### SECTION A: BACKGROUND TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
**Answer two (2) questions from this section**
1. Discuss at least five contents of the gospel according to Matthew.
2. Examine the characteristics of the gospel of Mark as a Christian.
3. Who is the gospel of Luke addressed to?
4. Define Synoptic problem and proffer solution.
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### SECTION B: THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
**Answer two (2) questions from this section**
5. Why is Jesus' birth so important to the world?
6. Why is Jesus' teaching on the Fatherhood of God so important to Christians?
7. Define resurrection and state the different appearances of Jesus after resurrection as written in the synoptic gospel.
8. Narrate the ascension account of Jesus as written in the synoptic gospel.
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Full Answers
# SECTION A: BACKGROUND TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
## Question 1 — Five Contents of the Gospel According to Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, written primarily for a **Jewish audience** to demonstrate that Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy — the long-awaited Messiah. It is the most comprehensive of the Synoptic Gospels in terms of teaching content.
**1. The Genealogy and Birth of Jesus (Matthew 1–2):**
Matthew opens with a genealogy tracing Jesus' lineage from Abraham through David to Joseph, establishing His royal and messianic credentials. He then narrates the virgin birth, the visit of the Magi, the flight to Egypt, and the massacre of the innocents by Herod. Matthew uses these events to show fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies — particularly Isaiah 7:14 ("a virgin shall conceive") and Micah 5:2 (birth in Bethlehem). The genealogy is structured in three sets of fourteen generations, emphasizing divine order and Jesus' place in salvation history.
**2. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7):**
This is the most extensive collection of Jesus' teachings in any single passage of Scripture. It includes the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, teachings on anger, adultery, divorce, oaths, retaliation, love for enemies, fasting, almsgiving, anxiety, and judging others. Jesus presents Himself as the authoritative interpreter of the Law — "You have heard it was said...but I say to you" — showing that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill and deepen it. The Sermon on the Mount is the ethical manifesto of the Kingdom of God.
**3. The Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13 and elsewhere):**
Matthew contains a rich collection of parables about the Kingdom of Heaven — the Parable of the Sower, the Wheat and Tares, the Mustard Seed, the Pearl of Great Price, the Hidden Treasure, the Dragnet, the Wedding Banquet, the Ten Virgins, and the Talents. These parables reveal the nature, growth, demands, and ultimate judgment associated with God's Kingdom. They are unique to Matthew or presented in their most complete form here.
**4. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 26–28):**
Matthew devotes considerable space to the final week of Jesus' life — the Last Supper, the betrayal by Judas, the arrest in Gethsemane, the trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Matthew uniquely records Judas' remorse and suicide, Pilate's wife's dream, the earthquake at the crucifixion, and the bribing of the soldiers. The resurrection account includes the Great Commission — Jesus commanding His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations.
**5. The Five Great Discourses:**
Matthew is uniquely structured around five major teaching discourses, possibly mirroring the five books of Moses (Pentateuch): the Sermon on the Mount (ch. 5–7), the Mission Discourse (ch. 10), the Parable Discourse (ch. 13), the Community/Church Discourse (ch. 18), and the Olivet Discourse on the end times (ch. 24–25). Each discourse ends with the formula "when Jesus had finished saying these things," signaling Matthew's deliberate literary structure. This organization emphasizes Jesus as the new Moses — the ultimate teacher and lawgiver.
**6. Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy:**
A distinctive content of Matthew is his repeated use of fulfillment quotations — "This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet." He cites Old Testament prophecies approximately fourteen times to demonstrate that Jesus' birth, ministry, death, and resurrection fulfilled specific messianic predictions, making his Gospel the primary bridge between the Old and New Testaments.
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## Question 2 — Characteristics of the Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and is widely believed to be the earliest written, serving as a source for both Matthew and Luke. It was written primarily for a **Gentile (Roman) audience** and has several distinctive characteristics.
**1. Brevity and Urgency — The Word "Immediately":**
Mark's most distinctive stylistic characteristic is its breathless pace and sense of urgency. The Greek word *euthys* ("immediately," "straightway," or "at once") appears over forty times in Mark. The narrative moves rapidly from one event to the next with little pause for extended teaching. This gives the Gospel a dynamic, action-oriented quality — Jesus is constantly moving, healing, teaching, and confronting opposition. This urgency appealed to the practical, action-oriented Roman mindset.
