The Synoptic Problem
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What If the Gospel According to the Hebrews Was Q?
What If the Gospel according to the Hebrews Was Q? Introduction The absence of references to Q in the Church Fathers has often been taken as evidence against the two- document hypothesis. Michael Goulder writes: “There is no reference to Q in any ancient source.”1 Eta Linnemann says: “The writings of the ancient church give not the slightest hint that such a source ever existed. Among the early church fathers there is not even a rumor of a lost canonical gospel.”2 And Nicholas Perrin writes: “We have no manuscript of Q, no attestation in the early Church Fathers or elsewhere that such a text ever existed. We have no hard evidence at all for Q.”3 Today I want to consider the evidence for and the implications of the idea that Q continued to be used by Christian Jews for centuries after it was taken up by Matthew and Luke and that several of the church fathers were aware of this gospel and have even provided us with a handful of quotations of it. Q specialists often hold that Q originated among a group of Christians who maintained their Jewish identity.4 Since the church fathers tell us that Christian Jews used a different gospel, known as the Gospel according to the Hebrews (GHeb),5 it is paramount to ask whether GHeb might have been Q. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerome quote twenty-six passages from GHeb.6 I do not have the time to defend the unpopular notion that these five authors are indeed working from the same gospel,7 but let me say that it would only help my case if I could bracket out, for example, the quotations by Jerome as not being from GHeb. -
Teaching Jesus of Nazareth
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS Teaching Jesus of Nazareth MAURICE RYAN JACINTA PETERSEN Teaching Jesus of Nazareth ________________ Resources for Teachers Maurice Ryan Jacinta Petersen lumino Press Published in Australia in 2020 by Lumino Press PO Box 1024 Hamilton QLD 4007 www.luminopress.com.au [email protected] © Maurice Ryan and Jacinta Petersen, Teaching Jesus of Nazareth: Resources for Teachers ISBN 978-1-921538-45-2 The authors assert their ownership of the original material in this manual. No reproduction of this work - manual, digital or otherwise, in whole or in part - is permitted without specific written permission by the authors. Permission is granted for those who have purchased this manual to use the materials with their own classes and students, as allowed by the Copyright Act. No further permission is required in these cases. All attempts have been made to establish the rightful owners of copyrighted material used in this manual. Anyone who believes their rights have been unintentionally infringed is encouraged to contact the publisher. The Scripture quotations contained herein are from theNew Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible: Catholic Edition copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All URLs described in this book were live and active with appropriate content at the time of publication. Due to the dynamic nature of the internet, no responsibility can be taken for subsequent changes, additions or deletions to these sites. A number of pages in this book were designed and created by Kylie Phillips, an experienced and gifted classroom teacher. -
Chapter 4 TOO GOOD to BE Q: HIGH VERBATIM AGREEMENT in THE
Chapter 4 TOO GOOD TO BE Q: HIGH VERBATIM AGREEMENT IN THE DOUBLE TRADITION Mark Goodacre It is a fact seldom acknowledged that the double tradition material in Matthew and Luke shows a remarkably high degree of verbatim agree- ment. It is a fact still more rarely acknowledged that the high verbatim agreement makes best sense if Luke is copying from Matthew. The issue is surprisingly straightforward, and yet it is almost always missed in discussions of the Synoptic Problem. Where two documents show very close agreement in wording in parallel passages, the best explanation is that one is copying directly from the other, not that both are copying from a hypothetical third document. Where two documents are copying from a third, we should not expect to see the kind of high verbatim agreement that we often see in the double tradition. The evidence suggests that Luke had direct contact with Matthew, and this entails dispensing with Q. High Verbatim Agreement and an Oral Q The issue of high verbatim agreement in the double tradition does have a place in the discussion of the Synoptic Problem, but its place is generally found in the exploration of whether or not Q is a written document, rather than in exploring the issue of its very existence. This is in large part because the idea of an oral Q is often thought to be the greatest threat to the hypothesis that the Q document was a source for Matthew and Luke. In an important article on ‘Variation in the Reproduction of the Double Tradition and an Oral Q?’,1 John Kloppenborg develops 1. -
