and the differences—between these three Gospels must be accounted for. This literary problem is known today as the Synoptic problem, and the discussion of the origin of the possible mutual relationships between the first three Gospels has been carried on with great vigor and ingenuity since the First World War. Numerous attempts have been made to solve the Synoptic problem. The oral theory states that the similarities among the Gospels are attributable to the fact that all three Gospels draw from
Page 12