**2. Emphasis on the Actions and Miracles of Jesus:**
Mark contains more miracles per chapter than any other Gospel. While Matthew and Luke include extensive teaching discourses, Mark focuses predominantly on what Jesus did rather than what He said. Jesus is presented as a man of power and authority — healing the sick, casting out demons, calming storms, and raising the dead. Mark portrays Jesus as the mighty Son of God whose authority is demonstrated through His works.
**3. The Messianic Secret:**
A unique characteristic of Mark is the "Messianic Secret" — Jesus frequently commands those He heals and the demons He exorcises to keep silent about His identity. He tells the healed leper (1:44), the restored Jairus' daughter's family (5:43), and the disciples after Peter's confession (8:30) to tell no one. This theme reflects Mark's theological understanding that Jesus' true identity could only be properly understood in the light of the cross and resurrection.
**4. Explanation of Jewish Customs and Aramaic Terms:**
Because Mark wrote for a Gentile audience unfamiliar with Jewish practices, he frequently explains Jewish customs and translates Aramaic words. For example, he explains the Jewish practice of handwashing (7:3–4), translates "Talitha cumi" as "Little girl, arise" (5:41), and "Ephphatha" as "Be opened" (7:34). This contextualizing for non-Jewish readers is a hallmark of Mark's Gospel.
**5. Vivid, Eyewitness Detail:**
Mark's narrative is characterized by vivid, concrete details that suggest eyewitness testimony — widely believed to come from the Apostle Peter, whom Mark accompanied. He notes specific details like the green grass at the feeding of the five thousand (6:39), the exact number of loaves and fish, Jesus' emotional states (He "looked around with anger," 3:5; "He sighed deeply," 8:12), and the names of individuals (Simon of Cyrene's sons, Alexander and Rufus — 15:21).
**6. Presentation of Jesus as the Suffering Servant:**
Mark presents Jesus primarily as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 — the Son of God who came "not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many" (10:45). The cross is central to Mark's theology — the entire Gospel builds toward the passion narrative, and the climactic confession of the Roman centurion at the cross — "Truly this man was the Son of God!" — is the theological pinnacle of the Gospel.
**7. Abrupt Beginning and Ending:**
Mark begins abruptly — without a birth narrative or genealogy — diving straight into John the Baptist's ministry and Jesus' baptism. The original ending (16:8) is equally abrupt — the women flee the empty tomb in fear and say nothing to anyone. This stark, unpolished quality reinforces the sense of urgency and rawness that characterizes the entire Gospel.
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## Question 3 — To Whom is the Gospel of Luke Addressed?
**Primary Addressee — Theophilus:**
The Gospel of Luke is explicitly addressed to a person named **Theophilus** — Luke opens his Gospel with: "It seemed good to me also...to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught." The title "most excellent" (*kratistos* in Greek) suggests that Theophilus was a person of high social standing — possibly a Roman official, a government administrator, or a wealthy patron. The same address appears at the beginning of Acts (1:1), confirming that both books were written to the same person.
**Who Was Theophilus?**
The name *Theophilus* means "lover of God" or "friend of God" in Greek. There are two main scholarly interpretations:
- **A specific historical individual** — a real Roman official or Gentile convert who was Luke's patron or a new believer needing a thorough account of the Christian faith.
- **A symbolic name** — representing all who love God; in this reading, Luke's Gospel is addressed to every sincere seeker of truth.
**The Broader Audience — Gentiles:**
Beyond Theophilus, Luke's Gospel is clearly written for a **Gentile (non-Jewish) audience** more broadly. Evidence includes: Luke traces Jesus' genealogy back to Adam (not just Abraham like Matthew), emphasizing Jesus as the Savior of all humanity; he explains Jewish customs and geography for readers unfamiliar with them; he emphasizes universal salvation — Jesus' ministry extending to Samaritans, Gentiles, women, the poor, and the marginalized; and his polished Greek style targets educated Hellenistic readers.
**Luke's Purpose:**
Luke states his purpose clearly — to provide an orderly, historically reliable, and comprehensive account of the life and teachings of Jesus so that Theophilus (and all readers) might have certainty (*asphaleia* — security, firm foundation) in the Christian faith. Luke emphasizes that he carefully investigated everything from the beginning, consulting eyewitnesses and ministers of the word.
