The first three gospels are sometimes known as the "synoptic" gospels. What does this term mean, and how does it differentiate them from the gospel of John?
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3MODERATOR NOTICE: This is not a real question! It is a place-holder for the example question on the tour page. As such the question and both answers are entirely contrived to fit the limited space and formatting restrictions. Please don't answer or edit this question and its answers directly. If you have any input please participate in this meta post.– CalebCommented Nov 30, 2016 at 12:05
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2Note: this question is a cut-down version of Why are Matthew, Mark, and Luke called the synoptic gospels?, and Nathaniel's answer was originally by Mason Wheeler.– curiousdannii ♦Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 12:43
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2 Answers
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very similar: they record many of the same miracle stories, parables, and sermons. John by contrast has fewer miracles (and most are unique), no parables at all, and is the only Gospel to record Jesus's teaching on the nature of God at the Last Supper (ch. 13-17). Synoptic comes from the Greek for "see together" because they tell Jesus's story in the same way.
answered Nov 30, 2016 at 12:32
Syn- means "same" (as in synchronize, "same time"), and optic refers to sight. The first three Gospels are "syn-optic" because they see alike; they tell the story in similar ways, covering many of the same events. John, on the other hand, focuses on different material than the other authors, and has a high percentage of unique content.
answered Nov 30, 2016 at 12:20
Nathaniel is protestingNathaniel is protesting
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2Note that syn and optic are derived from the Greek words for 'with' and 'sight'.– curiousdannii ♦Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 12:59