McKnight, Scot. Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels. Grand Rapids: Baker. 1988.

Answer

BOOK REPORT:

INTERPRETING THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS. GRAND RAPIDS BY MCKNIGHT SCOT

Scot, McKnight, Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels. Grand Rapids: Baker. (1988).

The book Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels by McKnight Scot is the first volume in a series regarding the interpretation of the New Testament literature. The book concentrates upon the three Synoptic Gospels. McKnight provides a comprehensive, critical, and up-to-date introduction to the different exegetical methodologies that are applicable to the Synoptic Gospels, always keeping in his mind their helpfulness in comprehending the biblical text.^[1] Being the first volume in the a series aimed at interpreting New Testament literature genres, the book critiques methodologies and suggests how leaners with some understanding of the Greek can benefit from various analyses. It is on this backdrop that this paper aims at writing a book report regarding Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels by McKnight Scot. This paper will discuss the key concepts covered in the book, strengths and weakness of the text, and concerns or issues that are raised in connection with Jesus’ ministry, work, or life.

The first three books of the New Testament of the Bible, the three gospels, were initially labelled the Synoptic Gospels at the end of the 18^th century by a German biblical scholar J. J. Griesbach.^[2] The English adjective, synoptic, originates from the Greek word, sunovyi, which connotes “seeing together, “and the German scholar chose the word due to the high degree of likeness that was found among Mark, Luke, and Matthew in their depictions of Jesus’ ministry on Earth. These similarities, which entail content, tone, and structure, are evident even to any casual Bible reader. They serve not merely to bind the Bible’s first three gospel books together, but to distinct them the gospel according to John. Elliott notes that Mark, Luke, and Matthew structure Jesus’ ministry on earth in accordance with a general geographical order: Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, His withdrawal to the North (with the confession of Peter as a transition and climax point), Jesus ministry in Perea and Judea while He is in way to Jerusalem (though not vivid in Luke), and well as His final ministry in Jerusalem.^[3] Very little of this order is seen in John, where the concentration is upon the Ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem in his periodic visits to Jerusalem.

Regarding content, the first three gospels or evangelists narrate a number of similar events, concentrating upon Jesus’ exorcisms, teachings, and healings in parables. On the other hand, John, when narrating a number of significant healings, does not depict exorcisms and does not include parables (at least one kind of parable is found in Market, Luke, and Matthew). Equally, many of the events that we consider characteristic of the first three evangelists are missing from John: the transfiguration, the send out of the 12 disciples, the Olivet discourse, and the last supper account.^[4] By having Jesus continually on the move as well as by juxtaposing events, miracles, particularly with brief teachings, the Synoptic Gospels convey a tone of rapid-fire, intense action. This is contrary to the case of John, who depicts far fewer actions relative to the Synoptic Gospels and prefers Jesus talking in long addresses as opposed to brief pithy sayings or parables.^[5]

Over the past decade, scholars have assessed and scrutinized the Synoptic evangelists from various standpoints and angels and with various outcomes.  This is an unavoidable outcome of the crucial significance of the books for Christian life and belief. These books portray the events upon which the importance of history as well as the destiny of every individual relying on Jesus’ death and resurrection. One such books is the McKnight’s Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels.

Belonging to first volume of a series of books whose purpose is that “Students need manuals that will introduce them both to the specific nature of a particular genre and to basic principles for exegeting that genre" (p. 9),^[6] the Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels book by McKnight emphasis is upon the concept of workbook or manual that will demonstrate the practical facets of genre exegesis. For instance, how an individual exegetes a gospel will be different from how another person exegetes an epistle. Despite the fact that the book is merely 14 pages long, the book is well saturated with well-researched data and information.^[7]

McKnight develops various major issues about synoptic interpretation fundamentally for “college religion majors, pastors, and seminars who have had a minimum of one year of Greek” (p.9).^[8] The book is divided into two sections. The first section, “Preliminary Steps of Synoptic Exegesis.” Largely and fundamentally addresses the fundamental issues that are affecting synoptic exegesis (like the background considerations as well as discussions regarding the synoptic issue.^[9] The second, which is the longer section, stresses the practical ways of interpreting the synoptic gospels. The book’s thrust lie in this second section where the book’s author evaluates as well as explains the critical methodologies, strategies, and approaches to synoptic interpretation (form, historical, and redaction criticisms) in addition to demonstrating his personal technique in exegeting the synoptic evangelists.

