Q Source: An Introduction to the Hypothetical Source of the Gospels
I f you’ve ever read the Gospels, you may have noticed that there are instances where Matthew, Mark, and Luke share very similar stories. In fact, over 90% of Mark’s gospel can be found in either Matthew or Luke. Scholars have long wondered why this is and have proposed several theories. One such theory is the existence of a hypothetical source called “Q.” In this blog post, we’ll explore what Q source is and what implications it has on our understanding of the New Testament. What is Q Source? Q (short for Quelle, meaning “source” in German) is a hypothetical document that scholars propose was used by both Matthew and Luke as one of their sources for some of their shared material. The document itself has never been found or even mentioned in any ancient text. Rather, scholars infer its existence based on similarities between certain pieces of material found in both gospels. According to scholars who believe in its existence, Q would have been written in Greek and contained sayings at...