of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 1 of 15

Lecture 7. Matthew's Version of 's , Part 1, Matt 6:9-10 1

Synopsis Numbers. Each passage in the Synopsis is numbered. There are different editions of the Synopsis: Greek, Greek and English, English [you want this one!], The page numbers are different in each edition, but the passage numbers remain the same. Just as we use chapter & verse when referring to instead of page numbers, so synopsis numbers are a convenience.

Translation of the Greek (Synopsis # 62) Matt 6:9-13 :1-4 Pray then like this: 2 And he said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father who [art] in the heavens, Father, hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. (RSV/PJM) Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew’s Context Matthew inserts this material into the , at the beginning of the Galilean ministry Luke gives this story as happening late in the Galilean ministry, on the way to . The Lucan does not say: “Weren’t you paying attention to my sermon on the mount?” Matthew arranges "extra material" into sermons; Luke builds the material into a journey narrative.

Matthew’s Structure 3 third-person petitions Third-person petitions have a thing as the grammatical subject Thy name, thy kingdom, thy will 2 second-person petitions Second-person petitions have “you” as the understood grammatical subject. This lecture is about the first 3 petitions.

God as Father. Ancient Semitic practice, adopted by the Israelites. “Abraham / Abram” means “The Father (i.e. God) is exalted." A name the patriarch had before he was called by the true God. “Eliab” (name of ’s oldest brother) means “(my) God is Father.” “Abiel” (a son of Benjamin) means “(my) Father is God.” “Joab” (David’s general) means “The LORD / Yahweh is Father.” Abijah (one of the sons of Samuel) means, “My Father is the LORD / Yahweh.”

Abba. An Aramaic word, commonly used in families, an intimate family term Contrary to the original proposal of Jeremias, it is not “baby talk” The normal word used by a Jewish son. = Father, Dad, or even “Daddy” (in southern dialect) In southern dialect, even adult sons call their father “Daddy.” Appears to be part of the ipsissima verba of Jesus (Mark 14:36, Gethsemane) Used by early Christians in prayer (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6) 2 Jews use the Hebrew word Ab rather than the Aramaic word Abba in modern synagogue .

Our Father in Heaven Matthew Luke Our Father who [art] in the heavens, Father,

1 I hope you find my lectures helpful. If anything is not clear, feel free to send me a question via e-mail, [email protected] . 2 J. Jeremias, (Prayers of Jesus, 30) notes that there was an increasing tendency to call God “Father” by first century Christians: Mark, 4x; Luke, 15x; Matthew, 42x; John, 109x. , 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 2 of 15

"Father in Heaven" is one of Matthew’s favorite phrases, along with “heavenly Father.” 3 Luke’s simple “Father” is probably more original. It was not reverent enough for Matthew’s Jewish tastes, so he expanded it. “Our Father” is a frequent epithet in Jewish liturgical prayer

Thy "Name. " "Name" is a typical and roundabout way of reverently referring to God's person. [Allison & Davies, -7, 603] See, e.g., Deut 12:11; 14:23; 16:2; 26:2; describe the Temple as the place where God will make his “name” dwell. I.e., the place where God himself will dwell.

Hallowed be Thy Name. This is not a pious wish that people hallow God’s name. It is a divine passive, a reverent Jewish way to ask God to hallow his own name. God’s name is “reviled” when his people are oppressed and humiliated. God’s name is “blessed / hallowed/ sanctified” when his people are saved and blessed Help us, God our savior, on account of the glory of your name. Deliver us, pardon our sins for your name's sake. 10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?"i Before our eyes make known to the nations that you avenge the blood of your servants which has been poured out. 11 Let the groaning of the imprisoned come in before you; in accord with the greatness of your arm preserve those doomed to die. 12 Turn back sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors the insult with which they insulted you, Lord. (Ps 79:9-12 NABRE)

No "Blessings in Disguise," God! Give us blatant blessings! Blessing so blatant that everyone who sees them will have to say: "What a great God!"

The Lord's Prayer: a "Pushy Jewish Prayer." Story of Jewish grandmother on the beach at Tel Aviv.

Thy Kingdom Come There is a wide consensus that the main message of Jesus was “the kingdom of God” So many parables about the kingdom. The miracles manifested the presence of God's rule over the world / God's kingdom. Jesus announced the presence of the Kingdom in his ministry. This petition makes clear that it is not a “completed reality.” Some scholars use the phrase “already-not-yet” to describe Jesus’ attitude toward the kingdom.

