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"U"_ likely" cmw: anylll ing wi,h Ie.. dun a ,0 percen' probabili'y of ha" ing occWTl" If 50, if, a p"'It)' large torm, Honce. to U"'" man""r of 'f"'aI;ing ilia, i. alien '0 hi"orieal di>C\lrse, 00' which communicato. dearly my .. ns< of the balance of probabilities on ,hi. pi''''''1 malICr, I'd be willin~ ' 0 be"wo-'o--on< on Marl ', being fi"" Or. '0 pl" i, another wa)'. the ",OOer .hould realize lIIa,.,OOugh IlII in' that on bal.nce ,he M",k_h},pothe.i. i, ,he be" p"',ibi li'y of bein8 hiSlorically >Ceura'o. I al", ""Ii"," that 'here i•• one_in_lII"", chance 'hat I am wrong ,
,
My ",.son fo.- talking like an udd._makor is not mere l), cautionary. ald»ugh a liltle humili'), on such. bi~ quo,,;"" •• the ma'ICr ofpriori'), in ,he Syoop,ic Go'f"'I, m igh' be usefu l all arouud. Rather. my direc' PO","'" is '0 poin' """ha, in ,he scholarly world there are not one. oo"wo, promi.ing , .." .ion, of ,he Mark_hypolhe,i •. Thi, de'pite ,he fae' ,ha' one of ,he '''-0 _'Il< one 111.,1 of Matthe", and Luke. Unlike the so--c.II,-d "Signs Go"",I:' which i, >aid to underlie the Gospel of John. "0- i, based upon. set of in,-.",i,,, proce .... whose ",aliI), i. ronfLITI1ed by lhe document< lhem..,I\' ••. So_ lhe basic soo rc", of the Synoplic Go.pel. are ta~en 10 he Mark and "0:' This orrnngement has the "i"ue of followin~ lhe "")' in which the
J 10
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of biblic.1 in"enti"" .mplif"" . oo tran,form, t.,,, (by eXf'll'l,ioo. not by redu"'ioo) .• oo also has the virtuo of not preteooin2 to be • dosed_ booodary expl,natOf)' 'ystem: from the v"ry be2innin8. tbe outside w",ld_ in thi. C0 5< . in tbe form of "Q"' _ i, .lIowed to play. f"l" in ,he Synoptic PIlule. Simp" enou2h. Howe,,",. bee."", "Q" ha, beme fow mon 'go to st,,,dod ., two of these posi'i"'" ,imu luneoo, I),,)
'0
n.e reliculation of '9" r"",arch h", reached mch • 1",.. 1 of 1/"''',)'_ul'''''_ lIK"ory_ul""'_lheory lhat one in>linhua, He acce pt> th.1 "Q" h., some coo.iderable "al"". bul .bo ""yo: I
m"" odmit. though. th.lt tho alii m\alion 0( Q', "i.","", """'.
"",,",1_ in~ my obi lit)' 10 hel.",', in h)'potheelp th,"kin~ !hat biblicol ochol=hip "'oo lrl he ~"'atly ",,==Oter> of "Q-- ... re al enl ily, rom m" n", "Yoo stil l hear thai: 0',,>, a h,'P'>lb,,;.,.. He add. impishl),: "'n .ere will be • leXl ' It', going 10 h. ve a Library of Cong",,, "umber'--' > lohn Dominic Cros.an anoounee, lital "I "",fer to call Q (he Q Grup'i."" Although n>ost enthusi",,, do nOl use lhal term, lhey ""'-' excla""lion , "'Q will pUI u. in «lOCh with the firsl fo il" ... er> of I ..u • • II i. II" ~'ril"" record w< hal" from II" and ., is" PTff'Wu' 1'-f C4" di<pr«>f) of a thro,y Ol of • p",d iction that""", no v;,ible direW,;oct>. ,he Je,u. Seminar and ,he In'orna,irI; came f,,,' and w", copied by Maull"w and ,lien Lu ke used '"" material from ~lark and ~bnh ew to form hi, o'l'n Gospe l (wi, h.,,£ain . • liule 'I""'ial material and oome nlOde" c reat i"i'y by eacll autloor_edit< "" he COOd ver.ion of the M>rI; _hypt>the,i •. OOIed abo,'e. I have fOllnd no >lrong "'l'umen' based on in'er_",,,ual ma,ori.I.'" H,,,,,-ol'Ol. til,,, f< ,lie third . .., articulated by Michael Gookler. i, quile powerfuL II ... ort.", fol _ Io..... and in"ol,'", cas." in "hich .. lea" t... o of the (h"", Synoptic Gospel, ha,.., material that i. : Primary Agreemen" (that is my term) in "hich Mar\;. M.uhew and Lu ke all agree. TIres< mo"ly are m,"ers of narrati,'e. bot nOl entirely. TIre "'plan.,ion f< ,lie.. primary ag"-,,",,,n1> in all th ree ,..,,,ioo of '"" Mark_hypt>tlle'i> i, that Luke and M."",,w borro ...ed from Mark, 1 S=ndary Agreo",,,",, (.gain my 'onn). which are tile i!em> on which ~latlhew and Lu ko agr"" concern ing material which i, in Marle It j, ,hi, ",",,,ri. 1 that in the dOllic "Q" model i, made the b .. i. of '"" hypt>thetical - O" docun",nt. c"".isting """tly of .. yioS" 3 ~1ioor Agree"",o" _ thi. i, tile generally_em ployed scholarly leml. and it i, a,..,.)' importan' ooe _ in ... hich ""lTati ... ""'tion. ,hat are included in Manloew .nd Luke ,,£"'0 ag1OOan. do. Hi, poin' ronceming, tile Minor A~",emen" (of Matlhew and Luke"" against ~brt·, Harrati,.. ) i, that fe perfoctly,1 So. if one .... I< to fi nd "'''' Luke ogre .. with Mati"",,' os .gaio" Mart in a numher of co .. , (enougll 10 indi _ cate thi> ..'•• 001. random pheoomenool. thoo ,he", C"'''' will hO\'o fab ified
the da"i< '-0" hypollle,i. (ond it> mcriplure, ond the ancient I"""_scrip,ural t oot of .ight. on ,he fa! .;de , Hh_BapliSl p"':>rher. He could ""e beenlOrie>. ranging from ,he ..-c .... 10 the ina"". ",illl ,he gn>aI bulk in be'",,,,,n be in2 ",nsiblo. earne" .•rid oflen ron" incing . "' 103>'on,il one re.ds ,he nu' one. ",hich i. ",u. lly ",ns ible. oame". com·incing .•rid ' otally in roey are ,he heS! ooore ... undoubt«l ly. bu, we haw to k""p r<mindin2 00"01\'0' of some b,a.,'" 2round rule,. Fir> _ and the,efOfe it lend. to "",an whato,'e, somoone '"'anI> i, '0 mean, Thi, i, ... here the ,'illO£c di"id.. :· A ,hrewd observa'Kon_ but the reader ,houk! ",cog"i", tha'- 'hough .pplicable '0 th< oarl)' Yeshu._faith_ !he '
.,.,,1, wor:sll ip a goo_f'gure. one John Prom (yari..,,, Frum)_ , bene,'o lont American trador or pem."" a renegade >oldier from w.nime_ who loft ,Oem OIIC d.y in the 193"" or .~'"'. ""ing do"" much good .• nd promi.in~ to rome ,~ ain '0 se" Oe world aright, Tho i.landers keep aliv., hi, woed •. to the oxtont ,hey can ",membe r thorn. "'gulato themsely". by • htu rgical calondar. and on high hohday. dre" in 'hoi r Ye,,;on of ,'o"ments. in thi, ClUe kh.ki trOll"'''. bOOy_pain' in the ubtoxt of ,hi. obsen,i'iyity. ,he", are no,'enhe le" some moments in time when m.jor foature< of historic.1 eyen" repeat them", I,'., and ",e can Leam from those repe'i'ion._ Tho John Prom llIQ"I"ement i, j u" • ,mall .peck 00 hi"or, . big chan _ and no on< will he ..-.ore ,urpri<ed than its leaders if i, 'urn. into a ",orld religion _ bIlt i, ,hou ld «n,i,iz. u, '0 the fac' tha, any"'"'" fai th (Of. radic.lly new ",rsioo of an old faith) will be e'J"'Cially tluKi until i, i, "" in'o "'_,,_ Until then. mul'i pLe \'ersion, of 'Oe f.i th ",ill proliferate promi",uo."ly. 'p",ading OIItw",d. from the ori~in.1 ,..,,,""'_ "ach claim ing. of cOll r... to be the origi_ nal, Thi . will continue _though at an .oot,'pponbolJ! . nd u, if E. V""20 ce lobrato in "Q-- the -d i sco"'r)' ~ of a form of early preachin2. "one "hich had no 'peci.1 pix, for ,he ""alh of I.,u,.nd which. un like I'ou l. did oot "iow the "indication of lo,u, 'hroogh ,he .pr>ealyptic mct.pOoc of re,urrection."·' Equally imponan'. Saul', I.. te" are an hi"'orical .ffroo' to the put3li"e ch,ooological precedence of "'Q" (and to that of the o,her '-an"", hidden 0.. Ilegedly """-Iy-. rnoo;t "'Ooilon working 00 "Q" wore wi lJing to "'" "Q" .. being. porhap •. mid_fi .. t ""ntu')', 10 the 90t le Sau l (which mos' « hoi." ""2go>l are from the ~os . nd 60s C~). Thu •. Burton M:ock can •• sen. - the earlie", layoB of ,he teaching of I .. u, in Q are the 10." emllol _ liod of any of hi. sayin!!, in any docu""'nt ."·' Henco. i, i«a!I •• are not """,od wi,h mIlCh warmth: de.pite the indu"ry', enthu.i",m. Sau l'. Iou"" .re ' le S.ul. wh., ••..,r hi, limitation •. con.in ly de>cribed one form of the Ye'iden'iary "",died, ore trr< 'radi_ tional.nd ri2oro,... their 'p"'u l.'ion. Ie,ati>" than the liberal. '.) Fo.-
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A 'nLt:TO~ o n TO THO VUHUA·TAfTH
oxample , the do)'en of NtI"""'",iw ",holan. lohn P. MoicT. in hi. mag i,torial rea ...",nen' of the ent ire q""" fo.- the hi"orical lo,u •. pa"", quickly by Saul: "OulSNI< of ,he Four Gospel •. the New Te"a"",nt ),iclds PTeeol"l'ically (peei.lly 00 the na'ure of Gr""~ J . oot hi, letlers "'" oot enmir>«i ofton fo r hi"orical in' igh". When one lean. into the more fundamentali" ",ing. of the Chri"ian Irnditioo. or>< find> Sau l heing "",n,iooed Ie" oft~n th.n 'ho (d<arty p>eLKl _ o)'moo<J ''John'' "ho i. ,uppo;sed '0 ha"e ",ritlon ,he Book of R",'ol"'ion. Saul. it "",nu i. eschatol"l'icall), challenged .• pparen'ly being one i>or>eman .00n of.n .pocalypse. Perhaps the most un>"",i"". tak. 0 1001; '" on< of the flO"" pi,,,,,,, of collect;,,, ",holar.hip of thi< ""ntul)' in an)' field in ,he humaniti",; the ma .. i"e. ,i, ,,,Iume. Anchor BiM, Dieri""",,', " One can read it for month, and he c",,'inuomly impre.sed. ente"ained. enli~h'ened. Here. ho",e"er. the .ign.1 point i, that in most (Il0l oil. mos') of its indi"idu.1 anielo. the chrooology i. banjaxed, When one examine. moo;t ,ubje0 Rm:Jn C.....,lic church in '546 aI ' he Council of T",n' 10 rompiled in Rom .boo, 100 yeo", Th., i, a .ign ifican, period of time. b'lI i, i. "ery >bon by ,he SI.ndard, of ancient hi>te>ry. wherein i, i, commoo to haY< '00 earlicst phy.ical .vide""e of , 'ext a millennium or more aftor it> probable date of compo>ition. Se,.., ..1 church fathe ... of tho second ",nlUry refor '0 collection. of Saul'. len.r>. CI."",nt of Rom ·· ... ritten un'o YOll_ " An un"",bi200ll' ",ference '0 "all"' of S,u l', .pist lo. mak .. i, clear that. collected edi,ion was ex",nt. Moreover. the I.tters are ref.rred to cl! of cau", .. of Cn' ,uood ~''''~ ".,,'''' ''''1100" " oi"n"., -1 1"" U""I 0.1"'1 "~""lI.l "'OU,,",,, ,,~ JO " .o,V u, ,oo'"aoob J.>OJ'P 011 ".'11 OJ. "~ ." po. ' Ioci,;oa ,noj ~, u, ""uod., Un In<s ' I .,~_" U'"II '''~''"'''I'''I 0, ""'"I n"'~ p"" d""".I"''''' """" Mr p>Kloo ..... "I",d. Uo .... ., ~"'" OU""",,"" , 'II.'U .... "'''''' -UOIIOUIOII¥ ,u,_",,,jJ 'I'U""UOO • "'~." ,iUllU_" pU. 00SJ>W.:lUOO "'0 I.POW ilu",!-o'q ~'Jo ,"om." mo.m, ~, ,. '"J 'V '" ",ureilo "'OI.OW"",,!, ... " ,u,,",nru" 0001" • ,o~ ~"". I'"" ,oo.' .J 'I' U\ -lrod A"""~ ..... ,~""" "~l '" '1'[lOW "-~l JO ~"". 01 ' 1""'1·''''11' "'l1
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be within the infonnation deri"able from pTe>, Wo ha,.. Sauro INtors. but how thoy came to be P"'",,'ed and ombrxed within the canon of the Now Testament i•• m)'"or)' about whose nature "'e can onl)' ~ue .. , (Saul. indeed. could ha,'e retaioed copie, him .. lf and that could ha,.. been the bo,i, of the cDrllu •. ) I think Jurgen B"" ker ha, f'IIt hi, fin~er on the rea"", for th.t m)'''0l)". ,,'hen he noIes that "'P"" from Paul. no 0"" in the first oarl)' Christian goneratioo felt the need to ct.oo.e the wg)' .mong biblOeal ",holar •. if one exami .... the wor\; of those who are ",riou. playors. ooe find. !hat there i. a coll""tive methodol"l'-Y tha' runs beneath ,he ,",face of ,he en _ tire f.. kI , The f"" ""P in under:standing this .h..-ed me'hod i, to ""'''I'-nizo !hat we are de.ling with a ca.., of fn-uuJ p .. ,umpriOfl. which i, unu,ual. but 001 unprec..Jent,>d in historic. 1..-m. As I men,iooed earlior.the u,ual rule i. th.t an allegod ",'ent Of . ituation i. pre,umed 001 to ha,.., ocrurred or H i.rod unl"" there i, pooi'i,'e .,.ide""" f", its oc",rrenee. That is. the standard his.torical rule i. that ,he groond. of pre.umprion..., ".~.t i"e and ,h., a ""ut",1 cas< i. di'proof. Howe,,",- in con.in unu,ual ,ituatioo •• the ground> of pre_ ,u"'prion can be ""w>ed: it can be proper to pr",un", ,h" an ",.. nt occurred unless 'here i. proof other",i,..,. We are justified '0 pre,ume. for , .. mplo. that ... intor occurs annuall), in Siberi • . unl." prOyed ",he""'i"" In the ca"" of s.urs leu.... the unm,ed roll."i,.. rule .moog ",hol..-. i, that the f""rteen
0F'"Ie •• "i2ned '0 Saul in ,he New T"lamen' are gonuine. unle" domon_ " ... ,ed othe,wise, 1herefor ing ,he u,ual grounds of hi"C4"ic.1 presump'ion'> NOI. certainly. fC4" mere c",..-e_ "ieoce, .Ithough ,he "".. ,,,,1 indoN is e.,lJemoly con,'.nient : foc, tIte posi'i,.. o,-idooce _ thin2s ,ItCh as ,.Iu'ati"" and .ignature ph ...., •. ,ito_specific refer_ ooce>. late firs,,,,,,,ntury atte"atioo by Cle"",nt of Roo,", aod .r"p = ond_ century . ffirmatioo, by the church f,the" _ concemin2 the corpu. of S. ul". writ ing. 'pread. itself quite ",'only over the eo,ire body of pula'i,-. wort. Heoce. i, ha> no f'lwer to discriminate ., be,W""" iooividual item,. 1'o"0ga'i,.. o,Kler,"", doe,_ One c.n use ,he n",'hOO_of_,ubtr""'i",, (which i. to presume owry leller .",ribed to Sau l '0 be . u,hon'ic .00 ,hen delete i'om. tha, are ",,',,'n IlOt to fit with the othersl' Bu, ,hi, work> ooly if we can reali>tic.lJy "'1'-"" that it i, highly like ly that • good ly f'lttion of the body of lette" i. gon_ uine, We "",ept ,hi ... ,he probability bee"" ...... " the early church father> and the .ub"-"Iuent moulders of ,he canrn of the Now To,lament were coo_ vioc-ed not "" Iy that Saul wrote. numbe, of religioo. e pi"le •. but ,ha' tltey were preserved: ,00 . •• di«u.sed earlier. ,he manll>om"what dem),"itied when we e-'Omi.. tl>< most common of the discriminatory emplo),ed by 'I"' ed I.n _ gu.go aud then to fmd d.o,-i.. ioo, from tile central pattern. in that 1>0",_ G,"ntin~ that the", .1",,)" will be. few ootliers in ... y dala_"''- it n.,,-er_ thel" .. i. ",,,,,,,,,,Me to rooclude that ail opistle which employ. lingu istic I"ttorru; which deYiate f,om the pattorn. of tbe bulk of the lettor> in ,ignificanl ""mbe" of j/L"'",C<S i, not by S.int S.ul. 1he .pecific lin~uistic iudic.tor> mo" often em ployed .re, ",ntonce "ruelure_ u<e of parallol _ i,m •. ""tional Of paragraph org.ni.ation . opening . nd cI"'ing formu l... pet word •. and word, that are u.ro only or.ce in • ~ i "en corpu' of liternture (hopax /egomeM)." n.e limiting dimen of S.ul.re so >mall _" fe ... huudred WOfd> in some case._ that the chaIXteri"io. that might ind ioato inauthentic it)' h"'e no room to de,'olop. A ll hoo~h mrut biblic.1 >choIar-. are 001. trained in qu.ntitati,'e tochnique •. the linguistic method i, e,sentially "atistic.1 ""d i. limited by the " "le fac10n that limit any .talistical o,orci.e. inc luding the """essity of havin~ a dat. "" to o,ami"" thal i, la'l'o onough to mako tl>< 1>00 _ . ppear.nce of diagoostic item •• m.ltor of ,ubslaIlti,.. quality. not of the random exclu,ion of the di.~OO>tic item from • • mall_.ized dat •• et_"
3
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c.e ...,ally. if tbe e pistle in que._ tion i, foooo to ba,'e refe",,,,,,,. to po,ition. or ortivitie. that e,·entu.lly became fixed .. church off"",. _ deacon •. bi.hop> aoo the like _ tbe lette, i. be .. up to the Ii~ht .00 the ,,'",ermart >crutini,,>d. Thi. i. a difficult ore •. because tbe meaning of tbe t for church fUOClioru; chan2ed o,w time. and ve'y rapid ly in tbe early 2cneration • . In add itioo. , ince saur. Iice anJ hi. I'""",a/ Thi, i, • "ef)' muddy area. How""" ,- in "hat i. largely a t",hnical discip lioe. tbe ,e sti ll ",ist "'001"" wilose chief talent i, that they are re.lly 2000 reade". Thi> i. an incre •• ingly TlIT< .bility in almost .11 fie ld. of the hum,niti .. and "",ial sci""",. and one honour-. it, When a really bri lliant ,eadc, ,ay .. effcc_ ti,.., ly. "that", 001 tbe Apostle', voice." or - .11 too", na/ll'" in the text are bog ...... one Ii>!"n •. The drawbach.re that ,uch intuiti"e ..",,,ments are diffLC ult. if"", impos.ible. to replicate, and. "00 ronstitute,. brilli.nt reader.•nd ... bo i. j .... bl""'ing , moLe i, 001 .I .... y, apparent . nre%gy. If. gi'..,n epistle h.... theol"!lical ,'iewf'lint markedly different from the bolk of the CfJI'I' _ or. rather. from tbe bu lk oftbe corpus that i, 001 ruled inauthentic 00 tile, grouoo. _ then it i, di"l""lificd. In principle thi, i. fine . n.e method', limitation i. that it a lmost precludes the p=;ibil_ ity of our documenti ng that Saul de,'eloped. 0< "'.rply. tbe102ic.lly during tbe rou ... of hi, a missionary of tbe Ye"'ua_f. ith. Thi> i. unfonunate becau", the 0"" thing ... e know most clearly .bout Saul i. that "" ",a. c.pable of great theol"!lic.1 ,wi n~" hi. mo,'ement in'o tbe y .. hu._f.ith ."..'" OOIhin2 if 001 a radical .we".. , And hi. epist"" mak. de .. that he w... c"",mely emotionally \'Olatile. and labile emotion. can form the ba.i> for ""'illat ing notion •. Chronologj' of Sau/ ', life, n.e m.;mi,,, i.. LJ< of the pattern of s,ur. life i. discu.sed in ", ... ions 4 .00 5. which folio .... Ob,·iou. ly. if an epi,,1e .scribed to S.ul cootai,.. • ref.",,,,,e to events .fter hi. de.th . the .pi>!1e al_ most cenain ly i. inauthentic. Most chroool"!lical i"uc,- though . are "'" >0 clear. and the use of Sau l', per"""al chronology ••• discrim inator puts one inside a ' p innin~ cago; the chrooolo2), of Saur.lif. i. in ron.,id..-.ble de_ gI limitations: no one ,."ity student> do when the)' ,«oi,'e a >colding e_mail from mom.nd da.d: de lete the item and .... it until they cool off.
