke, why would he have missed out so much key material, including the Birth of J, the sermon on the mount and resurrection accounts. Odd for Mark to cut these out, further more emphasizing Mark Priority.
• COUNTER POINT: could be possible that Mark condensed his gospel for reasons beyond our knowledge?

Question 3

AGREEMENT IN SEQUENCE

Answer 3

• Mark & Matthew agree in order against Luke; Mark & Luke agree in order against Matthew, however Matthew and Luke almost never agree in order against Mark. … Because Mark is source.
• Christology – Lk & Mt omit verses where Mark may present J in a bad light – e.g. Matthew changed Mark’s ‘rabbi’ into ‘Kyrie’.
• Grammar and style more ‘simplistic’, as his Greek is ‘rougher’, more Aramaic words (sign of an early source), therefore Mt & Lk can improve and develop on this if they have used Mark as a source, making their writing more sophisticated.
• COUNTE ARGUMENT – GRIESBACH argues that Matthew was written first as he was an Apostle and would not have used a non-apostolic source. This links to the synoptic problem, in which people argue that it is clear that the gospels are linked in some way, but not in which order or source was used.

Question 4

2-SOURCE THEORY & 4-SOURCE THEORY

Answer 4

• Method of explaining the relationship between gospels. LESSING suggested that the gospels had common source called ‘Q’ from German word ‘Quelle’. 2-source theory says that Mark and Q came first and Matthew and Luke used them as a source. Q accounts for all unique material to Mt & Lk not found in Mark. E.g. Beatitudes, Lords Prayer.
• 4 SOURCE THEORY - B.H STREETER carried on from 2 source, to create 4 source theory, which accounts and explains all the unique material in Luke and Matthew. – Known as ‘M’ & ‘L’. Creates a relationship between the three synoptic gospels, explains the unique material in them that could have originally challenged these relationships.

Question 5

CONC:

Answer 5

Much evidence to Mark being first gospel to be written, due to factors such as length, agreements in sequence, and the study of this through source criticism. 2-source theory and 4-source theory show clear relationship between three synoptics and back up that Mark was the first to be written.