The
Synoptic Problem also occupied much of the attention of the critics. They developed
theories both on the sources from which the Gospel writers obtained their
information and on the question of authorship. The critics took as their thesis
that it was impossible to account for the large amount of agreement in subject
matter, order, and language between the Synoptics except upon the theory of a
common source for all three. It seems never to have occurred to these critics
that these three men might have been guided and directed by the Holy Spirit to
write what they did entirely independent of any other sources, although surely such
guidance does not rule out their investigating every available source of
information. In fact, Luke tells us that he had had delivered unto him the
facts about which he wrote from them who “from the beginning were eye-witnesses
and ministers of the word” (Luke 1:2).
Luke was not an eyewitness of the earthly ministry of Christ, but he sought out
all of the information so that he could say that he “had perfect understanding
of all things from the very first.” Some think that the expression, “from the
very first,” (anothen) should be translated “from above,” as it is in John 3:31; 19:11; James 1:17; 3:15, 17,
in which case it would indicate that Luke was conscious of divine guidance in
what he wrote, even though he obtained it from human sources. Matthew and Mark were,
of course, eye-witnesses of most or much of what they wrote. If Mark was the
first one to write a gospel account, it is altogether probable that Matthew and
Luke had read it and may have been led to follow his general order, adding such
other information to fulfill their motive and purpose in writing. The Synoptics
present a problem to the Higher Critics; to a believer in divine
inspiration they present, along with John, a perfect portrayal of the oft
prophesied Messiah who was to be the King of Israel, the Servant of Jehovah,
the Son of Man, and the Son of God, or under a different figure, the Branch of
David, Jehovah’s Servant the Branch, the Man whose name is the Branch, and the
Branch of Jehovah.
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