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Among the ""ond"')' literary matte" biblical ",,~Iars deal with i. the oxtont to "h ich later in",nion. ho,,, been mode into Olherwi,;e_authentic opist le •. In my reading of the literatu re. there are no ,uggestion. that h.ve probatiye force concerning ,ny m.jo, in>enion. in the .uthentic lette ..... uch as tho introduction of reforene .. to lituIj!ic. 1 practice> or theological be lief. Of intrn_churme of the original m.n"scripl' became tottered. poniOlU lost. before they couki be "a",ferred to 100000r colle f",m olse» here (it< theology .nd voice ore those of the Apu>llo. but the interrupli<m i. jarring). Other ",holar. sugge" thot the entire portion of the fin.1 choplor of Rom .., which precede, thi, d"'ing fOfTllula (that is. Rman, t6:1-'3) i. from. different (and oow_uni""ntified lolter), fo< the "'..." dose. theol"!'ic.1 di>cu"ion with what ""'"" to be the payment of """i. 1 ""ligatioo. Second COfinthian, i. the mo>t like ly to be. p>rnto, saur. triumph owr a,h.. "ity. the reade, ",ddenly hi" a ,-itriol io rebule ogaill>t paganism; 1 Corinthian. 6:14_t8, (Thi .... "",ntioned .bo\'o. may not be .uthentic. but.n interpolation.) 1hen .• bit late, . ooe oncoonte" • long. >tom ""ture (' Corea'" up. fi~h t in the hall. and ""_" he find. he has to fi ll in fOT a ,hop te""her who has gooe home ... ith a migraine. After school he coaches the offo .. i,·e lino of the footbaJ l team . • nd fin a lly.t night he has to appear before. ,,,,,,,i. 1 ,",,,ioo of tile city cooocil and gi"e a poI _ i,hod ''Fument for o""tinued fun ding for the an and mu.ic da"o • . So we I-.or.oor the canon of Sa ul', 100tors by """" piing their oomt i"""m",nie ntly _ between the two mc;;t crucial date, in til< de,'elop"",nt of the Ye,hua_f.ith: the crucifi,ion of Ye.hu. of NllZlIrOth and the destruction of the Second Te mplo in 7 CE, Saul.., a be li,,'er. ope"'t'" entirely aftor the clOCif" ioo and he ha, 00 inl ling of the m."i,·e tr.uma a ll form. of tile Yahweh_faith SOO trench"",ly_ocru.-.(o ob>e""tl;"ru; .... re e"ctl), the kind of hoh3\'ioor tha, fr"'ll>fndy e""'. car",,!. Knox. with polite,..,. inlrod""ed a que"ion that i, .., fund.men(.1 ,h., it to ho framed rudely : os. >OIlret' for (he, lifo of Saint Saul. ,hoold the Ac" of the Apo" l05 be largoly (orched' n..t question h.. hung oyer .. udi.,,; of Saul aud hi, wri(in~ lil;e ,he ~!ey ash cloud from a distant yolcano, Biblical ",hoi.", ha,... ithor ,ried (0 ignore the iss"" emirel), (which can he done if one limi" one", 'opic (0 rom"",nla!)" on lim i'ed "'~""'n" of the epistles o! focu"" on • band of throlog",al i""", "hose characte r i, independont of hi.tor",.1 circumstance,). o! they h3\'e hood (0 make. decision on the i""".nd adju" (heir "".men" ,"",,,,ding ly. The primary [li«toric.1 "."'i.... (he fonnation of a chronology from primary K>Uret' •• The pi,'or.1 work. aro b), John Kno,. Joon Hurd. Roben Jowon. c..' rd Luod.emann_ JOfomf Murphy_ O'Conoo I t : 'J by .. rongly impl),ing tha, it i, .cot" inu",ion of (he 'ex' .... ""w refor to"' (he Gospe l of lu ke_ Whoe,,"r (he au(hor--odi,or of '"" Go'pe l of Luk. m.y h3\'e boon .• pplyin~ (he torm "Lul;e " to the ... thor..,ditor of Am i> ton"""" at be>" Indeed. u,in~ ,he n.me "Lul;e" for the author..,di",. of the 'hird Go>pel_aulhooily. a phenom _ enon frm _ pooilioo,...., by lhe ,orne .uthor-Milorj.). one i, lIe,i,"nt 10 accepl ",.. n lhe jooi!"ment of the aUlhOOt",i,.., c..,oni" B"" .. rd Child. that ""the literary ",'ide""e is u"",uiv""allhal the boock. of Luko,ovolume "",k b)" the ",me .uthor:·" While """'ptin2 thal the .ame oUlhor_ editor framed both w",b. oor naming the work ""lu ke_Acts",nd a.. umin2 it WlIS an inlegr:ated t ... e>-yo lume composi'ion mi ..." the ol",ioo. p"in" lhallhe 20nre, of the th ird Gosp I .m berornin2 pi lpuliSlic. How",..". we abool ule l)" muSI dear oor woe\; 'pac< of mi>inform._ ,ion before k>oking at the relationship of Saul', kttel> and tbe Book of Act •. Tho rr=n'-ili)" u", of "LuLo" •• ""thor of At... and of ""Luke-Ac,," .. indi_ cating 0 unified tw-,'olume wOO; gi,'''' • 'PUOOu' con'act_. u,hori'y '0 the Acts of the Ap""Io • .., an hi"or'.c.1 lex' , And tha, 'ilt i. the I"" 'hing we wan' in rd .. ing Act, '0 Saul", "'ri'in2" If wo are to fa<e wi,h in"'2ri'y tbe f'O'.ibili'y tha' Act< m.)" h.,'e to be I~toric.k for ,be .uthor-a:l i,CO" of Act>. thou~h an admi re r of Sau l. and per_ hap> pri"Y '0 """'" ocru ... '" otaI tradi'io", aboo' the great Apo"le. has 001 had ocr"" '0 ,be one body of information any companion of Saul would ha,.. had : hi. lotte", Ind.... d. 'Oe Booi of Ac" complete i ~ooc.iOCe OIl ' Oe I"'" of it> aulhor--edi,CO" of Saul ", corptl. of wri'ing. Not """ direc' quota'",n i. iden,if,ablo.., be ing from Sau l". e pistlo." and. fUrlbe,- ,be au,hor--editco" gi,"., no indication of.n aw",on ... tha, tbe lot"''' e,'on "xi" , In fact. Act> i, an extended ideological """.age , It, goal i. '0 . how ,hat Saul ...., ,be leadi n~ f'gure in ,he expan''''n of ,he f.ith after ,be death of Y",hna of Nazareth. And. "",ondly. i, attempt' to minim ize evide"". of ,he vitriolic .plits amon~ ,'aOOus bra""he. of ,he early Ye>hua_faith , Thi. it e... y. chiefly by minimizing ,he .pli' be''''""n S.ul .nd the Jeru>.km church. headed by Y"""". the brother of Ye.hu •. S,udent> of tho Now Testament hal'o .pe n' ~onera'iOllS ',)'ing to harmonize, two i""oml"'t ibk ""'O«In1> of Saul '. life and mi"ion : that found in Act. and that implied in 'Oe letter,. The point> "here, serioo. i""oml"'tibilitie, ari>e .... : (. ) 'ho dejl:ree to which Saul had per>ecuted ,he foil"",..., of the Ye.hua_ fa i'h in hi, early life; (b) in I""'iou l..-" he,her he had pe"""u,ed 'Oe so-calkd ""J.ru>a\em church"" , and (c) whether he had be he rn.>Je '0 Jerusalem, ig) ,he nature of ,he ""Jeru", lom Conference'" and (h) ,he ohat""t« of the .~ r""""'nt >Orted 00' there which g.,'e Saul lice""e to contin"" '0 prea in, lotter to. loc.1 eon _ ~ regati.oo. Fine; so in thi, inst."",. we ""cell' Soul". word. o,'"r lho>e of to., .utror-: '''Ill'' poc1ioo. of Act> NOC<ming S. ul ocrura"' , Some of the factual "atome"', in Am fit with Saul". letters closely. And_ if the authoc_ ed itOf of Acts ~ot tOo", matt~rs ri~ht. ",-en though 00 did"", hal'" "",,,. to Soul". IOl"'rs. thwed b), the writor of Ae"). Thi, i. made the """" lil.:e ly beeaus< the fir" _pe""" loltors we", wrilton before the
great oalll>trop/>e of the Ie,'oll ing of Jermalom and the de.lruction of the g",,!!mphic focal point of the faith. an ..'ont which bent radically "'''ryone', angle of "i.ion , Secondly. in any 'peciflC in"aoc;t) biblic.1 >cholar, in the Engli,h_.pe.>.ing world (aoo. increasingly. in Eu ropean circle,) "ho h.", an int ,,",,' ac'''pI/ohn Mox', " iow that when the two source, dash (.00 when there i. no .xtomal delenninati,.., "",rce. which there almost !>L'Yer i,). then S... I re ign. , Simu ltaneou.ly. most ""hoi .... wOllld accept that the Am of the Apo"I •• cont.in, ,'a luablo mat"ri.1 of a "trad itional" sort (thi, being the biblical «hoIar, ' word for what modem hi'lOrian, compre_ hend undor the related c.togorie. of 0....1 history and fo IU""' j. Soning out the us.eful from the mi.leading trlIditional m.leri.1 i, the diffi, A. loog .. the stori", ore in . Iign"",nt. the fol ~ k>re and oral history Cece lelll."" of Saul. the lelte".re taken a. "",urnle ,nd the Acts oflhe AI""" lie, H inocruflIto: and (1) ,,'hen lhey "1'1"". Acts i. laken .. an historic.lly "",fu l .mplif",.. ien of the lenors, E..>rh of the>e procedu",. i, solid 001 procedure (3) ,noo;l c~n.inly doe, noI fol low: lhal ",o.,n .• ' ocumplion ,h., lI>e u""he< ..ble ullorance. wero lrue? Not if yoo ,,,lIued your o",n plru," _ on ,00 basi, of the CllllOO' of hi>1oric.1 metOOd _.11 orhl."ful part, of the Act> of ,he AJ>O>t le . only those penioo; that ogree with S.u l·, lette". OIIe ..... in e'>I."nee inci""raled most of the part, of Act5 lhal describe s . ur. minionary octi"it)". 0"" can cOlltin"" '0 u'" Acts as an independent 50llrce of information OIl lhe e""lution of ideology and tradi _ lion in the po>t-JOCE Yo,hua-f,ith. OOt not '" da'. OIl "hal h"l'P"ned '0 ,00 first go""",liOll .> 2 ",ate" AJ>O>' 10. No"" of u. liko. to be told th .. we hal'e been OOilding temp"" upon quick _ .and. so it i. hordly , urprl'ing that the ir>eluclllble implication> of lohn Kno,', metOOd. ha,,, bepel. Rec.1I that Luke and Am aro freq""nlly joined by "'hoi..... Luke _Ac" and ,hal' rontact_authority mold> the ,wo, N.".'. if much of the data in Am_ which we,., generated in.n era .... I"i,'el)' d"", 10 lhe lifet ime of the au'OO of the Apo>tle. being. un ified docu"",nt. If. how"",. one i, wi lling to con«mplate its being rot the pav."",nt_,mooth pmdoct of the "Lu ke"' "ho .Ilegedly wrote "Luk._Am:· oot instead. like moot of the >ition by one Of " " " " authof_edito.... then in theory ponion. of Acts relating to Sau l still may ha\'. , .. I""., an hi,toric.1 ..... rce indepen_ dent of Saul'. lotto"" In particular. commentat"", long have pointed to the iocoru!istency with the rest of Acts of foor ",--c aJ led "we"' section. of the book . n.e", are section, that rei.", to Saul', mi»ionary work . nd in "hich the narT3ti,.. ·• ton. ta k that instoad of being p"'",ntod by • distant narratCO'. rd.", to "hat ...... " dOd. Thi. i. done fair ly ,moothly (Act>, • .-on with in,en" i,. 10"0Iy piece of narT3ti,.. writ_ ing). oot 5Iill it;' _"-,,ab",: in t6:tO-t7 (dealing with the trip to Macedoni. and the f,'" r<eorded European con,·.n. the woman Lydia): 10 :5-15 (the re_ turn to Troo.. and s.ur . rai.ing from a death_lile< "ate. young man" he had toppled from an upper window. ha"ing f.llen ..,)e{,p" the Apo>tle droned on): ' t:t_1S (from Mi)ot", to Tyee to Jerusalom. with a warn ing from tho Ho ly Ghost of what "the Jew,' in",nded to do to Saul and. finally.• meeting with Yaro>' and.1I tbe elde" of the J..1l: hi, 'haking off the du" of hi, foel .1 Anlioch: hi, 'poe G.IlOo. was """noriaIi7,ed in.n i"",ril"Oon al o"lphi which gi,-e. the date. of hi. proro< dale i, trea,ured be1oric.1 Yeshua (and "",00tl .. w,i,o. monologue, ond dialog"", lIoe .arne "-'y ,hat moo' ancien' wrilo" did: nola, "'ponaS" of what "",ually 001 os sel_piec .. of "hal ,he person in,-ol,..,.j 'Ooold h.... we do not h..·e the ..·ord, of SauL but tho dramatic ""on'lru or he r own orde,. The points that most woold agree on.re that .mong the .,,,,,n lot .. " in G""stion: (a) J The,..,looian. i. the earli.st, (b) t Corinthian> i. the rrnst_ likely second opistle: (c)' Corinthian. rome> ""'" thereaf.. r. and in it> origi_ .. I form probably ... .., two ",,,,,,ate milli,.... t Corinthian. t---"9 and to- t 3; (d) Roman, come. near the .nd of the Apostle', coreer and do.. to the end of the .kein of hi> writing •. Greater 'g"",,,,,,nt than that one canOOl ...... with_ oot bending the " .. ilablo op;niom to ,"it an oXlomal templ.te. lhat the lead_ ing scholar. in the field cannot como ony closer to agreement .bout the ordinal arrangoment> of Saul'. let .. " i, ,.."ing in 00. sen>< tone ... ""ts to kno", a. moch as pos,ible about this ,""""i,'o and ""gular pe, >oooIity). but it doe, not matetiall), aff",t our own ""lITh _ for we are looking f[)( the histori_ cal Yeshua. and the historical Sau l i •• impl)' a mode of acce ... The interpreta_ tion of the me,ning of Saul'. ,,!,inion. aod inf""",,tion about both y.,hua of NOlareth aod lesuch of Saul'. lotto" i, oImost (.Imost. bu t 001 qu i.. ) an independent litorary_hi>toric.1 unit and . .., faJ' a. I can ""'. no great impairment to oor understanding of hi. ,'iow. of Y",hua re_ sults from oo r haying to be """"",hat tentati,'e about the posit;ooing of "'"'" of the letto", A, 1 ha,'. e-'pl.ined. fo< a chronol"l'Y of Saul', life the onl)' ~ffo ... that w. "" to S)'n. IproOObi), to A.. ioch). tho" w.nt OIl (probably ooon af«,waru ) to Cilid•. In the ""''''' of tIIO
..... fwrtffi"l )' ..... he li,-ed lind
~'orl«l
in Gatatia. M>«doni .. Gre«"e.oo
A~ ..
.00 "",'ibl)' el>li.-. Ie".-ish Chrj>1i.",. proOObI)' from Judea. aOO final l), ~..,n t to Jerusalem to tlll< with tho leode .. the", about the gro• .-in~ rilt. Thi, roof",,,,,e .nded... we haw ""'" _~'ith ""i, ~ivin~ him the right hand 01 I,U",,-ship. but ..-i!h the " ijllJlaIioo of aid lor tho )lOC0 here i. one ,..,,,ion of tlle..-.o>t ri goroo< dat._ .n intriguing . and not _iml""'ible, ,ug!!"'_ tion that S,u l actu.lly """OeedOO in hi. long_ti me dre.m of conducting' mission to Spain.)" But. unfonunatoly . • fte, the ye,. ~~ (Of 5' if one prt0f)'. Put bluntl)" many Chri"ia.. and "",ny Jew. h,,'e a biS in","",en' in ""I"'ra'ins S.u l from pr-70 JLKlahi .m. On the pan of Ch,i"i"",. ,hi. be~in' ",i,h ,he po" -70 Go'pel wri'in~' which be can be frem Mar\; ' hroo2h John)' .nd which. in ,he high_middle 'g'" 'urn in' o .n'i _Som i'i,m , Wi,hin ,h .. , .. I"" ')'>10,," Saul. bein~ def,ned . . . g"''' Chri"ian. ru.. '0 he eharac' orized •• being .. OOIl _lowi.h a. pos.ibl" in hi, ba,ie missi,n SimullanOe"'ed in 'ho rich te,,, of to. period from ,he M.«abea". to ,o. Tem _ ple', destruct"'n, Score> of Judah i.. pani .. (of which wo have te,ts of only a tiny minority: but co,wincin~ docume"u t"'-')" are). worked hard at de_ f,"in~ their own uniqLle be lief, and at pre .. ntin~ t""m in a fashi"" that woo ld rorwince Judahim of othe r "ripe' to join their set. All ,hal. ooe m i~ht arFue . tool: pl""e within the wrld of the Yahweh _fai' h. bu t that hardly vitia .. , ,he poin' tha, Saul was of that world : he .mph.,izos hi. "Hebrew" and hi. Pharisaic heri tago. a"" hi, entire ,t.eological "",.. ntu re i,. tortured attempt to ~e t .... '-e most "i,ible in ,he time of Saul and Yo,h,.. wos the gran'ing of yllriou, p r ivile~« of .,,,,,,ia,i,,,, with Tomple ... orship, For instance. Gentile, .... re pennitt,' for the R"",an emperor. in the form of two lambs aad • bull. ... ere offell."d.' It i. easy to understaad how Gent ile, ... ould be a... ed by the Temple. ,ince it was probably tho most impre"i"e reli~i,,", strueture then in e.i"ence. and one oan easily "",ognize """. that awe could be c",,,"ened into genuine "".... eoce fo< tho Hd,r,·w deity. That. of coorse. w"' in leru .. lom: outsKie the holy city. a >econd. formidable in>!rumont of re ligiou, .u»ion operat,·,1. namely the Septua2int . Altl>oogh "ili in pcog"''' in Saul.ad Yo,hua', time. this Gree k tr.n,lation of the Hebrew ""ri!"ure. ",,,,,d.., a m.,wll",,, condu it of religiou. '''''I)IY. It .lIowoo G,eek_.peo\;en .asy access to the content of the Hebrew ",ripture., Thou2h intended a.. cleyiee for k"'pin~ dia.pcJra Juda_ hi,,, within the .mbit of the Yahweh_faith_ it .imu ltaneou.ly permitted the penctration of Judahist ide", into non_Yahwi" culture •. Thi. rou ld occur any pi"", Greek was ",ad .... hieh wo.s in most of the then_kno... n ...orld. If there ..... a Jewi,h mi"ionary """1",,,,nt in the lato St"rofId Templo era (.ad it seem, there w"" on ly the .ize of it i. in quOn'" of hi. COtion already heing acq uainted with the Hobrew ""iptu", •. by ....y of the Septu.~ i n t . In both E",,, 1,,,,,,1 and in to. dia<pora land •. many Gentile. c.me to imi _ tate and .ttend ludahi>! ",1i~iOll' "",emooi",_ J"",phu. reponed that in Anti _ och --mu ltitude. of Gr",,"" . ttended "en.in ceremooie, J Soul preached to both Gentile •• nd hi. own co-religioni", in .)'n'2og u,,, accotding to Am_ .nd thi, i. ODe of the places where we c.n "mt that document. because it has wicle circum.",nti.l ' -erif'calion in third_l"'ny "",rce •. In the time of Saul.ad of Yoshua. • continuum had emerged of Genti le • .. ho wore .tt.-.ctl.'d by Judahi.m and who wore in some man""r welcomed. Some offered >ocrif,c", at the Temple in Jerusalom. while othe .. at",nded ')'na~O!'ue,. In ""itber co", doe, it .ppear that h.l""hie clemand. "'''''' m:loII< on thorn: they ~'ere 001 "'peeted to keop the rule. of tho ch ildren of 1"..1. mere l)' to ,""", re'peet' Otho r Gentile>. "",,".,'or. """,1."olun _ tari l), kept m..,y of the 6t) comm.ndmen,,_ At >orne point they entered the cate20ry of "God_fe"",,,:' Genti"" w~ .<sumed mo>t of the belief. and pm.ctice< of OIle branch 0< aoother of the ludahi" f,ith. witl>oot form.liy coo _ ,·oning. Thi . continuum of Gentile .dhesioo of 0011"" "'.. mo.t >1rikin2 in the diasporn. where Judahi." ",ere in • miOOfity.nd .. here . ,ne l.nge of cu ltural and ethnic 2' Cing ",ligion (whateyer impu l... it may h..'e had .Ion~ that line were >lifled by anti _s"miti .m). it h •• seemed n"ura l to ,"""ptthat 'hi .... as .Iw.y. the CO"" Ho.,eve, . there i. "el)' "ron2 evide""e that there wos indeed "hat can be I.~itimatoly c.lled • "mi .. ionary ron""joo".,,,,· in late SeIrong) and '" "'p",,.,nting' fighting bark in the widest ..,nse .gain.. Hollenim tion. Di"p«a Judahi,m. in it> ",If-=nion.nd ,he plotection of it> heritoge. u""o"",iou.ly but P''''''_ , il'oly oJopIed a missionary con""i""""e ... Saul. thoogh undeniably a unique individu.l. ,,"oned within that idiom.' k Samuel S.ndme l noted M."hew '3:15_ a d.enuociation of ple»e l)'ti,m by the 1'hari«"C' ,hook! "pe.-.uado u, thal at least the Phari...,. maintained or C with oach other. bch of the ""..,n .uthentic 'pi" l.. of S.in, Saul ha •• worried
' 50
•
A 'nLt:TO~ o n TO T H. VUH U A· TAfTH
qu.Ii,)" '0 i,. Some,i""" thi> im"Oh'" • direct denunciation of. comrli,m in the 'reeche. of Fidel C.st",- . Ibeit bles>cd l)' ,honor; """ can learn """" accu,"to fae" aboot ,he oppositioo . .. long .. one doe> !lOt proceed li"'rally or conclude that ooe koow, the fu ll stor)'. Still. on. c.tehe. "'''''' fa"'inoting glimp"'" of the compe'ition, TaLo the .,ltor to "'e Philippi.n,., on instance.'· Wrilten from impciron _ ment. ,he pi"", of iOl< f.scinating pwt of til< loti .. f.,.- oor pc"",nt purpo>, a•• , .. Iu· ablo .. ",her, .nd ,hal did nO< h.ve f.i,h in the doctri". of Ihe S«"«Id Coming of Jesu •. Th i. was enough '0 f,1I Sau l', he.n ",ith tOITalom. ,nd who claimod to be apo>!l . . . nd to ha,,, a ruperiOf form of koowlodge of Yo,hua to tha t Saul ['O'"" .. od. ll>eir """"'go i. of """",her Jesu,. whom ... 0 h.." not preached . ,." (tt :4). Saul i. in trouble here. bec.u..,. if one a«n with Yo,hua when he ..... on o.nh (Am 1:1t_" ) the .. oo"ide .['O'tle>. 00 the ,u,face at Ie"'t. had • greator right than Saul to declare what the fai th w", .11 .bout. It i. entire l), plausible th.t they m.), h",'e had a more ",,~urate ~oowledgo of the hi>!""ical y .. hu. than did S.ul ," The ,""ca,m of c.llin8 them ··pseudo-.»OOtles·· w.. oot ~oin8 to C3rT)' the day. no.- wookl Saur.Iil.iye .• nd deepl)' "Tapped up in the inten .. religion> competition of the late Secnd Temple e",. Hi. toned. th,-.,., time, . hipwrec k i. ri~ht. cooceming' Corinthians 10-t3. that "on ly a blind ",ader of Paul". epi"le. could mi.. the .ign' of the 02";.m .nd pride that are behind thi. indignation."" Yet. ,imullane<J the ",,!>ide .. preoch, So. Sou l', boasting ha> its use" it deft ne, tile dimen,ion, and ,hape of. , ingl. coi n. of which the ob>cured obwrse j, the o,.mide 'po"Ie, be lief>. the clearly articulat,>J ""W«. Saul'. m..-n ..."rd •. Thu, far. then, we ha,'e ",en S.u l iooic.te tile .,i"en"" of two form, of tile Ye.hua_fa ith ,that denounced in Philippian. and that in Se! Corinthian., Thi, oon be termed a "",If_ge,,","'ted 1oc.1 mU"tioo" and though we ha,'. ~, .. t Corinthi.n. as the c hief e.. mple. 1oc.1 , .. rian" mu" ha,'. been. j>OO>ibility e,-eryw"""" for tIlere .... , in the [,"t and ""'000 go"" ... tion 00 c""rei"e r1ige of tile lern",lem chureh which "'"' headed by Y""O\'. the brotller of Ye.h ua: and hi. p""'er w"' lim ited to tho>< wOO paid him fealty, Fir" Ca-inthia". i, • rich ","r [. mi»iooary col !e'g"" [ ~-.tered'" (3:6); maternal, .. [ have fed }''''' with milk'" (3:1): f"'t of...," (4:t6), He need, these people aoo they. he ....,n •. in tum need him. for hi , i, the conduit thai. taLe, them to the Chri'.. into .. parate camp' , Thi • ..-:u natural "",iol e,olution .nd he ,hoold not have ~n >0 ,urpri..J , Tho course of
' ' II>"
"'par''''
,tan_
J 5~
•
A .nLt:TO~ o n TOTH. VUHUA·TAfTH
