Ian Nelson Mills (Duke University) explains what the Synoptic Problem is, and why it is not boring. The video is from the New Testament Interpretation course at Duke Divinity School.
Synoptic Gospels
Alan Garrow’s solution to Synoptic Problem: Matthew used Mark and Luke
Dr Alan Garrow presents a studio version of the paper presented at the NT Research Seminar of the University of Durham on Monday 12 January, 2015 (h/t: Chris Tilling):
“Streeter’s ‘Other’ Synoptic Solution: The Matthew Conflator Hypothesis”
A published version of this paper is available here: Alan Garrow, “Streeter’s ‘Other’ Synoptic Solution: The Matthew Conflator Hypothesis“, New Testament Studies 62, no. 2 (April 2016): 207-226.
However, Mark Goodacre (NT Blog) points out a serious flaw in Garrow’s argument. Garrow argues that that when Matthew uses Luke alone, there is a high level of verbatim agreement; but when Matthew uses Luke and the Didache (which Garrow identifies with Q), there is a low level of verbatim agreement. According to Garrow, Matthew gets distracted when he uses two sources, and is less verbatim. However, Goodacre points out that we would then expect a similar pattern when Matthew uses Luke and Mark. But that is not the case. When Matthew uses Luke and Mark, there is still a high level of verbatim agreement – which is not what we would expect if Garrow’s theory were correct.
Alan Garrow: The Didache is One Part of ‘Q’
Dr Alan Garrow presents a studio version of his paper presented at the Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies (SIIBS) at the University of Sheffield, on Monday 13 April, 2015.
In this paper, Garrow argues that the Didache provides one part of the material which makes up Q (the source of material shared by Luke and Matthew which is not in Mark). The paper, which is scheduled for publication in New Testament Studies in July 2016, follows on from Garrow’s earlier paper in which he argues for Matthew’s dependence on Mark and Luke (and on a smaller assemblage of Q material).
The presentation is available on Alan Garrow’s website, in four videos: 
h/t: James F. McGrath
Mark Goodacre – NT Pod podcasts
Mark Goodacre, Professor of New Testament at Duke University, provides a regular podcast on New Testament scholarship called NT Pod.
The major topics of these podcasts are the Gospels and Jesus scholarship, although Goodacre also addresses topics in Pauline scholarship, the apocryphal gospels, and other aspects of the New Testament. While the podcasts are short and succinct – usually 10 to 15 minutes – they provide clear, accessible, up-to-date, and authoritative overviews of many topics in New Testament scholarship.
Online List of Q Scholarship and Resources
Dr Michael Kok has assembled a useful list of scholarship and resources on the Q hypothesis, the theory that, in addition to their use of the Gospel of Mark, Matthew and Luke independently used an extensive second source (Quelle) to compose their gospels.
Kok divides the scholarship and resources into the following categories:
- The Synoptic Problem and the Case for/Against Q
- The Text of Q as reconstructed from Matthew/Luke
- Theories about Q and Christian Origins
Madeleine Boucher on Mary Magdalene
Dr. Madeleine Boucher, former professor of New Testament and director of the Women’s Studies Program, Fordham University, presents a lecture examining what the Bible and tradition say about Mary Magdalene (July 22, 2009).
This lecture looks at the conflation of traditions of Mary Magdalene as well as Scripture references to clarify who this “Apostle to the Apostles” was and was not. Special focus is given to the resurrection narrative in John’s Gospel.
A helpful handout is also available for Madeleine Boucher’s lecture.
Translation of Sayings Gospel Q by the International Q Project
An English translation of the hypothetical Sayings Gospel Q was prepared by the International Q Project, and is made available by Dr John Kloppenborg, University of Toronto.
