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Gospel Parallels: A Comparison of the Synoptic Gospels, New Revised Standard Version

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Gospel Parallels is a serious work indexing and comparing the first three New Testament books (Matthew, Mark and Luke) so that those interested in the study of the Gospels can see exactly the similarities and discrepancies in the stories.

But the book is more than that. Given the increasing interest in recent years in the non-canonical works, Greek and other manuscripts that are not easily found in the local library are cited as a way of further illuminating the path toward further understanding of early Christian writing and thinking.

This is not a book that offers a lot of commentary. In fact, it offers virtually none. It simply lines up in a table such offerings as Accusations Against Jesus and then gives us Matthew (12:22-24) against Mark (3:19-22) and Luke (11:14-16).

One benefit of this style is that we're able to quickly see the differences in accounts. Those wanting an explication of the significance in choice of language or details included or excluded will have to look elsewhere for enlightenment. That makes this very thorough book a study aid accompanying other works that might provide more understanding; it is not a freestanding help to those curious about why accounts of Jesus' life or teaching vary so radically.

I used the fourth edition of this book in a New Testament course years ago and had forgotten its seeming limitations. But for those interested in serious exploration and in need of help tracking down New Testament and other texts, this book is invaluable.

It offers us a decent who's who of church fathers, and a short but terrific explanation of the different versions of texts in the Bible, which helps account for differing interpretations and changes in language. The fourth edition is in conformity with the Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

For those wondering, the Gospel of John is not included in this book because of the extensive differences in content between it and the three synoptic gospels covered by this book. Among them:

John doesn't include a lot of the material about the temptation of Christ, his transfiguration and the Lord's supper, the Sermon on the Mount. John offers virtually nothing in the way of narrative parables. John's account of Jesus' ministry is also at odds with the three synoptics.

The many differences make a side-by-side comparison just about impossible, though certainly extensive scholarship exists on this topic.

What this book will do is shed light on the ways in which some of the same events and thoughts are reported. You'll see quickly which author appears to exaggerate or at least report events in their most extreme, and which basic themes, such as concern for the downtrodden, draws the most attention in each gospel.

I'd recommend this to anyone studying the New Testament and in need of a quick guide to where to find a specific verse or theme.

One of the best recommended methods for studying the synoptic gospels is to underline a parallel version or harmony using different colors to show where the text is parallel word for word, partially, not at all, or where there is material that is unique just to that gospel. I used an earlier edition of "The Gospel Parallels" in a college class about 19 years ago. The fact that it is still a popular choice for serious study of the gospels is a testimony to its great usefulness and enduring scholarship. This latest edition includes references to other canonical writings that are not as accessible to all students, which makes it even more valuable. The footnotes have been enhanced, and all material that appears "out of order" is printed in italics which is yet another outstanding tool. When I began to rebuild my personal library after having sold or given away most of my books when I had moved, "The Gospel Parallels" was very high on my list of essential references. Highly recommended.

I never before saw the books this way. Where there is no parallel text the adjoining gospel is left blank. It makes word for word comparison easy. It is extremely easy to read and has references [including the variations of the text] to various other religious/biblical text containing the same or similar text. It also breaks it down into what particular manuscript contains what and allows you to look at the differences within the various early manuscript of the Bible. John has very few parallels in common and is referenced where needed. In fact the differences in John are even more striking after having read this book.

In *Gospel Parallels*, Burton Throckmorton lays out the "synoptic gospels" side by side and lets the gospels speak for themselves. I think that any objective reader can easily see the differences between the gospels and gain insight into their development over time. Of particular note is how "Matthew" embellishes what "Mark" wrote. For example, if Mark says that one demoniac was healed (5:1-20), Matthew says that two were healed (8:28-34). Mark says that after Jesus cursed the fig tree, the disciples noticed the NEXT MORNING that it was withered (11:12-19); Matthew says that the tree withered "at once" (21:18-22). Only Matthew has an earthquake occur at Jesus' resurrection; has dead "saints" arise at Jesus' crucifixion and appear to others after the resurrection. The layout of the book also allows for easier identification of the "Q" material, the hypothetical source from which Matthew and Luke derived information not found in Mark. This book makes a good companion for Bishop Spong's books such as *Resurrection: Myth or Reality* and *Why Christianity Must Change or Die*, both of which detail the progression of development in the gospels. I also recommend Andrew D. Benson's *The Origins of Christianity and the Bible*.