d.e,.. lop"",n( wu logical. S.ul (if Ac" !g:~ can be (ru"ed) beg,n hi, mi ... ,ion.ry work in Corin,h exactly in (he Ica,ioo anyooe wOII ld: in , .yna· gOl''''' ' Synagogue •. i( .hould be remembered. were not IOmp"". be, were_ originall)'. hOll"" "he", (he Jud.hiS! rommuni(y mct •• nd if in , place like CC4"inth the 'J"nagogue wa, no longer" dome"ic hou .... i( "ill ... ", • vema< _ ul..- building. There. "he re,,,,,,,,,d" Sai>b.ath .fter Sai>b.a,h for, year aod a ha lf and p.",uoded many Judah i" and Greek Ii>!ene .. (0 become fo IIO'l>'er. of Ye. h .... {Ac" tS : ~_t 1).'· Now. thr.. 0< foor year. later (e>t im"'e, '1Il)'1. the Yo,h"a followe" ha,-. o.-oh-ed their own 'ynagOl'ue. , or "hou",_ churches' .00 the ""''Oral congregation, .re not gett ing .Iong with each "'her. They bear different b""""", "1 am of Paul;.oo [of Af" IIo>;.oo [of Cephas; and [ of Chri,,-- --I t Cor_ t : t 1) .00 (here may ha"e been more ," The re.re no direct . igJI" 0< "ven woog indirect one,. (hat o.mid.e" .... ro in,'o[,'ed ," ReIiSiOll' differentiation was taking place wi'hin the y.,hu._ followe".oo though .... might today f" int (0 Iit"",lIy hundred, of par.llel ca", •. ,hi. natural roci .l.volutioo bothered S.u l greatly, It i. impo "'" embracing vari"". form. of "pneuma_ tib" (9' t t J which hero are ,pi ritual gifts, utterins I""fOllod ",ord, of wi>pli" within ,be Ycshu._ follow= bee ..... the be li"",,, .. t.o had one ,och g ift privileged it and implicitly downSnoded their co-religioni", "he had other gifts , Eff""ti,.. ly. differentiation of religiou, experieoce (whioh inevitably implied differen(i._ tion of ",ligiou. belipiritual gif"_,,'en t hou~h he "'" given ,hem hi. t""it appfO'o'al : tbe ind i"idual> are I""" of the bOOy of o.ri,,_ So, one eocOlln ...... continuing lecture. one ,ha' "",od, like that of p"'",nt-day paron" talking (0 'heir ",,,n' 2" ohild",n aboo( , Icohol .nd >oft drugs: we'd m,her }'OII didn·t. but if yOll do. do >0 only in moderation. and take • sober frieod along_ In Sau)" , wood thi, tran,late. (0: I"d ",thor that y'"-'
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rdor and di~ni t ), in )'our wr>1lip of Christ. but if)'oo ha,'e to prophe'y 0< h,we '0 speak in tOllgue>. do.., in. ""y ,ho, will enhanoe the ",o"hip of your fd told them in Fir>! Corinthi.n,.nd upbraid ing ,hem fC4" oonti nuing '0 be fractiou, and refusing '0 accopt "hat were rlO'o" be=ming st.ndard_i"ue Christi.n belief. (' Clemen' 47: '-7)' What i, equ.lI), ,,,juable.< hi>toric. 1o" ide""" i•• "",ondary ,et of i""", in Fi", Corin,hi.ns. and the,., ,hreatoned to n, and (1) that Saul himself. ... hile "or ~ ing hard at >Ollnding Ii~e the cool. ooolroliod "hi""" of hi, fIoc~. Wll>. w"n pu,hed. reflox i,'ely and in"ioctiv" ly deyoted to >me ba..io "pet praxi', In hi, >pine. if "'" in hi, he:>d. he r<mained • dia<pora Phari_. " S.u ll i~o. to paint himself .. . protoan f'gu",. a 'piritu,1 Scarlet rim!",r_ ""I:" , .. Unto the low. I became .. alew. thot I m ight~. i n ,he 10",,, to them that are uOOor ,he 10"'. as uOOo r the I.... .. . To the weak became I a. weak. thatl might g.in ,lie woak: I am n>:>de.1I thin~' toall men. ,hat I might by all mean< M'" so""," (9:10-11 ), H< presents hi""" lf '" bein~ balanced and open _m inded "" malto" of Hal""h.h. that i•. ludahi" I.", atld it< interpret. _ ti",,: "All 'hing' are l.wful unto me. 00' .11 t hin~' are "'" oxped ient"· (6: , 1);
.bou,
,ha,
J 5~
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A 'nLt:TO~
o n TOT H. VUHUA · TAfTH
and. c"""eTHing dic~ ary rules : "meal Nmmendeth u. nOO to Gnd: fo< nei'her. if we eat. are..-e the better: ""i'her. if we eat 001. are we the w"",," (8 :8). It all see"", 50 ne.ible. so . ..-ell. liberal. Bu, ro.,Kle r '"" rel at,"! , S.ul i, absolulo ly opposed 10 the loc.1 pr.>Iou._ follo..-e .... uinS each other in ~ivi l coun. (6 : I-S) , Why .hould 'hat bother him? B"".u,o it i, a I"'blic ",.ndal. 10 be , ure, One ,uO,,'n (cor_ .mnly J>Il>Clic. In this c.... he i, 001 . fo< he i. merely heing. £ond Judahi". Thu •. he repeat. standard PharUaic d"""",. that wo",",n ' ''''1' . ile"", during ... of God:' 0< clm.e word> lhereto-" Th i. mak", ,he .peciflC ,'etu nlOre under"and.ble. bu, it "'"'1" hi. reade", in Corin,h (and in ,he pre",nt) 00 the •• me deft sti< ' that the .yntaclically d iffi _ cu lt ongina l ,tate"",nt did: name l),.""'" can ci rc"fOCi,jon or uncircumei.ion be ··r.othin2 :· when . . . . commandment. women.re to be co,,,,,,"lop bEing a de,'ou' Judahi". 00f woold he wish '0: i, i. ,bE morrow of hi. bein2 , "",m. mo" '0 di,_ Thi. i, the bltckgroooo '0 hi, ""pmse to,n i".,. ,urb him : ,he " .. ing of food. offered 10 idol,. De. pi'" ,he .urface appe,raoce. and oopile Saul'. ",>;:e_again lr)'i"2 '0 pl.y Y"ry cool. Yer)' d i",oc."j on ,hi. maIler. he i, "ery up"" aoo hi, re'pon"" i, ba>OJ on Judahi" halachic prin_ cip'" of the moo' basic >Ort , It .ppears ,h... , ignificant numbe, of Yo,hu._ fo llowo.-. were worting ou' a ,)'ocre'ic rel .. ion,hip with the loc.1 dei'io, in Coon,h. probably those honoored in ,,'" ou l' of Den""o, aud Kore aud those of ,he cui, of As kleri"' , Thi, occurred bee.u", ,he bOm< OeroK ballle'hing S.ul could no! de.1 wi'h. Yet. he doe, no! wish '0 "'Y "110.-- fo.- he """""'.00, ,h., agree"",n' ~ained by ,,,",,,n' i. betle , than .greeme", 'hroogh roe",i"" , So he puo< m,IIors ,hi, ",ay: , ince 50me of ,he ,e!i2ioo,ly woak among you are iniured by thi. pr:>e'ice. you "'""Id all con,ide, "owing i,. ",.. n 'hough .... ,11 how that the", i, no!hin2 in ,110", idol,. ""lIy. and lIIaI we could eat the food ", i,boo, 'piri,,,,,1 harm if we ,oall)' ""n'."j '0 do 50, Tha, i. hi, manif""o .• nd it i, oif«1i"e ,OeIOOc. fo, wllo can "'1':"" wi,h the idea in ou , fai th. the .trong ,"""Id protehip wilh de"ils"' (10:>0). Here we..,. th,t in some primordial way, S.u l he l", •.." in the ,.,.Ii(y of the", 'pirits. and his an(idote i, tile c",,,ic i'hari",ic ooe: keep lObi. ""parOlO at ubi., The .an", point rome> lhrough in hi, ''01)' confusing ,usgo>1ion (hal owry_ """ .b>1ain from food off.,.,d to idol> ou( of re,pec( for (he ··,...ak."· He precede. thi. poinl wilh.n as",nion (hal .... tile ring of a sc,.,-".d schoolboy. "lhat lll\ idol i. nothing in th. world. and lhal there i. none Olher God but "",," (8:4), And. (hen. buri«l in hi. lel·,_be-careful_fo.-_(he_weak pilCh. i, lhe e'l""' .. 1of a fa",inOling bit of 'Piriluali,m, He "'y' "'" if""""""", eo" idol food in the helief "'Ol it has been "",rifieed 10 a .pirit. (hen their ""nsci."",. heing weak by "ill"" of their hel",ying lhi •. is defil«l (g;~) . And. therd"", tIley ··peri>h." (\e'pile Chri,,', "",-ing d",d for (hem (S: II), None of lhi. i. ,urpri.ing wilhin lhe conlext of lalo St'C""d Temple ludahi,m (recall .11 (00)< 'pirits in the Book of Eooch). Spiri... fi ll«l the world of Second Temple Juda_ hi,m .nd «> of OIher_world 'Piri". Saul Ii,'", in .'ery frousht world •. both yi.ible and in,i.ible ,
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The ,.,ader proo.bly h", nOli the ",odio~ of hi. epistle>: e.peci.lly the mi>direction that occurs "Oeo hi, entire ",t of !eno". o>copt fo r tho .. to the The.",lonian , . i. read a •• footnote to the >-called "Ieru •• lem Counci l" of approx imately ~CE, It i. DOW clo",- I hope. that . wholo data_set 011 mu ltiple_ Ye,hu._f.itn. and their internctioo ,,'ith the rest of 5.e=nd Tomple Judah i,,,,,, .nd with -'pagan" ", li2ioo,_ domoostr.bly exi" .nd do !lOt h.ve to he rood through the historic.lly • ....,.",{) wioo"",' of the lerusa lom meeting. So. we can now follow another b", kward_beoo ing graph of ovents found in S.u l', letter to the Galatian," Thi , i. a I.to !ener (peril.rs the middle .Y"), but it cootaio. thre< datum J>Oint> thor turn it into.n hi"orical narmti,'e (,Ibeit. ,ketchy noej: cooflict> in the G.lori.n church. earlier relat,>d d iffi _ cultie. bet ...""n Saul .00 Peter (Ceph.. ). and • "ill..,..-lier du,,_up in lern •• _ !em "h ich Iud re.ulted in, cm..,n.nt of beh"'Oour betw.. n Saul .nd the Jorusalem le.do.-.h ip. headed by Y",hua', brother. Yocov, The , ituorion in Galatia to which Saul i. re'poooing has • di,ta"' reso_ n"""e ... ith the "demon"' problem in Fim Corinthian" Here Saul cries out to hi. di"'iple._ "Oh fooli,h Ga lori."". whe hath be",itched you '" .,.. (Galati.n, } ' j ), Thi. i. not • fi2ure of .peech ," S,ul Ii,'" in • world of .... irling 'pirits. ~ood and bad. the ... inh.bit people. cC)' out from with in tOem .• nd I"ooo<e aberrant behOl'Oour_ To"y can be cast oot by 'piritnaJ "",an., W"re .. in Phi l_ ippian," u= a cani"" metaphor to "ilify those whe try to .,eal hi. people. here he boede" on a beliof in Iyc,nthropy, His former flock h .. been bI astr:ay by "'01,.. , in .post le' 2uise and they "bite .00 do,'oor on< another .. ."' (y t 5), Now the G.latians are following the ludahist liturgical calend.r (4:tO) and other fom" of ritual bondage (4 :9), The whole i»ue of ciffumci_ . iOll ha, .gain arison. both in it> literal a'pect and .. a 'ymbol of tbe entire Judahi" halachic ,y""m. In s ,ur, purity ')'Stern. for<ed ciffumei,iOll of Gentiles i. unne""",ry. unhalachic.• nd_ """'" telling rhetorically, unseemly_ He """ ..... those \\'ho want tbe Gentiles of tbe Ye"'u,_f.ith to be circum_ cised as doing so "thor they m.y glory in yoor f1e,h" (6:Of)" path to the problem he h.>d with Potor.'" Thi, occnm.'en;"" to Saul in ,he mi"i"" f,okl)" ha,', a .""oo"ful mi-"" of Yocov (" ho. os ",e ,hall ..., in • moment_ wos the moot J'O"'erful f'Eu", in the wCO"Id of y.,hu._foIlO"•• o,,). that both PNor and Barn,"" stopped e.ting with the Gent ile-born foilO'lo'er, of Yeshu, .nd withdre", to the sep .... te tablefollow, hip. and >0 did the other ]ndallist_bom members of the An t ~>:11-13)." Whethe r or not Yacov hod :<ent these men as emi".ries to onforc~ ritu. 1 ..,parotion in ,he Antioch community betweon Genti le_born .nd ]udahi"_born i, not dear.nd doe, not maltor: they were enforcing wha, they know he ",.n'OO. Saul doe, 001 ~o funher intodct.il, of wh.t the .. ].,....10m_>l community, to be oi",umcised and to honoor the food taboo< of the f.i th, In any c • ..,. Sau l lit into Petor with a venEe.noe_"'1 with>tood him to the f"". , be< lie ",u to be blamed:' i, hi, own summary U:lt). He es""ntially c.lled Peter a fraud. for Peter him",)f did 001 fully honour the ludahi" rule,. yet here he ..... 'rying to rompel tbe Yeshua_follower> of Gentile_binh that they hnd to h"e like ,,,ie' ]udalli", (1: t4 ), lhere the mattor re,", Wo do 001 know who won_ bot I ,u'pect that battle ...,.. drawn . H.d Saul ,wept the day. he would ha,,, told u,. foc h< i, ""ver Jooth to retail hi, ""hie-'omenl>: aod hod the Gentil._born foHo""e" of Ye,hu. 1o>t _ that i, . been ,,,,,.,.»fully led to ""'I>'on fu lly to ]udahi" praxi,
"""lire. _
.. defined by Yaeo,' and the lorusalem tll 0 negOfiation bet",,,,,n • bunch of crabbit middlo _ ~ed men wt.o<e bon." ached, Bamaba,. Saul". ",ni< I"'n...,r. a m.n "he had been on the road foecond "-"_'0: (0) S.ul_ whe make. him,;elf ,he contre of ,he "Of)' ,nd B""",ba •• n outrider _ had been on hi, mi"ionary 'ou" fOf ni2h on t... o decode. and had nOl been to 10rn.. l,m in this period ...,'e on one occa,ion. foon""n y'= pro" ioo, l), So .hhough they had heard of him in lerusalem. Il< WlI> not known in pe.-.on to most of the Yo.hu. _belie,'e" in Eret, I,raol. .ltbou~h they prois.ed Yahweh for hi, I.bour" (b) Saul rocei" ed • ",,'elation from the Almighty to ~o to 10rn.. l"m and thi, he did of hi, own 'Qli,ion ... king Barn.ha< .nd Titu, with him: (cl there he di",,,,,,' ly let the " ""OraJ leade" of ,he loru",lem com mu_ nity kfKN' the ch.racte r of ,he Gospel ,ha' he preached ; (d ) ... rne of ,hem _ 0 vu lpine group of "f.l", bre,lIren" _ spied on him .rId tried to force him to hav. Titu, cirrumci",d, Thi .... a'. reaJ ,e'f"'e tM.., power_brolers _ ,he "pillar,' Jac,,,". Peter and Jolon _ agreed '0 " ..... --off; S,ul and B,m.b.u could ~o to th< Gen _ tile. and co",-.n tl>em to tl>e Y",hu._f,i'h ",'ithoot "'quiring tllem to eon"on fully '0 Jud.1hi,m and the Jorusalem peoplo woukl continue on tl>e ir own mi, _ ,i<m to tl>eir follow Judahi". , On tl>e .urface. thi, re..,mbl.. the di"i.i<m of tile 'hon_known wood bet ... een ,I>e mooarch> of S!",in ,nd Ponug.1 in '49). A, Saul depicts '""'" arrangements. be w••• ' piri,,,,,1 prioce of "'Iu.1 .tand_ in~ with JacOY. and tl>e mi"ion '0 tl>e Gontile, w.... eontral a portion of tile Ye.hu. _faith.., was to. mi"ion to to. Judahi.", Howowr. (~) S.ul agreed to rolk-ct ""'''''y fo.- ""'" poo.--- of '"" Jorusal.m oOlllmunity. We or< ,'iowing bere S.u l·, \>..,r ,ummation of "hot .hook! be e.lled tile "Jorusalem De.I.·· lnat i. not fl ippant. n.e Hebre ... word wi,h which.1I eOll _ cerned (",cepl. ped in the ",me se nse we woukl today "y "eu' a de.I:· N""'in~ high _ flown w•• taking place l>ere. The YeMlUa_f.i th had come wi,hin • hairs.breadth of o-'plodin~. but in the end • bilre ly_wo,hble deal ..... eu' , How Ioo~ it ... ou ld ha"e I.. ..,d. had "'" the Destruction of Jeru,alem and of tile Temple in 70 CE occurred can be 001)' 'I""'u loti,'e: ~ i ,'en continuin~ friction on the issue of ho l.ehie requirements for too.. of Gen'ilo--origin thot....,.., during the later ~"'. I ,usp«t thot it ... ould not have l>e ld 0"'" the generation that had ne go""ratioo of Y""O\' .nd Saul _ had pa.>ed .way. Now. tile ~ing. of the ""gotiation. and '"" final eonton" of tile Joru,.lom Deal", 'ok! by S.u l are " touch unoonviocin~ by "inue of ,he ac,: '0 woom I>e granted .uthority or. "' min imum. woom I>e did DOt want to offond unl< ... bsoIutoly Secondly. I thi"" " more ro.listic readin~ of "'" phy'io. of tl>e , ituation i. DOt Saul', suggostion in G.latian. '/oere wore 'Oree part"" (hi •. YocO\' ',. and tl>e third pany of f.I>e _brethren) but mtn.r ,hal tl>er< were two panio, (hi,.oo tile Jeru",lem community) .nd thai he managed during ""gotiation. to bring ""'"00 tile power figu"" (,/oe three ·· pill .... ") to" do.1. one ,ha' a rump (the ··fal.. brethren --) of ,I>e J Ill" a mal< rr= 1)'to '0 ludshi,rn in ,hi'l"'riod .""' Iutol}' hod to have hi,!",ni. ri,_ uolly .....Juced_ r..". most com.. ru ,hi, ... as indeed ,he c»lId cenlu')'. Rabbi loshua ben Han._ oiah .... he held lhat a man wa, a "prope r pr",e l)'le" o,'on if he had nol I>.,.,n circumci>ed. but had I"'normed 'he """,«aTY rilual shlulion • ." Thi . opin_ ion. Ihal circumci.ion "'''' nol sh>olulOl), """"'t Ihi', and held IlIaI ..... ""hip of God "'" of • ,u!",rior ""tur" '0 circumci,ion,")' n..", ",,,,d, .... hich could ha,.. been utle red by Saul .. a ,ummary of hi, own pogrunt bl .I lie. in Jerusalom Ih"" like il or nol, Ih i, wa, a le~ilimatc inte'P"-'talioo of Trnh, Hod lhey 001 hod ,uc h a bubble of h.lachic lradilioo. 000 doubts tha, lhey wou ld h,,'e been .blo 10 compromise al al l ... ilh Sau l and with tho grow_ ing bOOy of Gen'ile_ba>ed V.,hua_followers, (I in",,, hero . merel), !",rwnal jud~oJ1,.,n[; n'" ooly "'0"" lhe Ih"", " pilla,,"" being imaginati"c .nd prudent in finding. wa)' to ""commodalO Sau l. lhey were being ~en'''OII', If 0'"' con,id_ or> that lhe Jerusalom church eocompassed some of lhe ori~ i na l disciple, . • good ly number of belie,'o" ",ho had known Vo"'u. w .... n he w•• 011 eanh. and al.., lhe members of V",hu.", o'l'n f.mil)". ,he head, of lhat church mn" hay" foond il "01)' lempoins 10 toll Saul to ~o a ... ay. that he ..... 001 of lhe roal Voshua_failh, VOllhe)' re,i.ted lhat lempo3lion , Insto.d. lhey allowed a man "he "",-or directly heard • word tha, Ve"'ua had >aid_ had "",'er I.id aI paid tan _ gib., hom.~o to the cro..-n. in ",tum for being allowoo en'ry into hi, own , Ta~e
the O\'eo. take the odd : in either ca",. Saul wa. being required to raise "'"""y from Gentile_born helie,-ers in Y"hua to pa), a. some >on of "'" to the "church" in loru",.,m. And here aOOlher. poIenti.lly un"'ttlin2 an.I"!'y: in p'mi.ing to rai"" fund, from hi, Gentile mi .. iOll to tum o,w to the leru",lom ··.. in". ~ S. ul can be sed the ",one at Cana of Galilee, In aOOlher opisod •• hi. mother and hi. brothe" ca"", to ...,., y.,hua , They stood outside where Ile ..... speaking. for there ~-,,,. crowd aroooo them. When word w.., token to Ye.hu. that (hey were thore. he declared " I>.'he i, my mothe r. or my bre(h_ ren"" And then he oJded (hat ",hoe,'er doe. the ... ill of God _ he .. id this iooicatin2 hi . di"' iple. _ ··the ..",., i. my brOlhe r.• nd my .i"or. and mother" (Marl ]'] t-35' of Matthe ... t, :46-5" and Lu ke 8: t in s.ur. lifNime that ..." ...'«1 (0 h..,o """firmed, Thu,. Mart carefully (011) hi. r,,,,,Ie,, (hal (he f.mily of Yeshua early in hi . car""r ou" aftor 00 had named (he t .... I,'e di",iple.). ttied to forc_ ibly re"rain him. bec.u", they tl-.ought 00 w", out of hi. mioo (Mark ]:2 1 ).11 1he Gospel of loon declare. ootri~h t thot hi> brothers d id 001 belie,'e in him (John 7'5 1. And 0110 of tile rnoo;(_q_ed phea .. , from the S),noptic. i. Ye,hu.·, .. ying thot ". prophet i. 001 ",itl-.ou( oonoor. oot in hi, own coont1)'. "nd ""Wllg hi. ""'n I:in, on4 in hi, o~'n hau,," (Mark 6:4; cf ~1atthew t 3'57' om""".i, added ,) What are we seeing !tore' Noth ing 1< " than. de", dorogotion of y .. hu.·, earth l)' f.m ily lin< luding hi . """""r) in • panem that run. lik. a «arlet thread throu~h each of the Four Gospel., Wh), do the Gospe l ~Tite" do thi,' 1he ,,'en" .nd the .itmti"", (hey reron mayor moy 001 be ,""cumte. oot foc( h.u no bearing 011 the que.boo I h",'e ju>t posed. Why. if th< dim) that occurred .fter the nuclear-"xplosion of -, C", (b) After -, CE ent ire new '!moo, of the y .. hua_bel ief .ppeared and. n>Ore imJ>OfUfltly. form. of the belief that had been pu,hed to the periph_ el)' I>OW bee."", imponant _ fCO" the ",nt", no Ion2er he ld aoo e""h little .. tel lite had an opportunity to become it< own ,un. (e) TherefOfe. it WlIS im_ J>O'1.nt to those ""w ly_import.nt fonm of poot_ -, Christi.nity to f"", them_ ""h'e. of the pre"iously dominant leadership. which ..."" (I will .'!'ue) the leru •• lem "church"" which had been run by Ye,hu,", f.mily from won after the crucifixi", until the De"",,,t;':'n of tho Temple , And (d) in order to eIf"'t that emancipation from to., remnants of the F.mily Firm. the brothel> and . isters of Y",hua had to be de"'l'ated.nd Miriam •• , (j" ing_.nd_breathing matern.1 r'gure (as distinct from the my"eriou, Virgin "..",I tOot Matthew and Luke wi,h her to be) had to be limited. All thi s wo> especi. lly imJ>O'1ant if any of the Family Firm ,un"i"ed. , 00 the)' "",m ronfi llm and e'pand, up"" whO! S.u l h"" told u, in hi. lette", Thi. i" fil> t. that ¥.cov. who i, in co.'!'. of the ron2regation of Yoshua_fo llowe" in Jeru>alem. i, Yeshua", brother. and thai other brothe" are also in.-oh'ed in runn ing thing>. In hi, ftr>! "i,it to Jerusalem .• boot thr.. )'''''' . fter hi, con_ ,"""ion, Saul .pe nt time with Yoro,'. "tho Lord", brothd" (G. latia", t:(9). Th;, fofm • • ""lid ",'identi.r)" link bet,.-,,,,n the ¥OCO\" ... ho i. Ye.hu, ", brothe r in the Gospel> .00 the Yro. "ho i, • ! Letter to tbe Corinthi."" ( J Cor 9: ~ ). Incidentall),. in neither of these ",ferern= to the f.mily of Ye.hua i, there any hint of the later e •• ui"l)' by which >me of tbe early Chu rch btbers. wch .. Tenullian and Jerome of the third and foonh eentun.; "'2ued. that tbe..., .... re Ye,hu, ", oot strain, on< can """ Sau l', "'perience of the Ri>on Chri " as being pre", nl«l as parallel to that of Yo=v _. , upernatural ,';,;ioo that occurred .fter the erucif,xOon _ .nd ... hi'. ,.nd inSlru. w"' mort)"ed b), Herod A2rippa in c. -l4 n (Acts t, : Fa- reo ...... ,h" are not «-porttan . the capilal city of the citizen, of the new OO'o.. nant." And p., l i ~ an add, hi, own note that. in the ",ntre community of eme rging ChriSli. nit)'. Y"""". the brothe, of y.,hua. "WO> 0 ~ i oo of caliph.""" a i ud2ement we oan reodily """"pt os long .. "c.liph "" impl;" prio1ruction of JO CEo w'" the primary >ector of the Yo,hua_f.ith in the lale Second Tom pl< ora; and ,hal of thi. phenomenon we lrio,," i ust ooough to ~ now that \\'0 do not ~ llOw ooough, Yet. fo.- wh" S.int Saul gi"" u. in the form of direct e"i _ of the Apostle., Yet . .., much i. "ill un .. en. [f only we hod othe, pre-70 ",it"",,,, •. How man)' .'e",ion, of t" Ye.hu. _fa ith we .. flick~ring aboot' HeM' many"''' whose name> we do not even k1lOW hod tIlei! own tmoditi""," both historical.rOd theologic.l. now fore,.." Io>t?
.8.
Saul
/lilt!
'Four iJ3l1sic "'Fact, "
Ylbollf the .Jii:;/orica/ Yesfillfl
WilEN Wf
lInE N CAHFUllY TO SAUL.,
WE
HAVE
HIONG
AN D
direct ,,,,ideo,,,, for one > de"oul foHo.... " in the (hin)" )'e .... • ftor hi. crucifixioo . Uhi""te ly. one Oope. that Saul behowd dlM"""" _ ized Yo""u. '<e arthl y ex i• .,,,,-,, .., some rolationship to what .... limply think of.., ·' hi,toric.1 reali'y."" Th.:tt. thoo2h. i, .. moch. matte , offailh .. of e pi. _ ", jlh the fore,'or_>pho...,,-ic obje",on that we temology_ While one can can "oYer really koow any hiSloric.1 ",'ont (DOl fully_ nOi 100 perr.n~ we grant and then get bac k to th'r< ling"'" til< more u"""tlin~ que"",,, that i. apt 10 be raised by anyone"",, ..... Ii,....! fo.- . "hile aM ha. paid atten_ tion [0 humanity". ben' beh,,'iour can we tn,,' S.ul? ArKI. ",.lIy. eYen if we had been left memoir> .boot Yeshuo by Iher we ll_informed PO"""" of Sauro g" ... ratioo _ .. y Yoshua·, broohe, Yarov and hi, mothe, Miriam. and Po"".
"Ita,
Ii,'.