Philip Harland’s Podcasts on Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean
Philip Harland has an ongoing series of podcasts on a wide range of topics relating to religions of the ancient Mediterranean which are available here. These include:
Series 1: Paul and His Communities
Podcast 1.1 Paul in his own words
Podcast 1.2 The situation at Thessalonica
Podcast 1.3 Paul’s response to Jesus-followers at Thessalonica
Podcast 1.4: Paul and the followers of Jesus at Corinth, part 1
Podcast 1.5: Paul and the followers of Jesus at Corinth, part 2
Podcast 1.6: Paul and the followers of Jesus at Corinth, part 3
Podcast 1.7: Paul and the situation in Galatia
Podcast 1.8: Paul’s response to the Galatians
Podcast 1.9: Paul and the situation at Rome
Podcast 1.10: Paul’s response to the Romans
Podcast 1.11: Legacies of Paul – Women’s leadership, part 1
Podcast 1.12: Legacies of Paul – Women’s leadership, part 2
Series 2: Early Christian Portraits of Jesus
Podcast 2.1: Introduction to the Gospels as Portraits of Jesus
Podcast 2.2: Mark’s portrait of Jesus – Suffering Son, part 1
Podcast 2.3: Mark’s portrait of Jesus – Suffering Son, part 2
Podcast 2.4: Matthew’s portrait of Jesus – New Moses, part 1
Podcast 2.5: Matthew’s portrait of Jesus – New Moses, part 2
Podcast 2.6: Luke’s Portrait of Jesus – Prophet Elijah, part 1
Podcast 2.7: Luke’s Portrait of Jesus – Prophet Elijah, part 2
Podcast 2.8: John’s Portrait of Jesus – Son and Word, part 1
Podcast 2.9: John’s Portrait of Jesus – Son and Word, part 2
Podcast 2.10: Hebrews’ Portrait of Jesus – Highpriest Melchizedek, part 1
Podcast 2.11: Hebrews’ Portrait of Jesus – Highpriest Melchizedek, part 2
Series 3: Diversity in Early Christianity: “Heresies” and Struggles
Podcast 3.1: Introduction to Diversity – A Schism in John’s Community, part 1
Podcast 3.2: A Schism in John’s Community, part 2
Podcast 3.3: Docetic and Judaizing Opponents of Ignatius
Podcast 3.4: Docetic and Judaizing Opponents of Ignatius, part 2
Podcast 3.5: Diversity in Asia Minor – A Regional Case Study
Podcast 3.6: Sources for the Study of Diversity – Gnostic, Apocryphal, Patristic
Podcast 3.7: Jewish Followers of Jesus, part 1 – Ebionites
Podcast 3.8: Jewish Followers of Jesus, part 2 – Pseudo-Clement
Podcast 3.9: Marcionites and the Unknown God
Podcast 3.10 Introducing Gnostic Worldviews
Podcast 3.11: Secret Book of John, part 1 – The Spiritual Realm
Podcast 3.12: Secret Book of John, part 2 – Salvation from the Material Realm
Podcast 3.13: The Wisdom of Jesus Christ and Middle Platonism
Podcast 3.14: The Gospel of Philip, part 1 – Ideas of Salvation
Podcast 3.15: The Gospel of Philip, part 2 – Ritual Enactments of Salvation
Podcast 3.16: The Gospel of Mary – Secret Knowledge from the Ultimate Disciple
Series 4: Honouring the Gods in the Roman Empire: Asia Minor
Podcast 4.1: Introduction to Honouring the Gods
Podcast 4.2: A City and Its Patron Deity – Artemis of Ephesus
Podcast 4.3: Salvation from the Gods – Asklepios at Pergamum
Podcast 4.4: Messages from the Gods – Apollo at Claros and Didyma
Podcast 4.5: Justice from the Gods in Lydia
Podcast 4.6: Honouring the Emperors as Gods
Series 5: The Historical Jesus in Context
Podcast 5.1: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 1
Podcast 5.2: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 2
Podcast 5.3: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 3
Podcast 5.4: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 1 – Crossan
Podcast 5.5: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 2 – Sanders
Podcast 5.6: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 1 – To the Second Temple
Podcast 5.7: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 2 – To the Time of Jesus
Podcast 5.8: Jesus, the Galilean and Judean
Podcast 5.9: Jesus in the Context of Educated Groups and Leaders
Podcast 5.10: Jesus and his Mentor, John the Baptizer
Podcast 5.11: Jesus as Teacher, part 1 – Method and Content
Podcast 5.12: Jesus as Teacher, part 2 – Present or Future Kingdom?
Podcast 5.13: Jesus as Healer and Exorcist
Podcast 5.14: Jesus as Prophet
Podcast 5.15: Jesus as Messianic King?