The Psalms As Hymns in the Temple of Jerusalem Gary A
4 The Psalms as Hymns in the Temple of Jerusalem Gary A. Rendsburg From as far back as our sources allow, hymns were part of Near Eastern temple ritual, with their performers an essential component of the temple functionaries. 1 These sources include Sumerian, Akkadian, and Egyptian texts 2 from as early as the third millennium BCE. From the second millennium BCE, we gain further examples of hymns from the Hittite realm, even if most (if not all) of the poems are based on Mesopotamian precursors.3 Ugarit, our main source of information on ancient Canaan, has not yielded songs of this sort in 1. For the performers, see Richard Henshaw, Female and Male: The Cu/tic Personnel: The Bible and Rest ~(the Ancient Near East (Allison Park, PA: Pickwick, 1994) esp. ch. 2, "Singers, Musicians, and Dancers," 84-134. Note, however, that this volume does not treat the Egyptian cultic personnel. 2. As the reader can imagine, the literature is ~xtensive, and hence I offer here but a sampling of bibliographic items. For Sumerian hymns, which include compositions directed both to specific deities and to the temples themselves, see Thorkild Jacobsen, The Harps that Once ... : Sumerian Poetry in Translation (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987), esp. 99-142, 375--444. Notwithstanding the much larger corpus of Akkadian literarure, hymn~ are less well represented; see the discussion in Alan Lenzi, ed., Reading Akkadian Prayers and Hymns: An Introduction, Ancient Near East Monographs (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011), 56-60, with the most important texts included in said volume. For Egyptian hymns, see Jan A%mann, Agyptische Hymnen und Gebete, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1999); Andre Barucq and Frarn;:ois Daumas, Hymnes et prieres de /'Egypte ancienne, Litteratures anciennes du Proche-Orient (Paris: Cerf, 1980); and John L. -
Crucifixion in Mark
Scripturalization in Mark’s Crucifixion Narrative Mark Goodacre Duke University, Durham, NC Please cite this article as follows: Mark Goodacre, ―Scripturalization in Mark‘s Crucifixion Narrative‖ in Geert van Oyen and Tom Shepherd (eds.), The Trial and Death of Jesus: Essays on the Passion Narrative in Mark (Leuven: Peeters, 2006): 33-47 Numbers in square brackets refer to the original page numbers. The Shame of Crucifixion One might have thought that it was something of a scholarly cliché to stress the horror, the shame, the degradation, the suffering involved with crucifixion. Yet many of the scholarly reactions to The Passion of the Christ (dir. Mel Gibson, 2004), which balked at the scale of suffering endured here by Jesus, provide a timely reminder that many of us still have very little grasp of just how appalling a death crucifixion was. The remarkable thing about Mel Gibson‘s film was not so much the magnitude of suffering depicted but its restraint in showing many of the true horrors of crucifixion, as Gibson himself realized.1 Consider, for example, Seneca‘s mockery of the view that life is worth holding on to at any price: Can anyone be found who would prefer wasting away in pain dying limb by 1 See further Mark Goodacre, ―The Power of The Passion of the Christ: Reacting and Overreacting to Gibson‘s Artistic Vision‖ in Kathleen E. Corley and Robert L. Webb (eds.), Jesus and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ: the Film, the Gospels and the Claims of History (London & New York: Continuum, 2004): 28-44 (35-6). -
Apistoi</Em>? Symbolic Boundaries and Anthropological Language in 2
BearWorks MSU Graduate Theses Summer 2017 Who Are the Apistoi? Symbolic Boundaries and Anthropological Language in 2 Cor 6:14-7:1 Nii Addo Kobina Abrahams Missouri State University As with any intellectual project, the content and views expressed in this thesis may be considered objectionable by some readers. However, this student-scholar’s work has been judged to have academic value by the student’s thesis committee members trained in the discipline. The content and views expressed in this thesis are those of the student-scholar and are not endorsed by Missouri State University, its Graduate College, or its employees. Follow this and additional works at: https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Rhetoric Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Abrahams, Nii Addo Kobina, "Who Are the Apistoi? Symbolic Boundaries and Anthropological Language in 2 Cor 6:14-7:1" (2017). MSU Graduate Theses. 