A
Gospel harmony is an attempt to merge or
harmonize the
canonical gospels of
the
Four Evangelists into a single
gospel account, the earliest ancient example being the
Diatesseron by
Tatian in
the
second century.
A gospel harmony may also establish a
chronology for the events of the
life of Jesus depicted in the four
canonical gospels and how they relate to each other, see also
Chronology of Jesus. Under
modern scholarship, the
effort has waned to portray any one harmony of events as totally
correct. The process can also be hindered by
discrepancies between various
Gospels accounts of certain events.
The unique material of each gospel complicates the discernment of
one, harmonized chronology. However, others consider the unique
material crucial to narrowing down the possible chronological
order. Some scholars have questioned the
historicity of events in the canonical
gospels.
Approaches to harmony
The terms
harmony and
synopsis have been used to
refer to approaches that aim to achieve Gospel harmony, although
they are different approaches. Technically, a "harmony" weaves
together sections of scripture into a narrative, merging the four
Gospels. There are four main types of harmony:
radical,
synthetic,
sequential and
parallel. A
"synopsis", much like a parallel harmony focuses on key events and
brings together similar texts or accounts in parallel format,
usually in columns.
Tatian's
Diatesseron harmony which dates to about 160AD
was perhaps the very first harmony. In the third century the
Christian
Ammonius of
Alexandria developed the forrunner of modern synopsis as the
Ammonian Sections in which he
started with the text of Matthew and copied along parallel events.
No other major Gospel harmonies appeared thereafter until the 15th
century.
The 16th century witnessed a major increase in the introduction of
Gospel harmonies. In this period the
parallel column
structure was introduced, partly in response to the rise in
Biblical criticism. This new format was used to emphasize the
trustworthiness of the Gospels. It is not clear who produced the
very first parallel harmony, but
Charles Dumoulin in 1565 and
Gerhard Mercator in 1569 had used similar
approaches. In terms of content and quality,
Johann Jacob Griesbach's 1776
synopsis was a notable example.
In the 19th century, other "extract and merge" attempts were made,
which were not technical harmonies, e.g. the 1819
Jefferson Bible which placed selected verses
in chronological order, but removed large sections of text that
Thomas Jefferson considered too
supernatural.
W. G. Rushbrooke's 1880
Synopticon is at times considered
a turning point in the history of the synopsis, for it was based on
Markan priority, i.e. giving
priority to the Gospel of Mark. Thirteen years later,
John Broadus used historical accounts to assign
priorities in his harmony, while previous approaches had used
feasts as the major milestones for dividing the life of
Christ.
In the 20th century, two separate books both titled
Synopsis of
the Four Gospels, one by
Kurt Aland
and the other by John Bernard Orchard became the standard texts in
the field of Gospel harmony.
A parallel harmony presentation
The following table, mainly events for which there is also a
Wikipedia article, is an example of a parallel harmony. The order
of events, especially during the ministry period, has been the
subject of speculation and scholarly debate. While this harmony
compares the work of several scholars, other harmonies may differ
substantially on the placement of some events.
| Number |
Type |
Event |
Matthew |
Mark |
Luke |
John |
Other |
| 0.5 |
Nativity |
Genealogy of Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Nativity |
Gabriel announces John's
birth to Zechariah |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