The tour de force of the book is the book’s well-balanced strategy. In His book, McKnight does not condemn blindly critical methods used by some when doing exegesis of the synoptic gospels. Personally, I feel for this approach, McKnight deserves being commended, owing to the fact that he challenges the evangelical society or community to assess and never to just react to critical approach.^[10] Dismissing the notion or myth that employment of critical approaches presumes a liberal partiality, McKnight suggests that the “higher criticisms,” when understood as well as implemented properly, can better an individual’s comprehension of a biblical passage.

An invigorating facet of McKnight’s approach and strategy is his stress upon a neglected sphere of seminary education, background considerations. McKnight suggests that every single seminary learner, before graduation, read a variety of literary sources that bordered or delimited the writing of the gospel like Josephus' Jewish Wars, QL, and the Gospel of Thomas.^[11] The book’s author concludes that individuals who have not read this “minimal amount of material [are] frankly unprepared for interpretation and insensitive to the task of New Testament exegesis" (p. 29).^[12]

There are several facets of McKnight’s volume. He leads the reader systematically through a synoptic word exegesis and study, providing a number of insights regarding the use of a synopsis, like underlining. Personally, I specifically enjoyed McKnight’s depictions to solidify/coagulate a point in his strategy/methodology. McKnight demonstrates one can do a motif assessment. During his real-world exercises, the book’s author equally suggests what reference literatures or books one ought to purchase and use for them to well understand his positions. 

From the foregoing, McKnight’s book is a very good book for seminary and college students. From my viewpoint, McKnight’s work will serve evangelical society and community pretty well. In fact, my hope is that the work becomes a needed textbook for seminary or college courses in New Testament exegesis and/or courses about synoptic gospels. I also recommend the book to pastors interested in strengthening their knowledge and skills in synoptic gospels’ interpretation, especially now that the book sufficiently and well complements classic works on exegesis of the synoptic gospels, like New Testament Interpretation: Essays on Principles and Methods (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977) by I. Howard Marshall. Similarly, the bibliographies that are included by McKnight at the end of each and every chapter will help the learners and the book’s readers in their further research and study. Nonetheless, despite the abovementioned strengths exhibited by McKnight’s book, I found two weaknesses for which I will criticize the book. It would be of great help, for instance, to have included Scripture as well as author indices in his work. Additionally, McKnight employs too many arrows and charts.

In conclusion, McKnight’s work, Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels is an excellent work for evangelical students who are interested in knowing more about the three synoptic gospel books. The book gives an up-to-date, comprehensive, and critical introduction to the different strategies and methodologies that are applicable to the synoptic gospels’ analysis, always remaining mindful of understanding biblical contexts and texts. With the inclusion of excellent bibliographies, McKnight’s work entices students and readers to learn more regarding the subject matter. Similarly, the work is straightforward, making it an excellent book for beginning learners of New Testament. Nonetheless, despite being a great help for New Testament passages’ exegesis, the paper has a few weaknesses, like failure to include Scripture as well as author indices and employment of too many arrows and charts. Despite these limitations, the work is an excellent one.

[1] Elliott, J. K., “Studying the Synoptic Gospels E. P. Sanders Margaret Davies.” Novum Testamentum 32, no. 3 (1990): 278.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Elliott, J. K.,  and Davies, Margaret,“ Studying the Synoptic Gospels.” Novum Testamentum 32, no. 3 (1990): 278.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Scot, McKnight, Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels. Grand Rapids: Baker. (1988).

[7] Elliott, J. K., and Davies, Margaret “Studying the Synoptic Gospels.” Novum Testamentum 32, no. 3 (1990): 278.

[8] Scot, McKnight, Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels. Grand Rapids: Baker. (1988).

[9] Elliott, J. K., and Davies, Margaret “Studying the Synoptic Gospels.” Novum Testamentum 32, no. 3 (1990): 278.

[10] Elliott, J. K., and Davies, Margaret, “Studying the Synoptic Gospels.” Novum Testamentum 32, no. 3 (1990): 278.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Scot, McKnight, Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels. Grand Rapids: Baker. (1988).

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