Q Source

Table of Contents

·       Introduction

·       Comparison of Q Passages in Matthew and Luke

·       Analysis

·       Conclusion

Introduction

The chronological arrangement of events in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are strikingly similar and oftentimes contain identical words and sentence structure. The search for a solution is known as the Synoptic Problem. The analysis below assumes as its basis the validity of the Two-Source Hypothesis (that the Gospel of Mark and a second source, a sayings source containing the teachings of Jesus known as Q, were used by Matthew and Luke) or the four-source hypothesis (which adds an M source used exclusively by Matthew and an L source used exclusively by Luke).

Papias makes a possible mention of the sayings source: “Matthew compiled the oracles (Greek: logia, meaning utterances or sayings) of the Lord in a Hebrew (Aramaic) manner of speech…” (c. A.D. 125)

The history of Q:

·       In 1801 H. Marsh hypothesizes the existence of a sayings source and labels it with the Hebrew letter beth.

·       In 1832 F. D. E. Schleiermacher interprets the statement by Papias to refer to a sayings collection.

·       In 1838 C. H. Weisse formulates what is now called the Two-Source Hypothesis (that Matthew and Luke used two sources for their gospels, the Gospel of Mark and the sayings source, logia).

·       In 1863 H. J. Holtzmann publicizes the Two-Source Hypothesis and labels the sayings source with the symbol Lambda (∆) for logia.

·       In 1890 J. Weiss labels the sayings source with a neutral symbol Q (German: Quelle, meaning source) to disassociate it from the statement by Papias. The existence of a sayings source does not depend on the interpretation of the statement by Papias.

The purpose of the analysis is to provide a chronological list of the Q passages in Matthew and Luke for side-by-side comparison and to explain the similarities and differences in their grouping and ordering.

Comparison of Q Passages in Matthew and Luke

This section contains a list of passages that are found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but not found in the Gospel of Mark. Each passage represents a discrete event or teaching in the life of Christ, and is ordered chronologically in the list below. The first two columns in the list correspond to the passages in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the third column provides a brief description of the event. If an event occurs at a different time in each Gospel so that the order of the event relative to the other events in the list is not the same, that event appears twice in the list, once for each Gospel.

The following rules apply:

·       A passage is highlighted with the color corresponding to the section of the gospel where it appears. The sections are colored as follows:

o       Early Public Ministry

o       Sermon on the Mount/Plain

o       Galilean Ministry

o       Journey to Jerusalem (a section of Luke only, referred to as his travelogue section)

o       Ascent to Jerusalem

o       Final Passover

·       A passage is gray italicized if it appears in an alternate location in the chronology (showing difference in ordering). If an event appears twice in the list, in the first instance, the passage corresponding to the event in Matthew in the first column will be highlighted using the color corresponding to the section where it appears in Matthew while the passage in the second column corresponding to the same event in Mark will be gray italicized, but in the second instance, the same is true, except that the Gospels are reversed. If an event appears twice in the list, the description of the event in the third column will be highlighted using the color corresponding to the section where the event occurs in the alternate Gospel (in order to show the difference in the placement of the event between the two Gospels).

·       A sequence of passages is boxed if the passages appear in the same relative order in both gospels (showing similarity in grouping).

Matt.

Luke

Event

3:7-10

3:7-9

You brood of vipers...

3:11-12

3:16-17

One is coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire…

4:1-11

4:2b-12

Jesus is tempted three times by the devil

Matt.

Luke

Event

5:3-12

6:20-23

Blessed are those...

5:15

11:33

Men put a lamp on a lampstand and not under a peck-measure

5:18

16:17

The Law cannot fail

5:25-26

12:57-59

Settle with your opponent on the way to the judge

5:43-48

6:27-36

Love your enemies...

6:9-13

11:2-4

The Lord's prayer

6:19-21

12:33-34

Lay up treasures in heaven and not earth

6:22-23

11:34-36

The lamp of the body is the eye...

6:24

16:13

Cannot serve two masters

6:25-33

12:22-31

Do not be anxious about food or clothing, but seek first the kingdom...

7:1-5

6:38-42

Do not judge

7:7-11

11:9-13

Ask, seek, and knock

7:13-14

13:24

Enter by the narrow gate

7:17-20

6:43-45

A tree is known by its fruit

7:22-23

13:26-27

I never knew you, depart from Me

7:24-27

6:47-49

Those who act on His words are compared to the building of a house

Matt.