Thy Will be Done Matthew Luke hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. (RSV/PJM) Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

This petition is absent in Luke. It is probably a Matthean addition. Synonymous with the previous petitions. Another divine passive. Not a pious wish that people do God’s will. A prayer that God will do his will “on earth” as God does his will “in heaven.” When God does his will “on earth,” the kingdom will be here!

3 The phrase "Father (who is) in heaven" appears: 1x in Mark, 14x in Matthew; nowhere else in the entire (but see also :21 and 3 Macc 7:6) The phrase "heavenly Father" appears 7 times in the entire bible; 6x in Matthew, 1x in Luke; nowhere else. Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 3 of 15

Lecture 8. Matthew's Version of the Lord's Prayer, Part 2, Matt 6:11-13

Translation of the Greek (Synopsis # 62) Matt 6:11-13 Luke 11:3-4 11 Give us today our daily bread; 3 Give us each day our daily bread; 12 and forgive us our debts, 4 and forgive us our sins, as we also have forgiven our debtors; for we ourselves also forgive every one who is indebted to us; 13and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. and lead us not into temptation. (RSV/PJM)

Daily Bread The normal Greek expression for “daily” (kath hēmeran) is not used. (cf. English word “ephemeral”) I both Matthew and Luke the rare word epiousious is used. It occurs nowhere in the Bible except in the Lord’s prayer (Matthew & Luke). Origen (ca. 200) not in any book in the library; never heard the word “on the street” TLG (not in any pre-Christian Greek work. (TLG = Thesaurus of the Greek Language)

"Daily?" Meaning of Greek Word Is Disputed! 4 In one place translates by quotidianum, normal Latin word for “daily” In another place he rendered it by super-sustantialem, a Latin calque of epi-ousios. Jerome quotes the as rendering it “bread for tomorrow.” My favorite interpretation is that it is a reference to the future eschatological banquet foretold by the prophets. “Give us the kingdom banquet today!” It is thus not simply a petition for “enough to eat.” This interpretation is sometimes called the “thorough-going eschatological interpretation” of the prayer. Eschatology means "having to do with the end of the world," from Greek eschatos, "end." In contrast to the interpretation that relates it to every-day life instead of the end of the world.

Forgive Us Forgiveness is a frequent theme in Matthew (16x, 6 of them in verses 12-15 of this chapter) 10x in Mark; 20x in Luke; 1x in John This is the first mention of the theme in the Gospel. The final mention will be in the words over the cup at the (26:28)

Our Debts. Matthew has “debts.” Luke has “sins.” “Debt” is a synonym for “sin” in Aramaic idiom. Matthew has preserved the original. Luke has changed “debts” to “sins” to make the prayer more understandable to people who were not Jewish.

As we hereby forgive A literal translation of Luke is “as we habitually forgive.” A literal translation of Matthew is “as we at this very moment forgive.” Matthew is probably more original here. Only the Lucan Jesus says that his followers must carry their cross daily.

Lead Us Not into Temptation Some modern languages “translate away” this theologically difficult phrase. French: et ne nous laissez pas succomber a la tentation . . . Spanish: Y no nos dejes caer en la tentación . . .

4 For extensive discussions on this, see J. A. Fitzmyer’s commentary on Luke in the AB series; the commentary by Davies & Allison on Matthew I-VIII in the ICC series, and J. Jeremias, The Prayers of Jesus. Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 4 of 15

English does not translate away the difficulty. It renders the Greek literally. Temptation: not a minor temptation, but the temptation to final apostasy (more below)

Protological Thinking. Fitzmyer uses this expression to describe a primitive, pre-logical form of thinking. In this type of thinking everything, good and evil, comes from God. For example, in the OT, Saul is trouble by “an evil spirit from the LORD” (1 Sam 16:14; 19:9)

Christological Observation If these words of Jesus are “authentic” (go back to stage 1) The most probable interpretation is that he, like others of his time, often engaged in “protological thinking.”

