"Q" stands for "Quelle", German for "source", and its existence is by no means proven. There are a number of other theories extant as to how a significant amount of material came to be shared. In the absence of compelling evidence to the contrary, I think the Gospels were written in canonical order.
Moreover, a single-source hypothesis does not necessarily relegate the Synoptics to the 2nd century. Recall that all the apostles were together in Jerusalem for a considerable time (including at some points Paul, who is said to have been a major influence on Luke's writings). There is every reason to believe that they shared their reflections on the Lord's life and sayings, and developed a common oral record, which would later form the basis of the written Gospels.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2007-02-26 06:19 pm (UTC)Moreover, a single-source hypothesis does not necessarily relegate the Synoptics to the 2nd century. Recall that all the apostles were together in Jerusalem for a considerable time (including at some points Paul, who is said to have been a major influence on Luke's writings). There is every reason to believe that they shared their reflections on the Lord's life and sayings, and developed a common oral record, which would later form the basis of the written Gospels.