THIS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU

In 1776 a scholar printed Matthew, Mark and Luke side by side in parallel columns and gave such tables the name they still carry. Who was he?

The answer

Johann Jakob Griesbach. In 1776 he published the three Gospels in parallel columns and called the book a "Synopsis," the word scholars still use for such tables. Set in columns, a story like the healing of the paralyzed man can be read across all three at once (Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 5:17-26).

Why it’s interesting

In 1789 Griesbach went further and proposed an order of writing: Matthew first, then Luke, then Mark. On his view Mark is mostly a digest of the places where Matthew and Luke agree.

Scholarly consensus

Learn the Bible.

Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.