THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM

ARE THERE ERRORS IN THE BIBLE?
ARE THERE ERRORS IN THE GOSPELS?
IS THERE LITERARY DEPENDENCY IN THE GOSPELS?
COPYRIGHT NEIL CADMAN B Sc.(Arch.) B Arch. M.Rel.Ed.

ENGLISH GREEK HARMONY

 

 

In these three excepts from the Greek English Harmony, it can be seen that there is an interrelation between the Gospels. Just as two or three witnesses to an event will observe some things more than others and certainly hear one thing more than another thing, so it is with the gospel writers. The writers record the same essential message but one writer records one aspect while another records another aspect. This is exactly how it is in real life. They are not contradictory but complimentary. So, a more accurate picture of the life and teachings of Christ can be compiled, as the following events show.

 

 

 

 

28. JOHN THE BAPTIST BEGINS TO PREACH.

 

JOHN THE BAPTIST BEGINS TO PREACH.

 

Matt. 3:1-6, Mk. 1:2-6 & Lk.3:1-6.

 

 

Lk.3

Lk.3

1. But in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

 

1. Ἐν ἔτει δὲ πεντεκαιδεκάτῳ τῆς ἡγεμονίας Τιβερίου Καίσαρος ἡγεμονεύοντος Ποντίου Πιλάτου τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ τετραρχοῦντος τῆς Γαλιλαίας Ἡρῴδου Φιλίππου δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ τετραρχοῦντος, τῆς Ἰτουραίας καὶ Τραχωνίτιδος χώρας καὶ Λυσανίου τῆς Ἀβιληνῆς τετραρχοῦντος

 

2. Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

 

2. ἐπ᾽ ἀρχιερέων Ἅννα καὶ Καϊάφα ἐγένετο ῥῆμα θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν τοῦ Ζαχαρίου υἱὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

 

3. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

 

3. καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν περίχωρον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν

 

4. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying,

(Mk1:2 )  “Behold, I send my messenger  before your face, who shall prepare your way before you”.

(Matt. 3:3, Mk1:3 7 & Lk3:4 ) The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” cf.  Jn.1:23

 

 

4. ὡς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ λόγων Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος,

(Mk1:2 ) Ἰδού, ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου,

(Matt. 3:3, Mk1:3 7 & Lk3:4 )Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ·

 

 

5. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth,

 

5. πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται καὶ ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθείαν καὶ αἱ τραχεῖαι εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας·

 

6. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

 

6. καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ

 

Mk.1

Mk1

5. And all the land of Judaea, and those of Jerusalem, went out to him, and were all  baptized in the Jordan river by him, confessing their sins.

 

5. καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσα Ἰουδαία χώρα καὶ οἱ Ἱεροσολυμῖται καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο πάντες ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν

 

6, But John was clothed with camel's hair and a girdle of leather about his loins, and eating locusts and wild honey,

 

 

6. ἦν δὲ Ἰωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐσθίων ἀκρίδας καὶ μέλι ἄγριον

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30. JOHN SPEAKS OF THE ONE TO COME.

 

JOHN SPEAKS OF THE ONE TO COME.

 

Matt. 3:-11-12, Mk. 1:7-8 & Lk. 3:15-18.

 

 

 

Lk.3

Lk.3

15. And as the people were in expectation, and all men wondered in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ, or not,

 

15. Προσδοκῶντος δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ διαλογιζομένων πάντων ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου μήποτε αὐτὸς εἴη Χριστός

16. John answered, saying to them all, (Matt.3:11)I indeed baptize you in water to repentance. (Lk 3:16) I baptize you with water.

(Lk. 3:16) Yet He is coming. (Matt.3:11 & Lk. 3:16) He (Matt.3:11) who is coming after me is (Matt.3:11 & Lk. 3:16) mightier than I (Matt.3:11 & Lk. 3:16) of whom I am not fit (Lk. 3:16) to loose the strap of his sandals (Matt.3:11) in order the sandals to carry. (Matt.3:11 & Lk. 3:16) He will baptize you with the Spirit Holy and with fire. (Matt.3:12 & Lk.3:17) Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather (Matt.3:12) his (Matt.3:11& Lk.3:16) wheat into his barn but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

 

16. ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ Ἰωάννης ἅπασιν λέγων (Matt.3:11) ἐγὼ μὲν βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν (Lk.3:16)

ὕδατι βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς·

(Lk. 3:16) ἔρχεται δὲ (Matt.3:11 & Lk. 3:16) (Matt.3:11) δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος (Matt.3:11 & Lk. 3:16) ἰσχυρότερός (Matt.3:11) ἐστίν (Matt.3:11 & Lk. 3:16) οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς (Lk. 3:16) λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ· (Matt.3:11) τὰ ὑποδήματα βαστάσαι· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί·(Matt.3:12 & Lk.3:17) οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ διακαθᾶριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καὶ συναξεῖ τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην (Matt.3:12) αὐτοῦ (Matt.3:12 & Lk.3:17) τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ

 

Lk.3

Lk.3

18. And many other things in his exhortation he preached to the people.

 

18. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἕτερα παρακαλῶν εὐηγγελίζετο τὸν λαόν

Mk1  On another occasion, at the end of the day or as he is arrested.

 

Mk1  On another occasion, at the end of the day or as he is arrested.

 

7. He preached, saying, “After me one is coming, who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and unloose. Cf Jn 1:15

 

7. καὶ ἐκήρυσσεν λέγων, Ἔρχεται ἰσχυρότερός μου ὀπίσω μου οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς κύψας λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ

8. I indeed baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

 

8. ἐγὼ μὲν ἐβάπτισα ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι αὐτὸς δὲ βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ

(The following is an aside, which is not strictly chronological. See Lk 3:19 for chronological order)

 

(An aside)

Lk. 3

Lk. 3

19. But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

 

19. δὲ Ἡρῴδης τετράρχης, ἐλεγχόμενος ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ περὶ Ἡρῳδιάδος τῆς γυναικὸς φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐποίησεν πονηρῶν Ἡρῴδης

 

20. Still added this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

20. προσέθηκεν καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ πᾶσιν καὶ κατέκλεισεν τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31. JOHN BAPTIZES JESUS.

 

JOHN BAPTIZES JESUS.

 

Matt.3:13-17 & Mk. 1:9-11.

 

 

 

Matt.3

Matt.3

13. Then Jesus came from (Mk.1:9) Nazareth (Matt.3:13) of Galilee to Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.

13. Τότε παραγίνεται Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ  (Mk.1:9) Ναζαρὲτ (Matt.3:13) τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ

 

14. But John prevented him, saying: “I need to be baptized by you. Do you come to me?”

14. δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων, Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με

 

15. But Jesus answering said to him: “Allow it for now: for so it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.

15. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν, Ἄφες ἄρτι οὕτως γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτόν

 

16. And Jesus, having been baptized, went up straightaway out of the water: and, behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting upon him: cf.   Jn. 1:32-34

16. καὶ βαπτισθεὶς Ἰησοῦς ἀνέβη εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδού, ἀνεῴχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί καὶ εἶδεν τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν·

 

17. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, (That which John heard) “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

cf. Jn.12:30

 

17. καὶ ἰδού, φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα Οὗτός ἐστιν υἱός μου ἀγαπητός, ἐν εὐδόκησα

Mk.1:

11. And (That which Jesus heard)

“You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  cf. Jn.12:29  

Mk1

11.  καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν Σὺ εἶ υἱός μου ἀγαπητός ἐν εὐδόκησα