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## Question 4 — Definition of the Synoptic Problem and Proposed Solutions
**Definition of the Synoptic Problem:**
The word "Synoptic" comes from the Greek *synopsis* — "seeing together" or "viewed together." The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which can be laid side by side and compared because they share a remarkably similar structure, content, and often identical or near-identical wording. The **Synoptic Problem** is the scholarly question: **How do we explain the similarities and differences among the three Synoptic Gospels?** Specifically: Why do Matthew, Mark, and Luke share so much material — sometimes word for word — yet also differ significantly in arrangement, emphasis, and unique content? What is the literary relationship between them? Did one Gospel serve as a source for the others? If so, which came first?
**The Nature of the Problem:**
The similarities are too extensive to be coincidental — for example, the account of the healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof is almost identical in all three. Yet each Gospel also contains unique material — about 40% of Luke's content and about 20% of Matthew's content appear nowhere else. The problem is to explain both the similarities (suggesting literary dependence) and the differences (suggesting independent sources or editorial activity).
**Proposed Solutions:**
**1. The Two-Source (Two-Document) Hypothesis — Most Widely Accepted:**
This theory, associated with scholars like **Heinrich Julius Holtzmann** and **B.H. Streeter**, proposes that:
- **Mark was written first** (Markan priority) and was used as a source by both Matthew and Luke.
- Both Matthew and Luke also independently used a now-lost sayings source called **"Q"** (from German *Quelle*, meaning "source") — a collection of Jesus' teachings (approximately 235 verses) that appear in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark.
- Matthew and Luke each also had their own unique sources — **"M"** (material unique to Matthew) and **"L"** (material unique to Luke).
Evidence for Markan priority: Matthew reproduces about 90% of Mark's content; Luke reproduces about 50%; Mark's Gospel is the shortest; Matthew and Luke independently improve Mark's Greek and smooth out his rough descriptions of Jesus.
**2. The Griesbach (Two-Gospel) Hypothesis:**
Proposed by **Johann Jakob Griesbach**, this theory argues that **Matthew was written first**, Luke used Matthew as a source, and Mark wrote last — producing an abbreviated version that combined and condensed Matthew and Luke. This view was largely abandoned in the 19th century but has been revived by some scholars.
**3. The Augustinian Hypothesis:**
The traditional view, associated with **Augustine of Hippo**, holds that the Gospels were written in canonical order — Matthew first, then Mark (who abbreviated Matthew), then Luke. This was the dominant view of the early church.
**4. The Oral Tradition Hypothesis:**
Some scholars argue that the similarities stem not from literary dependence but from **common oral tradition** — the early church preserved and transmitted Jesus' teachings in stable, memorized oral form, which each evangelist independently drew upon. This explains both similarities (common oral source) and differences (each evangelist's unique context and purpose).
**Conclusion:**
The Two-Source Hypothesis remains the most widely accepted solution in modern New Testament scholarship, though no theory perfectly explains all the data. The Synoptic Problem ultimately does not undermine the historical reliability or theological authority of the Gospels — it simply illuminates how God used human processes of research, memory, and literary composition to preserve the record of Jesus' life and ministry.
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# SECTION B: THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
## Question 5 — Why Jesus' Birth is So Important to the World
The birth of Jesus Christ — the Incarnation — is the central event in human history and carries profound significance for the entire world.
**1. Fulfillment of Divine Promise and Prophecy:**
Jesus' birth was the fulfillment of centuries of Old Testament prophecy and divine promise. God had promised a Redeemer from the very beginning — after the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15), God promised one who would crush the serpent's head. Isaiah predicted the birth of Immanuel to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). Micah specified Bethlehem as the birthplace (Micah 5:2). Jesus' birth demonstrated that God keeps His promises and that human history is moving according to divine purpose.
**2. God Entering Human History — The Incarnation:**
The birth of Jesus is the moment when the eternal, infinite God took on human flesh and entered human history. John 1:14 declares: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This is theologically extraordinary — the Creator becoming a creature, the infinite becoming finite, the eternal entering time. The Incarnation means that God fully understands human experience — hunger, pain, temptation, grief, and death — because He lived it. This gives all human suffering divine significance.
