Relating the Gospels: Memory, Imitation and the Farrer Hypothesis (The Library of New Testament Studies Book 592)

This volume examines the synoptic problem and argues that the similarities between the gospels of Matthew and Luke outweigh the objections commonly raised against the theory that Luke used the text of Matthew in composing his gospel. While agreeing with scholars who suggests that memory played a leading role in ancient source-utilization, Eric Eve argues for a more flexible understanding of memory, which would both explain Luke’s access of Matthew’s double tradition material out of the sequence in which it appears in Matthew, and suggest that Luke may have been more influenced by Matthew’s order than appears on the surface. Eve also considers the widespread ancient practice of literary imitation as another mode of source utilization the Evangelists, particularly Luke, could have employed, and argues that Luke’s Gospel should be seen in part as an emulation of Matthew’s. Within this enlarged understanding of how ancient authors could utilize their sources, Luke’s proposed use of Matthew alongside Mark becomes entirely plausible, and Eve concludes that the Farrer Hypothesis of Matthew using Mark, and Luke consequently using both gospels, to be the most likely solution to the Synoptic Problem. Cover 1 Contents 6 Abbreviations 7 1 Introduction 10 2 Models, memory and Markan priority 14 Elite, oral and scribal composition 14 Memory 20 The evangelists’ purpose 24 Markan priority 29 Implications and working hypotheses 34 3 Transformational techniques 38 Progymnasmata 38 Compositional practices in previous Synoptic Problem scholarship 41 Reordering and rearrangement 51 Literary imitation 64 4 Significant similarities 84 Significant verbal similarities in the triple tradition 84 Significant verbal similarities in the double tradition 94 Significantly similar beginnings 98 Conclusion 123 5 Difficult differences 126 Infancy and resurrection narratives 126 Alternating primitivity 129 Luke’s non-use of Matthean additions to Mark 135 Unpicking or ‘minor disagreements’ 140 Conclusion 152 6 The order objection 154 The problem 154 Matthew’s order 155 Luke’s order 168 Conclusion 207 7 Conclusion 214 Retrospect 214 Known unknowns 214 Prospects 219 Bibliography 220 Index of References 235 Index of Authors 254 "Relating the Gospels examines the synoptic problem and argues that the similarities between the gospels of Matthew and Luke outweigh the objections commonly raised against the theory that Luke used the text of Matthew in composing his gospel"-- Provided by publisher. "Relating the Gospels examines the synoptic problem and argues that the similarities between the gospels of Matthew and Luke outweigh the objections commonly raised against the theory that Luke used the text of Matthew in composing his gospel"-- Site de l'éditeur Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Models, Memory and Markan Priority -- 3. Transformational Techniques -- 4. Significant Similarities -- 5. Difficult Differences -- 6. The Order Objection -- 7. Conclusion Bibliography Index