"Test" & "Tempt." Sometimes pious writers will say “The devil tempts you, but God tests you.” This is a distinction without meaning in Greek and in Hebrew. And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.1 (Gen 22:1, KJV)

“God tested Abraham,” “put Abraham to the test” (RSV, NRSV, NET, NAB, NJB) “Tempt” (Brenton’s translation of the Septuagint, the Greek OT) The Greek verb used in the LXX is peirazō, cognate with the noun pierasmos used in the Lord’s Prayer. Basic meaning: God, don’t give us a test like you gave Abraham! We might not be as good as he was!

Deliver Us from the Evil One Because of a fine point of Greek syntax, tou ponērou can mean “evil” in the abstract or “the evil one.” Most modern translations regard this as “personal.” In the NT and other early Christian literature the expression is generally “personal.”5

The Concluding Doxology. “For thine is the kingdom, etc.” was not originally part of the prayer. The ending is ancient. A version of it is found in the early second-century document called the Didache The English title is "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" It was added later to biblical manuscripts by scribes from the Greek tradition. In Catholic Churches we end our prayers with “We ask this through our Lord Jesus . . . one God, forever & ever.” In Baptist Churches they end their prayers with “We ask this in Jesus’ name.” If you want an “Amen” in a Greek Church, you have to end your prayer with “For thine is the kingdom . . .”

5 It is Neuter in the following cases: Matt 5:11; :45; Rom 12:9 (probably). It is masculine in the following cases: the Eastern Liturgies [Allison & Davies, 1. 614]; Matt 5:37 (probably); Matt 13:19 (parable of the sower); Matt 13:38 (parable of the weeds); :15 (probably); 1 John 2:13-14 (probably); 1 John 3:12 (probably); 1 John 5:18-19; Eph 6:16 (grammatically ambiguous; context requires masc.); 2 Thess 3:3 (probably); Barnabas 2:10; Polycarp 17:1.

Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 5 of 15

Lecture 9. The . Matt 5:3-12

Translation of the Greek (Synopsis # 51) :3-12 (RSV/PJM) Luke 6:20-23 (RSV) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, Blessed are you that hunger now, for they shall be satisfied. for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men Blessed are you when men hate you, revile you and persecute you and when they exclude you and revile you, and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice and be glad, Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for your reward is great in heaven, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. for so their fathers did to the prophets.

Global Observations Matthew has 9 beatitudes; Luke has 4 4 of Matthew’s Beatitudes come from the [These are highlighted in blue.] 5 of Matthew’s Beatitudes come from M, i.e., they appear in no other Gospel. [These are not colored at all.] 8 of Matthew’s Beatitudes are in the grammatical third person, “Blessed are the x . . .” Third person speech is about someone. All 4 of Luke’s Beatitudes are in the grammatical second person, “Blessed are you . . . “ Second person speech is addressed to someone. “Beatitude” is a common OT literary form. However Most OT beatitudes are singular. All the beatitudes attributed to Jesus are plural. This is one argument for their basic “authenticity.” At least some of them probably go back to Stage 1.6

My approach to the Beatitudes In contrast to the catechism, and many NT scholars, I do not view the Beatitudes as a “list of virtues.” Rather, the first 4 are about what God does for us; the final 5 are about our response to God.

1, Poor in Spirit Corresponds to Luke’s 1st beatitude Kingdom of heaven. This beatitude is not about cultivating a “virtue.” Being “poor in spirit” is not a good thing! The Lord is close to the brokenhearted // those who are crushed in spirit he saves (Ps34:19) It is about what God does for us!

2, Those Who Mourn Corresponds to Luke’s 3rd beatitude, those who weep “shall be comforted” is a “divine passive” (sometimes called a “theological passive”) This beatitude is not about cultivating a virtue. It is about what God does for us!

6 Based on the criterion of “dissimilarity.” If these were simply made up on OT models, most of them would be singular. Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 6 of 15

3, The Meek /Oppressed A paraphrase of Ps 37:11, variously translated as: the meek (KJV, RSV, NRSV), the poor (NAB, NJB), the oppressed (NET) Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament gives the word’s etymology as “bowed down.” No Lucan Parallel. Did Luke omit it because he considers it a repetition of his first beatitude (“the poor”). More likely: Matthew created it. It is synonymous with the next beatitude. Matthew wanted “2 sets of 4” before the long final beatitude. [But Jesus could have quoted the Psalm!] I think the NET translation is the best: “the oppressed” This beatitude is not about cultivating the virtue of humility.

