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The Date of the Muratorian Fragment: an Inference to the Best Explanation LIBERTY UNIVERSITY RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY THE DATE OF THE MURATORIAN FRAGMENT: AN INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY JOHN F. LINGELBACH LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA AUGUST 15, 2019 Copyright 2019 John F. Lingelbach All Rights Reserved i APPROVAL SHEET THE DATE OF THE MURATORIAN FRAGMENT: AN INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION John F. Lingelbach Read and Approved by: Chairperson: ___ Ken Cleaver ________________ Reader: ___ Benjamin Laird ________________ Reader: ___Doug Taylor ________________ Date: ____________ ii For Kimberly iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1 A Problem ............................................................................................................................1 Background of the Problem .....................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................5 Significance of the Problem .....................................................................................5 Review of the Related Literature .........................................................................................8 The Present Study ..............................................................................................................28 Purpose of the Study ..............................................................................................28 The Research Question ..........................................................................................29 Delimitations ..........................................................................................................29 Definitions..............................................................................................................29 Methodology ..........................................................................................................29 The Nexus: Problem, Purpose, and Plan ....................................................29 The Harman-McCullagh Criteria ...............................................................31 Preview of the Findings .........................................................................................33 Summary ............................................................................................................................34 CHAPTER 2: THE MURATORIAN FRAGMENT ....................................................................35 Description .........................................................................................................................36 Content ...............................................................................................................................50 Authorship..........................................................................................................................52 iv Provenance .........................................................................................................................54 Language ............................................................................................................................56 Summary ............................................................................................................................59 CHAPTER 3: A DATE: THE EVIDENCE ..................................................................................61 The Evidence .....................................................................................................................62 The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles .............................................................62 The Fourfold Gospel ..................................................................................62 The Order of the Gospels ...........................................................................63 Gospel Identification ..................................................................................64 The Pauline-Lucan Association .................................................................65 The Acts of the Apostles ............................................................................66 The Johannine Corpus............................................................................................68 The Fourth Gospel .....................................................................................68 The Epistles ................................................................................................70 The Apocalypse .........................................................................................72 Other Epistles .........................................................................................................75 Hebrews .....................................................................................................75 James ..........................................................................................................76 The Petrine Epistles ...................................................................................77 Jude ............................................................................................................78 Disputed Texts .......................................................................................................79 Wisdom of Solomon....................................................................................79 Apocalypse of Peter ...................................................................................82 v Shepherd of Hermas ...................................................................................84 Nuperrime temporibus nostris .......................................................85 Reception of the Shepherd of Hermas ...........................................88 Pseudo-Pauline Epistles .........................................................................................91 The Catalogue of Heresies .....................................................................................93 Ecclesiastical Context ............................................................................................96 The Doctrine of the Gospel ........................................................................96 The Church.................................................................................................97 The Chair ...................................................................................................98 Church Reading of the Prophets and the Apostles.....................................98 Summary ............................................................................................................................99 CHAPTER 4: A DATE: THE HYPOTHESES ...........................................................................101 The Early Hypothesis .......................................................................................................101 Reason #1: The Fragmentist, a Contemporary of Pius ........................................102 The Plain Reading ....................................................................................102 The Periodic Reading ...............................................................................103 Reason #2: Literary “Parallels” in Second- and Third-Century Literature ..........108 Reason #3: Indications of an Early Historical/Theological Context ...................111 The Treatment of Texts ............................................................................111 Fragmentist Theology ..............................................................................115 The Late Hypothesis ........................................................................................................117 Reason #1: The Fragment’s Designation as Canon .............................................118 Reason #2: The Fragmentist’s Apparent Dependence on Eusebius ....................121 vi An Orthodox (and a Montanist?) Miltiades .............................................122 A Montanist (and an Orthodox?) Alcibiades ...........................................124 Reason #3: Indications of a Late Historical/Theological Context .......................126 The Treatment of Texts ............................................................................127 “Peculiarities” ..........................................................................................130 Summary ..........................................................................................................................132 CHAPTER 5: WEIGHING THE HYPOTHESES .....................................................................135 The Early Hypothesis .......................................................................................................135 Plausibility ...........................................................................................................135 Explanatory Scope ...............................................................................................142 Explanatory Power ...............................................................................................144 Credibility ............................................................................................................146
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