Exam Questions for 212G The Synoptic Gospels
Jewish Context for the Gospels

1. Briefly outline the events of the Second Temple period of Jewish history. Why is the period given this title?

2. During the period of the monarchy in Israel there were a vast number of prophets. Discuss two central themes and/or messages they preached. How are these themes picked up in the Synoptic Gospels?

3. What aspects of Hellenism were in conflict with Judaism in Palestine and how did this influence the Jewish religious thought in the second and third century B.C.E.?

4. Compare and define the following two religious groups during the time of Jesus - the Sadducees and the Pharisees.

The Gospel Tradition

5. Discuss the reasons why early Christians began to record the Jesus tradition.

6. What are the difference between "Pronouncement Stories" and "Miracle Stories"? (As forms discussed in the text of gospel pericope/i). Give an example of a miraculous story that is really an example of the pronouncement story form.

7. Why do some scholars/theologians say that the parables of Jesus are multivalent? What do they mean by this? Why might the historical Jesus have used such a "multivalent" form of speech?

8. Discuss the dynamics of oral traditions and the implications of this understanding for our view of the Synoptic Gospels.

9. Discuss the three different stages Nickle outlines for the development of the Jesus tradition in Christianity.

10. What are the criteria used to determine the historicity of episodes or sayings in the Gospels? Give one example of an episode which is likely historical and explain your reasoning using the criteria you have outlined.

The Gospel of Mark

11. Who was Papias and what did he say that provides us with evidence to the authorship of the Gospel of Mark? How should we evaluate the evidence of Papias and why?

12. Outline the 3-fold division of Mark's Gospel which we followed in this class. Briefly describe the contents and significance of each of these 3 sections.

13. What image of Jesus is presented in the first 3 chapters of the Gospel of Mark? How does this image relate to Isaiah 40?

14. Discuss the figure of John the Baptist including a) the significance of his clothing and food; b) the significance of his baptizing; and c) his relationship in Mark to the expectations of Isaiah.

15. What would it have meant for Jesus to be baptized by John? How does Mark understand this event?

16. What traditional ritual did Jesus command the leper (one of the people) he had healed to perform and what does this say about Jesus' mission?

17. What is a parable? What reason does Jesus give, according to Mark's gospel, for speaking in parables?

18. Explain the content and significance of Jesus' teaching on defilement as found in Mark 7 . How is this story treated by Matthew and Luke?

19. Outline the Mark's story of the death of John the Baptist and explain why Mark likely placed it at this point in his Gospel.

20. Discuss the pericope in which Jesus encounters the Syro-Phoenician woman in Mark. How does the sense of the story change in Matthew and Luke?

21. Discuss the significance of the feeding miracles in Mark.

22. Explain the expression "nesting story" or "frame story." Discuss one example of such a literary device in Mark's Gospel and explain the function of this device in your example.

23. List the various groups who function as "corporate characters" in Mark's Galilee scene. Discuss how each group responds to Jesus and the way in which the reader is expected to relate to each group.

24. Discuss the meaning of the expression "Kingdom of God" in Mark and describe the picture of this "Kingdom" which emerges from the parables of chapter 4.

25. Why did Jesus leave his home town and not do any miracles?

26. Compare Mark 3:25 with Matthew and Luke's retelling of this Jesus saying. How do the implied meanings differ?

27. Discuss the contents and function of the "Way narrative" in Mark's Gospel, giving special attention to its opening, its ending, and the actions of Peter at Caesarea Philippi.

28. Discuss the significance of Jesus' transfiguration in Mark. How does this story fit into its context?

29. Discuss the social role of children in ancient Palestine. How does this impact our understanding of Mark 9:36-37, 10:13-16?

30. What does Jesus say to the Rich Man when he asks "Teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?" What is significant about Jesus' response?

31. How does Jesus answer the question about divorce? What does this answer tell us about Jesus' self-understanding in Mark?

32. Explain and discuss the proposal that Mark's Gospel is intended to combat a "divine man christology."

33. Who is Jesus according to Mark?

34. Discuss the significance of the titles "Son of God" and "Son of Man" in Mark.

35. How does Mark understand Jesus' death? How is this understanding conveyed in his passion narrative?

36. Describe Jesus' actions toward the fig tree in Jerusalem. What is the significance of these actions in Mark's Gospel?

37. Describe the context of the parable of the wicked tenants in Mark. What is the significance of the parable in this context?

38. What is the significance of Jesus' dialogues with various leaders in Jerusalem during Mark's "Jerusalem scene." Briefly describe one of these dialogues and its specific message.

39. Discuss the question surrounding the end of Mark's Gospel. What view do most scholars take, and what would Mark's purpose be in ending the Gospel in this way?

40. What is the "messianic secret" in Mark? Discuss possible reasons for this pattern in the Gospel.

The Synoptic Problem

41. List and explain the four necessary aspects that documents must share to be determined as having literary dependency and given examples from the Synoptic Gospels.

42. Why do scholars believe that Mark was written first?

43. Assuming the existence of a single Q document, discuss the theology and community background of this document. What cautions must one remember in reconstructing the context of this document?

44. Briefly explain the two-source model developed by Streeter and explain why most scholars see it as more convincing than the two-gospel model of Griesbach.

45. Assuming the validity of the 2-source hypothesis, how does Matthew's use of Mark differ from Luke's use of Mark?

The Gospel of Matthew

46. How does Matthew organize his Gospel? What does this suggest about his purpose in writing?

47. Compare Mark's account of Jesus' nativity with those of Luke and Matthew.

48. Discuss the significance of Jesus' genealogy in Matthew? Compare this genealogy and its function with the one in Luke?

49. Discuss the function of Matthew's Gospel. To what extent is this function different from the function of Mark's Gospel?

50. Briefly outline Matthew's infancy narrative. What message is conveyed by this narrative and how does it differ from Luke's infancy narrative?

51. Discuss Matthew's implied comparison between Jesus and Moses.

52. Discuss Jesus' attitude toward the Torah in Matthew's Gospel, giving special attention to the Sermon on the Mount and the Eschatological Sermon. Does this attitude differ at all from Jesus' attitude in Mark?

53. What type of characteristics define Peter in Matthew's gospel? How does Matthew's portrayal of Peter differ from Mark's portrayal of him?

54. Discuss the suggestion that Matthew's gospel is anti-semitic.

55. What contradictions within the mission sermon indicate that some of the teaching might be from the early church (and not the spoken words of Jesus)?