"''''''J.
son
'''m'
and lohn , .. 01 :lobed .... _ would wo tru" NO! compi",ol)". 10' o,'on inflOCon' 0)"' , ••" 'hing. 'hrou~h ,h. parnll"" of per>Ollal coo"ic' ion. ,he Wo li. all we ha,'e prior ' 0 ,he dorn, larne, D_G, Dtlnn ha, ,umm.rized ,he p"",en,-.re within tho acceptable boundaries of tl>< pl.sticitio. of the time _ And r«all that foo"oen )'e .... later. Saul wont up .gain to Jerusalem and thi, ti"", went through a oomplex esoti.ti"" with tl>< lerusalem belie,..,,,, headed by Yacm.. Peter and lohn. the 100 ofZebedoo. Wh .....-or else occurred thore. each ,ide clearly e>:pre><ed it> knOYo'blgc and interpret .. ion of tl>< life of Y"shu, of N.zareth and. again. S,u l', wed received the imprimatur (Gal, : t---"9I, Saul may !lOt have onjoyed hi. relation, with Jerusalem. but he ",,"ainl)" .... , informed .bout tl>< life of Yeshua_ Funl>o""'ti"",. unplea,.nt one. _ with repre,.,ntati,... of t"" Jerusa lem church and probably with other Y",hua_ g"""'P' from outside of leru,alem (Phil ij>pian', G.latian" Setern from such occurreoce», H< 'new flO! just the life story of Ye, hu • . but w'" dire'' ' him. chance to become clm.ely "'''''Guointed with tho leru.alem church. And Saul was knowledgeable aboot (and most ly hcfflfied by) othe r tradition. of the Yeshua_fa ith. e'l"'ciall)" those that were ,trongly 'pint,..li" (>ee Sorotill on earth _Th",. Saul. being a, kflO\>o"ledge.ble ., an}'one among the Yoshu. _followers .boot the v..-ieti .. of the f.i th. w., i"",-itably high l)" kno.,ledgoable of tlle traditions concoming tho histoc;cal Ye.hua, The", inference. den"e from direct o'lideoce in tl>< ej>i>tle, of Saul. Tl> "'0'" ""thing if"", h),l"'rattenti,.., _ the world wa, one gre.t 'pide r wob. the hub of wh;ch ",os Jeru",lom. and any motion an)' pi""" on (he web was tflll1.m itted th",,",gh the ontire "''''ti,-e I.ttice. E,'en if we hod not the coo~I"')lin2 o,-ide"", of saur. ti .. to tho centre. w" stil l ",,,,,)d assume he
Saul and Four 8aJi in oamest with thi, query, if Saul d Od i"""-'londid thing •• boo, Saul i. tha, he made j ud~on,.n's: .11 soru. iocluding hi"ooc.1 jud~emen". The opi"le. are the ">o>t opinion",,'< Now Te ... men, aad ,he)' are full of s,ur, .pi~tion of what. if an)'. diffe rence lltere may be when Saul saY' "Chn" lesus." -"I",,,, Chri,,:' or .impl)' ·.,he Chri".·· and the ""'"' compelling conel",i"" i. that tbe,e i, no conclusion; Saul u'"" ,he ,-anoo. no""" inle,changoably and without ,ubtle ,hadin~. of mnning, WhO! count> i. that he male, ,he ""'''iah'hip of lesu, lite fulcrum of his thin~ing .nd exper;"""e and in '" doin~ male. it central '0 lite Chri"ian >hiah_ ·"Christ.,.» i. an ""'u ..... , ... ..,l.. ion of · ' ~I.,.hiah·· (it coone. from tho pre_ Christi.n »Onioo, of tho Septua~inl) btu whon S.ul (.nd >IIb"-"!Llfnt poa: (aJ tl>< Me .. iah,hip of Ie,", Cnri" "'" f,,,t in'rod"""" in'o the te.'" of the e ... n,u.1 No ... Te"""",nt by the Ap<ard it from othe ... (c) If he ""quire< .g.in 00 the third day. H" WlL> .,,.n by Cephas and .fter "'., by,oo of
"TIid,
'ppr"'''
"""hod
"':ll'
"':ll
Saul and Four 8aJi .insular, 11lere are none of the hi"non"" that charxteriz.e the Gospel, reports of the re,u!reCtion , It h.ppened. Saul >a)' •• and then he tie> it into hi. ontire theological .ystom , 11le ,pi ritual impl"'ation •. "'" the det.il> of the re,urrechon. are ""here Saul ",ants to focus hi> ro.der>· at"'n_ tion, And serondly. note what i> not ioclLlded in Sau l'. orCOO"t: .ny indic._ tion of the nature of the r",uIT«ti"". ph},.",.I , or in ..,,,.., >e" .... piritual. All of those people Saul rofor> to >0'" something. but w•• it Je,us in the flesh or a vi,ion of Jesu, as. risen .pirit'> Sau l does not say di re C"",'O'-" brieHy. and thereafter S.ul become> a Christi.n.nd an enthu.i ... ", p"""lytiz.er (Ac" 9:t-t tl. The ",,,u.1 bridging here i. ",",'ioo, enough: s . ur. o• .-n acroont in Fir>t Corinthian. make> no distioction betw""n hi, own experien« of the re,urrected J",u. and that of the otIler di"'ip" •. and in Acts it i. de.r that he eocoon"'". "isuaJ embodiment of the ,pi ritually ""u"""ted Jesu •. but not • phy.",.lIy re,u""",ed human being, [f one """'pt, this to"ual bridge. then it implie. that Saul', " ... n "ie", ..... that he and the othe r d isciple. had eocoontered •• piritually_r:rised Chri>t. but not. phy,io.lly ""urrectoo Yomu •. II that bridging betw""n b iblical book> make< one n.",'"". (! am not my_ se lf comfort.ble with it). it oan be I.id to the .ide : for O\'en without u.ing the rna«ri.1 from Aots. a minimal point of in"'rpretat i,'e cenitude eme'l'«: no-wbere in hi. writings do"'. be lief in the ph),.",.1 re,u!reCtion of Jesu. , Th.at i. beyond argument. Mo.-eover, ... ithin s.ur. writing •. there i• • di>tinct implication that he occepted the re,urrectioo ooly "" • spiritual .,'ent. Fo.- examp",- "ben he write, on the ~oner.1 resu!reCtion of the body. he say. that ·· It i, .own a .... tural body : it i. ",i>ed •• piritua l bod)" 1hlJlpatibility of a phy,ic.J ""u"",,· tion with the triumph of rightCY,,,,,, •. " Now this J "y. b",thren. that I\e,h and bJood can_ ioherit the kin!fdom of God: neithe r doe. corruJ>!ion ioherit iOCfTllption"(t Co fu lie". It i, .1", "'2umentati,'c com mun ication al its moil . kilful, S.ul i, worling not ' imply ",ith hi, ,",,'n """" of . pirilual ",. Iity" ba>ed on the ro.mic "'''' """"ion of le,u. Christ. oot he i, carefuliy e licilin2 the .."",iatioo, he ",an" in hi, ",ade" (and Ho know. that hi, reade" unde",.nd that Yo.hu. W:ll ~illed and that they hel;",'" J"us_lhe_Chri" i, a ooolinuin2 real _ ity. one that iliumin."" lhe dail), life of eoch helie, .... And they have he.rd view, of the r","",-'Oil . Hi , u"'poken word. are : dOII't ,uliy it with tales of ,hroud. and r"vivifoed COI"J'S'i". n.e point where Sau l', ,u pernal ""-~oric.1 ahilit), i, ><en in ,h.rpe" relief relato, to the incarnation. to. entry into a mco1oJ pe""'" of. di"ino .. '."ICe. S.ul h .. no doubt that in """0 ""Y Yo.hu. of N.zareth w., the ..,., of Yahweh. (Foe e.amp"'. ~ Rom.n, t :~: 8:3: t n.e ... t :wJ . S ignificantly. SauJ u"" this idea _ "Son of Goo-- _ rather th.n - Son of Man' (0 torm he never employ,) to e'plain the ctemal nature of y .. hu • . n.e e>pl,natin" fo.this cooi<e of torm. i,. J think. fair ly 'im ple: de'pite "Said to ha,,,, been "in the form of Goo." and yet he "took uroo him[..,lfj the foml of. """lOt and "'''' made in the lik."" .. of "",n" (Philip. 1:6-7). When Saul", pe"",nal =hatok>gy i. c""joined with the 'pinning duoJi,m, of late Hd",ni.m _ form ... ,ub>taoce.•"""arnnee v •. reoJity. the tran"",ndent ",,,,Id v •. the Wrld-cinating ly . rr", _ ,i,'e i, Saul", deci,,,,n to discard III.. foct . He Lnow. i, i, " ill. fact. and "" d.oe, hi •• udience. oot hi. discus>",n run, on lIIe basi. of hi, havin~ received lhei r .. sen' make ,hi. m.. erial . which w.., once information. be
'0
"i<w i. confirmed in hi. Epi"le to '"" Roman,. wher< he write>' C"""""i n ~
hi. Soo )" .. 0.-;" oor Lord. ",hich ,..., made of the ~ of 0.\->.1 ocroo:Iing '0 the flesh: Arro>nli~ to the >[>irit ",ooli ..... by the r. hi, Mossiah.h ip ... ould ha,,, had to have "",,«lIonS bef"", the re,urrection , , that Yeshua', t",.,fQrmatOoo intQ I.,u,_the-Chri" was • prodoct of the re,urrection.1h< re,urrection for S.ul is. cosmic. I>Ol a ph)",ic.le"'"t , Too put it bluntly. he doe. not "'ince .ny belief in the [>h)",ic.1 ,e,urrectioo and. in foc'- [>h""" hi, affirmation of the co>mic ""uITOCtion .of lo,u. 50 that his int<rp"'lation i. a di'l'lacement_.nd thu, a t""'ful rej«tiOll_ .of the notion of tbe phy. ical e ... nt, l S.ul judge. that tbe only ",t i.f.ctOl)" way to unde,"aad y .. huo·, life 00 earth i. to >e< him,,", the Son of Yahweh. YOlo whi le formulating hi> f'ar1icul..- form of inc.matioo_belicf. S"ul ma~ .. explicit .tatomen" "hich are incompatible with. beliof in the Vi'l'in Dinh of Y",hua, He will "'" haw it.
He..,. we mu>! ..,.,mph.. i", that these "ate"",n" of belief aboot the hi",,,_ ""I y .. hu,,- ... hich we infer from S.ul·, ,'e,y cage)" and rumple. interac1i""s with hi. reark"", rep.., .. nt tile historic.1 judger,.. nt .of til< leader .of OII ly one of man)" branches of the Ye.hu._f. ith. Still. it i, not •• mall or uniml""'ant bod)" .of beli""". Moreol'er. Saul". IIito heplicitly announces come not from the lord but from himself. The .. ore instance, of fining _down a 10g.1 ruling to meet.pecif,c oases not eo,wed justly by the general rule. and S.u)", corT«ti"" of Ye.hll. would fit perf«tly . . . mi,hnah by one of the Tanooim of the pre-Destruction era , Saul ma~e, • 'peci.1 halochio en,'el""" fC4" ""- of the y.,hlla_faith (who.re co'-.,red in thi, "",i al in".nce by the ru lo. of Jooa_ hi,m .• ioce the Y",hu. _faith i. one of the man)' Judahi .ms of the time) . • nd who hOl'o wh,t toda)' i. "'rmc'< principle that ",'el)' Yeshlla_followe r .hould ret.in the place in lifo that Yah~'eh h.. a,,;igned to him or her. (FOf the entire rul ing. "'" t Corinth ian, 7: to-'4, )" We will retllm to the malter of d i,-orco I.. or, ",hen discussing the S)'nopIic Go'pel,. beeau", it pm.. ide,"" """"ing instance of the inten"'ining of the two major wurc .. of information on Y",hu • . the S),noptic Gospels .nd the writi ng. of Saul. Hore the point i, thal S.ul i. totall), confident in oOCTecting the halachi< toaching.' of the earth l), Yo,hua. Ho feels that on I'i,·e ca« that "i>u. he i. CtMTect . The idea that Ye.hua of Nazareth wa, not an extreme ly profc..md student of Torah. he "'''' not a parti technica l >en",. i, not one that Christian apoI02i'" h."o u,naJ ly w.ntcod '0 on,onain. But Saul i. do•• to le llin2 us thi, di"-" to prO\'ide u.). on the ,urfoce aw", '0 dimini>h the hist,""ical Y",h"". Actu.lly. they do not, They dimin_ i,h mytoologi<ent ho li""" ,hat burned l>eyond hi, buri.I."
,IIli,
Meltfi1l9 Saul a/1(1 tfie 9ospels: .01' r"fli'9;1111;119
THE
AUTHO~ - EDlTO"
OF THE
"OU ~
Go,pn, HAD THE
H".,
P~O"U."
lila, S.ul had; 00..' to ex pl.in "'" power of a man who w"-' beyond _word. holy, 1hey ,000; "OIally different f"I th ,han did Saul in hi. Ie'le", ,hey used "'" .. mili,'e fonn in tbe Yahweh_fa i'h foono.--d itor. of tbe Go.pde" of tbe krusalem '·churrh."" Perllapo; other leaden ha.d """'" to the ••me insi~ht< illalem "ohun;:h,» 1he norm,i,'e t.p< a Iong.pooo wben wo .pproaorh
the 'pume",ont prod..,," of two ","'of ... hol.... , '""'" "ho are dead ~..,n on redefining il<m. from , .. Apocryrha .nd P:seudepigrarha .nd other non_ c.non",.1 C hristi.n lil!or.cal J<su,:' tl>< two Ia,h u,ually da'h. fo r the more """ know •• bout the world of Second Tem ple Judahi,m. the les. unu,,,,,1 Y",hu • ..,em> to be and. the refore. the Ie .. one ...,m, to know .bout him as • 'pecific indi"idual, n.e one point on "hioh "inually . 11 of the po""nt generation of Quest"" for the hi"orlo.1 Y",hu •• g,.., ;. that he W:ll • Judahi .. . Arnold Wolf ha> expre"'-"p Je",,', 0\\ n "",d, '"" d«ds' II"", much of "'hat Judoi.m did he l""," and pr.,,,",,' Wh",h brand 01 the man)' ,1lri fIOrba",. but. Jew """"thele... A -- Medite,,",_ ",.n Je~' i '" p".....,.. m:l.)'h< if Cr.,. .... i> ri~ht .• cMri<mat"', • ","!!",i"" ocrord_ iOF 10 Moo,", Smith_ or God-krow,_..·... _kioo of kw _ but . Jew IOf ''''''_ A J"... aOO nothinF but. Jew, A Jew toraJly ~'ithin hi. Jev.·ilII fai th and hi, Je~' i '" roots. A "raJ. perbap< ,wn • ,.·.-oIutrnary Jew. bu , , Jew and not OIl MY" .• kw and not • O!rl .rId the Book of Revelation) rome> from the 'Oap floor of I.. er Secood Tem ple Judahi,m. None of t"m i,. bespoke item crafted 'f"'cifi o.lIy for , .. Ye.hu._f.ith and the ref"", c.pabl. of being defined either in term. of il> ori~in 0< its date of ere .. ion , In chapter ''''0 I olluded to too.., roncole god owr , .. uni,,,,,,,; ne,.. figure •.• ngel> .nd till 001 go""",II)" ""cepted. AOO there ..... more. the richest imaginable ,wirl of old .00 new rel igiou, i, .11 circu lating around the Temple of Yahweh. j u" bef"", or ju" after the binh ofYe>hua. of S.ul. of Yarov. of Joon _,1Ie B.ptizer. (I c""oot "'f"'ct , .. reade r to take.1I this on . imple fai th. For detail,.nd documentation. ,..,e my Surp"»ing Wonder. pp, tc.;-'U],) The hi"orian', problem •• re ol",iou •. but 00 1< " form idablo for being so. First. because the , .. riOll. concept. (, hi"" of them ., free_floating pi= of theology) that g)'rred through la"'r Serond Temple Jud.hi>m ...ere so numer_ 00. and so • .,y for any ~rOllp to grab .nd U"'. there really i. ,..,r)' littlo that ma~ .. . ny of them '"Chri>lian" Ifor "'ant of. betler 'erm) when .pplied to y .. hua of N",.,-",h. In it< collecti,' • ..,..n~ement of the>< components _ in its re_i","fl'ion of I.ter Second Temple Judahi.m _ Don>!ianity i. indeed un ique ••• tot.lity. but none of its major part. be.,. • d.te "am p or ".mp of origin. So. ",hen"",, Ii"ens to. ,.y. ,he Gospel of Matthe ... ·' proo, "Suffering &",,"," pa.sase. _ which Chricool"" o~rat~ b)' defi"inK the "' a"th~ntk " or "ro'rfiml€d"' mo-
tm'ol of th. historirol Ye,h"D D' being toot "'hkh J,,'iot~. in ,""" w"r fm.. the b",eline of t~ Fo", Go.~I.· .to'}' of JuuHh. -Christ, Thi. me.n. that the New To"""", nt "Of)' i. taken as being. flCO"m _ but .. a ooSOl i"e norm_ and ,he ".utllent ic·· ",ying. or beh .. ioo" of Y",hua (me.n ing those ,h.t are historic all)' prob.ble) a ro takon '0 be those that do not fi, wi,h the norm.
J 88
•
A
'nLt:TO~ o n TOTH. VUHUA·TAfTH
Here i. an e,ample. It i. a ""'tbOO that i. usually oalb! tl>< "criterion of di>continuit)·"· Thi. has "",waJ ir.com patible "I"'ratiOO>.1 dofinition, within the Que" rommun ity. but we ",ill ta'" f,rs< an e"'eI'1< one. one that requi re, di"",t dispatch because it « ill rear, its I>l""'ially in ",me bnocl>< early followor> of Yo,hu. _ indi,·Klu.l. whose ba< ~~rOllnd "'"' within I.to Secood Tomple ludahi,m _ tro",ured ODd maintair.ed hi.toric.1 behavi""rs on YoOIl : and this roaSOll ",as that the act 0< word, camo directly from thei r m,,,to,. ,I>< hi>torical Yeshua. and ,ha, 'hoy had to be P"''''''iN 00 ""'''0' t..:>w aw~w.ruly ,he .. faets ,ni~h' Slid ou' in ,he on,ire MrratiYe. That "",1.:0. sen",. How",w. con>ider how th is o>",tocical Yoshua, That i. ,ruly am",in~. for i, ,u g~e" . that if one go" rid of . 11 the ··Jew i.h·· elements from the Chri"ian record of le,u,_ one will fiOO tl>< rea l Yeshua, Thi. tum. Yeshua from the one 'h ing both o-,temal""",,,,, and ,he Now Te ... lamen' agree on concerning hi> religion, barolj'inui'y" can be used in a diffhippe r of Yahweh. He was a >or! of ludahi>! "110,,, pre",i", I.bo l wo know oot (J '"'I""'t th .. he w", ""'-' of ,he many focm, of Phariseel. but
..,awn. [
"",look
that i. _ here impooant . If we eoo,tantly remind 00""'1\'0. that Yeshua "-ll> • f""'id member of the V.hwoh_fai th. thon the criterioo of di>CO cla.h ",ith k"",,'n lud.1hi>! rractice, aJ ihft",d in non ·New Tesramen' 'O",,"e>. then we may ha,'e • few of hi, authentic woro •• nd beha,.i,,"!>. OI".-ioo, I),,,,,, wou ld """d to be on our guard a2.i"" bit> of anti_Jewish pr0paganda pot into hi. mouth by tbe autho.-...Jitcn of tbe Gospel,. And we would ,.",d to ,,"ork ,'cry hard 00 sorting oot tbe entr),_I.yers of the Mi.hnah. for tOOse ore tbe ch",r pi""", ",be", we obt.in in-,.\1y ball_point pen .Iip> 00 Yeal eutlct., If , like I used to te ll my barber. Shay" ond a haircut bu, dolt", cu' m)' throat. I rna)' w,nt to d.o that mpel!. I was .""h • d.ngerou. hiller I ""on gO! intentio .... 1 w. lk. in battin~ f"l'Ctice . 1here comd plen'y of them, W hen I pla)'ed in Brooklyn. I coold go to the ballpark for a nic kel ,nd carfare. But now I liYe in p •• oden • . and it cos" me f,fteen Of .i "een dol_ lar. to tako • cab to Glendale, If I "''''' a young nun . I'd , He wao.n edges, Mostly. he said thing.> III., were 'imple . nd conve ntion.l : "don', hi' into a double, pl.y·· : "u>e }'ou r f."ball pi'cher on a cloody day", .00 "oon', 'ry' drag bunt on. h.rd infield."' Fenunato l),. we 00 not iu" ha•.., C''''y', .a)'ing' 000 'he record, of hi, ,),mbolic acI,. We a lso loa," the ba",ball •..,Iu"", of Th~ Srom E"c)'c/opt'Jia . which give, hi. mon.ging record. year_by_ye..-. and Th~ New Yon TrIM. 'if Ba"b,,11 Hi>l0'l'. "hich provide. "ow'paper of hi . "",ion •. put t o~o tl"'r wi'hin ,,,,en'y_foor houn of their occurrence , The ... source> peci .lly the m.naging. He .pent mos' of hi, time .. )'ing and ,h., were al""'" exactly the ;'
Pale .. ini.., ani,.n of hi, ,ime , Bu, one wi,h. d ifferenco .• nd hi. odd momenl> are "'" fluo",,,,,n' indic .."" ,ha, lell u. ,h., ,he", w.. more Ye,hu.
'0
mee'
0''''
"'an will our eY05. The "cri'orioo of di>ron'inu i'),:' ' hen. wort •.• lIhough in qui' o. limi'ed w.y. A second cri'orioo ,h .. i. of """" use i, I.belled '1be crilerion of em_ barrass"""'t" II '00 h .. "" .. ,.1 ron,,-,,die'ory defini,iom, One of 'hese i, "'., " ,",yin~ or prac'ico of Yo,hu, i, .pI be hiSlorieally ""cu,.' o if i, i. ombar_ ra"in~ly d i.sonan, wi,h ,he early Chm,i.n church', bel id, ond prxoie ... A~.in. ,hi ... on "'" principle "'ao oomcthin2 y.,hua belie>....J in "roogt)' «>lory. Since ,he ,u,oor_edi,,,,, of ,he Ne ... T",,,",,,", wore >0 ,k ilful at prOl'iding in'ork>ckin2 and in"'gm,ed documents. "'i. i. , "",O"'"rful ' ool : any embarr.... in2 ,,,kw,,,d,,,,,, ,hat ' hey dared 001 ,mooth o,'er mu" ha"e been ,'ory '"'011 kno".-n and '''ry 'lron~ly maintained by ,hose ,he memory of y .. hua .her hi. de.,h. More",..,. "' i. indica_ woo kepi 'or i. ",,,,,,,ially u..,ful bee,use (u"like, IJ>O/iI of ,he .lIeged indieal"" of "'" hi"ooc,1 Yeshu,). i, poin" '0 Yoshu.·, ac,Ion •. Acrordin~ '0 John Mei..-. the", are four ""jor occulTe"",. of embarra .. i n~ ."on"; ,he crucifixi"" of Yo"'ua by ,be Roman,. hi. deni.1 by Poler. ,he ""'ray.1 by lud.u .• nd "'" baplism of I.,u, b)" loh" ,he B'j>list,' Of 'hese. [ can >0" onl)" ,he foonh as " true omb.rn.... ""'n' and "'u, an indicat", of an ,u,he",ic hiSloocoi o,'on' in,'olving Yoshu" ( ') The crucif"ion i. h.rd l)' an embalT=men,1O ,he Now Tost,men, and il> .u,hc4---ed i,,,,,; ,he)' brillianll)' inle~rale i, in' o. reli2 ioo, ,y"em """rein ,he . ""rifice of lesWl_,he_Chri" replace. ,he ...,rifici.1 'ys'em of ,he Serood Tem ple , (1) Potor'. deni.1 of Chri ... 'hough embarra»in2
'0
,ha,
,Ii,"
J 9'
•
A 'nLt:TO~
o n TOTH. VUHUA · TAfTH
to 0'"' of the political faction. within po>t· ]O ChTig)' of lato Secood Tempi" Judahi" «c"? 1here i. no ",'ide""e OIJteco ..... ry q"""ioo i. ~t"'Y ha,'e a ,'el)" different m""ning if u., betrayer wa, named, "'y. y"",p Indeed it would : at minimum. then. we .hould accept u., strong ]>Otage name, intrdoced in oarl)" n.miti,'e. of the le,u'_fa ith. to rot the need to differentiato that fai th from other don. A, I mon _ tioneJ in chaptor foor, John_the_Baptizor i. 0"" of the thfff ",Iigioo, figu",. in the Y",hu._narrati,'e who made .noo~h of. mar. 011 the OllttOl"" at,,>ted by lruly independenl Ihird_pony wil ....." (the other Iwo are Ye"'u. himse lf and hi, brother Yr.), lohn_lhe_Baptizor". i nilialin~ Ye.hu. inlo holi"" .. i, ODe of 100." n"""",nt< lhal i, lruly ombar_ r."ins (in the meaning of Ihi. ,'ol>ion of "crilorion of ombamls"nent'·) bec.use il make. Yo,hu. a junio< :>rolyte of Iho B.ptizer. at leasl fo< • lime, Funher. hi. lIOrting oul the w""d, of Y",bu. from 100." of lo>u. _,he_ Chri>l ""arly .. w"n., i, does (in th;, . ingle in".nco) with hi, aclion" It i, .Imo" impos. ible to coneoi", of "ny "'yi02 that '"" collecli,'e memoloric. 1Yeshu,. 1 Ih ink a .1i2hdy more usefu l ""finition of the "critorion of emba"'... n"'n.-· would I>e '0 expand illo ioclude inst.rIC,,, \lhere ,he reported utlernnc~ , of Ye"'u, .,., at ,.,..-iance ~'jlh Ihnnuh'<J, Such itom, will nO! "",,~.sarily be . uthS1 of ,he other Ia),ing. "",,,ribed 10 Jesu, Chr;'t. Any place where Jesu. _the-Christ i, reprted os Ia),ing """"th ing Ihal ;, nu' of kil« , with lhe merall gI.1I of hi, "'ported messa20 rai"" 1"'0 oppo.inS possibi li'ies: (I) ,hoI the /ogion i•• coc k_ handed inlelJlOlation by, later . uthor....Ji'o.- Of (1 ) it ... as a >:l),ing of Ye>hu. that.
1\""
"'lI>,
J 9~
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A 'nLt:TO~ o n TO T H .