3115. https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3115 This article or document was made available through BearWorks, the institutional repository of Missouri State University. The work contained in it may be protected by copyright and require permission of the copyright holder for reuse or redistribution. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WHO ARE THE APISTOI? SYMBOLIC BOUNDARIES AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL LANGUAGE IN 2 COR 6:14-7:1 A Masters Thesis Presented to The Graduate College of Missouri State University TEMPLATE In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts, Religious Studies By Nii Addo Kobina Abrahams August 2017 © 2017, Nii Addo Kobina Abrahams ii WHO ARE THE APISTOI? SYMBOLIC BOUNDARIES AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL LANGUAGE IN 2 COR 6:14-7:1 Religious Studies Missouri State University, August 2017 Master of Arts Nii Addo Kobina Abrahams ABSTRACT Joseph A. -
Evangelicals and the Synoptic Problem
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. -
The Rock on Rocky Ground: Matthew, Mark and Peter As Skandalon
1 The Rock on Rocky Ground: Matthew, Mark and Peter as Skandalon Mark Goodacre Please cite this article as follows: Mark Goodacre, “The Rock on Rocky Ground: Matthew, Mark and Peter as Skandalon ” in Philip McCosker (ed.), What Is It That the Scripture Says?: Essays in Biblical Interpretation, Translation, And Reception in Honour of Henry Wansbrough Osb (Library of New Testament Studies; London & New York: Continuum, 2006): 61-73, reproduced at http://markgoodacre.org/articles.htm . [Numbers in square brackets in bold refer to the original page numbers.] [61] (1) Introduction: Peter’s Confession in Matthew You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church (Matt. 16.18) This commendation and commission has echoed across the centuries, from Simon becoming Peter to Joseph Ratzinger becoming Benedict XVI. It is the 1 Earlier versions of this paper were presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2005, Philadelphia, PA, USA (Matthew Section) and the Graduate New Testament Seminar at the University of Oxford, May 2005. I am delighted to have the opportunity to present it here to Dom. Henry Wansbrough as a token of my gratitude for the encouragement and intellectual stimulation he provided while I was a graduate student at the University of Oxford, and especially in relation to my doctoral dissertation, later published as Goulder and the Gospels: An Examination of a New Paradigm (JSNTS, 133; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996), for which Dom. Henry was the internal examiner. 1 foundation story of the Church, and as even beginning students know, one of only two references to “church” in the Gospels. -
The Synoptic Problem: John the Baptist and Jesus
The Synoptic Problem: John the Baptist and Jesus Mark Goodacre Curiosity and Colored Pencils For many New Testament scholars, studying the Synoptic Problem is a bit like studying algebra at school—it is a necessary evil. If you don’t have some kind of grasp on the issue, you can’t proceed to all the really rewarding, high-stakes issues that come afterwards, redaction-criticism, exegesis of the text, Historical Jesus research. It is a topic one first meets in courses offering introductions to the New Testament, when the major solution to the problem is explained in order to provide a framework for future study. To spend any longer on the problem is commonly regarded as a waste of time. It is too complex, too boring and best left to specialists who apparently retain a fascination with the topic long after they were supposed to have left it behind. Although many New Testament scholars remain unexcited about the Synop- tic Problem, their students do find it engaging once they are given the opportunity to explore it as a problem. While it is the norm among New Testament Introduc- tions simply to present the Two-Source Theory, the dominant solution, as a fait accompli and then to refract the data through the lens of that solution,1 there is actually a better way to approach it. The Synoptic Problem becomes exciting to students when they are introduced to it as a puzzle, as a problem in search of a solution. Engaging students in the humanities is, at its best, about teaching them how to engage critically with the materials rather than about simple description of consensus views. -
Q, Memory and Matthew: a Response to Alan Kirk
