After recently writing a research report on the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, I found out a lot of interesting information. Firstly, these Gospels are referred to as “synoptic” – meaning of or forming a general summary – because of their similarities in wording, content, sequences..etc. These Synoptic Gospels in the New Testament are easily identifiable as some of the most well-known and recognizable books of the Bible because they discuss the majority of Jesus’ life on Earth.
Because of the similarities, some scholars believe that the Synoptic Gospels could’ve been used as sources for one another. According to Douglas M. Beaumont, who has a Ph.D from North-West University, about 90% of Mark’s material is found in Matthew, and about 50% is found is Luke, with about 250 verses paralleled in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark. These issues in similarity is referred to as the “Synoptic Problem,” and has been studied for centuries. The issue was even pondered by Origen and Augustine.
Now, I don’t think there will ever be a clear solution for the Synoptic Problem, because the Gospels were written much prior to our time, it’s impossible to determine how they written and what sources the Evangelists used. However, it’s still very interesting to study all of the different perspectives and theories.