ABSTRACT
The three Gospels are strictly speaking anonymous, but are headed “according to” Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is doubtless implied that they preserve the different accounts of the life of Jesus handed down by the three converts in question, but the identity of the actual authors is doubtful. Criticism of the synoptic Gospels can of course be divided into two classes, external and internal. The records of the work of Jesus himself are crowded with miraculous events. Something has already been said with a view to preparing the reader’s mind for a consideration of such occurrences. The teaching of Jesus as reported in the synoptic Gospels can be conveniently considered under three headings: ecclesiastical, eschatological, and moral. The special feature of Jesus’ teaching is however his so-called “parables,” or short anecdotes intended to point a moral.