journal for the study of the historical jesus 15 (2017) 224-233 brill.com/jshj Reproduced with permission on markgoodacre.org Q, Memory and Matthew: A Response to Alan Kirk Mark Goodacre Duke University [email protected] It is testimony to the resilience of the Q hypothesis, and to the determination of its defenders, that in spite of recent attacks, it is still generating thoughtful, rigorous and stimulating studies like Q in Matthew,1 Alan Kirk’s long awaited follow-up to his 1998 study, The Composition of the Sayings Source.2 But where that study focused on Q as text, this one focuses on Q as source. Kirk explores how Matthew appropriated the Q source in his gospel, bringing insights from studies of ancient media to argue that Matthew’s use of Q and Mark is coherent, understandable and plausible. There are many things to admire about Q in Matthew, not least its authorita- tive, lengthy and educational exploration of ancient media dynamics, which takes up half of the book (Chapter 1, “Orality, Writing, and Media Interface in Antiquity”; Chapter 2, “Source Utilization Practices and Ancient Media: In Search of a Model”; Chapter 3: “Manuscript and Memory”). Even those who find the Synoptic Problem and Q among their least favourite topics might read this first half of the book with interest and profit. Kirk calmly explores issues that are often side-lined in Synoptic scholarship, and he encourages the reader to focus on the logistics of source utilization in antiquity. He places special emphasis on the role played by memory, not here oral memory as a means of examining pre-Synoptic tradition, but memory of manuscript as a means of examining inter-Synoptic relationships. -
Beyond the Q Impasse √ Luke«S Use of Matthew
Critical Observations on a Team Effort: Beyond the Q Impasse — Luke’s Use of Matthew I. INTRODUCTION At the 1997 CBA meeting in Seattle, David L. Dungan presented an overview of a forth- coming book, Beyond the Q Impasse — Luke’s Use of Matthew, which has since been published through the editorial work of Allan J. McNicol, himself and David B. Peabody.1 This work also represents the input of other members of the Research Team of the International Institute for Gospel Studies, William R. Farmer (who wrote the preface), Lamar Cope and Philip Shuler. The title of Dungan’s 1997 paper suggested that the Team had found “objective proof” of Luke’s use of Matthew, in support of their “Two Gospel Hypothesis” [= 2GH].2 The Team’s publication, however, does not make such an overstated claim, but seeks to give “a plausible account of the composition of the Gospel of Luke on the assumption that his major source was Matthew” (1),3 while “taking Mark completely out of the picture and dispensing with Q” (12).4 In this paper, I propose to offer an overview of the approach taken by the Team, as well as critical observations from the responses by other scholars5 and my own evaluation of the Team’s argumentation. 1Allan J. McNicol, David L. Dungan and David B. Peabody (eds.), Beyond the Q Impasse — Luke’s Use of Matthew: A Demonstration by the Research Team of the International Institute for Gospels Studies. Valley Forge PA: Trinity, 1996, xvi-333pp. — This article began as a paper for the 63rd International Meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association of America at Loyola Marymount University, August 5-8, 2000, entitled, “On Luke’s Use of Matthew. -
The Doubt of the Apostles and the Resurrection Faith of the Early Church
Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament · 2. Reihe Herausgeber / Editor Jörg Frey (Zürich) Mitherausgeber/Associate Editors Markus Bockmuehl (Oxford) · James A. Kelhoffer (Uppsala) Tobias Nicklas (Regensburg) · Janet Spittler (Charlottesville, VA) J. Ross Wagner (Durham, NC) 495 J. D. Atkins The Doubt of the Apostles and the Resurrection Faith of the Early Church The Post-Resurrection Appearance Stories of the Gospels in Ancient Reception and Modern Debate Mohr Siebeck J. D. Atkins, born 1976; 1999 BS in Economics, University of Pennsylvania; 1999 BSE in Sys- tems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania; 2006 MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary; 2009 ThM in New Testament; 2017 PhD in New Testament and Early Christianity, Marquette University; part-time instructor in New Testament and Greek at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Nashotah House Theological Seminary. orcid.org/0000-0001-6390-5825 ISBN 978-3-16-158165-6 / eISBN 978-3-16-158166-3 DOI 10.1628 / 978-3-16-158166-3 ISSN 0340-9570 / eISSN 2568-7484 (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testa- ment, 2. Reihe) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2019 Mohr Siebeck Tübingen, Germany. www.mohrsiebeck.com This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher’s written permission. This applies particularly to repro- ductions, translations and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed by Laupp & Göbel in Gomaringen on non-aging paper and bound by Buchbinderei Nädele in Nehren. Printed in Germany.