Table 2: Personal Perspective Criteria for Authorship of Birth Narratives of Jesus.
Criteria |
Matthew |
Luke |
If an event happened to person X, they would be more likely to recall/report it than if person Y were recalling that the event happened to person X. |
1: 18 Mary was pregnant (*) 2: 11 Mary visited by Wise Men (*)
|
1: 39 Mary visited Elisabeth 2: 34 Simeon spoke to Mary |
One person is mentioned by name while the other person is not. |
2: 13, 14, 20, 21 (four times, Mary is cited only as Jesus’s mother, not by her name) 2: 23 (Joseph is said to dwell in Nazareth but Mary not mentioned with him, though it’s inferred) |
1: 19 Mary pondered all these things in her heart 1: 33 Joseph mentioned by name, Mary not so (*) 2: 34 Mary mentioned alone by Simeon |
Person X had a dream with specific content mentioned as a person would be more likely to recall/report their own dream as compared to someone else’s dream |
2: 22 Joseph warned by God in a dream to go to Galilee |
|
Person X was visited by an angel/God and what the angel/God said specifically is recalled/reported |
Joseph visited by an angel with a specific message (1: 20-21) Joseph visited again by an angel with a message to leave town (2: 13) Joseph visited by an angel a third time, to return (2: 19-20) |
Luke 1: 28 (Mary visited by an angel, who said a lot) |
Person X mentioned by name (not as a couple) |
1:19 Then Joseph her husband 1: 24 Then Joseph waking up… 2: 11 the wise men saw the child with Mary his mother (Joseph not mentioned in the scene) (*) |
Luke 1: 30 (Angel mentions Mary by name) Luke 1: 34 (Mary mentioned by name) Luke 1: 38, 39, 41, 46, 56 (Mary mentioned by name without Joseph’s name mentioned) 2: 33, 43 (Joseph’s name mentioned, not Mary’s) (*) |
Person X engaged in actions/thoughts/speech only person X would know about |
1:19 Was considering putting her away privately 1: 19 While he thought on these things 1:25 And knew her not until she had given birth 2: 22 Joseph was afraid
|
1: 19 Mary kept all these things in her heart 1: 29 Mary was troubled and wondered about the greeting from the angel 1: 38 (Mary’s speech in detail) 1: 46-55 (Mary’s magnificat) 2: 35 (Simeon’s detailed conversation with Mary) 2: 48 (Mary’s conversation with Jesus at age 12)
|
(*) Evidence does not fit hypothesis.