VUHUA · TAfTH
aJ(boogh di""""n( with hi. oomin.n( ""'''80'' J",u,·(he-Ch";st. had (0 be ",tai""d be ~n .. ~ed (0 hea, the gre.te" weight. On the ,u,l""" thi, appear. ",n _ sible _ .. 10." if the could he ron"ioced to remembe, (which thoy rare ly 00) that multiplicity 01 wit""""". mo,ely incro... , tho po"ibili(), 01 accu,acy and i, not, guarantee of «ruinty. So wh)' ,boo ld we nioch when we find (hem pointin8 out that . .. y. M,tthew ,nd Mark a8"'" on somet hing y.,hu. >aid 0.- did. and impl)'in8 that this i, multiplo .ttestation' B""use in Ih. ,n,i,.., N,w TW< Que,to" for the hi",,"c.1 Ye.hua r«"gnize that they are de.lin2 with a Jingle ","rc~ problem. in.toad of one charx<erizt'd b), multiple ir.de""odent "",,,, ... they wili continue to do the ,\'[on2 kioo of historical det0 with the hubri, that charnctori,,,, most of the rr,,,,ent-< re may be hard to taLe in. both emotionaliy and inte l_ ie of the 0.",, 1. shaped earlior to merge with lator belief•. and one c.n detect the odd rough _.pot here and there. But this requi"" the ""n.ibility of dealio2 with •• in21e ob;":t . To dec l.re Matthew. Marl. Luk John. Q. Speci.I _Luke. Special _Matthew. Q l , Q' . 03 (to use only. few of the siicin2' in ''''8ue) all to be "'parate ..... ",eo.oo thu, inde"".-..knt att"'ta_ tion. of '""'" " .. nt Of sayin2 i. to "'iuato ,-.ndaii.m with neurosu r2ery. Both fr"'[""ntly employ .... rp instrument>. but that i,.1i the)' ha,'e in common. oot this "'l'ument is ""ted ""001..--. should road Surptl",ng Wood". pp, 1 t t---9, [n the pre",nt context , [ would empha,i", tbe follo... ing. Fi"'. that the 1'o'e ... To>ta"",nt i•• ma"i,'e wort of .uppre .. ioo and consohip tak .. pi"". within the rontext of a re _in,'ontion of Judahi,m. in what Chri._ tian. h ..'o come to 0.11 • "new Co,'enant ," Third l),. the Christi. n re_i n,'ent i"" of Jud.hi.m _ the forming of a temple religion without the Temple _ i. almost entirely de""ndent upon rompooents th.t were dofL""d before the life of y .. hua : they are fouoo in the T.nakh and in the later Second Temple
"0u._the_Orrist that a. il> .ub_toxt. Therefore. the combina'>on of fJOSi /we censorship and ,ul'P'e>'ioo in '00 formation of '00 Orr;'ti.n canon .nd. more imf'O'l..,tly. ,be ..,tonor coo,il _ ienee in ""'tooc.1 me'hod. amoo~ the "".. .,1 author-edi"'" of the Now T.... tamen' (in lhe fofm "" h"'e it) me..,. that woon we come '0 in"'Sligate '00 historical Ye,hua ",e ha,'e • ' ingle SOYrc •• not a baS of multiple ....,,,,,,,. Eml'hatic.lly. this doe. not mean that we .I>oold stop looking for the h;'t",i _ cal yo,hu • . Bu, one_source I"oblem. ""Iuire • differont son of ",,,,ibi litieen,iti". 10"' to adjudica'ing ,be diffo«oc•• between 'wo ronnic'in~ ,lato"",n1> than in "i""'ing them .., in some way "'J!onically related aod. 'berefore. in a, kin~ how each of them grew '0 be part of the I"'l'N whole. W. can c""tinue '0 u.., m",,'-ple Jalwn poi"" a. indic.,ion, of booh '00 direc'ion and the "",~e of the s rowth of '00 unity i.,he No ..' Test.ment: we only haY< to ",'oid c""fu.ing ,be .. datum point> with in",",,,,,, of multi _ pI< indel"'nden' .tteSlat>On of ,he na'ure of ,be hi"orical y""hua. Ou r knowl _ edge that there wore. nu",ber of ,·.r-.ion. of the y .. hua_f.ith extan t prio< '0 '00 g"'.' de,tnKtioo of JOCE doe. not me.n that "'e can pic k up a doublet bere •• conlradiction th.",. and say ,hat the", are indel"'nden' mult il'lo at .. s.,ation •• ince 'ooy ro"", from diff.rent rommuni,ie. wi'hin til< faith . The fi na l ,'e,-,;i"", of ,ha boo!;, included in the ChriSlian canon I"'rmin,"; variation •. bu, OClly wi'hin an .greed ma,ri • . EP. Sander-. ,hr...·dly """-'JIi< on'i'y grew. we may obtain an idea of the human hi"ory oone.,h it
,
Th;' i, not ""TIlu'ionary, Tre.'in~ ,he New Tostamen, as •• in2le """ree >hoold lead '0. , Iighl ly !J>CO"< gon, le . • ligh' ly ,ubl ler readin~ of ,he ba.ic ' 0". '0 I.,. "'l'umen' .00.11 pI1i.,.,~y and moro ,uning, in '0 ,he man'ol.,.... « 10' _ ,ial mu,ic of the >elf to be; and Ihi. hill 10 00 done in lhe face of te>'" Ih.t .. "m .lmo>l intentionally de'i2",->d to thwart IMI disro,'e,)'. From a rhetorical point of vicw. ,he organic form.'ion of layer . fter I.yer of piCe claim. of Jesu._Ihe-Chri" ocd the d 10 claim II>e tille ",-en ly, ,. ~loch more frequenlly in the ooob of narrati"" hi"",)' in ,he 1':0"" T.,ta_ men' , J",u>-,bo_Chri" (the ~1."i . nic tille i, an ,ulomat ic a((oehmen' 10 hi,
198
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A 'nLt:TO~ o n TOT H. VUHUA · TAfTH
n.me , but oot a name be cI.im, fCO" himsco-..,dito of the n..-rnti,'o of Ye,hua of Nazareth ore u.in~ ,'ery effecti,.. ly de" ice. that ""ere pan of the ,,,,,abu lary 0( late Second Temple Judahi.m (the idea bank by ,,'hich they them ... I,'" h> with ",hich most modem readers are familiar or< tho>< in"oh'ed in pia.. 2"""""')'. ",here thing._equaJ_to_tbe_>am an apoc.lypcrip wi,Ooo' projecting in'o ,he T.nakh the figu re of JOS"' Chri .. , AhOoogh "'gu"",n" from . ilmce are .I .... y. dicey, I 'hink it i. wonh "'pealing tha, in 1>00< of the "'te" ,h.,.re inconte".bly by Paul. i.,ho con_ cep< of Sen of M.n employed. Given that the P.uli"" letters .'" the only Chri"i. n docu"",n" ,hal we "hich. in their p"""nt fe<m. cen.inly were written before ,he "'>lruc,ion of ,he TempI<em, '0 con_ firm 'Oo inference 00< draw. from ,he Book of Er.och. whore 'Oo Son of M.n a> "" ideation.1 uni, i. included on ly in too I.to" peonion, of the ,'olu"",. ,,"mely chapto" 37-7" 'Oo - Book of Simi litude,," The inference i, ,hal ,he «'ncop< of 'Oo Son of ~1an a. an individu.l, forceful 1'2ure de... loped ", _ treme ly lato in Sec. were formed in an or. "hen tho ide •• pparently had become • much more fami liar and much mo", romfon.ble c","copt , 1he coo.lnlctioo - Son of Goof" in ,he Heoo.-w « ripti.. "' ripture, to the next , Mark. the oarlie" writor of the Je",. narrative. "art, with a bold ... onioo ; "n.e beginning of the go'pel of Jo,u, Chri". the Son of God'" (M, rk "t). In the Four Gospe l•. lo.u, is "",n to be much more at e= in caIJin2 him _ self Son of God. than he is in u,ing Son of M,n , In pan. this is. t,,,,hnicaJ "",ttor: the Go.pe l writo.-. ha\'e the lu,uC)' of gi\'ing him on alt''f1\ati''e to ",If_reference in the third pe{SOII. for" hen he i, di>cus.ing himself ., Son of God. he con tal k about "my Father:' the sonship bein~ impliftl aoo thUll first penon dialogue being made easier. Further. the co.-.:ept of Son of God i, o",ier for the Go..,.,1 writors to present comfortably than i. Soo of Man, n.e model of f.ther_""n re lation'hips i, 'imple to work with and easy for ....,,, readers .nd liSle .... to comprehend, It j, • comfortable K1iom. unlike Son of Man (.. ho i. tho father of the Son of Man' _. natural .. ,wor i, not roadily to hand), The pe"""alimtion _ the . ttach"",nt of the construe. Soo of God _ to Jesus i. ontire ly .",,«.. fu l, n.e way thi, pe.-.o""li,,>d concopt i, employod varies from book to book . • nd that is no f. iling: blurTin~. not defi nitional lru.l! recorded ol""rver of the Y",hua I.i,h. and ,he on l)" wri'er 01 Kow Te>"'"",nt ma'eri.1 who>< identity we > he woold h ..'e ondor>ed ,
n-..
P."ion "01orioal point ,hat diffen lrom the lator , ... ";on. of 'he P.. ,ion of Chri" de,'olope and he iconically ,imil., '0 tho ",,"" of p.,,>ah. He ene, the I.tter and implicitl)' rejects the f""""r. In .harp rontr..,t. ,he Fou, Gospe l. take the melaphor of J",", _,he_o.ri" as • Pa",h.1 lamb 000 they Ii«rnli .. it. omploying it . imult.n ..... sly ••• theoi,,!,ical construct and as an hi"",ieal datum. Tho .uthor- n.rr., i"e '0 work, Why ..... ,hi, """""anly 'Oe e.",o Bee.use ,he minor fel fru i" of barley ; Iho """",d P"""""" (IO be OO" " " ed by tho..,,..ho had been on joumey. at Ihe oriSinal pa ••",,'e r): ,he firli,..1 of booth, (0( ,abem",,"'. refo rring ro the g.".,alion. 'ren' Ii" ing in tents in Ihe deserT): and 'here .... re othen. The one majo< f"" i.'.1 tha, had , in. de ath .nd rdemp'ion '" i" 'hemo. 'Oe Day of Atone"",n' , wos. bad mot.phoOI'er (Pe ... h) m.rrie. with '00 Chri"ian ""'y, AI'hoogh. "' Gilli"" Feeloy_Hornik ""'... "lbere i. 00 deuilt"d e"ide"". for the organization of the P""".", in Jesu,' ,im< ... " it i. hiShly probabl. that ,he w"", k of Pe...m WlI> • roll.p>ing t0i"'lber of two "'p.m'" fe..". tha, of Un)"ayened Bread . • nd P""""...- pl _bc4"n (Ihe P"",ins--ov., of Iho ... gel of death) ju" before the E,od u" The ri,u.l, of the ,ime invoh'e'e l)' what coote".nd in wh at orde, of e,'en" i. unknown , NCO" i. it ele..-. in Jc".,' ,i"",. the d.gree to which ,he ri ,ual, were ronduc'ed .. roll"" i," a nd I"'blic ",.. n" (.... know from /"",phu" report. of Jerusalem., '"" time of P".
the Vi'l'in Binh. Sau l was joined by ,be au,""'·edi'or of ,he Gosrel of M,1l and. I"OT. b)" ,he au,.."...,di,o< of ,he Gospol of lohn. (In ""i,heT ea .. can 000 occept .. of an)" I,rob."i,,, weigh' the poin' III .. boIh Marl and lohn " ... thei r "0' did he go, to he that' The Vi'l'in Binh w•• f.r """ide the 'radi,i"" of the Hobrew scripture. and of late Second Temple Indahi,m ("'" ehaptor ,wo', di",u",ioo of AL\IH) but w .. co",-.niently to hand in the Gen,ile religion. , The he" infore""" i. that M.. thew and. e'reeiall)' Luke. are adapt .. i"", of ··p.gan·· m)"th •. and in the co", of Luke. probabl)" a direct ... imilation of the imporial cult of Augu"u •. " Bu, maybe (here w", onot< (0 i( than ",.""Iy an expediont in(erpol" ion of ""'teria l from the Gentile cui ... Doe, 'ho ind ... i"" of the >lory .. ,,'0 any Ilk" purpose ,han keeping li'oral_minded eon(emporaries ""i.r.. d' On. ,KIe _function of (he Vi'l'in Binh "ory i, to rai", I",,,,, aoo.." lohn_the-Bapti,.., Thi. i, a matter that WH .'er)" imporunt '0 ,he earl)" church: wi",.". the heavily_patterned ,ubord ination of the Baptizer in the Gospol of lohn ,, : '5-J61. Manife>!I)". some of the _ I e to "hom the o.rl)" ",riptu",. were add",ssed ro"",mbered. or had beard of. lohn_the_Baptizer as a figure larger ilion I",,,,, (lhi. ",a. in",'itable. gi,'en that . .., the Go're l, indicate. lohn was. voico in (he land bef",e lesus began hi. own mini"'Y) and (hi, had to be ad_ dre,>ed, So, in Luke. loon_'oo_Bap(izor i. reJ>O"od to be. ",Iati,-. of lo,u • • nd eruciall)". while >till in the womb of hi. mothe r EIi .. be(h. 00 ~nizo. Ye. hu • . whe at that ,ime was in the womb of his mother Miriam I Lulce j '}94'. and .w I, Th" r"""l'-ni'ion i. indicated by loon', leaping fof joy in '00 womb: ,he ,ubordination of the Baptizer '0 lo,u. i. sf>oy,'n. when ,hi, inter_ ... omb ».lute occurred. b)" Eh",beth·, uyi ng to Mary "'and whene< i. lIIi . '0 me. that (ho mother of m)" Lord ro!her of Jame, .• od I"""" .• od of ludah. and Simon'.od..-e oot hi, , i,,,,,, here with u,'"" This identiflC.tion of les", i, "'" .mbiguou, either in the origin.1 Of in any major trnn, l3tion: two .... of figure,..-e pro",nt. I""" ("the carpentor"") and hi, ,ibling., Ie>'" i, identifi.'Otri..-d'lal (in the moJom ",nse of the word), "'" identifying I"""ph .. 1o,,,. f.thor w., t.nt.mount to •• ying that he w"' "'" iod""d to., father, In oither the Gospel. of M.tthew '" of luko that m ig.ht he t.kon ., .n oOOot:>e_ mont of the concept of tho Virgin Binh. but the "''' i, foood in M..-" the .uthor..e.Jitor of "hieh iodieat.. no .pparent knowledge of. .od cett.inly no onthu,i.,m for. the Vi rg in Binh, n..t Mort', ,w.ipeIJ implio, phy,ical illogitimacy on the part of I", ... i. iodOc,ted by the w.y th.t M.ttOo", (whose .uthor i, ,'ery """n 011 tho Virgin Binh) .mood, Mar\;', te>t >0 that thi. inter_ pret.tion i, qUOckly by_p,...ed , "[, not thi, the carpen"' r', oon" "" the M.ttOo.n J>O=ge hegi ... (Mott, t30SS)'od quickly. effIciently. I", ... ""the carpenter'" i, changed to 10''''. ""the c.rpenter', SOlI,"" M.tthew' , mo,.., i, clewr. but it behiod the dull lumi .."",oce of M..-k·, "'''- to., eerie glow""" get, when d"".ying wood emits fo, fi re. The second di.gnostic m"-'er i, foood in M.r\; 3:21 .od occur> when I ..", brother> ond ,isto" try to h ..'o him takon .w.y for being oot of hi, heod: """"'ide him,;elf."" in the King I.me, Biblo. It ...., hi, f.mily who saw him ••• IUMtic. and .io<e ne itOor hi. f.ther nor motOor i. mentioned _ .. woold h..'e been the norm.1 not.tioo in.n hi .ibling. Ita"ing quito >ef"l'atc carthly fathers. Th .... it w", neec"",,,y for the author--edi",,, of M.tthe,,' .nd l ukc to paint ov. , this oo.,ful phosphor ,enect whal the author. of these thre-e Gospel. think hi, view • • MuM h..'e been _ 2i,,,,n their knowledgc of Christian tradition to the point of their "'riting_ My point hel",,' i, helicf_".ulrnl", far as those matleo; are concerned : il hokb in 'ny of those foor c,.., •. ) Now. the ,i2n.1 characleristic. of mo>l of l esus reponed tC>ching coocemin£ til< Torah arc. ("". th,t he ... .., "'C)' "'>rectfu l of il (moch n>Ore 50 than laler Chri>lian rommentalon 1Ia", tended to '''''01'ni«) but... rond ly. Ihal in general he cmphasized moinlaining the .piri l of th. Tomh mor< than the IOItcr, The lexl> on di",,,,. _ Ihe f,a.rturin2 of fam ilie. _ ".nd 001 .harply a~.in" thaI trend, Hcre lesu. i. reported '" heing more rig"""' gil'e u. three di>linct ""'gni{","ion, of the Ieller of Tor.rn_ . 11 of them heing • re>pn>e to til< question. "1, ill . wful fe>< marriago of men to divorced women,) lesu, f,oo. Mose. Ie ""'ft, bowo,w, .00 in Mark i, reponed os d",ree ing that any man who divorces. wife aoo him",lf remar_ rios, or any ",oman" bo di"orce, • h",baoo .nd he""lf rem...,.i",_ rommi" odul",'Y (Mark 10 : I 1_11). In ~latlhew .00 Luke lhe p and ,iSlet> of Y",h",,_ That i, hardly. romple-< , Of orig in. 1. o'pl.nation. bul it fit. with the =p"I,.nd with "h.t we mu" lake., the limits of human biok>gic. 1 pos,ibililY. It ,, _I ,u'peet, the lradition of lhe ori_ gin. of y .. hu. of Nazarelh ,h.red by S.ul and by lhe .ulhor..,ditors of ~lark and of lohn ,
'10
•
A 'nLt:TO~ o n TO THO VUHUA · TAfTH
c,'''.
Bu, e',en if ,hi. i. ,he i, i ..... ",Iy a I>O'/>· ·inen hiSlorical anifaco , n.e .lOry of ~linam ... Virg in. kop' ~ro",in~ , righ' in'o ,he ' ..."n,iNh oL',-en,y }'o,,-, of the fai th. n.e hiSlo')' of the Yo.hu._fai,h a. i, ,umon from the . imulull! «n,ury i, ,ug~est the line, of hiSlonc. 1 of '"" Ye,hu._failll emorg"'" (We ob""n-.,d oviharp bend. the fore doe, not perm i' independen ' hi>1oncal Yerificalion of i"u", ",lao"" to '"" hiSloncal Ve>hu •. • im ply 00 the ba>i. of ,he re being more ,h.n one repon of the .. me incident. Honcl..-ic.1 Ye>hu •. one mu," rroceed iOOi",,'ly. focu»in~ ."ontion upon lite proco .. by which ,he uni'y tha, i. 'he Ye,hu._n0fT3,i,'e omergo •. and .Iwa)'. remembering ,h., the charx'er of ,he narrati"e doe. 001 dopend upon the hiSlOfical Yo,hua. b.1I 'hOI tbe Ve>hua whom ..'. e.n. 'o..,me .mall Itoold .peOO oor ,ime trying to son ou, '"" different bit> of this Chri>!ion gOl1Otic rode. AI",.),. we muSl remember tha, ",..,n at ,he o..-lie" momen' _ .. 'he momon' individu.l. Ii>!on"" '0 Ye,hu. _ 1110'" wa •• muhiphci'y of ilOhu._faith "","me • ..,gu lar de"elopme"' of the tradit;"" of le.u ... the_ Chri ... "'n"'thing 'hat gets laljl""ud l'IjI'" os i, come> to....rd. u •. aud doe. "".,. predetermined ,peed, Thus, the ...ord. of Yeshu •• re thought to now regularly into oral,radition and t.... n int" "periropo" (rela1 CEo In any c .... what ,h i, doe. i. pro"ide • faJ"" ",.Ie of dating .nd ,hOI" faJ", reiatOoru;hip: Saul ', le"ers are .... 1d up .Ioog,id" ,he S),noptic,. with the implication ,h., the Synoptic. were . Imo" c""'plel"" "hen Saul .......... ri'ing . .., t.... ,w" can II< considered "qually m._ ture part. of the e""'IjIing Qui"i ... "01)'. No. ,hi. doe> not work. """""'" t.... nice. calm. e,'en "' .... matic by which t.... Synoptic> are de> of .n.il_lik. de"elopmen, .Iternating with short period. of fuOOo. activit), w .... n. eff",,'i,·ely. tin'" w•• compressed arid a de_ code or t... o·, wonh of acti"it)' was >Ccompli, .... d in the t... in kling of.n e)' • . 1he most .igniftcant of """" mo",,,n" occurred during the emeljloncy .... a in ehri>!i ... hiSlOl)'. the response to tho ""uma of 66--73 CE which. had t.... Ye>hu._follo'.ie", not I><en in equ.1 fW1> fortunate and imOlO">mldro ... ill "",n be. dusty ,wirl. I !'n izcd in our own er, 001)" bee,u.., they are duplicated in tOe Synoptic Go.pel' and.re tllere . ",ribed to Ye,hua, Thi, probably wa. oot the case in hi, "'I'n time. when hi. audience recognized to,,--o/f pru-. .... of Ye,hua without oitation •. the .... )" tnd.)"·, JlO!l or countr)" m""ic fan, rerognise riff, and q_ation, from ""ns, that are encap,u lated in orhor piece>, Now. when notin£ in tho d i""u"ion which foil",,". <enain non_rllJldom resembl"""", bet",een what Saul .. Y' in the epi>!le. and ",hot i, lator .. id in the Synoptic. aboot tOe historic.1 Yeo.!lUa. J . m presenting no o,'erall thoory of rolatiomhip ",h,""",'er. "",rei)' iodicating Jl"O>,ibi litie •. Fundamentall)". the poIontial re lation>hips are .implc and limited : (al Sau l 'I'M imitated by the Synoptic .. pe"'af" at third or founh hand: (b) Sau l pic ked up material that "'". in the earl",,, form of oral tradition among followers of tho crucified Ye. hu • . and used it. Thi. ",me matori.1 was later employed in tho Synoplic Go.pel" or IC) that tho .imilar materi,1 in the efH""" and tho Syooplio. came from totally di,-.rse ..... "". and its ne",_identic.1 nature i. explained oot by commonalit)" of origin but b)" tho coou"o,,", lit)" of purpooe the "",reo materi. 1 ",rYe' in exh ••" of fmal to.'''. No hip. bet"'",,n thins. S.u l wrile. cooceming Ye.'/lUa of N",,,,,,th and thing. that the Go.pel writors >el do"'n. it i, eilber beeau", tbey "'" both repeating. non_biblical u)'ing or motif thaI f\oolod throogh I.ole Socood Temple JtJdahism or lite)' are in s<m", manner u,ing materi.1 that ..... pem. il i, .Iway. pos.ible lhal..,me item that seem> origin... nd f""hl)' mi nted for the Yo.hu"_faith m.y in fact be. lJorroy.'ing. I ~ 1lQW of no ,,'ay IOcontrol for thi, poibility,
,
A. an indication of ho.....ying._m>torial abool the historical Yeshu. might lie buried in Saul'. t." . i, i. helpfu l 10 note I.. w.y S,"I ,moothl)' in'egrated _ .moothly the !'Oinl of "in"al coocealment _ ..ying._m.teri.1 from early church hi,tory. S",-erol place> in ,o. epistle>, Sau l incorporato. in hi. o..-n rhetorical flow m.. erial th .. m.ny ",holm idenlify •• being I""-Saul f"rm"l.., of e..-Iy y.,hua_fo llo..-.rs :'
'0
For al l ha"e sinned, .00 rom< sIIOll 01 tho glory of God, Being I=YiSl le i, "",iceable. Roman. i. Saul'. most self",onsciou.ly literary letteL so such jump' are not the jKOOUCI of person.1 mood_shifts_ as occ ur in """" of the othe r epi.tI ... bul are ,ubst,nti,-., A )ittle larer. Saul "",m. to add two Ii..., of the c,,-'ed ",hich be pre_ vioo.ly had omitted.• di"ich that fits '"l"rJ ni
IPhi I. 1:~_ Jj l
Othe r e-'"mpie, of """ible hymn' or Christologio.1 creed, are "'" quite so cle ar. Fot: instance. G.lati",. 3:>8 and I Corinthian, 8 :6. rooceming tile onen,,., in j",", Christ of all beliew", may be creed.1 Of may .i mpl)' be an e-'"mple of Saul ', repeating an ide. that i, impanant 10 him. H",,'o,'er. fOf oor purpose. cooceming the "'ying' of t" historical Ye,hua. we infor from Illi , malorial that Saul knew a good deal about th. t.. dition, he ld by early Ye,hua_foll"",.. ",. but he did nO! fod • need to put tag> 00 the..., pi""e> of koo..-It"dgo, He just uoed them.
