Looking for literary dependence in the Mt-Lk double
tradition (i.e. from Q or Mt), I am willing to accept
the procedure required by Farrer (“On Dispensing with
Q”) seriously:

“…our first supposition is not that both draw upon a
lost document for which there is no independent
evidence, but that one draws upon the other. It is
only when the latter supposition has proved untenable
that we have recourse to the postulation of a
hypothetical source.”

Previously (message 9923, Nov 17 2004) I looked at the
evangelists’ “Judgment Day” expressions, hoping to
find that Mt=Q. I found that Mt’s most used expression
"at/on Day of Judgment" (EN ‘HMERA KRISEWS) is without
parallel in Lk (or elsewhere in NT). Without knowing
the source of the expression in Mt (LXX Psalm 1:5
merely gives “with/at judgment” EN KRISEI) I suppose
it to be ‘Matthean’ (Mt 10:15; 11:22 , 24; esp.12:36).
Lk’s parallel, for example, to Mt 11:22 (Lk 10:14)
uses the more Lukan "at the judgment" (EN TH KRISEI)
indicating against the saying being taken from Mt
11:22.

Jim Deardorff wrote
"But I presume you're aware that the (modified)
Augustinian hypothesis
can [explain the pattern of expressions in Mt]. I.e.,
with Matthew first in Hebrew/Aramaic, and Mark and
Luke 2nd & 3rd, written in Greek, one can allow that
the translator of Hebraic Matthew into Greek had the
latter two gospels on hand while doing his
translating, and made some alterations at that time."

But since I am opting for now to weigh up the more
simple theories (Mk-Q Theory vs. Mk-Mt Theory) I will
continue.

So looking to a piece of Triple Tradition for the kind
of literary copying expected on the Farrer theory: Mk
3:13-19 (the call of The Twelve). Mt has combined the
call and the sending of The Twelve into one scene (Mt
9:36-10:16). Even though Lk 6:12-16 does not follow
Mk’s Greek extremely closely, he does not follow Mt
either in utilizing Mt’s Greek or in combining both
scenes for the calling and sending of the twelve. Lk
simply agrees with Mk’s separation of the two events
whereby the Twelve are not actually sent out until a
few chapters later, and he does use disciples’ names
in the accusative (as though following Mk). I cannot
see Mt’s text used in any way in Lk’s calling and
sending episodes of the Twelve. The two episodes in Lk
both read simply as paralleling Mk’s.

The Farrer (Mk-Mt-Lk) theory would also seem to
require Lk’s second sending (of the seventy[two] Lk
10:1-13) to have been taken from Mt’s version of the
sending. But again due to differing Judgment Day
expressions, Mt 10:15 ("at/on Day of Judgment" EN
‘HMERA KRISEWS) is not likely the source of Lk 10:12
(“at/on that day” en th hmera ekeinh). Why would Lk
copy Mt’s saying only to modify the expression to one
that is not particularly Lukan/redactional (his
preferred expression for sayings paralleling Mt is "at
the judgment" EN TH KRISEI)? And surely it is
incongruous for the Farrer theory that Mt later
switches to using Lk’s preferred Judgment Day
expression in 12:41-42. This should suggest that the
supposition of Lk’s dependence on Mt for these verses
is becoming a little “untenable.”

Only the ‘too-much too-little harvest-workers’ saying
(Mt 9:37-38//Lk 10:2) is a possible contender for
something Matthean here. But there nothing necessarily
Matthean about it. In fact Lk’s version of the sending
of the seventy has several points of contact with Mk’s
text such as sending disciples by ‘twos’ and them
proclaiming “the kingdom of God has come near [to
you]” (cf. Jesus initial proclamation in Mk 1:15,
otherwise Mt 10:7?)

Unless “the harvest” saying be taken as sufficient
evidence (how would we know if it is?), then it seems
Mt’s “document” is not Lk’s source for the call of the
Twelve, nor the sending of the Twelve nor the sending
of the seventy(two), nor the following woes against
Chorazin and Bethsaida.


Tim Lewis.

Timothy M. Lewis
Cranbourne, VIC 3977
Part-time Greek Tutor at Whitley College,
Melbourne College of Divinity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.



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