The History of the Origins of Christianity. Book V. the Gospels
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The History of the Origins of Christianity. Book V. The Gospels. Author(s): Renan, Ernest (1823-1892) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: This book belongs to a seven-volume series, the first of which, Life of Jesus, is the most famous (or infamous). The Gospels, the fifth volume, tells the story of the composition of the Synoptic Gospels. Renan covers such topics as the persecution of Christians during the Gospels' composition and various theories concerning the Gospels' underlying template. As he explains in the introduction, the composition of the Gospel of John, unlike the other Gospels, remains al- most entirely shrouded in mystery. Renan's historical account reflects his background in 19th century German higher criti- cism of the Bible. Kathleen O'Bannon CCEL Staff i Contents Title Page 1 Contents 2 Intoduction 5 Chapter I. The Jews after the Destruction of the Temple. 18 Chapter II. Bether: The Book of Judith: the Jewish Canon. 26 Chapter III. Ebion Beyond Jordan. 30 Chapter IV. The Relations of Jews and Christians. 38 Chapter V. Settlement of the Legend and of the Teachings of Jesus. 42 Chapter VI. The Hebrew Gospel. 48 Chapter VII. The Greek Gospel—Mark. 54 Chapter VIII. Christianity and the Empire under Flavius. 59 Chapter IX. Propagation of Christianity—Egypt—Sibyllism 68 Chapter X. The Greek Gospel is Corrected and Completed (Matthew). 74 Chapter XI. Secret of the Beauties of the Gospel. 82 Chapter XII. The Christians of the Flavia Family—Flavius Josephus. 89 Chapter XIII. The Gospel of Luke. 99 Chapter XIV. The Domitian Persecution. 110 Chapter XV. Clemens Romanus—Progress of the Presbyteriate. 118 Chapter XVI. End of the Flavii—Nerva—Recrudescence of the Apocalypses. 126 Chapter XVII. Trajan—The Good and Great Emperors. 138 Chapter XVIII. Ephesus—The Old Age of John—Cerinthus—Docetism. 149 Chapter XIX. Luke, the First Historian of Christianity. 156 Chapter XX. Syrian Sects—Elkasaï. 161 Chapter XXI. Trajan as a Persecutor—Letter of Pliny. 167 Chapter XXII. Ignatius of Antioch. 172 Chapter XXIII. End of Trajan—Revolt of the Jews. 176 ii Chapter XXIV. Definitive Separation of the Church and the Synagogue. 181 Appendix. 189 Indexes 195 Index of Scripture References 196 Greek Words and Phrases 197 Latin Words and Phrases 198 French Words and Phrases 200 Index of Pages of the Print Edition 201 iii This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/renan/gospels.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/3538. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. iv Title Page Title Page THE HISTORY OF THE i ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY. BOOK V. THE GOSPELS. BY ERNEST RENAN Member of the French Academy. London: MATHIESON & COMPANY New Inn Chambers, 41 Wych Street, W.C. ii iii 1 Contents Contents CONTENTS. page INTRODUCTION v CHAPTER I. THE JEWS AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE 1 CHAPTER II. BETHER—THE BOOK OF JUDITH—THE JEWISH CANON 14 CHAPTER IIII. EBION BEYOND JORDAN 20 CHAPTER IV. THE RELATIONS OF JEWS AND CHRISTIANS 32 CHAPTER V. SETTLEMENT OF THE LEGEND AND OF THE TEACHINGS OF 39 JESUS CHAPTER VI. THE HEBREW GOSPEL 49 CHAPTER VII. THE GREEK GOSPEL—MARK 58 CHAPTER VIII. CHRISTIANITY AND THE EMPIRE UNDER FLAVIUS 66 CHAPTER IX. PROPAGATION OF CHRISTIANITY—EGYPT—SIBYLLISM 81 CHAPTER X. 2 Contents THE GREEK GOSPEL IS CORRECTED AND COMPLETED (MAT- 91 THEW) CHAPTER XI. iv SECRET OF THE BEAUTIES OF THE GOSPEL 103 CHAPTER XII. THE CHRISTIANS OF THE FLAVIA FAMILY—FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS 115 CHAPTER XIII. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 131 CHAPTER XIV. THE DOMITIAN PERSECUTION 149 CHAPTER XV. CLEMENS ROMANUS—PROGRESS OF THE PRESBYTERIATE 161 CHAPTER XVI. END OF THE FLAVII—NERVA—RECRUDESCENCE OF THE 175 APOCALYPSES CHAPTER XVII. TRAJAN—THE GOOD AND GREAT EMPERORS 194 CHAPTER XVIII. EPHESUS—THE OLD AGE OF JOHN—CERINTHUS, DOCETISM 212 CHAPTER XIX. LUKE, THE FIRST HISTORIAN OF CHRISTIANITY 224 CHAPTER XX. SYRIAN SECTS—ELKASAÏ 232 3 Contents CHAPTER XXI. TRAJAN AS A PERSECUTOR—LETTER OF PLINY 241 CHAPTER XXII. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH 249 CHAPTER XXIII. END OF TRAJAN—REVOLT OF THE JEWS 255 CHAPTER XXIV. DEFINITIVE SEPARATION OP THE CHURCH AND THE SYN- 263 AGOGUE APPENDIX 277 v 4 Intoduction Intoduction INTRODUCTION. CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS OF THIS HISTORY. I had at first believed that I should be able to finish is one volume this history of the “Origins of Christianity;” but the matter has grown in proportion as I have advanced in my work, and the present volume only the last but two. The reader will find in it the explanation, so far as it is possible to give one, of a fact almost equal in importance to the personal action of Jesus himself—I mean to say, of the manner in which the legend of Jesus was written. The compilation of the Gospels is, next to the life of Jesus, the cardinal chapter of the history of Christian origins. The material circumstances of this compilation are surrounded with mystery; many of the doubts, however, have, in those later years, been dispelled, and it can now he said that the problem of the compilation of the Gospels denominated synoptic, has reached a kind of maturity. The relations of Christianity with the Roman Empire, the first heresies, the disappearance of the last immediate disciples of Jesus, the gradual separation of the Church and the Synagogue, the progress of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, the substitution of the presbytery for the primitive community, the coming in with Trajan of a met of golden age for civil society, these are the great facts which we shall see unfolded to our view. Our sixth volume will embrace the history of Christianity under the reigns of Hadrian and Antoninus; we shall witness the commencement of Gnosticism, the compilation of the pseudo-Johannine writings, the first apologists, the party of St Paul drifting by exaggeration to Marcion, ancient Christianity running into a coarser Millenarism and Montanism. Op- posed to all this, the episcopate making rapid strides, Christianity becoming each day more Greek and less Hebrew, a “Catholic Church” beginning to result from the accord of all the individual churches, and to constitute centre of irrefragable authority, which already was established at Rome. We shall see finally the absolute separation of Judaism and Christianity definitively effected, from the time of the revolt of Bar-Coziba, and hatred the most deadly kindled between mother and daughter. From this point it can be said that Christianity is constituted. Its principle of authority exists. The episcopate has entirely replaced the prim- itive democracy, and the bishops of the different churches are en rapport with one another. The new Bible is complete; it is called the New Testament. The divinity of Jesus Christ is recognised by all the Churches outside of Syria. The Son is not yet the equal of the Father; he is a tend god, a supreme vizier of creation, yet he is in very truth a god. Finally, two or three attacks of maladies, extremely dangerous, which break out in the nascent reli- vi gion—Gnosticism, Montanism, docetism, the heretical attempt of Marcion—are vanquished by the force of the internal principle of authority. Christianity, moreover, has extended itself everywhere. It has seated itself in the heart of Gaul, it has penetrated into Africa. It is a public affair: the historians speak of it; it has its advocates who defend it officially, its accusers 5 Intoduction who commence against it a war of criticism. Christianity, in a word, is born, completely born; it is an infant, and will grow a great deal. It has all its organs, it lives in the broad light of day, it is no longer an embryo. The umbilical cord which attached it to its mother is def- initely cut; it will receive nothing more from her; it will live its own life. It is at this moment, about the year 160, that we shall determine this. That which follows belongs to history, and may seem relatively easy to recount. What we have wished to make clear belongs to the embry-organic stage, and must in great part be inferred, sometimes even divined. Minds which only love material certainty, cannot be pleased with such re- searches. Rarely (for these periods recur) does it happen that one can say with precision how things have taken place; but one may succeed sometimes in picturing to oneself the diverse manners in which they may have taken place, and that is sufficient. If there be a science which can make in our day surprising progress, it is the science of comparative mythology. Now this science has consisted much less in teaching us how each myth has been formed, than in demonstrating to us the diverse categories of formation.