; Bec .... J wi,h to ' ''''P"' sharply aware of ,Ile dang"' of ""timing that ,he material in Sau l", I.u"rs i. lator in origin than the matori.llha, wen' in' o ,he SynoplOc Gospel. or. ,..or ... that S,u l", infoem.tion necessari ly"''' dopen_ d. to. moIif of being_ c.lloo_from_the_womb w•• f"", for u.ago , Ono «>sed from S.ul", ""ter:< into tile go"".-.I fol l_material "'a> "",e"tially trnn'po (one point doe. nOl" ~e"" .logy ma\;e). or ,hat Saul derived hi. ",forence primarily from early belief. that y.,hu. w.s of the Davidic line. note : there i. a """ rce_ I.. iah. that "''''00 S,ul", purpose. ,..,')' well by p"->J;ctin~ that " scion of I.,<e ",ooid be the 'piri,ua) or """,ular mon_ arch o,'er the Gentil... and this source Saul ci,.. , Thu,. we would do well to"", the oOOlmon.lity'" c..., of "'parato ,mho.-. ",.dung the •• me con_ clu,ion from difforen, dir«tion. and foc quito different ",a8 " _10). Ltlke 114"J-5J). Marl (J6 : being ~mnted to women, (4 1 only in Sau l', "e"ion i. there ",forence to ~oo di«ipie, ",eing "'0 re,urrected Chri " ,imu) _ lafieoU,ly: (5 ) and only in Saul", report i, on app" arance to Yoroy. brother of Ye. hulL 'l""'ifoed, Giwn that we are here dea l in~ ... ilh defin ing the perimeter of" hal ..... a collocli,.., ,'i . ion of the paranormal (to use a neutral phrase. in _ 'lOad of. "'Y. "ma" hallurination··). the re i, no determining which. if any of the fi"e conflioling """Ottn" _ the Four Gospel>' 000 Sau)", _ i, righ' , Eoch of the fi,'e ""coon" i, the equi'·.)""l of a "" of .. Iidation 'lamps. fot whooyer ,ha,,'enion to ,he mix: ,h., the Lo" Supper occurred at the ,ime of Pa"",.. r. Thi, i, much ",eigh' fot the SlOf)' to ,ul'I""' .• nd •• a re.ult they . 11 make. tangled koot of the liochari,_ tic e,'ent , 11te .uthCO"-oditor of the Gospel of John h., a ''''ry lon2 Last Supper on e"e of P"""".. r (ch.pto" t}-141 and doe. oot h",'e Je,u, en8.go in a Seder or in"i,uto any ritu.1 meal. John in'rOOu"", .uch • bOOy_,nd_blood ritua l. but ,he words of in"itution.re uttored in a discoorse in. ,)'n'2og"" in Capem.um (6:B--'!i9)' The re,ult i. "ory nlO"y to"ua ll y. foc one has to chain",,," '"" Capemawn ma'ori.1 oot of it> apparen' context.nd mo,·. it '0 Jorusalem. In Mar\; (t4"7-15).nd the "«i''lIti,.. Mat"'ow (16:>6-19). the time i, Pa,,,,,·er. .nd in ,hi, in>tan<e. le,u. define. the cup .nd the bread. the bOOyand Mood. but ,he "",oo.--odi,or ""g""" to ha,.., him instruct hi> disci _ ple. to repeat '"" ri,ualaftor he i. 200ed (as di"i""t from biographical information about hi. ~.nealogy. binh. life arod de.,h), 11te", aro iru;t.oc", in ... hich "the I..o< are "'0 liuchari>!i< word, (t COf. t t:13-'5) which has il< .WO,i",,'. cOllntorpart, in ,he Go.pel •. '" discu,sed .bo,·e; the hard word. of V.,hua on di,'orce (t Cor. 7:(0). di",u,>ed in chaplor ""'on: and Vosh"." .... omo"' "'at those who preach ,he gospe l ,hould -- lil'e by the Gospel." me.ning not h .... to <m a, ,"ch. 110ese will be recognisable in ,he I""",n' di«"»ion by ,hei, h"'ing I""allel, in ,he Synoplic =1"'1,. An oa,y c.", ""ye... an example. In , The, .. looi.n, (~: '~-Y3). S.u l in'roduce. a .. , of apocolyplic predic'io", by ,.ying ,bey are being pronounced "by ,he "TIn! of ,he Lord" (4 : '~) . Ho ,ben own ",,"",", (He doarl)' did not have. 'Hitlen epi"le to copy_) E",n >0_ the conf'guration of the d.", seem. to Ie"'e the mos' probable in"''!''''tatioo ,ha' (at minimum) tile eschatol,,!,ic.l-apocal),plic »pe the "me: oither Yeshu" replio. 1Dey "'ply "C""",,',:" Tho minu", they 00 50. Yo,hua ha, esc'pod the tmp: whato,.., he '.Y' "".. 11e Plain : "But I soy unto )'oo which he ... Lo.'e ),our on<m",," do good to tOem whioh hat< you. B.,,, tl>em that curse yoo. and pray for tllem whic h de,pitofu lly use you" (Lu ke 6:17-,8), In I\-bttl>e .... in the Sermon on tile Moont. Yo.hua·, werd. are "But I "'y unto yoo. Lo.'e yoo r enemies. ble.. tllem that curse ),00. do good to tl>em that hate yoo_ and f""y fo r them which d"'pilefu lly u,;c yoo. and POrpel' that i, .true Plain .00 tho Sormon on tile Moont on< ha, the Beatitude. ("Blo,,;eJ are _. "'1. 0 formul. that in oorh oas< (foor in Luke 6:>0-" and nine in Matthow 5'3-ll) i, Y~ry o"'y to remember, A. 1 mentioned .arlior. the on< t hin~ that historian. >tudio. of
,how,
oral '''I'''''' in ",ore. of cullu,,,, ha, made conain .. thi.: that which i, remembered oa,"" i, remembered looge ... Which i, to .. y : of the ·· ..ying .. · mat di>tinet from biographical fact> abou' Yoshua) that unde,li< the Syooplic Go.pe l•. the Be:lti,OO", are the 10." "P' to hoxe been cocrupt,>d by the c""",il'e p.»>ag< of oral trammi"ion_ No .... omf>hatically. thi, doe, 001 me"" """eSSMi ly oither ,h,,, they ... ore meldod into the fol klore roocemin2 Yo,hua early in il< de,'oiopment lbein~ hi2hly "",...".able relate. to trammi._ ' ioo. 00' to 002in) nor ,hal. if they w"e ""tually Oint i, '"" impe "" i,'. "B lo" th<m "hieh pe"""u« you" (Rom, ":9-")' [n fact. if _ loric.1 y.,hua that w... of. t peri""tOlic of the oan)' p"'a.rher, of '"" Y",hua_faith
.boo,
,,'OCd,_
,, ~
•
A 'nLt:TO~ o n TO THO VUHUA · TAfTH
and un"" one "",,urne. thai he .Iw.y. t al~ed and "''''er Ii>tof\ed (on ..",nioo to wh",h hi, 0""" lotte" give too Ii.) he must oot oo ly h.se preacOOd Yeshu • . bot .1>0 learned of him. Throughout hio k.~ te" one '''''OIInte" r oferenc~. to other mi"ionarie •. and some of these must ha"e ",chan~ed storie. and "ying' of Yoshua with him . AltI>oo~h 00 w"" the ••h"""'-2uard of the Ye.hua_foHo.... " in m.ny oreo, into" h",h 00 f.,.-ayed. in otoo" (clear ly. and crucially. for e""" plo. Rome). the faith wo. o,tablished before hi, ani,'lI !. Therefore. he must ha,'e learned malorial about the historical Yo,hua ewn in "",as of the Dio,por.>_ And one should not f"'l'N that S.ul k"ew of the Ye.hua_fai th Ion~ bef"", hi, c.1I to be • fol"",'''' of Yesh .... , and. aft~r hi, c.lI. he "i,ited Joru",lem .t k"" three time •• nd in each in>ta""" interacted in _ ten«ly with membe" of the Jerusalem community of Yeshua_folk.... e". bed by Y",hua, broth< r Yae.",.. Saul knew 0 lot of fae".nd .. yinS' of Y",hu. and he u..,,; too say ing. in hi. writi,,~_ as [ hav" ju" demon'trnt,>d, Where matters beeoo .. p",blemat"'al.nd must. therefore. be Idt in more technically adept hands. i. "ben Saul employ, Yeshua', ",ying •. but doe • .., in in"",,,,,,,, "here the Go.pel. do not ha,'e any record of such ,.ying. being oscribed to Ye,hu,- At that point . the ",holarly ",foty net di",pp".'-" The hi,.. torian io on hi, own, In the odd c _ _ t n.. ... 4 : t 5- t 7 _ Saul o,'idently oites • "'ying of y .. hu. [or wh",h there i. "" other re of Sau l. being proclaimed on 'heir ,urface "' 1>00 _ or ,,'en 'n'i _hi"ori< 10 be ron'inually olen. to go againSl ,he k''''r' ,u rfae< grain. and ,hu, '0 be ron,"'n,l}, open '0 maltor> of proof and disproof,
«>me OIher topic : Ye.hu. had bro of Ye"'u. (G.I . 1:19.1 The name, of the o the dominan t brothor .fle r Yo"'ua', de.,h. but thi> h.., no neee.",,), implicalioru concerning binh order among" Ye,hua', , ibling' 0.- Yarov', pooi'ion in the fam ily pecking--order whi le Yo"'", w•• ali,'o. ) YeMIU. ha.d ,woh'c .pe . will>.:>u,
inlerpolations from othor
""''''"s:
Ce ph.., (pOler) woo • 'pe of ,he Aposlles , 1 Aoother p"r>OIl of 'peeial worth " '" John whe .• Iong with Yoco, and Cepha •. "'as one 01 the "pill",,' of the post- or '" f,mi ly. one woold h ..'e g"""",d II", 101m ... as oi,her an impart.nl orig inal d isciple or one of yo. hu, ·. brothe". } It i•• mioorily J>OS'ibilily _ .m.II , but "",-. " ..1", ",al _lhal S.ul com_ munica'o, " fae' Y",hu" ancestry, Thi. p"rhaps occ un w""n (in Roman. 15:8) "" qUO<e5 Fi"l [.. iah·, prediction lhal D.vid·, monarch",a[ line would be re","ablisho.>1 reference. that ,hew ,he Gentilos com ing Wlder Yahweh'. f"O"i<Je nco. Slill. there i, j uS! t"" ",,",ib ilily ,110, ""re wo IIo,'e , murty allu,ioo to Y"'hll.... father being of Da"Kiic ancestry aoo being .. sociated with Bethlehem. lhat i •• 11 , WIIolewr other reforeoce. to t"" hi>toric.1 y.,hu,·, bi"l'rap/1y and bello"Ooor oxi" in Saul ', Ie"ors ore eit""r unt.gged Of doeply e""oded. HOI'>'o,w. before ~i,' i ng up OIl Saul .00 marohing back to the S),oopI'" Gospelaid aboot the hi",,"cal Yoshu. with more thon a 50 I"'rcent chance of ocrurocy (t hat i. the roint ... here the f"'sibie become. the probable). Grantoo. there are 0 fow fu gitive item. in the GosI"'I. (name. and place> """tly.• fow "ying') and. fow I",Hhan""'en f'O"ibilitio, that mi2htt um ootto be the actua l c• .., : but maybe Saul gi,'os u, the be"--defi ,,.d and most lrmtwonhy platform of probabilities roncem ins whal ... e can koow .boutthe e .... hly Yeshu • . W. tak. hi, factual .... nio"' as accur.te. for they are hard ly fanta" ioal; they ha,'e the pedestrian d roop of the truth . W. le.m to hear S.u l tell u. rJlO<e. bet be refusos: a few hi"orical referonce. and the rest. he ...,rm to tell us. i, in the re.lm of f.ith. Now. am I not ronfusin2 a minimum (the oonJI" of facl>. '"l"fJ probably accurate "",enio",. Saul 2"n" to w) ... ith • maximum. the total body of hi>lOrically--probable , .. te"",n" .bout Yoshu. of :-.'"areth 0 ... can infor from the .ntire Christi.n canon' No : Sau l i, 0 platform. 001 • coiling. Ho,',o,'e,2i,'on (oJ that he i. the e",lie>1 ... riter among y.,hua·, foll"",..".nd that he .Ione wrole before the .Imost apocalyplic destructioo of Jerm:aJem and the Tomple and (b) 2i"on that he coonpictel y refu"", to mylholo~ i ze the hi"Oficai Ye. hu., the factua l information we gamer from Saul i. much lOOfe tru" _ ... orthy th.n any t hin~ that come. in • narr:ati,.. that glorifies the .:lf1 hl y life of Ye. hu . . .. do the Four Gospel •. A u",ful ru le of N.... Tost."",nt .vidence c.n be deri,'e d from thi, situation : thal a ny name. pi"",. o[ event ",Iating to the hist","ic.1 Yeshuo that i. foond in Saul'. writin~ con . when .Iso found in the Go'I"' I. or the Acts of the Af'O'tlo•. be talon as bein~ fac tually aceu"' ...• Here i, tbe "'-"lId f'O"ibility : that withoot stretching beyond OO[ balancepoint. we may be .ble to tooch in Saul'. writings foc" ",n"oyod .bout the historic.1 Yeslm. that "'" unlabe lled", ,och. or .. hic h aro enh ulled within "'l'ument> that ha,.., ric h theoIogic.1 implication •. bu t in which Saul make, 00 man if." historic.1 .... nion> abou t the beha,'iour of Y<shu. of N"",,"'h_ To do thi •. I thin k we s bould grant to S.u l the claim that he frequen tly makes: that hi. lifo was 2i"en up to the "''''ice of the Almi2hty through hi, preaching of the £""1"'1 of Jo.u._the-Christ_ s . ur. life """ ,imilar to that of • pre",nt_ day I"'rformanco .... i" . He .haped him",lf o. a cotlt inually_,,,,ol"ing offorin~ _ in_prog"''' to hi. God and hi. lello" aI. the rerord of that performanc;" Wo are justifoed in readin~ til< record of S,ul ', hfo •• the first recorded instooce of. life 2i,'en o>.. r to the Imitation of Christ. At time •. S.ul i. breathtakingly immodest in hi, Imitation.' F« .. ampl•. in Roman. (t5 :8) he poin" oot thal Ye.hua "w... mini",,, of the circumci.ion fo.- the truth of God __ ."' That i •. • Judahi" ~'hose m;',ioo on o.nh "'.. to p"'ach to hi, fell", Judahi" .. 11len.• h~hl!y lator. S.ul affi rm. that he him_ ",If i. "the minister of /0"" ChIi" to the Gentile,_ mini""'in2 the goopel of God. that the offerin2 up of the Gentil.. might be a.rcopt.bio. being =>eti fied by the Hoi), Ghost-- (Rm, t5 : 16). The re one has sour. hf. in • rompre<Sed
s..ul und t~ l!niMtioll II/Christ . "9 moment: ( 1) he i. in ",OOrtlination 10 Je,u, Chrihua_f.ith. S.ul pro"ide. 0 normti,'e and implicit ",ference. that impl)" a predetermi.....-d destin)" feo" himself. He I""i" th .. Yahweh had "separated me from m)" mother. wom b. and c.lled me by hi, groce" (Gal. t, t ~), When that di,'i"" ."""ion wa, >ctualized. he continu ••• it was "" that he coold "preach him among the heathen' (Gal , t :16), Cenainly Saul knew of the daim of the prophet I,aiah that '-n.e Lord hath calk>d me from the womb , .. "(1 •. 49: 1), And I1>ore to the point. Saul was adapting the ",,,,nion of the l""I'het Jeremiah. who hears Yahweh .. ying "Before I formed thee in the belly. [ knew thee .. , and I ""dai .... d thee o prophet unlO the nation," (lor t :~) _ more to the po int bee.u", "unto the nat ion,' ifICluded the Gentile •. ' s.om..~ime,. s.ur. identification with le,u, Chri!" (t Ceo". t l :t), And after. oongregalioo ha, beeome bonded to him. Saul can command ••• he does of the n.e.",loni.no: "and yoo bec.me imita"", of n •. " he _". u.ing the plural to refer to himse lf. "and of the Lord , ..• » hi. term for Jesu, Chri>! (t Th= 1:6.• ,vl , Whate,'erel>e thi. mo)" be. it i. _ ,",'ideo<e of low self_' '','''m. On cenain Ill.tlers. Saul i. !, .nd _ to Gentil .., Thi. behav_ iour _ thi. practi to pull of an hist,,"oal problem .00 try foe a mo.,.,nt to ...., the pattern of the whole : gt'''~I'. Thu, (t) gi,'on thar S.ul .00 Yoshu. hod 0 number of point> in rom _ roc>n (at minimum the religio-oultur.1 ""'tri. of lato Secooo Temple Jud._ hi,m ). aoo (1 1 aho five" that S."I defined hi, own life a•• n Imitation of Christ (that i •. he tried to pa"ern hi, m ini,"y 00 the contour> of hi . Lord'.). but (J) noting al>o that S."I 0"",«1 oot hi. mi"ioo in "fry different turf from that of Y",hu • • then (4 ) we woold .. peet t"'t the pattorn ofSaui", life m ight te ll us somet hing .bout the pattern of Y",hua •. prm'ided oompe",",ion. are made foe the oiwi"", differeoc .. in time .00 of pi"", of their re'peeli,'e mini"ri",.
'''''y
,
The fi"t pattern_que"ion that ..-;"'. i. one that the Questoe. for the historical Y",huo ha,'e ", re"IOO with. like Loocoon and the serpen". for goneration afte, !!" neration: i. it ",ali .. io to roncei,'o of>Oll1eOll< who w.. romplet! ",'idence of this bein2 0 prac_ tical JK'S,ibility wou ld be if anyone had f n.tionalistic re,'olutionar)" of ..,rne form. Thi , i. an hi"oric.1 p"",ibil ity (though I think a ''''Y .m.1I one). but it mak •• the ba.ic qu.stion ~o .",a)' by d<e)aring it moot: th.t y .. hua ",as 001. reli~iow; leader pur Urine and that i, that , n.. problem ""re i. that .... Christ ian scripture, i ..., iS! that Ye, hu. "'. . . religiou, leader and. in any ca,;e. yet) i. no compellin~ .yideoce of hi> bein~ • political remlution.ry : ble .. in~ the po-c.l led "Third Que"-- and lhe ··Ne,.. Quest" for I"" hi.tori",1 y.shua of lhe I.st one-third of lhe I",enlielh cenlury hay" ""Id in common an incre .. _ ing rommilmenl '" undem.nding Yeshua . . . ..,lid. de'''UI Jud"'i,,- But rTlOOI of the Que>!Of' h"" shied .w.y from definin~ him as • rel igirus ",,'olu_ lionary. Ho can be • Judahi" with. JilT..... """ _. Cynic. and marginal_Jew.• magician _ bul be rare ly i, credited wilh the historical ageoc)' of bein~ lhe f,,"ode r of. radically "'-'W I""" of the Yahwoh-faith. NOI • Christian. cer_ tainly : bul is Ihi. fi accidily historically fining' The Go>peh. be ing posl_ 7OcE. lell u, ""ingly liltle 00 Ihi. matlor. for lhe e""r~y impell ing Ihem i. the I""n..,ndan~ored Christi. n ohurch and its de.pernte fight /Of '""'ival: not the ["'fCC me ... ~e (il weh il i.) of Y",hua of N",-"",th. Hore S.ul helps imm"nsely, One of the ""Iendid thing •• boul Saul;' that. un like y.,h .... "'e aclualiy pos'"'' hi> own WOrtb. We do 001 need 1o .crept iodi r«t reportago. at second_Ihird_ . , hand. as ", ilh y.,hu" Whal .... un_ deni.bly fiud in S.ul i. , ~onu i noly r",'olulionary re ligiou, Ihin~er (al",.y •. 01 «>lJ"". defined ", ilhin lhe term, of ",hat "'''' "",oIutionary in hi. "",n lime. 001 ou"I , We are .ble 1o adblocko. One of tho", i. that Saul w••• Diasporn G"", ' Jndabist and Yeshu •• G.liloan and therefore t.... two lived in such different intellectual en"ironn",n" that t.... y are not comparablo figure. in any S.ulsJ>Ol;e Gree' as hi, f,rs' l.n~u'2e and Yo,hu •• J>OI;e Aramaic. in all probability. Wbetho, .it .... , one of them had biblic.1 Hebrew .. a language i. uncenain (although J>roboble in booh c"",>. .. tbey booh wo,shipped in ,he Socor.d Temple) .• nd ",he,he, tho two of thorn ",,,,,OJ havo had • lingua franca ,n",.t li' .!y demotic G"", ' Of """ibly Aram.ic). i. oot demonstrable. How· ever. ,hi. mi,,,,. tbe pt>int that tho in'o,""tiol1< bet ...""n 'he religiou. motropole. leru'" w", con,inu.I , Mor«n-"'_ it i. oote ...orthy thaI. if hi . Ie""" are.n ""curn'o indic.tioo_ S,ul had oo,hin2 apJ>ro3Ching 0 d.ssica l edocation , Hi> koowledge of Gen, il. litora,ure "e.
s..ul <Jnd t~ Imitatiolt II/Christ . OJJ "",i. 1 I>o.... " of Yah",eh , Scholanltip ('1 if the.., word. ore taken •• having ""I,anlle mean ing. or if they act "" 'YllOIlyms; (b) 00", .ither term rofer to foteed cultural change en£mdered b)" G".., ~ . uthoriti .. ' (e) 00" •• itOer 0"" refer to the ... imilation of G"",~ ide.. and in"ituti"". heing enforced by tbe elite of the lud.hi" ",!igioo" .00 (d) 00", eithe r term refer. instead. to a ,'oluntar)" ."umplion of cettain G",o~""'riH,d .tt itude., ""Iief•• oo practice. b)" tile Judahi" rna"" • . occurring in roughly the way that the citizen. of tbe fom> the "pp".1 of makin2 the dichotomous minaJ>pear; bu,. like most P'),o""'"'l!or)'. i•• oure worse thon ,he di ..... it wipe. ou' , It re.ul" in the .uppression of a whole body of histocica! data on Judahi>! PTa.rtice> tho, were oot Hol loni"ic and which rem,in«l olear of Ho lleni,m . nd Hoikniz.ation righ' up to ,he e nd of ,he Second Tomple period. ~lore,'er. if the 'r.>di,;"na l Holienic_Semi,ic pol,ri'y. when employed by cla"icaJ hi"ori,n •• implici'ly makes ,he Ho ll!ian_ i'y i. co""meted primarily upon Jewish promi"". '" ,he histO be5, '0 focn, OIl Helloni,m. by "h ich i. mean' the .-olunla'Y .<simil.. i"" of ide ... nd soci.1 prac'1icc ,h" origin ..od in Greeco. bIl, which may h ..'o ani"ed in Palo"ine .flor being medialod by other cullure" Thi. "" 1>0'"'' the cmoon _like quali')' of much of ,he deb,"e. for one cannot .." up 'imple dichotomie., >uch •• domin.,ion ,'e!>u, resi"an",,: imperi.li,m ,u, locali,m : ,I>< Greek and Roman ci'y ,'e!>u, leru .. lem, And i, remOl'., Ihe implic.'ioo Ho ll"ni"ic K1e. . .nd pnc'ice,. w""n """",ed by lud,_ hi"" were ,he of >Orne "oli,ion.I , I""~rnmm.'ic and an' i_Yah ... i" c.mpaj~n , No, 'hey were adop,od because i, made "' .... ' 0 Ihe pheoomenon ,hal ""'ny European and Asi.n cul,uralleoders ,,niod aboo' in ,he fi", 'hiny or fort)' yo"" .flor ,he Secood WodJ War. Seemingly. Americ.n cul,u re wa, lal:>demi7"'"",. Uode r"""dably. ,hi. ".go of n>:>demiz.a' ion w.. m;'_ n>mod . • nd ,I> in aocient Greece were" mammoth c.u ..1 onsine. dri"inS chan~e throughout the thon _known work!. lt follow. that Holloni,m (defined a, a ,tago of "",ial-pment ) >hoo .. ha,.., become I"'t" .. i"e in" coontt)" li ke Palestine once that re_ cen.in e< wa. an i.land unto it.. lf.~" How could it be any other way' Yel. i. thi, 001 to accept the argument of Martin Hongol .bout tho domi _ nee,ing po,va.i'.. r>e" of Holloni"" cu lture" No: . Ithough Hollonism w.. I"'"... i,'e. this doe, not mean that there ne•..,,,ari ly wo> an """",ition be_ tween HolI""istic cu lture.nd that of ludahism. One must boOOllr the in.ight of Samuel Sand"",1 ,,00 he .. that the Yah wist faith rould become Ho lleni._ tic. but without I"", of it> own identity.nd without the de>tructioo of any of it> own .. sential characteristic," Of coo,.., Hellenistic infi ue""", . ff"",,->d the "".. ml ,'arian" of Judahi.m that wero flowering in Palosti"" and beyond. but this "'... " ,yne'gistic .it""ti"". A, Eric M. ,\I"yo .. has ob",,,,'oo. the Hel _ leni.m we fLnd. lot exam ple. in the archit""ture of Ere" ISl..,1 and in lingui._ tic cootor". >hoold not be con.idered -- so much an inv.. ion of indigo"",,,, cultu", from tbe ootside. but rathe, a """ mean, of expressing k>c.l culture in .ltemati,'e and often exciting way •. n.e appearaoce of some foem. of Greco-Roman culture in a Jowi,h context need not , i ~n i fy compromi .. or traumatic chan~e , "" Thus. the ubiquity of Hollonistic infiue""". de li""atod as a stage of the >ocid without presenting it .. an "-,temal hegomonic force that hard uroo Judahi .m. Both Saul .nd Y",hu" opetllt,>d in sim ilar COII ,-.ri;,d
P"''''''
1"""'"
'38
•
A
'nLt:TO~ o n TO THO VUHUA · TAfTH
"""ording 10 s11)' ~rudg< "l'ai nSl tho children of tIly peoplOUuding many oo2inal i"'igh", t""y ...ere moold ing t"" ir coocop" from within. '''1)" rich trlIdition of Judahi" thought,
We do oot ~no,,' di,ectly an}lh in8 aboo ' the mental ~itb.og wi,h which Yeshu. of Na:.<areth .pproached t"" world (we aro pri"Y only '0 its reconstructioo. two gone ,.'io", I.te r. by hi. I"'"t- ]O follower.). bu, wo do know with ",me J>l"C i>ion , .. tool. that S.ul used to anal)"" and. ultimatol)', "'.•11 from lat« SOnan,ly). S.ul po.se.sed a ve'y flex ible inte,_ pretative instrument. n.me ly .... of the Hel lonic mode of .naly,i...11e_ goric.1 thinki ng. that hud been don-.ecribi n~ "".. ",I ol [e~orie5 to Jo,", . but the Rabbinic.1 litoratu", """ibe. olle~ ori", to its own in",ll«o,u.1 progonitor>. the Ph";",e •. 1h< .lIe~oric.1 metOOnelu,ioo than w"' ,.. origin.1 G"",k I1lOtk of thooght. I" sour. work .• lk'£O for u"""manding his ,,,,'n w(>(1d and for communicating with hi, fol _ lowo", Thu,. 011< find, in Saul". epistle, """"t of the new mode. of re ligious a"",,""ption and " pr."ion that came to the fore in the '00 )'031> before to. Com<mn Era: tile personifICation of good and evil. most panicu l..-I), in figu",. that had ag. but which must ha,'o circulat,>d mo"ly b), word of mooth.'" If Saul indeed tell, u, what w.. in the intoll belm_biblical literature" ~-'''' >10/ "''''''hing Ioe rloo"ghr ~bour. oot UUl' imrroJ. ,Ioe ~·ay he ,hought. 0..., {".n '''''''l'-nize that
s..ul und t~ Imilatioll II/Christ .
'4'
.Imost his enti ,e >tore of thoo"",ic.1 metaphon _ the ludge. the Roc k. the Root of 10,... the Second Ad.m. the Seed of Ab,ah ..... _ w.., deri"ed lrom the Tan.kh : and one can point to the numbe, of times th.t S.ul demonstr.bl), qnoto, I"'" 01 the Old Te"."",n" 000 hundred_plu, in"an"" .. which com_ J>rl'" .boot one_third of the 10rm.1 citations of m.teri. 1 from the T. nakh in the Chri"i ... ",ri ptu,,,,Y Yet. o"on noting the", I",,, minimize. the deg"'" 01 s.urs immc,ip'''''''. for OJ, di ,""t scriptural cit.tion, and hi! use 01 Old Test.ment ",ttom_fogu 'e> are merel)' the "i,ibl. poetion, 01 hi! moch more p,,,,,.,i,'. ,ubrerr."".n 01 the rich""" ol lat" Serond Temple Ind.hi" trndition. and ide •• _ They ,,'ere the .i , he br"athed. hi, IOCoiou,"o .. that w.s. in religious te ,,,,,,. re,'olutioo_ ary' I> it not • rontradictioo to see de.."I), immer:sed in I.te Second Temple Judah;,m .nd.• imulta""o",I),. the in,'entor 01 ,adic.lly new forms' tl"o. Thoro,.-.., in hi, time both proceet of rul .. lor thinking., a re,'olutiooary. ",hi.., still remaining ,.-ithin the respecti,'e lold. Thi, ,.-as ac 01 that grammar, Ho granted honour.nd ,espect to til< m.jor ,}'mbol. of the ludahi>! !roOditi",,; he used .Imost ontirely • ,'ocahulary of "position that came lrom the Tana~h and from lator Second Temp'" .",,_biblical ttlldition" he oontinu.lly a'FUed that .11 hi, """. ide", ..-ere ld ide",,_ that he w", "",rely pointing oot the rotT«t interpretatioo of inlormation that hi, ludahi" oo-religioni>t. atrendy po._ ",=d : "he"",'e, poss ible. II< cited precedon" found in the ",riptu'e>, .nd. by t.king scripture out of conte,,_ by taking icoaic fi gure, (Abrah.m. Adam.
