Abstract
The Gospels raise a whole series of intriguing questions as we do not know for sure the authorship of these writings, nor the aim, not even the audience to whom it was written for. These three aspects of authorship, purpose and audience of the Gospels implicitly underline the general differences between these texts. Indeed, why are the Gospels different in content and structure and at the same time sharing common elements? The question of the sources is central here and highlights the inherent problematic of copy and independence of the Gospel-writers. Indeed, if one felt at liberty to add or delete some parts of what he was copying, why copy at all? What was the purpose of writing a different and at the same time similar Gospel? Should one therefore agree with Martin Dibelius who said that "the literary understanding of the synopsis begins with the recognition that they are all collection of material? Indeed, were the evangelists simply editors, compilers, or even biographers? Or should we think that the difference between the Gospels underline the will to send a particular message? And if so, to whom was this message addressed? Did the Gospel-writers write for a specific community or for a more generalized one? For centuries scholars have produced one solution after another, always in a hypothetical way.