**3. Salvation Made Possible:**
Without the birth of Jesus, there could be no death and resurrection of Jesus — and without His death and resurrection, there is no salvation. Jesus was born specifically to die as the atoning sacrifice for human sin. His birth inaugurated the mission of redemption. The angel declared to Joseph: "You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Jesus' birth is therefore the beginning of the world's salvation.
**4. Revelation of God's Character:**
In Jesus, God revealed Himself fully and personally to humanity. Prior to the Incarnation, God's nature was known through creation, prophecy, and the Law. In Jesus, humanity saw God's love, mercy, compassion, holiness, and justice in human form. Hebrews 1:3 declares Jesus is "the exact imprint of God's nature." Jesus' birth gave the world the clearest possible picture of who God is.
**5. Establishment of a New Covenant:**
Jesus' birth inaugurated the New Covenant — a new relationship between God and humanity based not on the Law of Moses but on grace, faith, and the indwelling Holy Spirit. This New Covenant is open to all people of all nations, not just Israel, making Jesus' birth an event of global rather than merely national significance.
**6. Hope for All Humanity:**
Jesus' birth brought hope to a world enslaved by sin, death, and fear. The angelic announcement to the shepherds captures this: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." His birth is the foundation of Christian hope — that death is not the end, that sin can be forgiven, that broken lives can be restored, and that God has not abandoned His creation.
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## Question 6 — Why Jesus' Teaching on the Fatherhood of God is Important to Christians
Jesus' teaching on the Fatherhood of God represents one of His most revolutionary theological contributions, transforming how humanity understands its relationship with God.
**1. A New and Intimate Understanding of God:**
In the Old Testament, God was occasionally referred to as Father in a collective, national sense — Father of Israel as a nation. But Jesus introduced a radical intimacy — addressing God as *Abba* (Mark 14:36), an Aramaic term of tender familiarity, closer to "Daddy" or "Dear Father" than the formal address to a distant deity. Jesus taught His disciples to pray "Our Father" — democratizing this intimate access to God for all believers. This transformed the believer's relationship with God from one of fear and distance to one of love, trust, and closeness.
**2. Assurance of God's Personal Care and Providence:**
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6), Jesus taught that because God is Father, He knows and cares for His children's needs. As a Father feeds the birds and clothes the lilies, He will certainly provide for His children. This teaching liberates Christians from anxiety and worry — the God of the universe is personally attentive to each believer's needs. "Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8).
**3. Basis for Prayer:**
The Fatherhood of God is the theological foundation of Christian prayer. The Lord's Prayer begins "Our Father in heaven" — establishing prayer not as a formal religious duty addressed to a distant God but as a child's conversation with a loving, present Father. This transforms prayer from ritual to relationship, from obligation to communion.
**4. Foundation of Human Dignity and Brotherhood:**
If God is the Father of all, then all human beings are His children — and therefore brothers and sisters to one another. This theological truth is the ultimate foundation of human dignity and equality. All people — regardless of race, gender, social status, or nationality — share equal standing before God as His children. This teaching has profound implications for how Christians treat other people.
**5. Assurance of Forgiveness:**
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) is the fullest expression of God's Fatherhood in the Synoptic Gospels. It portrays God as a Father who runs to meet His returning, repentant child, embraces him without condemnation, and restores him fully. This teaches Christians that God's Fatherly love is forgiving, restorative, and unconditional — no sin is too great for the Father's forgiveness when the sinner truly repents.
**6. Confidence in Eternal Security:**
The Fatherhood of God assures Christians of their eternal security. A good father does not abandon his children. Jesus promised that no one can snatch His sheep from the Father's hand (John 10:29). For Christians facing persecution, suffering, or death, the assurance of God's Fatherly protection and eternal care is a source of unshakeable confidence.
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## Question 7 — Definition of Resurrection and Appearances of Jesus After Resurrection in the Synoptic Gospels
**Definition of Resurrection:**
Resurrection is the divine act by which God raised Jesus Christ from physical death to glorified, bodily life on the third day after His crucifixion. It is not merely the resuscitation of a corpse (like Lazarus, who died again) but the transformation of Jesus' physical body into a glorified resurrection body — real, physical, and tangible, yet transcending normal physical limitations. The resurrection is the cornerstone of Christian faith — Paul declared "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile" (1 Corinthians 15:17). It confirms Jesus' divine identity, validates His atoning death, and guarantees the future resurrection of all believers.
