Introduction To the New Testament

Intro to New Testament By Silva Redigonda 1. Social/cultural criticism (honor/shame; client/patron)46, 53 The Centurion's Servant In Mathew there is direct dialogue between the centurion and Jesus while in Luke, the centurion addresses Jesus through mediators which makes social relations more complex. There is a set of social relations. This consists of the centurion, his slave, Jesus and the two groups of elders and friends, who though related to the centurion, are in a position to be in contact with Jesus. Patron-clients relations are social relationships between individuals based on inequality and difference in power. A patron has social, economic and political resources that are needed by a client. In return, a client can give expressions of loyalty and honor that is useful for the patron. Luke in this passage places emphasis upon economic exchange and social relations. In Luke, the power of the centurion is his relationships with the groups. His position is patron. He represents the outside military and administrative power. He is not a Jew. He has established himself the role of patron to the town. He is a broker and in return for favors, the town elders, who are his clients establishes contact with Jesus. As is the custom of that time, they praise the centurion and recommend him to Jesus as an honorable person, "he is worthy of having you do this for him, for his loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us." The elders also depict respect to Jesus, the potential patron. He is addressed as Lord and is considered more powerful than the centurion. The centurion declares his own unworthiness,"I am not worthy to have you come under my roof." He also relays this through his friends. This permits the power of Jesus to be shown. This is a positive honor challenge. The powerful centurion, an important patron in the area, provides more honor to Jesus and addresses him as benefactor and patron. Honor is the positive value of a person in his or her eyes of his or her social group. The Call of Levi (53) The honorable person does honorable actions. Jesus is not a patron in his own right because he does not distribute his own resources, but he is a broker. He mediates between the people of Israel and God. By honoring God the people accept their status as clients. Jesus is discredited because of the company that he keeps, when he dines, with tax collectors and sinners. His honor is challenged when the Pharisees and scribes question Jesus's disciples. The accusation is that by eating with them, Jesus makes tax-collectors and sinners his clients and that he enters into an unholy alliance with them and all they represent. Tax collectors had a lowly status as did sinners. Due to the honor and shame society of that time, "Who is the greatest?" would frequently arise. Pharisees and scribes had a position of honor and therefore could challenge Jesus. When Jesus is challenged he has the option of succumbing to shame or responding to the challenge. He does the latter by providing a reasonable explanation, "those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." His honor thus remains intact. Textual Variants "S" and "O". 1&54 John The Baptist S text: Codex Sinaiticus (4th or 5th century), Codex Vaticanus (4th century),Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis (6th century perhaps 5th), Koridethi Gospels (7th to 9th century), The Lake Group (minuscules); it Itala, vg Vulgate,The Peshitta Syriac version; The Sahidic version; The Bohairic version. The prophets minus Isaiah) Codex-Alexandrinus; Washington Codex; the Ferrar Group; The Koine. This text begins with John the Baptist, an apocalyptic prophet. This is multiple attested. This was a common view of the first century. All three sources independently of one another begin Jesus' ministry with his association with John the Baptist. Earlier sources should be especially valued. This type of text "S" is very significant as it is represented by the oldest extant uncials. Older is normally considered more accurate. The text of the gospels and Acts is the best Alexandrian text existing. We are dealing with families or groups of manuscripts regarding this text. This is old Latin which was later translated into Greek. Omitting "son of God" is dated from the middle fourth century. The later sources are more theological based. Luke introduces a historiographic preface. "In the fifteenth year of the reign…" Mathew just refers to "those days" which is non specific but we know that it is after the prophet Isaiah. Mark implies this as well. Internal criteria – Luke is the best reading that explains all the others. There is a history, an explanation, an introduction of Jesus and a fulfillment of prophecy. Mark is considered the more difficult reading. He introduces the beginning of the good news (therefore Jesus is not kept quiet, but proclaimed). He also has the shortest reading. The text is similar in meaning but not necessarily the same. The theology is proclaimed and, Jesus is come "who will prepare the way of the Lord" (TT). All three indicate that John is in the wilderness. Text variants O (54)The Question About Fasting O text – Gk Paris Papyrus (3rd century), It may or may not include Geneva Papyrus (ca. 200 ad) since this is uncertain it must be disregarded. Codex Sinaiticus (4th or perhaps 5th century) Codex Vaticanus (4th century) one of the most important biblical manuscripts extant. Washingon Manuscript (5th century). The Peshitta Syriac version (1901), The Sahidic version (1911), The Bohairic version. The oldest version is the best). O indicates that better is Codex Alenadrinus (5th century), Codex Ephraemi (5th century), Koridethi Gospels (7th to 9th century), The lake group (minuscules), The Ferrar group (minuscules), The Koine or Byzantine text. Versions cited is Itala (old Latin version), but not in its entirety. The last verse is to be deleted "And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, the ""old is good."" Codex Bezae (fifth century or perhaps fourth) and it (old Latin Version). Luke writes for a gentile audience. Luke