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Evangelicals and the Synoptic Problem

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EVANGELICALS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM by Michael Strickland A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Theology and Religion School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion University of Birmingham January 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Dedication To Mary: Amor Fidelis. In Memoriam: Charles Irwin Strickland My father (1947-2006) Through many delays, occasioned by a variety of hindrances, the detail of which would be useless to the Reader, I have at length brought this part of my work to its conclusion; and now send it to the Public, not without a measure of anxiety; for though perfectly satisfied with the purity of my motives, and the simplicity of my intention, 1 am far from being pleased with the work itself. The wise and the learned will no doubt find many things defective, and perhaps some incorrect. Defects necessarily attach themselves to my plan: the perpetual endeavour to be as concise as possible, has, no doubt, in several cases produced obscurity. Whatever errors may be observed, must be attributed to my scantiness of knowledge, when compared with the learning and information necessary for the tolerable perfection of such a work. Adam Clarke from the Introduction to his first commentary in 1810 Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. David Parker for his supervision, to Dr. Mark Goodacre for serving as an external supervisor, to Dr. David Bebbington for his guidance on evangelicalism, to Dr. Peter Head and Dr. Robert Gundry for their autobiographical information, and to Dr. Stephen C. Carlson for his assistance in Latin translation. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Unless otherwise noted, all figures are reproduced from Google Books. Page 21 Figure 1a: Excerpt on John the Baptist from Calvin’s Latin Three-Column Harmony. Figure 1b: Excerpt on John the Baptist from J. J. Griesbach’s Greek Three Column Synopsis. Page 30 Figure 1c: Excerpt from Martin Chemnitz’s Harmony on the preaching of John the Baptist. Page 42 Figure 2a: Newcourt's Map of London, drawn in 1658, facsimile by Edward Stanford 1863. Figure 2b: Close-Up of the area near London Bridge with a key to churches. Adapted from Newcourt’s map by permission. Page 43 Figure 2c: Map of modern London showing the proximity of St. Augustine on Watling Street, St. Margaret Moses on Friday Street, and St. Mary Abchurch on Abchurch Lane. Page 67 Figure 4a: Henry Owen’s side-by-side comparison of Mt 3:11 and Lk 3:16, from Observations on the Four Gospels. Page 68 Figure 4b: From page 209 of John Lightfoot’s Harmony of the Foure Evangelists. Image taken from Early English Books Online (EEBO): http://eebo.chadwyck.com/ Page 69 Figure 4c: Excerpt from Jean Le Clerc’s 1699 Harmonia Evangelica. Page 84 Figure 6a: Title page for Favell Mortimer’s Light in the Dwelling, published in 1858. EVANGELICALS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION………………………………………………....Page 4 A. Definitions B. Solutions to the Synoptic Problem Page 10 C. Plan of the Study Page 13 D. Rationale for the Study Page 14 E. The Stance of the Early Church Page 15 I. A CALVIN(IST) AND A LUTHERAN AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM – SIXTEENTH CENTURY…………………………………………Page 19 A. John Calvin: Using Parallel Columns to Compare the Synoptic Gospel B. Martin Chemnitz: Nascent Redaction Criticism Page 23 II. PURITANS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM – SEVENTEENTH CENTURY..................................................................................Page 34 A. Sidrach Simpson B. Benjamin Needler Page 36 C. Francis Roberts Page 39 III. TEXTUAL CRITICS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM – 1700- 1749.............................................................................................Page 45 A. Textual Critic #1: John Mill B. Textual Critic #2: J.A. Bengel Page 50 IV. TWO BRITONS, A GERMAN EVANGELICAL AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM – 1750-1799 Page 54 A. Nathaniel Lardner: Considering the Consequences of Literary Dependence B. Henry Owen: An Anglican Pioneer Page 62 C. J.G. Herder: Principles for Comparing the Evangelists Page 74 V. EVANGELICALS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM – 1800-1849 Page 81 A. Mary Cornwallis: First Female Scholar to Address the Synoptic Problem B. Other Female Authors and the Synoptic Problem Page 82 C. Thomas Hartwell Horne: Synthesis of Scholarship Page 84 D. Adam Clarke: The English Evangelical Father Contributes Page 86 E. John David Macbride: The Synoptic Problem and One Gospel from Four Page 88 F. Moses Stuart: First American Scholar to Address the Synoptic Problem Page 91 G. Louis Gaussen: Opponent of Investigation into the Synoptic Problem Page 93 H. August Tholuck: Evangelical Scholarship Battles the Quest for the Historical Jesus Page 96 I. J.J. Blunt: The Irrelevance of the Synoptic Problem for Apologetics Page 99 1 J. Non-evangelicals and their Influence on Evangelical Arguments Page 101 VI. EVANGELICALS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM – 1850- 1899….....................................................................................