A Disharmony of the Synoptic Gospels

A project I undertook while in seminary. Perhaps others may find it useful. Open to correction, addition, and other observations!

Unique Pericopes, Incidents
either Present In or Missing From the Synoptic Gospels
Regular font = Present only in that Synoptic Gospel
Italic = Missing only from that Synoptic Gospel

Matthew	Mark	Luke
	No genealogy	Prologue to Theophilus
		John the Baptist background; Annunciation; Visitation; Birth of John the Baptist
Birth Narrative: Joseph’s Dream; the Magi; Flight to Egypt; return to Nazareth	No Birth Narrative	Birth Narrative: Census, trip to Bethlehem; no room in the inn; shepherds and angels; circumcision and presentation; Child Jesus in the Temple
		John the Baptist’s preaching to tax collectors and soldiers
Jesus’ baptized to fulfill all righteousness		Holy Spirit descends on Jesus; fills him in the wilderness
	No description of temptations	No angels ministering to him in temptations (cf. Gethsemane)
Ministry in “Zebulun and Naphtali”
		Synagogue teaching from Isaiah; “Physician, heal thyself”; examples of widow and Naaman
No demoniac in the synagogue; or account of departure from Capernaum
		The miraculous catch of fish
Sermon on the Mount Fulfillment and expansion of Law: murder, adultery, oaths; almsgiving; prayer, fasting; pearls before swine	No extended teaching; no Beatitudes; no turn the other cheek; no Lord’s Prayer; no “judge not” nor Golden Rule, nor Narrow Gate; nor concern for anxiety; nor serving two masters; nor treasures in heaven; nor good tree with good fruit; nor “calling me “Lord, Lord”; nor “house built on sand”	Sermon on the Plains
	No centurion’s servant
The paralytic isn’t lowered through the roof; Jairus isn’t named
Healing of two blind men, and a man with a mute demon
The Twelve are told not to go the Gentiles or the Samaritans; Fate of disciples warning here rather than in eschatological discourse	No mention of “more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah”; nor exhortation to fearless confession	Instruction to eat what is set before one
	No teaching on division in households, or conditions of discipleship (hating ones’ family)
“Who receives you receives me...”
	No questions from John, nor encomium on John by Jesus
	No woes to the Galilean towns; or thanksgiving to the Father for “concealing from the wise”
Comfort to the heavy-laden
Priestly profanation of the Temple on the Sabbath
	No reference to an ox or sheep falling in a pit on the Sabbath
Citation of Isaiah’s servant song
		Woes to the rich and the full and those who laugh, and those well-spoken of
	No “hearers and doers”
		Widow’s son at Nain
		The woman with the ointment at the Pharisee’s house
		The women who ministered to Jesus
	No “sign of Jonah” or “red skies or clouds”
	No evil spirit returning to the empty house
Citation of Isaiah on hardness of understanding (re parables)	No blessing of disciples for seeing and hearing
“The Weeds and the Wheat” and its interpretation	“The Secretly Growing Seed”
“The Hidden Treasure” and “The Costly Pearl” “The Net” and “The Wise Scribe’s Treasures”	No “Woman with Leaven”	No “he said nothing without a parable”
No final instructions to the Gerasene demoniac
No “Who touched me” concerning the woman with a hemorrhage
		No extended description of John the Baptist’s death
Peter’s attempt at walking on water		No walking on water, or healings at Gennesaret
		No “what defiles is from within”
		No Gentile woman (Canaanite or Syrophoenecian)
Healing of a multitude	Healing of a man deaf and mute
		No feeding of the 4,000
		No berating the disciples for not understanding about the bread
	The blind man of Bethsaida (“trees walking”)
“You are Peter, and on this rock...”		No effort by Peter to stop Jesus, nor rebuke of Peter for doing so
		Disciples drowsy during the Transfiguration
	Long description of the boy with seizures, the “deaf and dumb spirit”
The Temple Tax from the fish
No exorcist “not one of us”
