1/12/22
Scholarly Reflections
Wenham, John. "Chapter Two: Building a Synoptic Theory: (1) The Relation of Luke to Mark." Redating Matthew, Mark, and Luke: A Fresh Assault on the Synoptic Problem. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1992, 11-39.
Wenham identifies five steps needed to build a theory of how the Synoptic Gospels interrelate. In this chapter he discusses the first three necessary steps (Wenham 1992, 11).
First, Wenham sets out to demonstrate that Luke knew Mark's gospel. Most scholars accept this readily, but some argue that Luke cane before Mark (Wenham 1992, 12). Wenham finds that clusters of two or more words in Luke which clearly come from Mark or a common source are relatively rare, particularly if we exclude wording common to all three Synoptics (Wenham 1992, 16). Wenham further finds there is relatively little material which occurs in Matthew and Luke and also appears in Mark. This suggests to him that Mark did not use Luke as a source, as a compiler might (Wenham 1992, 17). The order of pericopes is also significant to Wenham. There are relatively few places where Matthew and Luke have a different order of events than Mark, and only one point at which both Matthew and Luke diverge in the same event (Wenham 1992, 18). Wenham notes that all the divergences can be explained easily by holding to the Augustinian model of Matthew - Mark - Luke rather than a different order of composition (Wenham 1992, 18). If, then, total independence is not the likely scenario, Wenham considers it almost certain that Luke knew Mark.
Wenham's second and third steps are treated together. He seeks to demonstrate: "Step 2: There are fifty-two pericopes where Luke and Mark almost certainly have a common origin, either from a common oral source or through some measure of direct literary dependence (Category 1). There are fourteen other pericopes in which the two gospels cover more or less the same ground for which there is no prima facie evidence of this. Step 3: Luke keeps to the sense of Mark in the truly parallel passages" (Wenham 1992, 18). The basic procedure for his investigation is a side-by-side perusal, evaluating both the similarity of wording and the parallelism of ideas.
While Wenham finds that Luke follows the order of events and ideas in Mark very closely, the wording is often changed (Wenham 1992, 19). Rather than understanding Luke as someone copying and editing a work, Wenham views the style more as the work of someone who may be consulting Mark for an order of events but who narrates the events as he himself, an experienced teacher, would naturally express them (Wenham 1992, 20). Many of the passages Wenham reviewed had similar wording, but they were rarely identical (Wenham 1992, 21). Wenham provides numerous side by side samples of texts in which the identical idea is expressed using slightly different wording (Wenham 1992, 21-27).
Wenham additionally considers passages in which there is no clear evidence of a common origin. Of these 14 passages, 11 are within Luke's narrative of the passion and resurrection (Wenham 1992, 28). Though the passages generally fit into the same sequential order as in the other Synoptics, the wording is quite unrelated (Wenham 1992, 29-38). With only rare exceptions, Luke does capture the very same ideas as Mark, in the same order.
Scholarly Reflections
Wenham, John. "Chapter Two: Building a Synoptic Theory: (1) The Relation of Luke to Mark." Redating Matthew, Mark, and Luke: A Fresh Assault on the Synoptic Problem. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1992, 11-39.
Wenham identifies five steps needed to build a theory of how the Synoptic Gospels interrelate. In this chapter he discusses the first three necessary steps (Wenham 1992, 11).
First, Wenham sets out to demonstrate that Luke knew Mark's gospel. Most scholars accept this readily, but some argue that Luke cane before Mark (Wenham 1992, 12). Wenham finds that clusters of two or more words in Luke which clearly come from Mark or a common source are relatively rare, particularly if we exclude wording common to all three Synoptics (Wenham 1992, 16). Wenham further finds there is relatively little material which occurs in Matthew and Luke and also appears in Mark. This suggests to him that Mark did not use Luke as a source, as a compiler might (Wenham 1992, 17). The order of pericopes is also significant to Wenham. There are relatively few places where Matthew and Luke have a different order of events than Mark, and only one point at which both Matthew and Luke diverge in the same event (Wenham 1992, 18). Wenham notes that all the divergences can be explained easily by holding to the Augustinian model of Matthew - Mark - Luke rather than a different order of composition (Wenham 1992, 18). If, then, total independence is not the likely scenario, Wenham considers it almost certain that Luke knew Mark.
Wenham's second and third steps are treated together. He seeks to demonstrate: "Step 2: There are fifty-two pericopes where Luke and Mark almost certainly have a common origin, either from a common oral source or through some measure of direct literary dependence (Category 1). There are fourteen other pericopes in which the two gospels cover more or less the same ground for which there is no prima facie evidence of this. Step 3: Luke keeps to the sense of Mark in the truly parallel passages" (Wenham 1992, 18). The basic procedure for his investigation is a side-by-side perusal, evaluating both the similarity of wording and the parallelism of ideas.
While Wenham finds that Luke follows the order of events and ideas in Mark very closely, the wording is often changed (Wenham 1992, 19). Rather than understanding Luke as someone copying and editing a work, Wenham views the style more as the work of someone who may be consulting Mark for an order of events but who narrates the events as he himself, an experienced teacher, would naturally express them (Wenham 1992, 20). Many of the passages Wenham reviewed had similar wording, but they were rarely identical (Wenham 1992, 21). Wenham provides numerous side by side samples of texts in which the identical idea is expressed using slightly different wording (Wenham 1992, 21-27).
Wenham additionally considers passages in which there is no clear evidence of a common origin. Of these 14 passages, 11 are within Luke's narrative of the passion and resurrection (Wenham 1992, 28). Though the passages generally fit into the same sequential order as in the other Synoptics, the wording is quite unrelated (Wenham 1992, 29-38). With only rare exceptions, Luke does capture the very same ideas as Mark, in the same order.
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