4, Hunger and Thirst for Justice. "Righteousness" and "Holiness" are too churchy. Synonymous with previous beatitude. The “meek / oppressed” are those who “hunger & thirst for justice.” “shall be satisfied” is a “divine passive.” God himself shall satisfy them. This beatitude is not about cultivating a virtue. It is about what God does for us!

Next Four Beatitudes, Our response to God The merciful -- “obtain mercy” is an idiomatic translation of a “divine passive” The clean of heart--will be illustrated in teaching about anger (5:21-26) and lust (5:27-30) The peacemakers – “will be called” is a “divine passive.” Those persecuted for the sake of justice -- those working for justice These beatitudes are about cultivating virtue!

"Sons" of God Inclusive translation, “children of God” misses an important point. “Sons of God:” huioi, plural of huios, the same word used for Jesus in 3:17, “my beloved son.” John distinguishes between Jesus who is “son (huios) of God," and a who is a “child (teknon) of God” Matthew does not make this distinction. He uses the same word for Jesus (huios), and for disciples (huioi). Matthew’s is higher than Mark’s, but not as high as John’s!

9th Beatitude. Much longer than the others. The persecution results from the behavior of Christians – their profession of faith in Jesus. It’s focus is on our response to God’s goodness, expressed in the first beatitudes.

Reward in heaven Remark by N.T. Wright to Baptists in New Orleans (concerning beer!) Kingdom of “heaven” does not mean it is in the sky somewhere. This is simply a reverent Jewish way of avoiding saying the reward is “with God.”

Remarks about “Authenticity” The Q Beatitudes are probably authentic – i.e., the go back to Stage 1. The third Beatitude (the “meek,” i.e., the “oppressed”) is actually a quote from the OT, Psalm 37:11 It's possible the quotation comes from Jesus himself.

Summary of Matthew’s Structure 4 Beatitudes about what God does for us 5 Beatitudes about what we do in response Structure of Matthew's source -- which he modified The Q structure was 3 (or 4)7 about what God does for us, 1 about what we do in response.

7 Three if the quote from Psalm 37 comes from Matthew. Four if Jesus himself quoted the psalm. One cannot be dogmatic here. Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 7 of 15

Matthew’s emphasis is different from that of the . Jesus stressed God's goodness toward us Matthew stressed our response to God's goodness Most catechisms have an even stronger ethical emphasis -- they interpret all the beatitudes as exhortations to virtue.

Advantages & Disadvantages There are advantages to this, but also disadvantages. I believe it was C.S. Lewis who described the Puritans as: "people who kept their morality but lost their religion, a deplorable state!" In my heart-of-hearts I believe religion is 90% about what God does for us, 10% about what we do for God!

Lecture 10, The Temptation

#20. The Temptation (Matthew -- vv. 9-12 of Luke are in Matthean order) Matt 4:1-11 :12-13 :1-13 Then Jesus And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, was led up by the Spirit The Spirit immediately drove him and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness 40 days 2 for forty days in the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. tempted by Satan; tempted by the devil. and he was with the wild beasts; 2 And he fasted forty days and forty nights And he ate nothing in those days; and afterward he was hungry. and when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these "If you are the Son of God, command this stones to become loaves of bread." stone to become bread." 4 But he answered, 4 And Jesus answered him, [Deut 8:3] [Deut 8:3] "It is written, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by `Man shall not live by bread alone.'" every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, 9 And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6and said to him, and said to him, [Ps 91:11-12] [Ps 91:11-12] If you are the Son of God, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; throw yourself down from here; for it is written, 10 for it is written, [Deut 6:16] [Deut 6:16] `He will give his `He will give his angels charge of you, and charge of you, to guard you, 11 and `On their hands they will bear you up, `On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 12 And Jesus answered him, "It is said, `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" 8 Again, the devil took him 5 And the devil took him up, to a very high mountain, and and showed him all the kingdoms of the world showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and the glory of them; 9 6 and said to him, "To you I will give and he said to him, All these I will give you all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 8 of 15

and I give it to whom I will. if you will fall down and worship me 7 If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! 8 And Jesus answered him, for it is written, "It is written, [Deut 6:13] [Deut 6:13] `You shall worship the Lord your God `You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" and him only shall you serve.'" 13 And 11 Then the devil when the devil had ended every temptation, left him, and behold, and he departed from him until an opportune time. angels came and ministered to him. the angels ministered to him.