"""«iou,,,,,,.
>01"""'" "'
Esse"".
141
•
A 'nLt:TO~ o n TO THO VUHUA·TAfTH
OIe.1 from "'oi, ori~inal eo'""l>'OO b)" placing them in [lOU' po.itions. by omploying late Second Templ< eoo"ructs (M""i.h. Sat.n. Son of God) in","w rombinatic"" wi'" , ..'" older fi~ure .... w., .ble '0 'OI.lIy lhe me.nin~' of many of ,he bas;': roocepls .. Id by mos' form> of Second Temple Judah i,m , He",_ I emph.,i"". no< on l)" 'hat S.ul "'lIS 001 violating lhe implicit rule, of hi, uadi,ion. bu, ,h., he ""'",, no< ewn doing ""yoll ing u"u,u.1. 1he", .. me tochniq"", (with .ppropriato adaption> for the ,ime in wh;':h they wore emplo),edl wo'" adopted by vinu.ily " ..,,)'one who wan,ed roligiou> ",form Of revo lution wi'hin ,he plurali'm> ,h .. wocshipped Yahweh , One """ ,he >am< '''''hniqu" in 'he .u,hoc-1iani'y and ,..no.,s fon", of Jewi>h Renewal. """h .. ,he "[)ism,'er)" Scm inar," "hihiah , wh;':h w.s omerging in lato Selent aI ..,me mom"n". ill,,!,icol aI o,he ... bu , 00 ooe can .ceu.., him of ha" ing be.>n sma II · m iooed." Tha, jLldgoment hokl< unle" one propo>e' ,ha, a ll the . p l"""n'ly . ori~inal ido .. ,ha, Saul expro.",d were too.. he has pic ked up (..,rood. or 'hird· haod) from ,he e.nhly y .. hua of Nazareth. If .... S.ul i. !Ie of'he most ,ue· c~"ful pla~iari," of.1I 'ime. Bocau", we have 001 a 'inglo "..,...j ,hal y.,hu. him ",If "" _ 'n (why. 00 ,,·hy. could he 001 ha,'~ had ""me di".n' followe", who.....-dod c,,"nsel by eJ>istle'l. we c.nOOl cooclude "'i,h al»o luto cen.inly ,hal saur, radical re_in'..,n,ion of late Second T~mp l o JLId>io i,m W:l> 001 dependent upon y.,hua·,. HCM'",'er.• och depeOOOD of hi. ma"or. a doop immer_ ,ion in '00 Judahi" fa i'h of hi. 'ime. , .. mlu,ionar)' religiou. construe,ion of ,hal fai th. aoo. fo r hi. rew.rd. mart),rdom . S.ul .. II, us. I 'hin k. ,hat Y",hua wo, crucified bec.use 00 de"",'od i,. Yeshu". thorn. "·ere. indeed . • crown, Thu. we e",opc from ,he infini ....sci"ion ,h., uooorlie. much of ,he re<ent Que"\'enly Of '" Gospel ,w.... lhat ~o bark to Y",hu" Of lMllhe",.re perhaps ni""ly.'" lhe J<su, Seminar >U~e'l>. " ,,,,,h .,senion, (ewn if lhey are ullimaloly foooo 10 be accurale) oro'pI 10 lead 10 lhe implied and u""xomi""d infere""e lOal hec.u", we .. I""senl koow 50 lillie of lhe .. hgiOlU ide"" of Y",hua of N:lL1rIi anit)' I""",nt Ihe !'I1ari""", "" lIleir ori~ inal enem)'. 1he ",oolarly lit''!"alure. if an),thing. i. more """ply =nfu.ing ,." Only I"" indi"idu.l. _ S.u l and F1"'iu, loseph ... _ ""tualiy hal'C kfl dire of Robbinic ludoi,m. "hich is lIle form that hec."", dominanl af"'r 70 CE. and the !'I1ari>ee. ",,,,e the biggc" competit"" of lhe early Yeshu._follower. , Therefore. the m:>tler i, a "e>lalile one, I""end of I.,.ing oor",lve> in the contonliou, SKondary htemlure on thi, maltor. il is bellor. a> far . . . n understand ing of Sau l .nd of y.,hua i. coo _ cemed. to de.1 with the cor\"'mpornr)' to-,". Operalionally. that lea"", u. s,ur. Icuers and. wilh "'''''''01ioo. for lIlei r be ing po" -70 CE. a bil of l oseph",. the Foo r Gospel, and lhe Aots of lIle Apostle" 1he chief R.bbin"'al "'''- the Mish ... h ...... "'" edited in its p"'",nl form unlil approxima«ly '00 CE and il requi"" romiderable delic:KY when interpreting its informatioo on 1""-']0 CE !'I1.ri .. i,m : it> anochroni"ic me. unfortun.«I)". i. endemic, Pemap> lhe .ing lo ""'" imporu.nt J>Oinl 10 reahz •• boul lhe !'I1ori""" i, lhal lhey were"'" the equ iv.lenl of a political ce ll in lhe do)" of the Cold War. Thi, be"" omph .. i,. bee.u", lhe Mi'hnah. which deri,.. , fr om one SOl of !'I1ori""" who ,urvi,',,([ lhe d"'lruction of 70 CEo gi,'e, lhat impre .. ion if ",ad uncrit"'all),. In>lo.d of a li£ht l)"-
.:>larship. but in Ihe pro-70 period they "..,'" not uneed by I.'or o.ri>li... in a morally 'f"I"ined. indeed ovil manner. ,ha, doe, _ me.n one ernse. him from hi"ory, He o,iSled and he "er)' J>Wbobly wu;. Pharisee and. if read on lheir own 'onm ( _Iho<e of I",or mism: namel), ' h< gre"
Ie"""
'.10'
s..ul <Jnd t~ Imitatio" II/Christ . '41 Hillel. OJ, >OfI or grandson (tradition. "at)"I. Rabban Gamaliel I and hi, grand""" Rabban Gamaliel)) (. leading figure in tll< I." two de "" ....1of the apostJ.. lrom a mob that. h"" ing been offended by their "",achins. ,,'i,oo, to kill thorn. n.e)" got off with a be .. ing (Acts S:29--\0I. Thi, fig""'. G.maliel, hlI" ing been .,tabJi,hed. i, ",_u"".ble, When Saul i, in • pwallel ..... ition of danger. h"" inS been se ized when he tried "'me .... 01 wor;,hip in too Temple. and placed on trial. the author- •• ad hi, being a Phari>ee .re .11 just biograrhic.1 fae". The", are "'g"'galNi from Iho c h"""'teristic, fo< ",hich'" doe. iadooNi h3\'e to apologize, "roocernin~ zeal. p", ,,,,,uling tho church" and. a •• euphemi,m fo.- hi, badl)" mi'placed "Iouching IJ-.e righl ..... ""'.. "hich i. in the Ia .... blomelell" (l'I1 il, }:6). S.ul·, f"" tu.l. noo _hi>trioo io. ,eporting of hi. o'l'n l'I1ari .. i,m i, dee ply in conflict ", ilh tl>< onti_l'I1..-i .. ic 1000 Ihal rull> Ihroo~h much of Go,pe l, ma_ te,ial. In IJ-.e Gospel of Jolin. fo.- ex""'plo. I'" "ic", of .11 form. of fudahi,m ...., ,ummed up in IJ-.e Phori"", •.• nd IJ-.e", i •• Imo" no civil inlor.>rtion wilh them , In.tead. the,e i. demonization. The (;osp"1 of Jolin ha.s I.. Phari"". occupyin~ in I.. Judahi" ,eligioo, polily a position" hieh ",a. on ly obl,"ned by I... ir Rab.binic de""end.n!> in I'" ye ..... fte r the Temple', ""'lr\Klion : they.re presenled a, pan of the religiou •• nd ci"il e.tabli,hment and •• 100 'pear ... ad of enforced ",Jigioo, conformity. TJ-.e ooly Pharisee 10 """iYe a ~ood pr ... in loon i, Nicodemou. ". rulor of IJ-.e Jow,:' (Ihat i •• p,obably. a membe, of the Sanlledrin) ",ho come, 10 J"u. b)" n i ~hl .nd ash for 'pirilual advice , H. addre,,,,. Ye,hu . . . "Rabbi" and Ire." him wilh ""reel (3 :1'I), Laler. ",J-.en tl>< Phari ...,.nd I'" chief pri. st, ,esolve 10 seize Ye,huo (nolO Ihe alli"""e). Nicodemu. "'Bu,,, thaI il w.., a viololioo of Torah 10 ",i,o anyone before hi. words ",ore J-.earJ and hi, ""tiOll' oOser',oo, For hi. cour_ a~e. NicodemOI> was accu>ed of being • Cf)"pto-G.lile"n. Ihal i,. a followe, of Je,u, (7 :3'-53). Nicodemu. i. I.." J-.eard of bringin~ a hundred weight of .pices (a fortune) 10 I'" "",reI place ",hore Ye.hu.·, bod)" w., laken immedi _ aIe l)" . fte r hi, crucifi xion (19:38-39). Nicodemu. "and, 001 be. Ih , ... \ .nd '4:1-35), On ,he /i,,! ocr.,i,,". he 2en,Iy "pl.in,!o hi. oo.!. S imon. the natu re 01, ... lorgi\'ene .. ol.in •. In ,he ,;econd in".""e. he ha> an argument with the rhori"", aboo' ritual de.n line .. before me.l. and call, the I'hari""". ··fool •. ~ and -- hypcrite,' fot being'" .hallow in their de"OIion.1 life. And in ,he third co,., .... vi,i" ,he 1>00", of "'me of ,he ch id Phari"",,' ,'~:1) 0tI Shabbat aoo there I=a deb.te .boot "hat i! ;, lawful !o 00 "" ,he Sabba,h , No< .... rpri.ingly. Ye"'ua win. , ... deb.'e, In !t.es., >torio. 'here i. cle.rl), a disapp"",.1 of the I'haris.ees and. in , ... 5«000 in"ance (,' :5-\). the stot)' oooclud", with the I'hari"",. committing them",I,.. , !o catching Yeshua 00' in >OffiO grie,'opel of M.n...... permits each of , ...'" !hr,,,, """,'ins, '0 take place. bu, fco- !he .utltor_edi!ot\'l of tha, book. t... ), are not """.. ioo, of romi'y. bu, of 'en"" i""ivilit)', n.e n...1 in ,he boo,;e of Simon t'" Phari..,. (Luke 7:J6.Y') becom. And on.oo on : the Pharisee. a re called a ~oneratioo of"ipe" and. in" .. bid peric"!,,, thai. bordt ly reformer in the reign of King Joash. woo.. de.th by "OIling p Chron_ 14:10-") M. tthew tum. into a paralle l to the >acrifi e< of a I.mb. 0 . ttong Chri"i." motif. All thi, guilt. Ye,h"" i. ,upposed to ha,'o u.id. will fall to the present gonerati oo of Phari"",. aM tooir accomplice,. fuoctiooar _ ie. of )oru .. lom·. re ligiou. establis h"",nt , In the Go.pe l of ~1attoow , the all.,. gation of blood guilt on the Pharisee. part. stops i"'t >hott of it> kogi.,.J conclu.ion : that the Pharisees were largoly re'ponsible for de.,ide_ til< ~ i ll i "g of )e>u>-the-Ch rist, for M. tthew omit> the P h";""" from the ohott litany of "ill.in, who are central to the crocifi, iOll. Too Gospel of ~1a", not ooly omits the Pharisee. from the list of Chri,, _ kill'rs. hot make> them patt of • ci" ili,ed intoraction with Yeshua, Ho and thc Ph";""". argue points of Halachah .•""h as diN"')' rule> (1: t6-10). table.-d .. nli""" aM rooking rul .. (1' t-13). matter> that onh ull big 'piritu. 1 prioci p"" in ,mall. ",'OfJday practice •. as both ,ide. ac knowledgo, l1Ie "'Bu ment i, p""ented .. being ~ene .. lly respectful on oach .ide. if 'pirited_ Only """ I)" doe, Mark pelTllit Yo,hu. to say something Ilollty .boot the Ph";,...,. _ a •. "!><ware of the lea"," of too Ph.ari""". and of the .,",'cn of Horod" (8"5), AM. on the rigour_of_the_l.w que"ioo_ Mm doe, not permit • • imple dichotomy to eme'l'o. with Yo,hu. embracing the ",irit of the I.w. the !'hari""" the letter : when til< matter of di"orce come. up (to: t_t 1). y .. hu • • ,,,,n. 0 position """" ru le_booM. le", _flox ible. Ie.. forg iving. than do the Ph.ari""". Most . ignific.ntly. the . u,hoc--editort.) of the G"'pel of Mm pre",nt the >!Of)" of too crucifi, ioo of y.,hu. i". remmab le ""r: althou~h the Ph";"".,re mention«! early in Ma",", p lot tin~ with the "Herodia"," to de>!ro)" Yeshu, 13:6) and , lator... tryin~ to c.tch him in >editi"" 'p"""h (11:13J. ~ ' hen ooe come. to too F'u>ion >tory. they ore .bsent , 0..., """ the .Ide .... the high pri",,- the chief prie't>_ ,he >Orticularly OOIewonh), "'at he himself had once been a Phari_. Hi. model. Y",hua of Nazareth. had been • Ph.ri"", as ."..ell : like Sau l. • Ph.ri"" of •• ligh'ly off_brand son. Ne illoer S.u l 00< Ye life could be made .imilar to those of Y",hu. of Nazare'" (J'"'1icularl), in hi> de,'elopin2 ' mi"ion '0 the Gentile. ,imi lar to tha, of Ye>hua to tho lud._ hi>"). and .1", beeause the two men of orientation, "'" funrlamental de,'o,i"" to Yahweh .• nd ,he f""di'l"',ition to argue abou' relig iou, m.tt.rs in • common vocabulary. le.med in their r"poeti,.. branche, of Phari>ai,m , Th",. that ''l'ument bet~'''''n Y",hu. and S.ul .bout , .. riow di,'orce H.lac"'" "'h",h we di,;cu.!-ed in ch.pter eight.
>e'
"""'2e
'5' .
A 'nLt:TO~ o n TO T H O VUHUA · TAfTH
moTe sen", arid i,l«, diye'p oenainly were oot meant to ""ume a .peaking ,'oice). the", i. no r""ord of how a .. ri"", Judahi ... cootro.w.ialist ",ould have spoken to.n . udienc. of real people. Saul. dictating madly. gi,'e. u, that at time •. And I>< re i, the bon u", il Saul oan be take n ,. being a Di.spora anal,,!,"" of hi. m.a>tor. Ye. hu • . then perhap. Saul". di=tl)"-0 u""learl)" in the "ron~ly !""P"£andi>tic bi,,!,rnphie> 01 him ",ritten aftertl>< yoar 70 {:f" Saul o'p!> to continu. to practice / udahi,m and to re'pect i" law. (t Coc, 7= t 9) . nd h< o'pectod t he •• me of him,., lf. Anythin2 01", would have oo,n hypocritioal : it w", only the Gentile lollowors of Yo.hu. to whom tl>< fin ite rul", of T""'" did not app l)". at 10." not lully, Crucially. the letto" 01 S.ul that ",e indi _ cate that .. hetl> ,hi, ""in'. bee.u", early in ,he ,wen,i .. h oen,ury_ i, ..... common '0 ,ugg' 'hat beea .... of ,he app<arance of cenain lerro< in Saul'. wri'in~ _ "mylterion"' being ,he cenlral one _ Sau l', en'ry '0 Gen,ile circl .. "'a< fac ilit.. .,,) by hi. h»'ing .dop"'{] "" .. ml coocept. Irom Holleni,,;" "m)'"o r)" religion • ."' In co,m'orpoin'. Anhur Darby Nod. ~lanin Hongol. Raymond Brown and Devon Wien, .11 OOOlriooted to a demon"ra,iOfl th.,. in loe'. Saul', idoa, and concept •. e'-en tl>.:>", ,hal appoar mo,," oo,n'. h,,'e a "",ree""in' in I... Second Temple Jud.hi.m." Tha, Saul', ilk .. may h".. wid p.nicu _ larly w1ic. 00.. "'" mean ,h.t ,hey wore anyt hing 00' Judahi" in origin_ SomOlimo. inlkpendon'ly_de ri".,,) ide .. coincilk , A, far ..... e know_ Yomua 01 N..,..-.,h ""ver engag''{] a Gen,ile audiooce in di>cu"ion (one e,ciulk, Pon,iu. Pilate and 'he IUrIC,ionari .. im'ol_...J in the P."ion "ory. 1.,.- ,ha' w. . . leg.1 pr-oceeding. app""'n,IYI_ In! Corinlhian> , n.",~"
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""'0' ...... , ""m/ p"'piwoIn "'" 0./0,,,,, Im",,,h "" n 'H,
''''If """,,,,,I,,, ,,,,"h ",,' iw, "~'n. I, "'" ,",il,. P"""",Offidox of ,he Chri"i,n canon .nd the w')' ,h., it isemploy«l by ilS ",.deB; if they""" in ,0. Four Gospel. fo< ,0. hi,IOric,1 Yesh u• . they find in"ead ,he meta_ fi~u", of J.... _'oo_Chri". immoo.1. invi ,ible. God', =-equo l device; and "hen ,o.y study carefull), ,0. lello" of Saint S.ul. ,he)' do >iO with ,I-.. clo.rly discornible figure of. ",.1 person . Y",hu. of N,,,,,OIh. outlined in sJ\adoy,' on each p' !"' . S.u l i •• Le)' ,hat c.n unlock. deer. Wh., i, on ,he otl-.. r .ide of the deer i. >lill,o be dotormin,>d . One oope> >m< fow biblic.1 ",hoi"" will the Que>' f"' the HiSloric. 1Jo.u. in ,he w')' ,h.,! h3\'e ,ugJIested . !fthe), do 1iO. the)' ceoainl)' will fiud in'ollethtN
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k""",'n .. the "'" ,>{ ",.1 and th< latter being 1 ..oman ",ho oIlepcedly >CI, a< Ho- mi ~' ..·;th to" apo.tle.oo who ,."""",u,od w;th many m;"" .... It " f,om !h;, """"" that the ;""'~;nary. but oom""lI ing, dpling! {N.... Yort: MacMillan, t9.131.170. ~
For. d .."" d;"""ion of Wr<de 00 ,hi< matter. "" Johann,,, Wlt. "On Putting Paul in his Pla1. Str>u .. :>lid Cud""y. t95 g )· "3· 8 Thi. ',ew i, •.-eli lUmmariHd in Wol f~,"~ Stegemann. -P .. I and tit< Se,u,1 Mentality of IIi, World, " BiMeal Tltrolv' 1I011"i•. '3 (.. int..- ''1''13). t62-7. 9 GOd,.]"'., "Sept . '997· to Ol lie" Murphy. -"''hot If' 1I;"ory', 'P"",11e1 Un;""",,: - Alld."" M_M" Au~. ' 995. t6. CH,.TE. ''1'0
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f" 'o..-. i. d.-ebopN in rOMKlerablf d< 0,·", ... «1 hIS Go,I"" of H< put fOfWMd • refully quai iftll M)""f)' Cults , ince Goodenough."" "Ni "",J,,~" •• d" Ro..'""," ",II. n. P,i.,/_ S5g-80. Th< inn ..""" of tr., SeptWlgint _ u., Greek t .... , I"ioo of tile 1I,br<w "'riptu"". rorriod 00 t 1"'l',1Yby JudahisI IIIIthoriti .. i" "",--Christian ti""" _ i, • ,,,,,ed mot1011 lot omphasiz i n~ tho imfl"'UllC< 01 1I.IJonizeJ Jud:>hi", in Ibe pre.
0.""",,;00 ef> It hal I, . iudi"idual, ",,110.< prill"")" tan~ .. ~e ..... Gree' oud ""ho
Arnmaic _ tho ""y.ay 1",,~u'E ' 0( Ere" 1""'1_ oud lin le I""~""l'e) i, ,tw althougll tll--<j I1_
M I", as Soi .. Saul i, oonc..-n«I. the ide the official.I"", of til< T,m[>l< lailll, Noil A. Si lberman. -Land 01 the Oib,,:' M'n-,~o,_-, (SepUIhor of luIlil« •• mplO)'«l II> w,lI .. CO!'fIltte to ,he 0.00 Se, Scroll>,
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JO Norman CoIvl """ the 8001; of l ubi"" os ", true "1'0,,.1)'1"'_" (Nonna/l Cohn.
'"' -,=".,11""" f A p '0 "'" to "pond o"yood "",ful""" the ""'" "apocal)'I""'- GflIIIt«l1l>= ore prophe,k ,lomeo" in the un " the", are in many part. of Th< ".,,,,..o,,'m inp bod)' of the "'" i•• ""elhns (ond • oorrectioo. from the ... hor'. ,·;""·poi" l. of ,rrors in the "i of ~ ' o.es . " J' le. Vande,hm_ Tn ,,,,,1 am 1If,""ic~1 SruJi" '" ,.,1100< "f Job;!"", .i. cil~'OIIh.
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J4 See the li "in~ of the coote"" of .. c,,'o in ~'arti""L ~6-;-5'3J 5 R.H . Clw1e~ TO. B,~" of J"bii"" , ". 1M WII, o.",,,~ '",,,,Idl.,jf~"" IN £pondenclltly. dut Saul i. quil' to imf!r1k< of !hes< ''''0 4:J9' - 1 "l'''''' !hat the I""" -M ,,~:Wc , " in",f.... il i, . ttachod to • "", ..I mowmen'. droul<J ref.. only to ""'" he:>de<J by • popubrly.ded ... d k in~ . or
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"M""i"':' Thi. see"" me 10 ru n >IwpI)' coon"" !he u,,~e of tho tenD Mosh ... in , he Tanalh whet< il . 1", ref", 10 >7 William Scort Gr«n. '" M .., iah in l oo.i.m : R. G",,,..I, (london, FonunaICo'lin~ '9')6. oo~ in «I .. '973 ). ,n. l' Ulrioh UlL TIt< n,..""'lIY 0{ IN Go,,,..10{ Molt""" . .... "'I .. f"d by J. B.-..dford Robinoon ICambridplat< the Hebrew " XI inc lude the N,w Enpli'" Bible. the N.... R,,·i .... Sundard Version. the Good No,... BiDIe. and tl-.. Engli'" Bible. l1 The o n< po.. ibl< e>«ptioo i, til< ··A.. m.oi< A~. l )l)''-· I ~Q' 4b) which tails of one ~' ho "" 'iII be ellt-day J.wish !'oop> beli'Ond , Mace';"",. wllnd it i, hard to nd thi> 00 "'" les and diO no!; n ""y uy rival "'" J. 6 :2 bO-3: Rochellhchlili. '"The Origin of ,he S),nagog ... : A R, _A ..... '''''' ... - _ffl"IJ"hdn.J,' of
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J..u,.', ... ,01. ,g (Feb. 19911. 3-1-47' Ho... "" CbIt Ke.. -n.. T".",£0011." ion of ,... Sy"[IO!f"" .fle, -,0 CE: Iii !"""", for E:.rly Oiri«d da!in~ i> "fO-~ oco). In roo~h l y "5 !Co the iql ltimalo hiph priestl), II"" ... up > ri,1tI .. mple at I.."o'"opoi I. (f: 00,·, iopo«i'" J.Jah. ' " 1.j0l-tioo b), l uJah Goklln) In J.J"i, .. '" erni•. YuM""" "'. z" I Iili and 1M R,,,,,i,,,,,,,., ,>/"""h (N.,.. Yod : Abi npdon Pr.... ' 97S)' 146-7 · ~ So. Crai~ K"""". "n., Or i~ ln an<J SI~ni f"""", of the Fli~hllo Pell. TllIdllk>o ." Callw>i.,. ",bJi,.al Qw{ "" Co",,,,, .. L'rn IMi,,,,,,": &1ooIan Pm,. for tn. SociJl MI .. ion .
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3-1 JO:' ibid. '979-"'37: Joan E. T.ylor. Ch,i"",", ",>fonl: CI"",neN Pr=. ' 9'}0). Ne",,,,,,', post_. 971 " od. which I. serutiniHJlnot be ...11)' captured. 1Jov,." ....... f"' .. hi. specifIC po;nts of di!f",nce with Sande".,.., lOf)'. naITlOly Ihe arlimlltm .• nd '0 minimize Chriil'arl ity'. S<m;lic lound:>tioo,
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Il<m.n 8u'lM Gloc",,) (T ~.hatI Jud>i,m .·
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Edition. S7' . see n31; S"lbh. 48b (Sooc. "71: T">Ilitll. '7h (Sooc. I.IS); Y,DamoIh. '00 (Sooc. S7. "'" oS" S""hodri n. 5Sb (Sooc. 3\19). 6,b (Sooc. 4'7, .... oS). 9"lI (Sonc, ""-I-Ms), 97' (Sonc, 6S6). 99" (Sooc. Abodah z.r.h. '7h ISonc . '37 1fJd 8903 ). 48.a (5oo7b (Sonc. 735 .... "01 ); Abodah blah. J bb-, 7' ISooc, 84---1! SI. r ,,,..1
.