Nativity |
Gabriel announces Mary's
motherhood to Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 3 |
Nativity |
Mary visits Elizabeth |
|
|
|
|
|
| 4 |
Nativity |
Birth of Jesus: The Nativity |
|
|
|
|
|
| 5 |
Nativity |
Adoration of the
Shepherds |
|
|
|
|
|
| 6 |
Nativity |
Infant Jesus at
the Temple |
|
|
|
|
|
| 7 |
Nativity |
Star of Bethlehem |
|
|
|
|
|
| 8 |
Nativity |
Adoration of the Wise Men |
|
|
|
|
|
| 9 |
Nativity |
Flight into Egypt |
|
|
|
|
|
| 10 |
Nativity |
Massacre of the
Innocents |
|
|
|
|
|
| 11 |
|
Herod the Great's death |
|
|
|
|
|
| 12 |
Youth |
Return
to Nazareth |
|
|
|
|
|
| 13 |
Youth |
Boy Jesus at
Jerusalem |
|
|
|
|
|
| 14 |
|
Pilate
appointed Iudaea governor |
|
|
|
|
Antiquities of
the Jews |
| 15 |
|
Baptism of Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 16 This placement of follows Edward Robinson: A Harmony of
the Gospels in Greek, Revised Ed., pub. by Crocker
& Brewster and Orville Daniel: "A Harmony of the Four
Gospels", 2nd Ed., pub. by Baker Books |
|
Temptation of Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 17 |
Miracles |
Wedding at Cana |
|
|
|
|
|
| 18 |
Ministry |
Jesus & Nicodemus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 19 |
Ministry |
Jesus returns to Galilee |
|
|
|
|
|
| 20 |
Ministry |
First Temple
Cleansing |
|
|
|
|
|
| 21 |
Ministry |
Samaritan Woman at the Well |
|
|
|
|
|
| 22 |
Ministry |
Rejection of Jesus, Physician, heal thyself |
|
|
|
|
|
| 23 |
Ministry |
Calling of Matthew |
|
|
|
|
|
| 24 This placement of follows Orville Daniel: A Harmony of
the Four Gospels, 2nd Ed., Baker Books Pub. and
R. Thomas & S. Gundry: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels,
HarperCollins Pub. but is placed later by Edward
Robinson: A Harmony of the Gospels in Greek,
Revised Ed., pub. by Crocker & Brewster |
Parables |
New Wine into Old
Wineskins |
|
|
|
|
|
| 25 |
Ministry |
Commissioning the Twelve |
|
|
|
|
|
| 26 |
Sermon on the Mount or
on the Plain |
Beatitudes |
|
|
|
|
|
| 27 |
Sermon on the Mount or
on the Plain |
Expounding of the Law |
|
|
|
|
|
| 28 |
Sermon on the Mount |
Discourse on
Ostentation |
|
|
|
|
|
| 29 |
Sermon on the Mount |
The Lord's Prayer |
|
|
|
|
|
| 30 |
Sermon on the Mount |
The Birds of Heaven |
|
|
|
|
|
| 31 |
Sermon on the Mount or
on the Plain |
Discourse on
Judging |
|
|
|
|
|
| 32 |
Sermon on the Mount |
Discourse on the Two
Ways |
|
|
|
|
|
| 33 |
Sermon on the Mount |
The Test of a Good
Person |
|
|
|
|
|
| 34 |
Sermon on the Mount or
on the Plain |
Parable
of the Wise and the Foolish Builders |
|
|
|
|
|
| 35 |
Miracles |
Widow’s Son at Nain
Raised |
|
|
|
|
|
| 36 |
Parables |
Parable of the Two
Debtors
at a Pharisees' House
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 37 This placement of follows Orville Daniel: A Harmony of
the Four Gospels, 2nd Ed., Baker Books Pub. and
R. Thomas & S. Gundry: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels,
HarperCollins Pub. but Luke 11:17-28 is placed with
it by Edward Robinson: A Harmony of the Gospels in Greek,
Revised Ed., pub. by Crocker & Brewster |
Parables |
Parable of the Strong
Man |
|
|
|
|
|
| 38 |
Ministry |
Jesus' True Relatives |
|
|
|
|
|
| 39 |
Parables |
Parable of the Sower |
|
|
|
|
|
| 40 |
Parables |
Parable of the Tares |
|
|
|
|
|
| 41 |
Parables |
Parable of the Growing
Seed |
|
|
|
|
|
| 42 |
Parables |
Parable of the Hidden
Treasure |
|
|
|
|
|
| 43 |
Parables |
Parable of the Pearl |
|
|
|
|
|
| 44 |
Parables |
Parable of Drawing in
the Net |
|
|
|
|
|
| 45 |
Miracles |
Legion |
|
|
|
|
|
| 46 |
Miracles |
Daughter of Jairus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 47 |
Ministry |
Rejection of Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 48 |
Ministry |
Beheading of St.