		No “if your hand offends” or “if your eye offends”
	No “The Lost Sheep”
What you bind on earth... 70 times 7 times “The Unmerciful Servant”	No “reproving one’s brother” or process for reconciliation	7 times
	No “foxes have holes” or conditions of discipleship	Samaritan opposition
		Appointment of the 70 and their return
		“The Good Samaritan” Mary and Martha “The Importunate Friend”
	No “ask, seek, knock”	Blessedness of the womb and breasts who bore Jesus
	No discourse against Pharisees
		“The Rich Fool”
	No reference to the servant found watching on the master’s return	The servant’s reward
		Fire on the earth
	No settling out of court
		Teaching on the Galileans and the victims of the Siloam accident: “The Fig Tree”
		Healing of the bent woman
	No parable or comment on exclusion from the kingdom, though there will be “first and last”
		Departure from Galilee at the Pharisees’ warning about Herod
	No lament over Jerusalem
		Healing a man on the Sabbath
		Teaching on humility at a banquet
	No parable of the great supper No “Lost Sheep”	“The Lost Coin” “The Prodigal Son” “The Crafty Steward”
	No “the law shall not pass away”
		“The Rich Man and Lazarus” A servant is not served Healing of Ten Lepers The Kingdom not coming with signs to be observed “The Persistent Widow” “The Pharisee and the Publican”
“The Laborers in the Vineyard”
Mrs. Zebedee seeks preferment for her sons
	No “The Ten Talents”
		Prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction
		No cursing of the fig tree or teaching on faith and prayer
“The Two Sons” “The Wicked Tenants” interpreted	No “Marriage Feast”
	The scribe confesses the superiority of the Summary of the Law
Criticism of offering regulations	No extended woes against the Pharisees
No widow’s mite
Prediction that false prophets will arise; “The Bridesmaids” The Last Judgment	No “day of the Son of Man”; nor “Watchful Householder” or faithful servant in attendance	“Your redemption is drawing near”; Watch at all times
		No, “one of you will betray me” or “Is it I”
		Earnest desire for the Passover
	No promise of reigning in the world to come
		The two swords; Peter’s charge after being sifted
	Double withdrawal in Gethsemane; imperative to God: “Remove” since all is possible; “Abba”	In the garden, no specific reference to Peter, James and John with Jesus in prayer, simply “them”; so “sorrowful soul” Single incident of finding them asleep
“Ten legions of angels”	No command to put away the sword, or healing of the priest’s servant’s ear
	The young man flees naked	No reference to the disciples fleeing in fulfillment of scripture
		No account of failure to find testimony against Jesus, or false witnesses
The repentance and death of Judas
		Pilate does not question Jesus’ silence, and “finds no fault in him” and sends Jesus to Herod, who returns him to Pilate
Pilate’s wife warns him to have nothing to do with Jesus		The people propose Barabbas
Pilate washes his hands, and the people accept responsibility		Pilate states he has found no crime worthy of death
		No mocking by soldiers
		The Women of Jerusalem The “Good Thief” No “My God, my God” or sponge with sour wine “Into your hands...”
The resurrection of the saints		This man was innocent
The guard is set over the tomb	Pilate is surprised he is already dead	The women rest on the Sabbath
The earthquake and the angel	“Who will roll away the stone”; the young man	Two men ask why they seek the living among the dead
Jesus meets the women on the way, and tells them to have the disciples meet him in Galilee	The women do not tell the disciples what they saw from fear	The women tell the apostles, but they don’t believe [Some texts have Peter run to the tomb and see the shroud]
The bribing of the soldiers, and the false story of the body’s theft	The end of the best text of the Gospel omits any resurrection appearances	The road to Emmaus; and appearance in Jerusalem
In Galilee, Jesus commissions the Apostles to baptize all nations		Jesus ascends into heaven.

Tobias Haller BSG