There are three very good books which compare the texts of the Gospels. The less expensive one, comparing the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) by Burton H Throckmorton, Jr. is the one you may be most inclined to get, since it costs about $22 from Amazon, compared to a "new" price of $145 for the Synopsis of the Four Gospels, English Edition edited by Kurt Aland. It's important to specify "English Edition" as there is a Greek edition as well, with titles an explanatory notes in German (but with English titles in small print off to the left, with Latin titles off to the right.)! If you do not know German, you may not want the Greek edition. However, if you are intent on comparing the Greek across the Gospels, you may wish to go for it anyway. It may be a very nice way to exercise your Greek. All the verse numbers are, of course, language independent, and the Gospel names are virtually the same in German and English.

The Throckmorton is based on particular English translations. The Fifth Edition is based on the NRSV, which should work well for most Protestant and many Catholic churches. The Aland is based on the RSV; however, it includes notes on the differences between translations in the KJV of 1611, the Catholic Edition of the RSV, the English Revised Version of 1881, and the American Standard Version of 1901. Some of these may not be useful to most people, but the comparison with the KJV will recoup some famous phrases which may have been lost in modern translations, such as "generation of vipers", replaced by "brood of vipers" in 20th century translations.

Before going any further, I suggest that unlike the Concordance, modern Bible software such as Bibleworks has not replaced this style of book. To my knowledge there is no way to automatically line up corresponding parts of two or more Gospels. So, this is still worth having, especially for doing exegesis on the Synoptics.

One obvious difference between the two is that Aland includes all four Gospels. Until you get to the Passion scenes, there is precious little parallel between John and the other three, but where there is, it has interest. And, a comparison of how they treat the passion and resurrection is especially interesting. To Throckmorton's benefit, he includes an outline of the parallels at the beginning of the book. This allows you to locate the names of episodes and find them quickly, by page. Aland includes a very similar index, at the rear of the book. Aland also has an index to all Gospel passages, in Chapter and verse order. Thus, you have two different ways of locating a specific pericope. In Throckmorton, there is only a list of Pericope titles, no list of verses.

Since Throckmorton uses the NRSV, you will find no discrepancies' with the Bible you are likely to be carrying. If you compare the Cleansing of the Temple pericope in both, for example, Matthew 21:12 in the ESV will say "...entered the temple of God." while the NRSV will say "...entered the temple." Throckmorton will have a note saying that some sources add the "of God". Aland will say that "Other ancient authorities omit `of God'". This pericope is one of the few which occur in roughly equal detail in all four Gospels, except that in John, it occurs in the beginning of Jesus' ministry, not near the end. One of the first things you notice (this is true of John in general) is that John's account has just a tad more concrete detail (he includes the fact that the merchandise was oxen and sheep and pigeons) than Mark, for example, which is the most complete version in the Synoptics.

Here, we also see a virtue of the Aland who repeats whole texts (in smaller type) when the pericope is outside their main line of narrative. All four appear in Pericope 25, in the main line for John. Parts occur again in Pericope 276 The Question About Authority, where John 2:18 - 22 is reproduced, in small type. Throckmorton has a similar feature, but only for the Synoptics.

This brings up a point which may be important if you have trouble with fine print. Throckmorton's print averages 12-13 characters per inch while Aland's averages 15 - 17 characters per inch. Better the version you can read than the one you can't read.

Throckmorton has an index of non-canonical parallels entirely absent from Aland. This may be of little use to anyone but scholars (or maybe pastors who want to mix things up a bit). I happened to check one of these in the II Clement (part of the Apostolic Fathers) and as long as your edition of II Cement is fully numbered (I looked in Bart Ehrman's Loeb Translation), you should have no trouble finding the parallel. (But the Loeb edition of II Clement also had that cross-reference, so it was not necessary to have Throckmorton, if you were reading II Clement.

For the sake of completeness, I really prefer the Aland, but you may have other requirements, such as cost or readability.

Great book. Easy to read. No "scholarship" mumbo-jumbo". Just the facts with excellent footnotes. I plan to use it in a lesson series in my Sunday School class.

I guess this is a textbook, although I purchased it for personal reference use. I ordered it through a used seller on amazon.com, and as usual, the item came promptly, well-packaged, and in better condition than indicated on the website. A very useful reference to the New Testament, for anyone concerned with why there is more than one Good News about Jesus.

The book has been a great help in my class on the gospels. You can find comparisons and have them before you to work with, making it much quicker to get your information. The NRSV version is somewhat universal and is easy to compare with my NIV. The book came very quickly and in perfect condition.

I was first exposed to the Gospel Parallels in seminary and realized then what an invaluable resource this is! With complete versions of the synoptic Gospels side-by-side, it provides great details on which parables are where, which miracles are in what location, and more. This newer version also has translation notes at the bottom and differences that make each scripture distinct. It could easily be called the Gospel Parallel Bible!

I refused the package because I no longer needed the book, and the seller was great! They refunded me the full cost of the book, which is nice because some sellers do not do that...