Matt. xvi. 16.

[Greek:  Su ei ho Christos, ho huios tou Theou tou zontos.]

Mark viii. 29.

[Greek:  Su ei ho Christos.]

Luke ix. 20.

[Greek:  ton Christon tou Theou.]

Holtzmann and Weiss seem to agree (the one explicitly, the other implicitly) in taking the words [Greek:  ho huios tou Theou tou zontos] as an addition by the first Evangelist and as not a part of the text of the original document.  In that case there would be the strongest reason to think that the pseudo-Clement had made use of the canonical Gospel.  Ewald, however, we may infer, from his assigning the passage to the ‘Collection of Discourses,’ regards it as presented by St. Matthew most nearly in its original form, of which the other two synoptic versions would be abbreviations.  If this were so, it would then be possible that the Clementine quotation was made directly from the original document or from a secondary document parallel to our first Gospel.  The question that is opened out as to the composition of the Synoptics is one of great difficulty and complexity.  In any case there is a balance of probability, more or less decided, in favour of the reference to our present Gospel.

Another very similar instance occurs in the next section of the synoptic narrative, the Transfiguration.  Here again the Clementine Homilies insert a phrase which is only found in St. Matthew, [Greek:  [Houtos estin mou ho huios ho agapaetos], eis hon] ([Greek:  en ho] Matt.) [Greek:  aeudokaesa].  Ewald and Holtzmann say nothing about the origin of this phrase; Weiss [Endnote 176:1] thinks it is probably due to the first Evangelist.  In that case there would be an all but conclusive proof—­in any case there will be a presumption—­that our first Gospel has been followed.

But one of the most interesting, as well as the clearest, indications of the use of the first Synoptic is derived from the discourse directed against the Pharisees.  It will be well to give the parallel passages in full:—­

Matt. xxiii. 25, 26.

[Greek:  Ouai humin grammateis kai Pharisaioi, hupokritai, hoti katharizete to exothen tou potaeriou kai taes paropsidos, esothen de gemousin ex harpagaes kai adikias.  Pharisaie tuphle, katharison proton to entos tou potaeriou kai taes paropsidos, hina genaetai kai to ektos auton katharon.]

Clem.  Hom. xi. 29.

[Greek:  Ouai humin grammateis kai Pharisaioi, hupokritai, hoti katharizete tou potaeriou kai taes paropsidos to exothen, esothen de gemei rhupous.  Pharisaie tuphle, katharison proton tou potaeriou kai taes paropsidos to esothen, hina genaetai kai ta exo auton kathara.]

Luke xi. 39.

[Greek:  Nun humeis hoi Pharisaioi to exothen tou potaerion kai tou pinakos katharizete, to de esothen humon gemei harpagaes kai ponaerias.  Aphrones ouch ho poiaesas to exothen kai to esothen epoiaese?]