Luke

Event

8:5-13

7:1-3,6-10

Healing of centurion's servant (in Capernaum following His discourse)

8:19-20

9:57-58

A scribe wants to follow Him wherever He goes

8:21-22

9:59-60

A disciple wants to first go bury his father and then follow Him

9:37-38

10:2

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few

10:7-16

10:3-12

Sending laborers into the vineyard (appears in a different form in Mark 6:7-11 and Luke 9:1-5)

10:19-20

12:11-12

The Spirit will give to you what to speak when you are delivered up

10:26-27

12:2-3

All that is hidden shall be revealed

10:28

12:4-5

Fear God who can destroy body and soul in hell

10:29-31

12:6-7

If God cares for sparrows He cares for you

10:32-33

12:8-9

Jesus will deny those who deny Him

10:34-36

12:51-53

Jesus came to bring division among members of one household

10:37-38

14:26-27

Hate family and take up cross, or not worthy

10:40

10:16

To receive a disciple is to receive Christ and the Father

11:2-19

7:18-35

John the Baptist sends word to Jesus to ask if He is the Expected One; John is Elijah who is to come

11:12

16:16

Taking the kingdom of heaven by force

11:21-23

10:13-15

Jesus condemns Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum

11:25-27

10:21-22

The Father hides His truth from the wise and intelligent and reveals it to babes

12:22-23

11:14

Jesus heals a demon-possessed man who is blind and dumb

12:31-32

12:10

Blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven

12:38-42

11:29-32

An evil generation seeks for a sign

12:43-45

11:24-26

When an evil spirit leaves a man, it returns with seven more spirits

13:16-17

10:23-24

Disciples see what the prophets did not see

13:33

13:33

Parable of the leaven

17:20

17:20

If you have faith as a mustard seed...

18:12-14

15:4-7

Parable of the lost sheep

18:15,21-22

17:3-4

Forgive your brother if he repents

Matt.

Luke

Event

8:19-20

9:57-58

A scribe wants to follow Him wherever He goes

8:21-22

9:59-60

A disciple wants to first go bury his father and then follow Him

9:37-38

10:2

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few

10:7-15

10:3-12

Sending laborers into the vineyard

11:21-23

10:13-15

Jesus condemns Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum

10:40

10:16

To receive a disciple is to receive Christ and the Father

11:25-27

10:21-22

The Father hides His truth from the wise and intelligent and reveals it to babes

13:16-17

10:23-24

Disciples see what the prophets did not see

6:9-13

11:2-4

The Lord's prayer

7:7-11

11:9-13

Ask, seek, and knock

12:22-23

11:14

Jesus heals a demon-possessed man who is blind and dumb

12:43-45

11:24-26

When an evil spirit leaves a man, it returns with seven more spirits

12:38-42

11:29-32

An evil generation seeks for a sign

5:15

11:33

Men put a lamp on a lampstand and not under a peck-measure

6:22-23

11:34-36

The lamp of the body is the eye...

23:25-26,23:6-7

11:39-40,42-43

Jesus pronounces woes on the scribes and Pharisees because of their hypocrisy

23:4,29,13

11:46-48,52

Jesus pronounces woes on the lawyers because of their heavy burdens on men

23:34-36

11:49-51

The blood of all prophets is charged against this generation

10:26-27

12:2-3

All that is hidden shall be revealed

10:28

12:4-5

Fear God who can destroy body and soul in hell

10:29-31

12:6-7

If God cares for sparrows He cares for you

10:32-33

12:8-9

Jesus will deny those who deny Him

12:31-32

12:10

Blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven

10:19-20

12:11-12

The Spirit will give to you what to speak when you are delivered up

6:25-33

12:22-31

Do not be anxious about food or clothing, but seek first the kingdom...

6:19-21

12:33-34

Lay up treasures in heaven and not earth

24:43-44

12:39-40

Be on the alert for Jesus comes like a thief

24:45-51

12:42-46

Parable of the master and the slave

10:34-36

12:51-53

Jesus came to bring division among members of one household

5:25-26

12:57-59

Settle with your opponent on the way to the judge

13:13

13:20-21

Parable of the leaven

7:13-14

13:24

Enter by the narrow gate

25:10b-12

13:25

Lord open up for us. I never knew you

7:22-23

13:26-27

I never knew you, depart from Me

13:33

13:33

Parable of the leaven

23:37-39

13:34-35

Jerusalem is left desolate

22:1-10

14:16-23

Parable of the wedding feast

10:37-38

14:26-27

Hate family and take up cross, or not worthy

18:12-14

15:4-7

Parable of the lost sheep

6:24

16:13

Cannot serve two masters

11:12

16:16

Taking the kingdom of heaven by force

5:18

16:17

The Law cannot fail

18:15,21-22

17:3-4

Forgive your brother if he repents

17:20

17:5-6

If you have faith as a mustard seed...

24:26-27

17:23-24

The day of the Lord shall come like lightening

24:37-39

17:26-27

The day of the Lord shall come like the flood of the days of Noah

24:40-41

17:34-35

On the day of the Lord one shall be taken and one shall be left

24:28

17:37

Where the corpse is there the vultures will gather

Matt.

