But it may be pointed out that (1) no one has ever «unstrung» the Marcan sequence more completely than the
author of Matthew did in revising and reorganizing the Gospel of Mark for his special purposes: the book is taken
apart and put together again in a
new order, combined with the «Sayings Source» (Q) and with other materials, and arranged apparently for didactic use —
as a manual, one might say, for the religious educators of the early Syrian church!