John the Baptist |
|
|
|
|
|
| 49 |
Ministry |
But to bring a sword |
|
|
|
|
|
| 50 |
Miracles |
Feeding the multitude |
|
|
|
|
|
| 51 |
Miracles |
Walking on water |
|
|
|
|
|
| 52 |
Miracles |
The Blind Man of
Bethsaida |
|
|
|
|
|
| 53 |
Ministry |
Confession of Peter |
|
|
|
|
|
| 54 |
Miracles |
Transfiguration of
Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 55 |
Parables |
Parable of the
Unmerciful Servant |
|
|
|
|
|
| 56 |
Ministry |
The Little Children |
|
|
|
|
|
| 57 This placement of follows Orville Daniel: A Harmony of
the Four Gospels, 2nd Ed., Baker Books Pub. and
R. Thomas & S. Gundry: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels,
HarperCollins Pub. but is placed later by Edward
Robinson: A Harmony of the Gospels in Greek,
Revised Ed., pub. by Crocker & Brewster |
Ministry |
Jesus and the
woman taken in adultery |
|
|
|
|
|
| 58 This placement of follows Orville Daniel: A Harmony of
the Four Gospels, 2nd Ed., Baker Books Pub. and
R. Thomas & S. Gundry: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels,
HarperCollins Pub. but is placed later by Edward
Robinson: A Harmony of the Gospels in Greek,
Revised Ed., pub. by Crocker & Brewster |
Ministry |
The Good
Shepherd |
|
|
|
|
|
| 59 |
Ministry |
Seventy Disciples |
|
|
|
|
|
| 60 |
Parables |
Parable of the Good
Samaritan |
|
|
|
|
|
| 61 |
Ministry |
Visits Martha and Mary |
|
|
|
|
|
| 62 |
Ministry |
The Lord's Prayer |
|
|
|
|
|
| 63 This placement of follows Orville Daniel: A Harmony of
the Four Gospels, 2nd Ed., Baker Books Pub. and
R. Thomas & S. Gundry: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels,
HarperCollins Pub. but it is placed with Mark
3:23-35 by Edward Robinson: A Harmony of the Gospels in
Greek, Revised Ed., pub. by Crocker &
Brewster |
Parables |
Parable of the Strong
Man |
|
|
|
|
|
| 64 |
Ministry |
Jesus' True Relatives |
|
|
|
|
|
| 65 |
Ministry |
The Rich Fool |
|
|
|
|
|
| 66 |
Ministry |
The Birds of Heaven |
|
|
|
|
|
| 67 |
Parables |
Parable of the
Faithful Servant |
|
|
|
|
|
| 68 |
Parables |
Parable of the Friend
at Night |
|
|
|
|
|
| 69 |
Parables |
Parable of the Mustard
Seed |
|
|
|
|
|
| 70 |
Parables |
Parable of the Leaven |
|
|
|
|
|
| 71 |
Parables |
Parable of the Lost
Sheep |
|
|
|
|
|
| 72 |
Parables |
Parable of the Lost
Coin |
|
|
|
|
|
| 73 |
Parables |
Parable of the Prodigal
Son |
|
|
|
|
|
| 74 |
Parables |
Parable of the Unjust
Steward |
|
|
|
|
|
| 75 |
Parables |
Lazarus and Dives |
|
|
|
|
|
| 76 This placement of follows Orville Daniel: A Harmony of
the Four Gospels, 2nd Ed., Baker Books Pub. and
R. Thomas & S. Gundry: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels,
HarperCollins Pub. but is placed earlier by Edward
Robinson: A Harmony of the Gospels in Greek,
Revised Ed., pub. by Crocker & Brewster |
Miracles |
Raises Lazarus from the dead; Jesus wept |
|
|
|
|
|
| 77 |
Parables |
Parable of the Unjust
Judge |
|
|
|
|
|
| 78 |
Parables |
Pharisee and the
Publican |
|
|
|
|
|
| 79 |
Ministry |
The Little Children |
|
|
|
|
|
| 80 |
Ministry |
Evangelical counsels |
|
|
|
|
|
| 81 |
Parables |
Parable of
the Workers in the Vineyard |
|
|
|
|
|
| 82 |
Ministry |
The Master and
Servant |
|
|
|
|
| 83 |
Miracles |
Bartimaeus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 84 |
Ministry |
Talks to Zacchaeus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 85 |
Ministry |
The Triumphal Entry |
|
|
|
|
|
| 86 |
Miracles |
Fig tree is cursed |
|
|
|
|
|
| 86.5 |
Ministry |
Second Temple
Cleansing |
|
|
|
|
|
| 87 |
Ministry |
The Grain of Wheat |
|
|
|
|
|
| 87.5 |
Ministry |
Authority of Jesus Questioned |