Luke

Event

19:28

22:28-30

Judging the twelve tribes of Israel (just prior to going up to Jerusalem)

25:14-16,19-30

19:12-13,15-26

Parable of the talents (in the house of Zaccheus at Jericho)

Matt.

Luke

Event

22:1-10

14:16-23

Parable of the wedding feast

23:25-26,23:6-7

11:39-40,42-43

Jesus pronounces woes on the scribes and Pharisees because of their hypocrisy

23:4,29,13

11:46-48,52

Jesus pronounces woes on the lawyers because of their heavy burdens on men

23:34-36

11:49-51

The blood of all prophets is charged against this generation

23:37-39

13:34-35

Jerusalem is left desolate

24:26-27

17:23-24

The day of the Lord shall come like lightening

24:28

17:37

Where the corpse is there the vultures will gather

24:37-39

17:26-27

The day of the Lord shall come like the flood of the days of Noah

24:40-41

17:34-35

On the day of the Lord one shall be taken and one shall be left

24:43-44

12:39-40

Be on the alert for Jesus comes like a thief

24:45-51

12:42-46

Parable of the master and the slave

25:10b-12

13:25

Lord open up for us. I never knew you.

25:14-16,19-30

19:12-13,15-26

Parable of the talents (on the Mt. of Olives with the disciples)

19:28

22:28-30

Judging the twelve tribes of Israel (at the last supper in the Upper Room)

Analysis

A side-by-side comparison of the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke shows the following similarities and differences in the ordering of passages from Q.

Similarities:

·       In both gospels Jesus is tempted three times by the devil immediately following His forty days in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11, Luke 4:2b-12). The temptations passage is the only Q passage found at precisely the same location in Matthew and Luke. This can be accounted for if the preceding wilderness passage is also found in Q and it immediately precedes the temptations there too.

·       Five of the six passages contained in Luke’s Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-45) are also found in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3-7:23) in the same order. The odds of this happening by chance are 1 in 120. It seems to me that Luke has preserved the original form of the sermon as it would have appeared in Q, but Matthew has added material to the sermon (some of which is also taken from Q) and inserted the material in between the original passages while retaining the order of the original passages. The only passage in Luke’s sermon not found in Matthew’s sermon is the pronouncement of woes following the beatitudes in Luke 6:24-26. It is not known whether Luke has added these to the sermon or if Matthew has removed them, but it seems likely to me that Matthew has removed them given Luke’s strong tendency to move material from Q to his travelogue section (although one could argue that the woes naturally follow the beatitudes and that this is not a valid argument). Although the ordering of passages within each sermon is identical, the context in which each sermon is placed within the gospel is not.

·       The healing of the centurion’s servant in Capernaum occurs in close proximity to the Sermon on the Plain/Mount following the sermon (Matt. 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-3, 6-10). In Luke it follows the sermon immediately. In Matthew only a single passage separates it from the sermon, the healing of the leper (Matt. 8:1-4), which corresponds exactly to the passage in Mark that follows Matthew’s insertion point in Mark for the sermon, which occurs between Mark 1:39 and 1:40 just before the healing of the leper (Mark 1:40-45). This suggests to me that the passage may have immediately followed the sermon in Q, and Luke preserves it, and Matthew nearly preserves it. Luke may have wanted to keep the passage in close association with the sermon, and this may be the reason why he chooses not to move it to his travelogue section.

·       The following events occur in both gospels during the ministry of John the Baptist before Jesus is baptized (although they do not appear in exactly the same place in relation to the surrounding verses). Both events involve preaching by John the Baptists and it is not hard to understand why both writers would choose John’s ministry in the wilderness as the context for these events.

o       John preaches that One is coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:11-12, Luke 3:16-17).

o       John accuses the Pharisees and Sadducees of brooding of vipers (Matt. 3:11-12, Luke 3:16-17).

Differences:

·       In Matthew Jesus tells the apostles they will judge the twelve tribes of Israel just before they go up to Jerusalem for the final Passover (Matt. 19:28), but in Luke He tells them this at the last supper (Luke 22:28-30).

·       In Luke Jesus teaches the disciples the parable of the talents in the house of Zaccheus at Jericho just before they go up to Jerusalem for the final Passover (Luke 19:12-13, 15-16), but in Matthew He teaches them the parable on the Mt. of Olives two days before His crucifixion (Matt. 25:14-16, 19-30).

·       In both gospels John the Baptist sends word to Jesus to ask if He is the Expected One when Jesus is in Galilee (Matt. 11:2-19, Luke 7:18-35), but this does not occur at the same time in each gospel.

·       With the exception of the passages already mentioned, Luke moves all Q passages to the travelogue section of his gospel (Luke 9:51-18:14), but Matthew adds the same passages to the Sermon on the Mount, and to Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, and to the final Passover.

Conclusion

The order and placement of the passages of Q in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke differ greatly in stark contrast to the amazing similarities that exist between the two gospels in the order of passages common with the Gospel of Mark.