Global Observations. Mark has a very short story: Jesus is tempted for 40 days, after which angels minister to him. Matthew and Luke give a detailed narrative of the temptation.

I changed the Order of Temptations in Luke, to make it easier to see when they agree word-for-word I put Luke's verse numbers for verses 9-11 in a red font, so you can see they are out of order. Luke 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13

Locations of Temptations Places of temptation in Matthew: wilderness holy city high mountain Places of temptation in Luke: wilderness height Jerusalem

Word-for-Word Agreements If a teacher has 2 students who turn in an essay, and many phrases agree word-for-word, there are 2 possibilities 1) one student has copied from the other 2) both students used the same encyclopedia article -- or today, the same Wikipedia article. Most scholars don't think Matthew copied from Luke, or that Luke copied from Matthew. Gory Details: too complex for this introductory course Therefore the must have had a common source: Q (for Quelle, the German word for "source")

Matthew's Emphasis. If you "color code" a synoptic passage, things unique to Matthew are not colored. It's fun to check them out!

Matthew's Emphasis: Climax of story is on a high mountain. Matthew like's mountains. It is part of his portrait of Jesus as "the new Moses" Only Matthew has a Sermon on the Mount [Luke's similar sermon is located on a "plain."] Matthew's only recorded resurrection appearance to the 12 takes place on a mountain in . Notice that there is no mountain mentioned in Luke. Luke literally writes, "taking him up" [where?] Matthew likes mountains!

Matthew's Emphasis: Quotes all of Deut 8:3 ". . . but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" Matthew emphasizes Jesus as teacher. He structures his "extra material" (not in Mark) into 5 Discourses / Sermons

Matthew's Emphasis: Begone Satan! Only Matthew contains this command. Luke simply says that the devil left "for a time" when he was finished tempting. The command of the Matthean Jesus shows his authority.

"If you are the Son of God . . ." We often miss Matthew's main point. When we read "Son of God" often we think of the Creed, and our profession of the divine nature of Jesus. The first Son of God was the people of Israel. God's command to Moses (after the story of the burning bush) So you will say to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD: Israel is my son, my firstborn. (Exod 4:22 NABRE) Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 9 of 15

The first son of God "messes up" in the desert. It is a time of murmuring when there is not enough food. The final son of God succeeds where the first son of God failed! The Matthean Jesus sums up entire history of Israel

Son of God = Davidic King. Another Jewish meaning for "Son of God" is the Davidic King. Every King of Israel heard Ps 2 on his coronation day. "You are my son. Today I have begotten you. The king of Israel was "son of God" in a way that ordinary Israelites were not. Jesus is Son of God in the sense that he fulfills perfectly the hopes for the idea Davidic King.

Is this a historical event? Almost all of the "dialogue" consists of quotations from the OT. Nobody is there but Jesus and the devil. How could anyone know what happened? Fitzmyer (Christological Catechism) says it is possible that the "fantastic details" go back to Jesus himself. Perhaps a symbolic story of Jesus describing his temptations to disciples--after he called them--none at this point in story The other possibility would be that this is a creative symbolic story composed by a Christian preacher in Stage 2. In either case, the story dramatizes the basic truth expressed in Mark, that Jesus was tempted. Dramatization is not falsification: it makes the truth memorable!

Q&A. Mark says the Spirit "drove" Jesus into the desert. Do Matthew & Luke use a Different word in Greek? Yes. Mark's word is ekballō, literally "cast out." It is what happens to evil spirits in the NT! Matthew and Luke both change that violent image to say that Jesus "was led." Q. "If you are the Son of God." In Greek grammar, is this not similar to "Since you are the Son of God"? A. Yes! Perfectly correct. Satan is not in doubt! He wants Jesus to be "Son of God" by his

Lecture 11, Matthew & Peter

Introductory Remarks. Matthew has several stories about Peter that are found in no other Gospel.