|
|
|
|
|
| 88 |
Parables |
Parable of the Two
Sons |
|
|
|
|
|
| 89 |
Parables |
Parable of the
Wicked Husbandmen |
|
|
|
|
| 90 |
Parables |
Parable of the Wedding
Feast |
|
|
|
|
|
| 91 |
Ministry |
Render unto Caesar... |
|
|
|
|
|
| 92 |
Ministry |
Woes of the Pharisees |
|
|
|
|
|
| 94 |
Olivet Discourse |
Second Coming Prophecy |
|
|
|
|
|
| 95 |
Olivet Discourse:
Parables
|
Parable of the Ten
Virgins |
|
|
|
|
|
| 96 |
Olivet Discourse:
Parables
|
Parable of the
Talents |
|
|
|
|
|
| 97 |
Olivet Discourse:
Parables
|
The Sheep and the
Goats |
|
|
|
|
|
| 98 |
Ministry |
Anointing |
|
|
|
|
|
| 99 |
Ministry |
Last Supper |
|
|
|
|
|
| 100 |
Ministry |
Promising a
ParacleteGethsemane |
|
|
|
|
|
| 101 |
The Passion |
The kiss of Judas |
|
|
|
|
|
| 102 |
The Passion |
Arrest of Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 103 |
The Passion |
Sanhedrin Trial of
Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 104 |
The Passion |
Blood curse |
|
|
|
|
|
| 105 |
The Passion |
Crucifixion of Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 106 |
The Passion |
Crucifixion eclipse |
|
|
|
|
|
| 107 |
The Passion |
Descent from the
Cross |
|
|
|
|
|
| 108 |
Resurrection
Appearances |
Resurrection of Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 109 |
Resurrection
Appearances |
Jesus: Empty tomb |
|
|
|
|
|
| 110 |
Resurrection
Appearances |
Mary Magdalene, Myrrhbearers |
|
|
|
|
|
| 111 |
Resurrection
Appearances |
Noli me tangere |
|
|
|
|
|
| 112 |
Resurrection
Appearances |
Doubting Thomas |
|
|
|
|
|
| 113 |
Resurrection
Appearances |
Catch of 153 fish |
|
|
|
|
|
| 114 |
Resurrection
Appearances |
Great Commission |
|
|
|
|
|
| 115 |
Resurrection
Appearances |
Ascension of Jesus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 117 |
|
Matthias replaced Judas |
|
|
|
|
|
| 118 |
|
The Day of Pentecost |
|
|
|
|
|
| 119 |
|
Ananias and Sapphira |
|
|
|
|
|
| 120 |
|
Seven Greeks appointed |
|
|
|
|
|
| 121 |
|
The Stoning of Stephen |
|
|
|
|
|
| 122 |
|
Persecution of
Christians in the New Testament |
|
|
|
|
|
| 123 |
|
Preaching of Philip the
Evangelist |
|
|
|
|
|
| 124 |
|
Simon the Sorcerer |
|
|
|
|
|
| 125 |
|
Paul's Conversion |
|
|
|
|
|
| 126 |
|
Conversion of Cornelius |
|
|
|
|
|
| 127 |
|
James, son of Zebedee
executed |
|
|
|
|
|
| 128 |
|
Death of Herod Agrippa I (in 44) |
|
|
|
|
|
| 129 |
|
Mission of
Barnabas and Paul |
|
|
|
|
|
| 130 |
|
The Council at Jerusalem |
|
|
|
|
|
| 131 |
|
2nd and
3rd missions
of Paul |
|
|
|
|
|
| 132 |
|
Paul before Felix |
|
|
|
|
|
| 133 |
|
Paul before Festus |
|
|
|
|
|
| 134 |
|
Paul before Agrippa II |
|
|
|
|
|
| 135 |
|
Trip to
Jerusalem |
|
|
|
|
|
| 136 |
|
Chronology of
Revelation |
|
|
|
|
|
See also
References
- Orville Daniel: A Harmony of the Four Gospels, 2nd
Ed., Baker Books Pub.
- R. Thomas & S. Gundry: The NIV Harmony of the
Gospels, HarperCollins Pub.
- Edward Robinson: A Harmony of the Gospels in Greek,
Revised Ed., pub. by Crocker & Brewster
- Henry Rutter, Evangelical harmony Keating and Brown,
London 1803.
- Steven L. Cox, Kendell H Easley, 2007 Harmony of the
Gospels ISBN 0805494448
Notes
- This article incorporates work from A Harmony of the
Gospels in Greek by Edward Robinson, a publication now in the
public domain.
- Steven L. Cox, 2007 Harmony of the Gospels B&H
Publishing ISBN 0805494448 page 3
- Kurt Aland, 1982 Synopsis of the Four Gospels United
Bible Societies ISBN 0826705006
- John Bernard Orchard, 1983 Synopsis of the Four
Gospels T&T Clark Publishers ISBN 056709331X
- by Flavius Josephus
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