In this episode I talk with Dr. Mark Goodacre, professor of religious studies at Duke University, about his brand-new book The Fourth Synoptic Problem: John’s Knowledge of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, where he argues that John knew and used the Synoptic narratives when composing his gospel. Mark explains the problems with the Q theory and why so many scholars have built a firewall between John and the Synoptics. We then explore why he believes John knew the Synoptics. John seems to presuppose the Synoptic narratives, turns Synoptic stories into speech, and dramatizes the Synoptic presentation of Jesus. We also discuss how John’s Christology is in continuity with the Synoptics, how Goodacre’s work impacts our understanding of the date and authorship of John, and helpful resources for people who want to learn more about the Synoptic problem. 

Media Referenced:

Mark Goodacre Website: https://markgoodacre.org/

The NT Pod: https://podacre.blogspot.com/

Buy The Fourth Synoptic Gospel: https://a.co/d/1QlHsV6

Mark Goodacre YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podacre

James Barker interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-181-how-the-gospel-writers-copied-each-other-with-james-barker/

Jesus and Divinity in the Gospels: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-213-jesus-the-divine-messiah-and-gospel-trajectories/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

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