O'" i. «trnordinary, Loui. It F.kllTWI'. vol" "", of l"'g. JQ",,"", dM Mod,," 5ehol~,,",p (19J7-I< wrot. >II ,~.~..ru miJrn>h. Of """'" primiti'" prok~om< ,obbinicol . ... ~·heo. in f:>c t. II< n. "" hi"Ofi", .• 00 on< of. t)'pe "ilh "'hom w. "'" ~,.II ""qu.in,ed: th< ,etired g. ..,..L ,,~II oWcat«l . ..-ho '1"00, hi. ",Ii,.",,,,nt )U" 'rying to .. pI.in him",lf ~' hy hi> ""'n lik and the life of hi, ,,""'n peopl•. de,-.Ioped the .... y 'h< f,,~ _ >I"me hi""'Y of World W" n i, "f!f'j ,i milarto k~'i," "'". Churchill. J"",f>O'" writ ~~IL ". loog .. we ",,,,,m""r Josephu.,.. .. prinurily .. hislorion and)lld!." him thai ''''y _ inSl',," of demandin8 thai "" .. , lhNIogim e"gel< •. " N .....· r"ia"""15iud',,. }b {1 (0 y"'h .... ~~8-5'· 655.
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s.. Ihe third ,DIu"", of Ihe t.o.b «Iiu"".
657--8.
10 A.D. Nock. Co.n'm""'. no. OIJ """
'h, "...... '" R.I;~" ..Jn,". M,,,",,J,, ,i>
_Ihe_Brott-..r-01 b", in nook ond m 11n )' of Ihe earl)' Common En. Ihe ",ader ,t.ookl .. .,.~'" of(1Ie on _~oin~ ",ojec( or ROOen [isenrrwo. the fir>! rrw~>1""OJ u "", of which;, , - , ,10. R""",, of 110, K.,· to UoIod."-,, rio,
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s.c"" of Ca,1,- Cn"',;m,#}' unJ ,'" lka.meo, tloes not aff,"" th..l, p."" em ""ided in Romo. or w.. or buried """'. Th i. is not '0 &>i ... y thai. once 1e1lm"m w.. ",~lIed. u.. importonce of ,,000.,,-.. W1> in cI"'l'o in Rom< ~'ou," become cri ,ico, for Ori"i."it)' Md. poibl)'. «ntn'. Thu •. laI.,. bishops of Rome ~o;.c'ed i.. o u.. post_-,0"" on "I'{~'arly Chrl,"an'". """Y' '" n~,,>{ n,lnw' K",,,,, IMi nne.poIis: lixtre .. Pre.~ '991). The ref,,,,,,,,, to "u., German """"" forc,,"" "ware"'y ..,.,.,,,,jng diff""' nt lrom the Nui ..-my) i. loond on p, .1. " K"",",r". "",'" "" Sec"" Mart ', . "'.... id'), Of< oummarisOII' ""'" fooled ~'''''' ,he !TlOf< prof""", ... lIy ",If_i mpottan,. particularly the risible Prof",,,,, Ilu~h T",vor_Roper (later l.ool DacreJ. , fi~re out of an hoIic Bibl'_
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,., f!uD",,/y, JJ ('97,1. 4&-6-J . Amidst. '''';'''y of ,echoical Que,neillepl hiu; np the ley point: ~'hy i. ,here 00 physic.1 ""ide""" that the
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C",r.>li< B,bI",aI f!uD""I,-
gao'''' Smith. diroct ri~h' of ",ply (J8 1'971>1. 'M).
he ""ni ed 1Io" iog In,,,"',," the Ie" and Quesnell in """'t« _reply .. iuered :>way from .tI l eF i n~ fT>lT9--t>,. Nor ",rpri~ n ply. Smith ",mmarized ,e., ~t .. Im •.lTlIbI)', "10 w m. most ",holar, "·",,kl.ufibut< the to C"ment. tllOU1h. rubsUI1Tiai minority are i. doutt" (45' I, The ooly altelnati,', ronsidered ~-.. that d-.. "ner ~... ··Psjectory so ,.',II Ihat. f"'l'ef}' ,,"0,)
i, i"""""i,""IuactlOll. The f",kI of the 0 - lor the HistOfic.. 1u, " 'OIJkI he """,ider:lbIy duir"" if (. ) """""'" woukl deliniti,"'), drh', • ,uk in'o the of thi, porticubr «ho!ar1)' ,~" and "",,,,after (bl tho.< ",hoi", ,,00 ..," .If"med the "m 'OOOkI publicly and then , ..mine how lhey m i£ ~11 "".Iibm" their ,,"'n ",hoI..-ly "", ', stud)' of InJ1smi...ion had _>tl1y coote" on f<e--')O
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g L Cope. d'e< in Robert T, Fortllll "Sip n"S,m
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be .im ibt to tile Jowish "lend",. but which ..-ook! replo« it. po;nt '0 the pr«ipitating ",', n" for 101m", Go.p' jnp been ..... , y,,·,.,h, The only dnt,,_ bad, ar, I ') IIu! the Cooncil of y,,·,.,h i, now COIl.ide"," 10 '" 1"'l'.ly' fioi,"
pruioN:'''''
ocr1Sion (. ooto J"""ish ",', n" of "'" oru,ian conciliar model of d«i,,,,,_ma~ the C1usal impoct tJut i"11!!_ g.Sled, ond 1'1 it ........, . leisurely po« in the ""omOOn 0( '''' Rabbinic Ind b)' Ky= ItoD·l'9'9), What! tnO Brothe,.. '9l0), 5-1. Joseph A, Fitzm)'",. "'The Priorily of Mart >nd ,he 'Q' Sou"" in Luk" in ttl, ~"., "oJ Md. '. "'~" (Pi t"OO'l'h: Pitt>IJ<JlJIh TheoIog:ical SemillolI}'. '9')01. ",prod"",," in Arthur /, Bel li nl()l\l. /r.. n", 1I,-,~S. •• ,,-, lI}poih..u. A Cn',,"'" ApprouoJ (M"""" 0 .
fl,."
P_.m,
""!!"
~ : 677-K
"
J. Enoch f'o"-,,II,
T"""",""
.~ Ge",,~,
of .... Gospel." )""moI /0. ,/u, ",.,n, of ,/u, "-n
that
i~
,o. Matthe,,·_hypoUte.i>.
" Owlot" AII ,,,,,,.i.l, "ill """,i , the r",ld. a1t1toopjl Street,,', ",_"",,,,," 1flIu"",o' has F"", .. II)' spbyal in'o. fo..-_""""" >If" m". arnJ, today. i.. o. mul,i""",,,,, ... pl .... ion, (s.. disru ..ion in ,o. "",) '7 " i••• i~n o f _ the biblioden~')' arnJ the "",",1ooones. of riDlicai .dtol_ ..-.hip ,hat there i, actoallr • Ii",,,,",,, on ... .."It« Of not the ol~l"m "0" ",.lIy ori~ inal l y .... .", -Que lie." Of >Omettting < en'irely. IS"" M, ier, ' :>""9-) "
""os
t'"
does not mat ,,,-. ,g Foc. l"''''''''' h",ory of -0" re<eaITh. from tJ., ni",'ee"", ron,ul)' ...,~".-d •. =; ArlanJ D. Jooobson. n", " " , G",p
.",i,1ed
"""'1)'
I"""""ional. '9'fl). " &-7 ' . TIt. """ >I,b' '''nli,"" in'roduction, wrin," " 'it!! • clari'), that i. .. rnre in b iDlicai "odie... it i. adm irab". is loIvl S, KJ<w< nborg. n..- ""","Ii .., .f Q . Troj Gospel 0 """ ,ho Quest for the lli"o,kaJ k>u,: lIa"mJ ,"-oIogical R..." ....'. 8<j (Oct. J07---s-1 :md. I.".,. M, Robin""" '"The 0 TIa;":'ory : 1Ider ,hould be ...."'" Ill .. ' hey are.1I ,,'ri'''n or «IiI«! Dr convnittrOd 56. JJ Cro=n. n" Bi"" .>{ Ch';,,""'ity. t '0. J.! Bunon L Mack. "'"U w",,, ,)", "'~, T,,'am,"" no. Mdli", 0('"' C/o,;,,"," M,.,h (S"" Fr.nd"",: Harp"'. ''1951. ~ 7. 35 A . ~t. Farm. "'On Di"",n.ing ~'ith Q:' in D,E. Ni""hIIm (ed.). in'", Go,,,.,I,. ':"a,', in .. , . .,,' 0( R.II. U~loJf"'" (O,ford: B»i] B ] ac k ~~] l. '¢;rl. 5S-&S. 3b ~tic"""l D. Goukler. '"Is Q, JU8.l'<mautr ,,,",,,,,I 0( Ribl".! '."""'"". , J 5 09'10). 66-]--8J. 37 AU"". 5K 38 R,aodon ..·00...., .v,ore of the coo,",nlional ~ i sdorn in toib~,01 "udies v,ill koow IIlat ",",lIy (00' far from llllio-.r .. llyl. the Gco.pe t ~'o Go"", I,.oo (b) iOOe1,. II . P,u.eip"'. '5 ·J. '357-&7, " I, is iOlportan' '" ",oIi« dut "'~n if _ who are ".",kal of "Q"" ha," it ""'k_ ward. oo"""nin~ Ihe Minor Ap"""",n" _ am. in""ad of Luke m .. i.-.Iy ing M.. thew. it WIIS Ma'lhew tlIaI re-did L"" _ til< "!OJ I. is the wne: dut -Q" i,
""ri,_
".''':If 180
•
NOH. TO . 'OU I 19-16
e M.' . . . . 'IX
Fa- an "Ir< I""ly nluabl< .n"""" ,nlo the ......;,.• ~ica ' lil «lIt U'" on Sau' and Oil 1f """"., "I R,'",,,,, IPltiladel",,;,: funre" p",,~ '917): "".,. ,/0., ''''~'. aoJ '"' J.....". ",,,,, , (Philadelph i" Fortre" Pm •. 10)83): ""., (O,lord: O,lord Uni,·.... i.)' Pre". ''19' ). Paula Fredril=n. """" In., 10 Clonl/. Till On,,,, ofllo, N ... T"'a ...."' I"""" of h,., (New H,wn : y,le Un i"""i!)' Pre ... '0)88). ~,- J Will Bourne. ' Tit< Gospel ocroroinp '0 Prom." Ha,,,, r ·,,"n. J '19~). 60-1. 6.\. 66.6')-,7". n., quot>1ioo i. from p, b1 . s.. "'50 Ed ..·..-d Ric •. John Fr_ H . c""" (G"""'n City: Doubleda)·. '97-1). Thi, Ii" is" dir«1 ~ ofl'< .., Rk ""nb on. -n., Thunde!bolt in Q aM the Wi.. Man in Corinth." in P'~ : Tri ni'y Pre .. In.. motional. '99"). '71. BUNOO L. M>f'N ch~'''ia" ...,·,10 (s.. FraociS. J '1921-
HII",""'., '"'
J' Roymond F. CoJl in~ ul/'" 1M' ,,".i'HJ N,~ Wrl".
TO. Ep i"/. to ,/0., JiI/""", and IN ""..tin. Pu..,j,,,,·,,,,pIoa (VoJlminl"oo: Michlle , GI.,ie-r, J 0)881. '9.
J' 0.."'" D. My, -ROITllru. Epis'" '0 tl>e,- .'Of), ~: g '9: Alben PieIe .........
-Cbe>,,, B..,!)' P"I'yri:' U. ':9"3 .
,.n.
Eldon loy Epp., - We",m T""," 6:9"9- '" 1",1 C. St.)100. ""Code, Aleuniif)' that .... ,,' '''"'' Cle""o' ind"'idual OOcwnen" ,hat .. beli,,"" "'" by Sai ni Saul. mosIly 1 Coo .. hiom .oo Il.l 'm",. the p:ri>l'" to."
dD 5,S ,6. John K,.", "Foon",," Ye... Luff _ A Nor, 011 /he Pauli", O>roooIo;rry." Jo."",/ 'f R,I",,,. . ,61 I 93~ ~ ].4'--9; "The Pauli"" ClIronoIo!ry:' "",,,,,,I 0{ lIiNie .. Pffi,),
""8""
" Each of too.. ",/rollin ..,.."".. . S.. at r<sp«1 .. ond commen'_ . and ! ,i.". them .. "",h : iu5): Robert l".... I1. ~ CIom"",,,!:,, of ",.1 ', Ii!. Il1liladelphio: Fort",,, Pr.... 1979): Ge,d u..demano. "".1. ~",,"', Jo " . G.",i/". St.di.. in CI",_~""y (ts. from GennaJl by E S"'""y I (PIIibOolphia: Fortress Pr.. ~ '<J8 ~. oo~ od. I 1 1111 ,",,,,,.hI (N.~, Yor\;, Scribnen. 'Od. , c,,,;',/tia,,, &-10;' ,,, C,,",,~ , (W,.,rloo: Wilfrid L>urier Unim>ity Pm~ I~3 ): Mkhael GflWlL Sa,", ","I iNew Yor\;: 0." .. , Scribne,', Soo~ '9')6): Robffi R. II""". '"Iudai<m arwll and C",Hict io Ihe Firs! C,",ul)':' " ..rnd! of".1,."." ",,'''''}'. I.j (Dec. ,,,s7). J.J,---60: Colin J. Ii"""". '"1Jb«,ut""" 011 Pauli "" 0Ir0n0I0£y." in Donald A. I-lopner arwl M"""y I. Ibrris (ods.). "",Ii"" srnJ,,,- ,;""" p"", ..,a", Pro· f"'''' "" B"",."" It" -.~""'". bl'thd... {E .... er : P:u<mo>"" Pm,. '0;80). }_,8 : Martin lI,n['l'l. T" p,,-enri""'" ",oJ (I.ondon: >C ~ Pre ... '991), MlTIirl 11 of Jesu, in Ecu"",oic," P"'I""'i,· (CoIle~ · ill•. Minn : Th< LiI"'l'",:>I rr. ... '995) ; Mark D. NlWlO1"'.'" ","",,(Min_ neapolis: Fortres, Pm~ J '1'/>1: C.h·in J. R""'zol. ""oJ. TIt, M"" and 1M M.>" iColumbU, Uoh'''';'y of Sooth Corolina Pm,. '1)98): JlIC~ 1. s..nd
/Q , . .
IJ.."""",,.,
of &"",i"", (Tilbj npoo: J.eB. Mohr. J '191): [hoo S ~n[lffi:llld.
"Acts J g,, _, 8. The Gal lic I=ripliorc :md the Ao.ol .. e Pauline
ChroooIo:. ''191), If thi. i, irwleed!he c..., (one .... r'i.. joop<menl!. it i,. h irl), sttoo~ :>!]I""",nt . £aio" the "'ird Gospel .00 ..., AcIS of!he Aposme haod. ~"'" the , LJtOO.- ~i'or of the third Gospel """Id ha,~ ' ''''''n S, ul', leiter>. oo t the >utho.-_«Ii tor of Luke ",ooiJ r.ot ha>'e . """ n !hem . My f"",,"lotion pi""" . liltle """" eli""""" be t"'ffn S,ul '''pis, ... :md ~ble ius'oncal 00CUIlIC)' """ John KllOx himself would ha,'e done. H< ",00. , Imost :wtomalkal ly to take os. pi"en the letters' 00CUIlIC)' :md j ~ ", A has to be ""!'ati,,, and fu ~h< r. oooc<min~ the Gai lio material. h< stat..: "We >hall stnIIe that Luke', cool"" opt for, btt.. dale, .j<J co bN'tiul .,f>b.nation. Hi, f<x . . . arly date Ic. 01 ') in outlin< i, as folloo..: I.) !here ore. argLtmOnt he boli",.. ~ im~ ' rootra... bet",.. n 1 n.,,>alonW\, .j: ' J-,8 .oo , C..-in_
(>'0-1>', '---5'
thian, 1~:~ :ond ,he", "'" 00 • q LWltum chmFE' in Saul'",;"" of the clwlor_ ter of the projffi",_the_Ct.-u, ""U"" , Cruciall),. lu! time tho ",obI,m of tho dead_in_Chris' had to bo theolo;
,hat.
The""IOIIi"", ..... ~ ri'''n roop hly te" )''''' ':1I'lief,
In m)' ,·i .... , (.) the depende nt ,~Ie 110 i. "'f>lai ni n~ i, proOObly 00II_ "is'en1. 1)., d,ffmoc< in ,110 t"" ...,,, .. oIley swwJ i, "'" detennirt>!i,·• . for
'''''h "plain< Uut
~"", n
Jesu>-the-Chri" mum,. Ooth the dead "Ii·er;s aM ,110 li"i np one, shall .,.." tum . 0.1)' by. my ingeniou •. ro' Ilhi .. forced, ",orrh for • ",0-1", bene.... Ihe pope in 1).,... OOi"", c"" one ooc'1" thai tbi, P""'S' WMIhe fi", ,im< that Saul had Wd anythin8 "",", ,he fuu., "",.,,,,tOO of de.o
,J,
Chri"i • .., (L,-"*"",,n. OO diN. 1).,rrl"", the ai I,,!,Nl ,ub-t'" i m~IOes oothin~
about dati np. "cep< tha, Fi", 1).,ssaIooian, "'.. ,,·ri, .. n .ft..-Ihe de.1h of Yei""", (b) A. ,"minp , hat~' "firt> .... ""'... any. one ~t-.o w", oIi,'e ,..ben Y....... him .. lf "' .. _ (biblicai >eholan.r< ""y muddy
aI,...)'.
inc I udal in the firn ~ ' neflI!ion . .00 )''' w.., "'" ... , il . fl9' I that hi, Ihe,;, holds ooly if ""'" of Ihe fi"" ~o r"".. ioo ..... der>d by. rooghly. Y' o. (An),llUng ~"i n hi, >Che"", of ,"in~' -..-oold "'" be "uff",ie"t dUllp"-"",,-' ime to oocoun' for Ihe rL lf"",n,,. "'" belie',,, "i,,, be!w«n Ihe
"'''.J
defTln "'os doad in y.n. obi, i, OlIO of """" ohio!,,_
Eas,=
"'e')'bodf" ""v" that is f.or from "''''in. indeed. probably ontruo. I, i, undoobtNlly truo that hf'_<xpectaocy in tho N... Usl A>ia Minof .and Medi,C'f"""''''' Eilrope.the home, of the f.", F.neration of bbon. Let us "'y ...·"'ty_fi,·, )'er>rS for '"'" ~o"'ral 1"'1'"1"00. Does thi, "'" ""'OIl that mo>I (>c,u.lly.•1""", all) fir>t-p"""""OO beli"'",, ~.... Jd be dooad by Y' CE" No. Thi. for two reason •. the der,ni,OO of ~rSI - l"'nef>1ioo include. all those ~ hi l< Yo,""", W". 00 that _ to .... the e,trome co .. _ th
r-x< the f. ith, ~ hich is oaf that _ " became .11"!'i.. t on'y after the went te y>< or ..rly t>o< 01 the Common Era AM. l>arring mi~,·'ntu"'. Sau l .M y""".. brother 01 Y"h ... ha"in~ lh-eO •.-.11 into their nd. ~rbap>, ~ " ",,. "",Id haw lte-en o,~'eO (on p<J"I)' """"'_ graphic ~rounderei", wooW noI haw be' _ ~"""'ioo mortal_ ity. S.ul ,I."", ! Corin,h"'",.
""'0:
CH,P'"
,,-V'N
s.. 5""",,,,"8 1\t...J... '14-" 1 I"""""u" J,"'''~ "'''' ~: J 7.nd n61-3 ' ...., "'97. ¥ "OO!l)'mhy IS the "",>1 C:l>< in th< f"riod: ~'e 00 not know th< nam,,, of :Ill)' s..dJoc .... nor .ny E"",,,,,~ .00 w, ho,', ooly t..·o ",11-de that we know today .. o.-;>tianity and tJ-.. """ i Y.n~'ell- fai!h , Ute SKood Temple Judahi>m. not the Y....... _laith. tlofLO-.y ... "" _ E"""",. Phari..,.,.. Z..ku. Y",oo, ·lollo\\',,, _ "!"',.,ed, The line bel ..'« n beloop inp to ooe of the Judahi" proupI>I, membrane. ond one COIl """",i,.. , fOf '''mple. of Pllari""" ~'ho. in ttleiro"'n .,.y.l>o..n.,,-ed to Ye"",. , (" piau.ible "~~'Slioo i, that YON •. brotl>o ""'" deeJ'y i.. o """ Of more 01 the !r.>dition. 01 pr>lli' IIut remh"" tIuoo~h Iat, S. ~< ohouJd ""'"""me that ~< know immediately..-oo il wo" "rould h.,,, "'n Ii f had "" .1IIIlII>lI>l"",nti. M:.ruf.stly ... rm that i, ... 'OO 00 rootraJictoty .mpirklll foonda!ions. i, i> neitho, de>di np of s..uk namely that ...),thio~ """"ki np of ..J ..... ,>II" pr>ri I)' i>.1opII',iocing 00 thi, poin'. J u'l!'" Bee .... ",.L Ar"" /0 'h, G,.lil" Itr. Co.," Jr) (loui,,'i1Ie: W",tmin_llohn KIlO, Pre". '99J' ori~ .
Get'""" od. ' 0( Fi,,, Corinthian., Thc",af.. ,. in tit< -GoJlio incident" i, i, not tru"~·orth)'. .. i.u«lemano delOOO"""'" (_ .00.',. chapter 'ix. note '9). ' 7 It i. "ocle.. ~.i>Wte, Of not tit< "Christ" part)" " .... real foetioo or ju« S,ul ', wa)' of '''''P'',.,edly ",fu~ n p to ""'"' .11 tit< fIOIILes. in effect "fin~. -and titagei 00 it. A OOII\',",ioo ,.. .. in '0\\," ' o.W,lrom
rie, ,,'110 h>d vi,i.eO iii< pi""" i""\'iou,ly. Apollo>.oo C ..... '" AIu:uxlrianl' "f:>:t" ~ no"'D only from Act~ W ph ... fu". J 9~'-'h V.... ion. til< Lh·inS Bible . .oo til< N,w Engli>h Bible,
" Gooch. 7, '3 The hi,,,,, ""otre"d 011 til< 11nd "nonh G.latian·· proponent< ha, '"'l'eO b"d.oo fotth ,,",'ef th< """t"'Y. A( pre>.• .... 1'. II. Pri"e'"", 7.2. 954-(051. and Steplt< n Mitettell. '"1't>jMJ1aIioo >nd (he Land in Ron= G:>J.Ii • ." ibid .. ("!i)---.8 L For oooci .. 00111IT1:>~) wttere til< joint worl; 0( the ..." tnefl ;. "",n(loo«I. Oamobos', name be;n~ Si''''' Thi. i. «lIin8. ~nc-e the author--beboo, fooO _b ~ort on An'ioch. ,II< ":>rious lemp'" ~."" '-boIh Il1o bolell" (~orris _ 1)]6.) n.. main "'1'u""",, .gain" tn i, imt SauL ~'ho ..... ""l' ,,''''Y of lood-I,orn-odois. ~... ~ ill iog 10 ,at ~' ith thi> paniCIII". ~roup orGe",illy i. righl on malter (Am 'PI. "".., ..... Gabtian.I", ). For an ing"nious. bu, I think u." ,."i oc i.~ .n"m","" me"in~ .... t ~'o ,·i...·~ ."., \\,lIi"", O. Walker. Jr.. "Why Paul Wentto J in JO«phllS . ... liq.ili 20:' J--.J8. I I.. "",. Klau,,,,,, ( '9-13). PI'. 38--.j0 i. Iho", t~·o '0 c irCllmci~oo 001 bu tY'9. and ""5 ) it im'O)" ", (.) ..... inin~ f,om food offerNI '0 idoltional Voroioo. .... No~' E n ~ li sll Bible.:md the R"' iSdelphio: Fonre.. Pres •. ~'hefe
1l"," T,-"Jili"". A lIi>tOT)" of IN lk'~ '"",","' "I "01. t. ,-,... ~"m'"," " rl,- cl.",,1. uf'
IPhiLadelphia : roru-... Pres, . '97', HH_ui').
NOH. TO . '0" 171-5 . 195
1
J
s.. eli"".."" 0( til< "Paul .00 Je>u. Semi...." in Nikobu, W. lter. "P",,11lS unci die Urchrisl liche io>uSUllditioo." N ....· Tn"""'''' S''''!;". J I (1"s3). -wS-~21. fiee S"i", u'" 0( "Cbri>I",," as i n ",h'in~ the conOOUlioru of Moshiatl buI .. heinBsi mply. pro(>iderinp thaI tho .. me oom Jirect trnnslit!".·· os """,I r • bil of :lilti",p'ic nm""",I""", "'iuiT ,..,,"" of SoIah (9: (~) which i. probobly . pos,·,oo oddi,,,,,, .00 001 pan of It.. oo~ i"", 1 rornpoll Talrrud, ~!Oih iah gudual ly .00 >h_ m),th found 00 ooo""l""nti.l place in (he '-nicol CUIOO ., the ou t.... that i ~ in the MishrIoII. but 1>1rded /'''', .. '6", fruits' 01 the re,.m,,"ion (I Cor. '5:20).nd thc<Jgh' 1hat.1I Chri"ians ",,,,,Id Oeth . • ,,;~niflCallt bod)' of them d«1.md him M""'W.. afr"med that he in """" '...)' h:>d ,..,tumal to hi. folk."", (,11>< Rebbe io amoop u•. Hi. f(Ne~· Yert: Doobbby. t'J9 ! ~ t: t68. ! ,.. iii '"" ~, Ii>! .11 tile entffi. that """,nt 0lll~ the criterion of ,·i,·idnes. of narrntion. the crL"rioo of "-.,,,,,,,_" ,...hato>·er that ""'y .... "" _ frequent ly oct lile the ."..,.. and mirrors of ...ilieO illuiioni>t : often the Questors..-. .. If_ me>lTlnd check t"'" u., foooo.tiOOi "'" solid, .j S.'f"min< ",""'", '.j5~ L 5 John Tulli .... I'd RuIM' s, a ,,, ....... An oro! Hislory of A_rica',
"'oJI Un~
a..J "'0" lIa"J "",,""'I T""" (N .... YorI; : MacMi llan. 'o;I8 E.P, Sando". ",.1 (O.lord: O,ford Uni,"';ty rr. ... '99'). 99, 9 In ~brl; 9:4'. ksu, i. J