§147 Walking on the Sea (excerpt) :22-34 Mark 6:45-53 John 6:16-21 27 At once (Jesus) spoke to them, But at once he spoke with them, 20 But he said to them, "Take courage, "Take courage, it is I; it is I, "It is I. do not be afraid." do not be afraid!" Do not be afraid." 28 Peter said to him in reply, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw how (strong) the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 After they got into the boat, 51 He got into the boat with them 21 They wanted to take him into the boat, the wind died down. and the wind died down. 33 1 Those who were in the boat They did him homage, saying, were (completely) astounded. 52 They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, but the boat immediately arrived "Truly, you are the Son of God." their hearts were hardened. at the shore to which they were heading. Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 10 of 15

Note how Matthew has changed the conclusion. In Mark the hearts of the disciples are "hardened." They understand nothing. In Matthew the disciples "did him homage" / "worshipped him". "Worshipping Jesus" is a favorite theme in Matthew.

The Matthean disciples are models of behavior for his Church. If someone imitates the Marcan disciples, that person is a fool! If someone imitates the Matthean disciples, he or she might become holy! Peter's Special Role. Only Peter gets out of the boat Note that this section is absent in Mark and John. (Luke does not have the story of Jesus walking on the sea.)

Parallel with John 21. (post-resurrectional a ). Both stories take place at the end of the night. In both stories there is a lack of recognition. In both stories the hero recognizes Jesus. (In John it is the Beloved Disciple; in Matthew the hero is Peter) In both stories Peter gets out of the boat and goes to Jesus. In John, Peter wades to Jesus; In Matthew, he walks on the water, till he has a little "faith trouble," and is rescued by Jesus. Most scholars think of Matthew's version (walking on the water) as a "homiletic dramatization" of the original tradition. Remember: Dramatization is not falsification; Dramatization makes the truth memorable.

Peter: First of the Twelve to See the Risen Jesus 1 Cor 15:5, Paul begins his list with: "he appeared to Cephas, and after that to the twelve." :34 "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" This story is not found in the final chapters of any Gospel? Has it been lost? That is one possibility. Another possibility is that Matthew has inserted a form of this story into the story of the Walking on the Sea.

§158. Peter's Confession (excerpt) :13-20 Mark 8:27-30 :18-21 15 He said to them, 20 And he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 29 And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter replied, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "You are the , Peter answered him, "The Christ the Son of the living God." "You are the Christ." of God." 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

No Column for John. In John (11:27) it is who confesses Jesus as "Christ, the Son of God."

Peter Receives Pastoral Authority. This scene also has parallels to post-resurrectional John 21. There Peter receives pastoral authority: "Feed my sheep." Many scholars think John keeps the original historical setting. This explains why Mark and Luke do not have this information in their version of the scene at Caesaria Philippi.

Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 11 of 15

§165 The Temple Tax 17:24 When they came to , the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, "Does not your teacher pay the tax?" 25 He said, "Yes." And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?" 26 And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself." (Matt 17:24-27 RSV)

Comments. This passage has several points. Here I stress that the fish has enough for Jesus & Peter--not for all the 12! Peter is "singled out" in this story found only in Matthew.

Summary. Peter's leadership is important for Matthew and for his community. Most scholars date Matthew to the 80's after the death of Peter. Matthew evidently thinks of some "ongoing importance" for the ministry of Peter. Various Christians understand the ministry of Peter in various ways. Our Catholic tradition sees the role of Peter continued in the Church by the ministry of the pope, the bishop of Rome

Lecture 12. Matthew & the Fig Tree Story

In the Two-Source Theory (earlier lecture) Mark is one of Matthew’s sources. How does Matthew use his source (Mark)? Mark 11 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, 13 Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to it, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. but found nothing on it except leaves. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs.

Note two phrases in Mark that Matthew has omitted: 1) "to see if he could find anything on it." 2) "it was not the time for figs."

Excursus on Christology “Low Christology” begins with the humanity of Jesus; seeks to understand his divinity. “High Christology” begins with the divinity of Jesus; seeks to understand his humanity. Quick check on your personal Christology If everyone in the first century thought the earth was flat, did Jesus think it was flat?

Matthew has a higher Christology than Mark The Matthean Jesus does not need to “see if” there is fruit on the tree. He knows! How does Matthew take care of problem? Chops it out! Second phrase is awkward. "Not the Season for Figs" Mark is trying to help his readers understand why there were not figs. But the explanation is not “helpful.” It makes Jesus look unintelligent! Mark has the equivalent of high-school or junior college education. Matthew takes care of this problem by chopping the phrase.