Series 6: Associations in the Greco-Roman World
Podcast 6.1: Introduction to Associations in the Greco-Roman World
Podcast 6.2: Social, Religious, and Burial Activities of Associations
Podcast 6.3: Judean and Christian Groups as Associations
Podcast 6.4: Associations and Greco-Roman Society (The City)
Podcast 6.5: Associations and the Roman Empire
Podcast 6.6: Approaches to Studying Ethnic Associations and Identities
Podcast 6.7: Phoenician Immigrant Associations, part 1
Podcast 6.8: Phoenician Immigrant Associations, part 2
Podcast 6.9: Judean Immigrant Associations, part 1
Podcast 6.10: Judean Immigrant Associations, part 2
Podcast 6.11 Jesus Groups as Associations and Cultural Minorities, part 1
Podcast 6.12: Jesus Groups as Associations and Cultural Minorities, part 2
Podcast 6.13: Cultural Minority Associations and Ethnic Stereotypes, part 1
Podcast 6.14: Cultural Minority Associations and Ethnic Stereotypes, part 2
Series 7: Visions of the End: Origins of Judean Apocalypticism
Podcast 7.1: Visions of the End – What is Apocalypticism?
Podcast 7.2: Origins part 1 – Ancient Near Eastern Combat Myths
Podcast 7.3: Origins part 2 – Zoroastrian apocalypticism
Podcast 7.4: Origins part 3a – Israelite Prophets 1
Podcast 7.5: Origins part 3b – Israelite Prophets 2
Podcast 7.6: 1 Enoch – An Introduction to the Earliest Apocalypse
Podcast 7.7: 1 Enoch – Fallen Angels in Early Apocalypticism
Podcast 7.8: Introduction to Daniel’s Historical Apocalypse
Podcast 7.9: Daniel’s Visions as Veiled History
Series 8: A Cultural History of Satan – Personified Evil in Early Judaism and in Christianity
Podcast 8.1: A Cultural History of Satan – Predecessors of Satan from Mesopotamia
Podcast 8.2: Predecessors of Satan from Canaan and Israel
Podcast 8.3: Predecessors of Satan from Persia
Podcast 8.4: Other Predecessors of Satan from the Hebrew Bible
Podcast 8.5: Fallen Angels in 1 Enoch (ca. 225 BCE)
Podcast 8.6: Mastema in Jubilees and Beliar in the Dead Sea Scrolls (ca. 100 BCE)
Podcast 8.7: The Devil and Beelzebub in Early Biographies of Jesus (70-100 CE)
Podcast 8.8: Internal Functions of the Rhetoric of Satan in Paul and John (ca. 50-110 CE)
Podcast 8.9: A Satanic Empire in John’s Apocalypse (ca. 80-100 CE)
Podcast 8.10: Jealous Satan, the Image of God, and the Serpent in the Life of Adam and Eve
Podcast 8.11: The Jealous Creator and the Serpent of Wisdom in Gnosticism (2nd century CE)
Podcast 8.12: Satan’s Demons and the Greco-Roman Gods in the Church Fathers (2nd-3rd centuries CE)
George B. Caird Lectures (1979-82)
Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Gibson and additional work by Matthew D. Montonini and Mark Goodacre “sixty-one of George B. Caird’s lectures on New Testament Theology were recorded from 1979-1982, at Oxford University, where Caird served as the Dean Ireland’s Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture until his untimely passing in 1984.” They are available as audio and links are given on Montonini’s blog, New Testament Perspectives. Caird’s lectures cover issues such as New Testament theology, Pauline theology, Romans, and the Synoptic Problem.
James McGrath: New Testament Lectures
James McGrath’s YouTube lectures include a number on New Testament studies:
1. The Infancy Narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke
Lecture on the stories about Jesus’ birth and infancy in the New Testament, by Dr. James F. McGrath, Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. I apologize that the first sentence and a half got cut off.
2. A Lecture on Crucifixion in Early Christianity
A lecture on the Passion Narratives, focusing on the place of the crucifixion in Paul’s letters and the Gospel of Mark, by Dr. James F. McGrath, Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University in Indianapolis.
3. The Relationships between the Gospels
A lecture on the Synoptic problem (i.e. the relationship between the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and on the distinctive features of the Gospel of John, by Dr. James F. McGrath of Butler University in Indianapolis.
A class on the Book of Revelation and apocalyptic literature taught by Dr. James F. McGrath, Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University in Indianapolis
Ken Schenck: Introducing the Synoptic Problem
Ken Schenck has a video on YouTube providing a ‘brief overview’ of the Synoptic Problem.
Biblical Studies Online 