**Appearances of Jesus After Resurrection in the Synoptic Gospels:**
**In Matthew (28):**
- **Appearance to the Women at the Tomb:** Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb early on the first day of the week. An angel appeared, rolled away the stone, and announced that Jesus had risen. As the women left with fear and great joy, **Jesus Himself met them**, they clasped His feet and worshipped Him, and He told them to instruct the disciples to go to Galilee.
- **Appearance to the Eleven in Galilee (The Great Commission):** Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. Some worshipped Him; some doubted. Jesus declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him and commissioned them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching — promising His presence always, to the very end of the age.
**In Mark (16):**
- **Appearance to Mary Magdalene:** The longer ending of Mark (16:9–20) records that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.
- **Appearance to Two Disciples:** Jesus appeared in a different form to two disciples walking in the country (parallel to Luke's Emmaus account).
- **Appearance to the Eleven:** Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they reclined at table, rebuked their unbelief, and commissioned them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
**In Luke (24):**
- **Appearance to the Women at the Tomb:** The women (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others) found the tomb empty and encountered two angels who announced the resurrection.
- **Appearance on the Road to Emmaus:** Two disciples (one named Cleopas) were walking to Emmaus when Jesus joined them unrecognized. He explained the Scriptures concerning Himself, and they recognized Him in the breaking of bread — whereupon He vanished.
- **Appearance to Simon Peter:** Luke briefly notes that the Lord had appeared to Simon (24:34) — though no details are given.
- **Appearance to the Eleven and Others in Jerusalem:** Jesus appeared among the gathered disciples, showed them His hands and feet, ate a piece of broiled fish to prove His bodily reality, opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and commissioned them as witnesses — promising the Holy Spirit and instructing them to remain in Jerusalem.
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## Question 8 — The Ascension Account of Jesus as Written in the Synoptic Gospels
**Background:**
The Ascension refers to the event forty days after the resurrection when the risen Jesus was taken up bodily into heaven in the presence of His disciples, marking the completion of His earthly ministry and His exaltation to the right hand of God the Father.
**In Mark (16:19 — Longer Ending):**
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to His disciples and commissioned them, He was **taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God**. Mark's account is brief but theologically significant — it emphasizes Jesus' exaltation to the position of supreme authority and honor at God's right hand. The disciples then went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.
**In Luke (24:50–53):**
Luke provides the most detailed Synoptic account of the Ascension. Jesus led His disciples out **as far as Bethany** — a village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem. There He **lifted up His hands and blessed them** — a priestly gesture of blessing. While He was blessing them, He **was carried up into heaven**. The disciples **worshipped Him** and returned to Jerusalem **with great joy**, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.
Luke's account in Acts 1:9–11 (his second volume) provides additional detail: Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. Two men in white robes (angels) appeared and told the disciples that Jesus, who had been taken up from them into heaven, would return in the same way they had seen Him go.
**Theological Significance of the Ascension:**
**1. Completion of the Earthly Mission:** The Ascension marks the completion of Jesus' incarnate mission — He had come, lived, taught, died, risen, and now returned to the Father having accomplished all that was necessary for human salvation.
**2. Exaltation and Cosmic Lordship:** The Ascension is inseparable from Jesus' exaltation. He ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father — the position of supreme authority over all creation. Every knee shall bow to the ascended Lord.
**3. Preparation for Pentecost:** Jesus had told His disciples it was necessary for Him to go so that the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) could come. The Ascension made Pentecost possible — the gift of the Spirit who would empower the church for its worldwide mission.
**4. Jesus as Heavenly Intercessor:** The ascended Jesus now serves as the believers' High Priest and intercessor at the Father's right hand — ever living to make intercession for His people (Hebrews 7:25).
**5. Assurance of Christ's Return:** The angelic promise — "He will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven" — assures believers that the Ascension is not an ending but a promise. The same Jesus who ascended will return visibly, bodily, and gloriously at the end of the age.
**6. The Disciples' Response:** Significantly, the disciples did not mourn the Ascension but returned to Jerusalem with **great joy** — demonstrating that they understood it not as loss but as triumph. They had seen their Lord crowned King of the universe.