Another Change in Matthew Matthew Mark And he said to it, 14 And he said to it in reply, "May no fruit ever come from you again." "May no one ever eat of your fruit again!" And immediately the fig tree withered. And 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed his disciples heard it. [Story about temple] Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 12 of 15

Matthew wants to highlight the authority of Jesus. The fig tree withers immediately! (Like the wicked witch in Wizard of Oz)

Mark's story is a "Frame." The miracle "frames" the cleansing of the Temple. Those who run the Temple are not "bearing fruit." They can expect the same end as the fig tree. Matthew looses the frame, but he “improves” the miracle.

Luke Does Not Like Cursing / Punishing Miracles. His version is a parable with the same message (:6-9) OT Example: Elijah curses the disrespectful children, who are eaten by a bear (2 Kings 2:23-24). Garrison Keillor laments that they no longer tell this story in Lutheran Sunday school. There used to be more respect for elders! NT Example, story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)

Summary of Matthew’s editing of Mark. Omits the phrase “to see if he could find anything on it.” Omits the phrase “it was not the time for figs” Repositions the scene: “cleansing” of Temple occurs before the cursing of the tree Loses the “frame," but improves the miracle by making it instantaneous!

Q&A. Observation: Often in the Bible the fig tree is a symbol for Israel. Remarks on Christian & Jewish traditions on the reason for the destruction of Jerusalem. Jewish Perspective: The Temple was destroyed because there was too much senseless hatred. It will be rebuilt when there is too much senseless love.

Lecture 13. Improving Mark, Part 1: Improving Miracles

Option 1, Making a Miracle Instantaneous. Previous Lecture: withering the fig tree.

Option 2, Doubling the Miracle, Example 1: Gadarene Demoniac (Synopsis §91) :28-34 Mark 5:1-20 :26-39 28 When he came to the other side, They came to the other side of the sea, 26 Then they sailed to the territory of the Gadarenes, to the territory of the Gerasenes. 2 to the territory of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When he got out of the boat, at once When he came ashore two demoniacs a man a man who were coming from the tombs from the tombs from the town who had an unclean spirit who was possessed by demons met him. met him. met him.

How many demoniacs in Mark & in Luke? Only one: a man. In Matthew? "two demoniacs" Remember, violet is my color-code for Mark & Luke, but not Matthew. What is uncolored in Matthew is unique to him.

Second Improvement: Geography. Gerasa is 26 miles from the sea; Gadara is about 6 miles from the

Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 13 of 15

Doubling the Miracle, examples 2 & 3 (Healing of Blind Bartimaeus, ( Synopsis §264) :29-34 :27-31 Mark 10:46 - 52 :35-43 27 And as Jesus passed on 46 They came Now as he approached from there, to Jericho. Jericho 29 As they left Jericho, And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples a great crowd followed him. and a sizable crowd, 30 Two blind men two blind men Bartimaeus, a blind man, a blind man the son of Timaeus, were sitting by the roadside, followed (him), sat by the roadside was sitting by the roadside begging. begging, and when they heard that 47 On hearing that it was 36 and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. 37 They told him, Jesus Jesus of , "Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, is passing by." they cried out, crying out, he began to cry out and say, 38 he shouted, "(Lord,) "Jesus, "Jesus, 1 Son of David, have pity on us!" "Son of David, 2 have pity on us!" son of David, have pity on me." 48 Son of David, have pity on me!"

How many blind men in Matthew chapter 20? TWO

Look at Matthew 9:27-31 [ same story, different location]. Notice that Matthew uses this miracle twice! Matthew was doing miracles in “sets of three,” in chapter 9, each set separated by dialogue. He ran out of miracles to complete this pattern, so he used one twice. He has converted the blind man of Mark into four blind men!

Option 3: Improving a Miracle by a factor of X, Example 1: Synopsis § 146 Feeding of the 5000 note especially the following verses :Matt 14:21 || Mark 6:44 || Luke 9:14 || John 6:10 "not counting women and children" Only in Matthew

Improving a Miracle by a factor of X, Example 2: Synopsis # 153 Feeding of the 4000 Matt 15:38 || Mark 8:9 "not counting women and children"

Option 4, Omitting a Miracle. (Synopsis §156) Blind Man at Matt Mark 8:22-26 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man, and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24 And he looked up and said, "I see men; but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."

Mark Loves This Story! It symbolizes the disciples, who "see" Jesus, but only imperfectly!

