The first three gospels are sometimes known as the "synoptic" gospels. What does this term mean, and how does it differentiate them from the gospel of John?
Welcome to Christianity Stack Exchange
Christianity - Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more. It's built and run by you as part of the Stack Exchange network of Q&A sites. With your help, we're working together to build a library of detailed answers to every question about Christianity.
We're a little bit different from other sites. Here's how:
Ask questions, get answers, no distractions
This site is all about getting answers. It's not a discussion forum. There's no chit-chat.
Just questions...
...and answers.
up vote
Good answers are voted up and rise to the top.
The best answers show up first so that they are always easy to find.
accept
The person who asked can mark one answer as "accepted".
Accepting doesn't mean it's the best answer, it just means that it worked for the person who asked.
Why are Matthew, Mark, and Luke called 'synoptic' gospels?
up vote
14
down vote
favorite
asked Nov 30 '16 at 12:05
Caleb
30.9k18 gold badges133 silver badges272 bronze badges
30.9k18 gold badges133 silver badges272 bronze badges
2 Answers
up vote
4
down vote
accept
Syn- means "same" (as in synchronize, "same time"), and optic refers to sight. The first three Gospels are "syn-optic" because they see alike; they tell the story in similar ways, covering many of the same events. John, on the other hand, focuses on different material than the other authors, and has a high percentage of unique content.
answered Nov 30 '16 at 12:20
Nathaniel
32.9k10 gold badges97 silver badges237 bronze badges
32.9k10 gold badges97 silver badges237 bronze badges
up vote
3
down vote
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very similar: they record many of the same miracle stories, parables, and sermons. John by contrast has fewer miracles (and most are unique), no parables at all, and is the only Gospel to record Jesus's teaching on the nature of God at the Last Supper (ch. 13-17). Synoptic comes from the Greek for "see together" because they tell Jesus's story in the same way.
answered Nov 30 '16 at 12:32
curiousdannii
10.8k7 gold badges37 silver badges82 bronze badges
10.8k7 gold badges37 silver badges82 bronze badges
Get answers to practical, detailed questions
Focus on questions about an actual problem you have faced. Include details about what you have tried and exactly what you are trying to do.
Ask about...
- the history of denominations (such as Roman Catholic, Anglican, Church of Christ, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and movements (such as Pentecostalism, Creationism, Calvinism)
- understanding the Bible from the perspective of a specific viewpoint (like those listed above)
- explanations of the beliefs and practices of a denomination or movement
- the Biblical basis for a belief or practice
Not all questions work well in our format. Avoid questions that are primarily opinion-based, or that are likely to generate discussion rather than answers.
Questions that need improvement may be closed until someone fixes them.
Don't ask about...
- a survey of all Christian views on a particular subject
- what the Bible says about a subject (unless you specify a doctrine/tradition)
- advice on how to handle certain situations (pastoral advice questions)
- open-ended is "X" a sin questions, asking whether a certain action or belief is sinful
- "Truth" questions that do not focus on what a specific group of people teaches
- whether some group or person is "Christian"
Tags make it easy to find interesting questions
All questions are tagged with their subject areas. Each can have up to 5 tags, since a question might be related to several subjects.
Click any tag to see a list of questions with that tag, or go to the tag list to browse for topics that interest you.
Why are Matthew, Mark, and Luke called 'synoptic' gospels?
up vote
14
down vote
The first three gospels are sometimes known as the "synoptic" gospels. What does this term mean, and how does it differentiate them from the gospel of John?
asked Nov 30 '16 at 12:05
Caleb
30.9k18 gold badges133 silver badges272 bronze badges
30.9k18 gold badges133 silver badges272 bronze badges
You earn reputation when people vote on your posts
Your reputation score goes up when others vote up your questions, answers and edits.
+5
question voted up
+10
answer voted up
+15
answer is accepted
+2
edit approved
As you earn reputation, you'll unlock new privileges like the ability to vote, comment, and even edit other people's posts.
| Reputation | Privilege |
|---|---|
| 15 | Vote up |
| 50 | Leave comments |
| 125 | Vote down (costs 1 rep on answers) |
At the highest levels, you'll have access to special moderation tools. You'll be able to work alongside our community moderators to keep the site focused and helpful.
| 2000 | Edit other people's posts |
|---|---|
| 3000 | Vote to close, reopen, or migrate questions |
| 10000 | Access to moderation tools |
Improve posts by editing or commenting
Our goal is to have the best answers to every question, so if you see questions or answers that can be improved, you can edit them.
Use edits to fix mistakes, improve formatting, or clarify the meaning of a post.
up vote
9
down vote
Syn- means "same" (as in synchronize, "same time"), and optic refers to sight. The first three Gospels are "syn-optic" because they see alike; they tell the story in similar ways, covering many of the same events. John, on the other hand, focuses on different material than the other authors, and has a high percentage of unique content.
answered Nov 30 '16 at 12:20
Nathaniel
32.9k10 gold badges97 silver badges237 bronze badges
32.9k10 gold badges97 silver badges237 bronze badges
Note that syn and optic are derived from the Greek words for 'with' and 'sight'. - curiousdannii Nov 30 '16 at 12:59
Unlock badges for special achievements
Badges are special achievements you earn for participating on the site. They come in three levels: bronze, silver, and gold.
| Student | First question with score of 1 or more |
| Editor | First edit |
| Good Answer | Answer score of 25 or more |
| Civic Duty | Vote 300 or more times |
| Famous Question | Question with 10,000 views |
Sign up to get started
Signing up allows you to:
- Earn reputation when you help others with questions, answers and edits.
- Select favorite tags to customize your home page.
- Claim your first badge: Informed
Looking for more in-depth information on the site? Visit the Help Center
Christianity Stack Exchange is part of the Stack Exchange network
Like this site? Stack Exchange is a network of 174 Q&A sites just like it. Check out the full list of sites.
Use comments to ask for more information or clarify a question or answer.
You can always comment on your own questions and answers. Once you earn 50 reputation, you can comment on anybody's post.
Remember: we're all here to learn, so be friendly and helpful!