Ben C. Smith wrote:Well, I think that the questionable status of Luke 22.19b-20 in the text of that gospel ought probably to inform our reconstruction, too. I think that both texts (the Lucan and the Pauline) may well be interpolations.
I really appreciate that you and Bernard recognize that the things are not so easy.
I would like to give a further problem.
Bernard Muller wrote:I am thinking along theses lines:
a) "Mark" was the first to write about the "Last Supper".
b) It got copied by "Matthew".
c) "Luke" copied the "Last Supper" from gMark, but reversed the sequence.
d) 1 Cor 11:23-28 was added under the influence of gMark & gMatthew.
e) Lk 22:19b-20 was added to gLuke under the influence of 1 Cor 11:24b-25.
That was done for two reasons:
1) Introduce the concept of the Sacrifice (for atonement of sins), otherwise not in gLuke & Acts.
2) Partially recreate the same sequence as in gMark & gMatthew (bread first, cup second).
I would question that “Mark was the first to write about”. My impression is that at least the explicit equatings (or however we will call it) of bread and body, of wine and blood, are untypical for Mark, but that such explicit spiritual or mystical truths are typical for Paul.
1 Cor 11 | Mk 14 |
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. |
22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. |
1) It seems to me that the equation of bread and body or wine and blood can be “true” only in a spiritual or mystical sense as a higher truth (so to speak). In another sense bread and body are completely different things and it is impossible to equate them literally.
1.1) A parable or a metapher has not the same quality. It is only a comparison. For example
Mark 4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, ...
1.2) So also a title. To call someone “Christ” or “Son of God” may be also a spiritual truth, but it is literally not impossible in the same sense in which a bread can’t be a body of a person.
1.3) I think one of the famous spiritual equatings in Mark is, that John the Baptist is Elijah. But Mark (in contrast to Matthew and Luke) doesn’t say explicitly that John the Baptist is Elijah or that John came in the spirit of Elijah. Mark gave only hints to the readers. But it is the reader who must draw the conclusion that John is Elijah and also in which sense he is Elijah.
John the Baptist | Elijah |
Mark 1:6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist | 2 Kings 1:8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” |
The beheading of John in GMark | Mark 9:13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased |
In the discussion with the Syrophenician woman there seems to be an equation of the “casting out of demons” and “the bread of the children”. But Mark doesn’t say explicitly that these things are the “same” and in which sense.
Mark 7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
In Mark 8:14-18 it seems that Jesus “is” the “one loaf”. But again Mark doesn’t say explicitly that Jesus is this “one loaf” and in which sense he is it.
Mark 8:14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
1.4) My impression is that Mark was an author who teached such spiritual equatings, but he never stated these mystical truths explicitly. He gave only hints and it is always the reader who must draw the conclusion.
So far I know the equation of bread and body or wine and blood is the great exception in GMark.
1.5) But Paul really loved such spiritual or mystical equatings.
2 Cor 3:3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
1 Cor 10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
1 Cor 5:7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, if we are comparing only Mark and Paul, then I think it is most likely that Paul wrote this “spiritual equating” and Mark took it over in his story.
2) I think that Mark was able to incorporate a source easily in his narrative. From the text we would not expect that behind his story are sources. Three examples
Mark | source |
Mark 11:17 He taught, saying to them, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a den of robbers!” | Jeremiah 7:11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, says Yahweh |
Mark 15:34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” | LXX-Psalm 21:2 My God, my God, why have you take heed of me. Why did you forsaken me? |
Mark 15:24 Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take. | LXX-Psalm 21:19 They divided up my garments for themselves, and cast a lot over my clothing. |