synoptic gospels

A term applied to three New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), so called because of the striking amount of common material that they contain. Most of Mark's Gospel, for example, is reproduced in Matthew and Luke, and the correspondence often extends to the order of passages and wording, although differences also exist. The precise way in which the works are interrelated is known as the ‘synoptic problem’, for which many competing solutions have been offered. John's Gospel presents a strikingly different portrayal of Jesus.

The Synoptic Gospels is a term used by modern New Testament scholars for the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke of the New Testament in the Bible. They are three of the four gospels, of which the Gospel of John is not included due to his different style and approach to the subject matter.

The term synoptic is derived from a combination of the Greek words συν (syn = together) and οψις (opsis = seeing) to indicate that the contents of these three Gospels can be viewed side-by-side, whether in a vertical parallel column synopsis, or a horizontal synoptic alignment.

The Gospel according to John has a number of points of contact with the three synoptic Gospels, but differs considerably from them in content;