Problem 1. Matthew and Luke might not have liked "spit miracles." [Spit was sometimes used by magicians] Also, the RSV translation "tones it down."

Problem 2. Matthew (like Luke!) does not like miracles where it takes Jesus two tries to "get it right." Solution: Omit the miracle. Problem solved! Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 14 of 15

Summary of Improvements Make the miracle instantaneous Double the miracle (in a single story) Double the miracle (by using the same miracle more than once) Increase a miracle by a factor of X ("plus women and children") Omit the miracle if it is not powerful enough or has elements of “magic”

Reflections: Who Wrote the First Gospel? Matthew (and Luke) make many improvements to Mark. It is much easier to understand how Matthew would improve Mark's rough first attempts than it is to imagine how Mark could take Matthew's beautiful stories and make a mess out of them!

Reflections on the formation of the Bible. Matthew & Luke both cherished Mark. Neither one of them view Mark as "the unalterable Word of God." In the first century, Christian writings were respected, but they were not yet considered "sacred scripture."

Lecture 14. Improving Mark, Part 2

Improvements by Omission. Previous Lecture: “to see if it had any figs” Omission of the Mark 8:22-26, the miracle story where it takes Jesus two tries to heal the blind man.

Improvement by Omission, Example 2,Woman with Hemorrhage ( Synopsis § 138, Luke's column omitted for simplicity) Matthew 9:20-22 Mark 5:25-34 20 A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. came up behind him 27 She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched the tassel on his cloak. and touched his cloak. 21 She said to herself, 28 She said, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." 29 Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that 22 Jesus she was healed of her affliction. 30 Jesus, aware at once turned around and saw her, that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" 31 But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'" 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. and said, "Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you." 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. And from that hour the woman was cured. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

Matthew improves the order: Mark 5:29 she touches Jesus & is cured. Mark 5:34; Jesus tells her that her faith has saved her Matt 9:22 Jesus tells her that her faith has saved her. 9:23 She gets better.

Question by Jesus Omitted. Mark 5:30 The Marcan Jesus asked "Who touched my clothes?" Not in Matthew!

Question of Disciples Omitted. Mark 5:31 The irreverent question of the disciples! Not in Matthew!

Power of Jesus in Mark, not under his control! It is almost "magical." The woman sneaks up and touches him, and he feels power go out of him. But he does not know where or to whom? Gospel of Matthew, 2016 Greco Course, Lectures 7-14, Page 15 of 15

Power of Jesus in Matthew. He knows who touched him; he knows why she touched him. She is cured only after Jesus makes the pronouncement. No overtones of "magic."

Which Evangelist Wrote First? It is easy to understand how Matthew would make improvements on Mark's rough text. However, if Matthew wrote first, Mark would have had to be a complete idiot to mess up his beautiful story so badly!

Improvement by changing the dialogue: Note the man’s question & Jesus’ response. §254 The Rich Young Man Matt 19:16-22 Mark 10:17-22 Luke 18:18-23 16 And behold, 17 And as he was setting out And on his journey, one came up to him, a man ran up and knelt before him, a ruler saying, and asked him, asked him, "Teacher, "Good Teacher, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, what must I do what shall I do to have eternal life?" to inherit eternal life?" to inherit eternal life?" 17 And he said to him, 18 And Jesus said to him, 19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? "Why do you call me good? "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. (RSV) No one is good but God alone. No one is good but God alone.

2 Problems with Mark's Version Problem 1. Jesus does not accept the title "God." This is not as strange for the NT audience as it is for us. We recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday. Not a problem for most first-century Christians But this level of theological understanding was centuries into the future when Matthew wrote. (Most Catholics are astonished to find out that the only Gospel to call Jesus "God" is John, and he only does it twice! The awareness of the divinity of Jesus grew during the decades of the NT, but even more in the following centuries, which resulted in the 4th-century Nicene Creed we say on Sundays.)

Problem 2. Jesus does not accept the title "good." This is a problem for Matthew He takes care of the problem by changing the question to "What good deed must I do to have eternal life?" This enables him to change the answer of Jesus to "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Problem solved! Jesus no longer denies that he is good (or that he is God).

Summary of Improvements By Omission: Questions that indicate a lack of knowledge on the part of Jesus -- Matthew often "chops" them. Rearranging the Order: Faith, not Magic! Modification: Changing the dialogue to reflect his higher Christology