If the Earliest Gospel described shortly the descent of Jesus in Sheol (hence assuming already his death in outer space), then his resurrection and his preaching/healing in Sheol, then his ascension, that first version was suddenly expanded by the account of what the Risen Jesus did shortly on earth before his definitive ascension to heaven: he found the followers of John the Baptist, who believe him John redivivus and therefore follow him, until to Transfiguration (=original Ascension).JoeWallack wrote: ↑Tue Mar 03, 2020 8:47 am
- 1) What distinguishes the Gospels from each other is the relative claim of historical witness to a resurrected Jesus. GMark is at the extreme, no named historical witness to a resurrected Jesus. Subsequent Gospels used GMark as a base but wanted and claimed historical witness to a resurrected Jesus. This suggests there was nothing else for them to use and that GMark was the original Gospel narrative.
When the descent to Sheol was taken as the descent to Capernaum, a "city of Galilee", then it became necessary to traspose on the earth the original celestial crucifixion.
The fact that in Mark, the earliest gospel but only among the survived Gospels, there was no witness at the Empty Tomb, is because, in the Earliest Gospel (before Mark), the 12 disciples were already per se witnesses of a Risen Jesus. Only, even so, they were so obtuse that they didn't realize that their Jesus had already been crucified (in outer space), he had already descended in Sheol, he was already risen in virtue of the his only presence on earth.
Hence, when "Mark" (editor) added the Passion story on the Earliest Gospel, he didn't need other witnesses of the Resurrection because, just as for the Earliest Gospel, the only person who was assumed in advance to have realized that the Jesus seen by the Pillars on the earth was already a Risen Jesus, is Paul.
Hence the circular structure of our Mark,
Jesus starts in Galilee ----> Jesus rises in Galilee ----> Jesus starts in Galilee
...reflects the idea of the original gospel: the earthly Jesus was already a Risen Jesus.
Only, the Pillars in the story didn't realize it. Just as the outsiders had not to realize it.