The first three books of our New Testament are commonly described as the Synoptic Gospels. One reason for the choice of this particular title is that each of them presents a brief summary or "synopsis" of the events of the Master's life; while the fourth Gospel is excluded from this grouping, largely because its author is concerned with teaching rather than with narrative.
Still another -reason for the use of the term "Synoptic" with reference to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is that these three are so similar in both scope and content that they can be readily set down in parallel columns and thus compared or "seen together," as suggested by the literal meaning of the word "Synoptic," which is derived from two Greek terms, sun (together) and opsis (seeing).
Now, despite the remarkable resemblances between the three Synoptic Gospels, there are points in which they differ not a little from one another. Each one, for instance, has certain individual episodes or teachings peculiar to itself. So the so-called "Synoptic Problem" may be defined as the study of the relationship between the first three Gospels, with reference both to the methods of approach used by the evangelists and to the events and teachings which they record. It involves the question as to why these Gospels are so much alike, while yet exhibiting certain marked differences. In seeking a solution to the problem, it is helpful to consider how these three books were written.