…Page 103 A. The Synoptic Problem and Original Languages 1. Alexander Roberts: Jesus Predominantly Spoke Greek 2. J.T. Marshall: The Aramaic Gospel Page 107 3. Joseph Palmer: A Layman’s Hypothesis Page 110 B. Textual Critic #3: Henry Alford Page 114 C. A. B. Bruce: The Synoptic Problem and Charges of Heresy Page 123 D. James Stalker: The Case Against the Tübingen School Page 133 VII. EVANGELICALS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM – 1900- 1949............................................................................................Page 136 A. The Princeton School: Using the 2SH to Fight Back 1. B.B. Warfield: The ‘Lion of Princeton’ and the 2SH 2. Geerhardus Vos: Using the 2SH Against Bousset Page 142 B. Theodor Zahn: Against the Scholarly Tide in Germany Page 145 C. Louis Berkhof: Bridging European and American Evangelicalism Page 149 D. A.T. Robertson: Evangelicalism’s Strongest Advocate for the 2SH Page 152 E. W. G. Scroggie: The British Preacher for the 2SH Page 157 VIII. EVANGELICALS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM – 1950 - PRESENT.........................................................................................Page 162 A. Ned B. Stonehouse: Pioneer Redaction Critic Page 164 B. John W. Wenham: An Assault on the Synoptic Problem Page 171 C. E. Earle Ellis: Redaction and Midrash Pesher Page 184 D. Robert L. Thomas: Defending the Independence Theory Page 192 E. Robert H. Gundry: A Furore over Midrash Page 208 F. I. Howard Marshall: Influence at Home and Abroad Page 217 G. Robert Stein: Following in Robertson’s Footsteps Page 220 H. David Wenham: Pre-Synoptic Traditions Page 230 I. Peter Head: Christology and the Synoptic Problem Page 242 IX. ECCLESIOLOGICAL CONCERNS AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM........................................................................................Page 253 A. Protestant and Evangelical Ecclesiology B. Attitudes toward Patristic Tradition Page 255 C. The Use of Patristic Tradition and the SP Page 257 D. Evangelical Ecclesiologies and The Synoptic Problem Page 264 E. Denominational Affiliation and the SP Page 266 F. The Synoptic Problem and Evangelical Orthodoxy Page 268 2 X. SUMMARY...............................................................................Page 275 A. The Three Early Catalysts to Evangelical Concern for the SP B. Consistent Arguments Page 278 1. Concern for the Doctrine of Inspiration 2. Emphasising Similarities / Differences Page 280 3. Luke’s Preface and the Synoptic Problem Page 282 4. The Creativity of the Evangelists Page 283 i. Dependency Advocates and Ipsissima Vox ii. Independence Advocates and Ipsissima Verba Page 285 5. For and Against Documentary Hypotheses Page 286 6. The Role of Oral Tradition Page 289 C. Changes Throughout the Centuries Page 291 1. The Decline of the Augustinian Hypothesis 2. Independence Advocates and Augustine 3. The Use of Statistics Page 292 4. Arguments from Order X. CONCLUSION...……………...……………………………….Page 294 XI. APPENDIX: THE EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM…………………………………….Page 296 XII. BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………Page 388 3 Evangelicals and the Synoptic Problem Introduction The purpose of this work is to discover how evangelical Christians have approached the classic puzzle in NT criticism known as the Synoptic Problem (SP) throughout their history as well as engage with recent scholarly discussion among evangelicals about solutions to the SP. Attempts will be made to answer at least five crucial questions. First, for how long have those with evangelical convictions sought to explain the similarities and differences between the synoptic gospels by appealing to the evangelists’ sources? Second, as they considered these sources and the evangelists’ use of them, how were the individual views of inspiration held by those evangelicals affected and explained? Third, how have evangelical solutions to the SP evolved as biblical criticism has changed over the centuries? Fourth, how have evangelicals advocated their preferred solutions to the SP and characterized
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