Two-Source Hypothesis

Definition and Meaning

The Two-Source Hypothesis is the theory that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were written on the basis of two sources. One is the Gospel of Mark, and the other is a hypothetical collection of the sayings of Jesus known as "Q." The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke closely resemble one another in both content and wording, and this hypothesis is one of the leading answers to the Synoptic Problem, which seeks to explain that resemblance. The name "Q" is generally said to come from the initial letter of the German word Quelle, meaning "source."

The hypothesis makes the following claims:

• Markan priority: Of the three Gospels, Mark was written first.
• The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke did not draw on each other; each used Mark independently.
• Sayings found in both Matthew and Luke but absent from Mark derive from a common source, Q. The Lord's Prayer and the Beatitudes are often cited as examples.

Biblical and Historical Background

In Luke 1:1–4, the author states that many others had already compiled accounts and that he himself had carefully investigated all things before writing. This passage is frequently cited in discussions of whether the Gospel writers made use of existing sources.

Traditionally, the view held by Augustine and others, which regarded Matthew as the earliest Gospel, was widely accepted. In nineteenth-century German scholarship, figures such as C. H. Weisse and H. J. Holtzmann developed the theories of Markan priority and a sayings source, and in the process the Two-Source Hypothesis took systematic shape. In the early twentieth century, the British scholar B. H. Streeter proposed the "Four-Source Hypothesis," which added material unique to Matthew (M) and to Luke (L).

The hypothesis also has its opponents:

• Griesbach hypothesis: Holds that Matthew was written first.
• Farrer hypothesis: Dispenses with Q and holds that Luke made use of Matthew.

Critics point chiefly to the fact that no actual manuscript of Q has ever been discovered.

Reception in the Korean Church

In introductory New Testament courses at Korean graduate schools of theology, the Two-Source Hypothesis is often presented as the majority view in scholarship. In local congregations, however, it is rarely addressed in preaching or Bible study. No official denominational resolution concerning the hypothesis is known.

Attitudes toward the hypothesis vary with theological orientation:

• Those relatively open to historical criticism: Seminaries open to historical criticism (a method that studies the historical process by which biblical texts were formed) tend to treat the Two-Source Hypothesis as a basic premise for interpreting the Gospels.
• Conservative theologians who emphasize biblical inerrancy: Some scholars take a cautious or critical position, noting that Q is merely a hypothesis and that source criticism may weaken the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture.
• Some evangelical scholars: These scholars accept the hypothesis, holding that an author's use of sources does not contradict the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.