always tells a parable in public. This text is part of Public Ministry. Considering both texts O and S, the more manuscripts the better in authenticity and both have this which establishes credibility. The text is very valuable and it also demonstrates the danger of misinterpretation when one does not study theology. What was contemporary and acceptable then is not quite understood in this period without understanding of that period. Jesus is accused of going against Jewish law for ignoring the time to fast and pray. At that time wineskins would stretch with new wine as it continued to ferment and then it would get harder. If new wine was then put into the hard wineskin it would break. Another analogy was that new cloth would shrink. Subsequently putting the new cloth with cloth that was already shrunk would not be compatible either. This is Jesus teaching was not being compatible with the old teachings. Jesus is the bridegroom and therefore there is no requirement to fast if he deems it so. This text is similar in the triple tradition. The readings accord with the style and theology of the author. (Internal criteria) (252) Source and Purpose The Guard at the Tomb There is one source for 252– Mathew. But the foot notes also provides more sources, that being: Gospel of Peter 8:28-33 and Gospel of the Nazereans for the entire passage. All in all there are three sources for the passage. The purpose is to validate. The more sources, the more confidence there is in acknowledging the passage. The sources also provide us with a time period. Sources for the Catholic Church are also those that have become acknowledged as authorized as is 252 and therefore valid. But to ignore other sources that are not recognized by the church may restrict the full appreciation for its historical contents. 253 – Significant Redactional Changes in the words of the angels to the women What I consider significant redactional changes is the view the authors had of the women which is indicated in how the women are addressed. Mark is considered the oldest text. The angel (Mark) tells the women not to be alarmed. The young man is explicit in acknowledging that the women are looking for Jesus and that he is no longer in the temple. The women are directed to go to Jesus' disciples and Peter and to tell them that Jesus is going ahead to Galilee and the women will see him there. Mark is specific that the women are Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome. Mathew also identifies Mary Magdalene but identifies Mary the mother of James as the other Mary. This may be the mother of James but again it is not specific. No other women are mentioned. Here there are two women rather than three. Perhaps the third woman did not merit mention. In Mathew the angel tells the women to not be afraid as opposed to not be alarmed as by Mark. Mathew acknowledges that he knows the women are looking for Jesus but does not indicate that Jesus is of Nazareth which is stated in Mark. This is important because it is part of the reason why there is confusion where Jesus was actually from. Luke indicates that the women are terrified. None of the others have indicate that the women are afraid. They are just advised not to be. This is specific to seeing women as the weaker sex and more prone to being scared. There is more gender differences and expectations. There is now two angels and not one. The women in Luke are identified at the end of the passage and not the start as Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the other women with them. It is not specific if the group who later alert the disciples are the same women who see the angel. Perhaps this implies that it is not important and therefore women are not important. Yet Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of James (or other Mary) is specific because it illustrates the importance of these women in the time of Jesus. Women in future text would gradually become more diminished in importance and acknowledgement. Jesus had a good relationship with women not common of that day. He treated women as equals to men. Neither Mathew nor Luke add Peter separately from the disciples as in Mark when talking to the women. But Peter is mentioned later in Luke as returning to the tomb after meeting the women. What is very interesting is that women are identified as going to the tomb and being directed by the angel. This would be considered an embarrassment because women should not be elevated to this level of actually meeting the angel. For that time men rather than women would have held this honor. Therefore, Mathew Mark and Luke have provided women with a status that is varied according to the author's impression of women. Mark 10:18 Jesus said, to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone…" Utilizing the criteria of historical Jesus research, it is unlikely that Mark 10:18 represents the authentic words of Jesus. Since the 18th century, scholars have learned and emphasized the Gospels were not composed by Jesus' disciples. The Gospels are selected and edited editions. None of the authors would have met Jesus. They would have felt free to change Jesus' traditions, including changing words attributed to Jesus. Jesus' words were shaped by contemporary Jewish thought and the interpretation of scripture by fellow Jews. The Historical Jesus explains Mark 10:18, " this method of retracting the development to observe a low Christology often leads us to a person who is sometimes impressively humble: Jesus." There is a Christological concern that only God is good. History of 1st century and dating of the gospels – 213 PREDICTION OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE It provides the apocalyptic viewpoint that it would occur in their time, that is wars, and final judgement when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies. It reflects the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. It seems like the end of the world. It is not like the fundamentalists at the end of our time. All this is for the communities of the 1st century. The Gospels are written after Paul, about 20 years before Mark.