TwoSource

Twosource, in biblical scholarship, refers to the two-source hypothesis a widely discussed theory about the relationships among the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The central problem it addresses is the synoptic problem: why these three gospels show so many similarities and overlaps, yet also contain unique material.

The core claim is that Mark was the first gospel composed (Markan priority) and was used as a source by both Matthew and Luke. In addition, Matthew and Luke are thought to have drawn independently from a second source comprised largely of sayings and teachings not found in Mark, commonly referred to as Q (from the German Quelle, meaning "source"). The combination of Mark’s narrative framework with this second source accounts for the double tradition shared by Matthew and Luke but not by Mark. Matthew and Luke also contain material unique to each evangelist, often labeled M and L, which would reflect additional, individual sources or redactional activity.

Supporters argue that the hypothesis explains many patterns of agreement and ordering in the gospels more coherently than alternate models. Critics note that Q is hypothetical and not attested in surviving manuscripts, so the evidence for it rests on textual and literary inference. Alternative theories—such as the Farrer hypothesis, which denies a separate Q, and the Griesbach hypothesis, which posits a different order of composition—offer different accounts of the same data.

Today, the two-source hypothesis remains a leading framework in synoptic studies, though scholars continue to refine and debate its specifics as part of an ongoing study of gospel origins.