You and me we ain't no Superstars, what we are is what we are, we share some bread, a little fish and JC
JW:
I've stated in my previous post
The Parallels of PauLines that I think Paul had a major theme of contrasting Judaism/Physical with Gentiles/Spiritual. The body of Paul generally stops here. There are Pauline extremities that appear to go beyond the contrast, into comparison, with the implication that the Judaism/Physical is inferior. Using the relationship of Judaism/Physical with Gentiles/Spiritual as a framework to compare Christian works is instructive in showing a possible development of Christian theology:
- Paul = Emphasis is on and mostly limited to the contrast.
Fake Paul = Movement beyond contrast to comparison with Gentiles/Spiritual superior.
GMark = Emphasis is on comparison and goes beyond The physical part of Judaism being inferior to being evil.
GMatthew = Movement away from all of GMark's extremes. Less contrast, comparison and negative description of physical Judaism.
GLuke = Movement away from GMark's use of negative to use of positive. How to act (as opposed to how not to act).
GJohn = Emphasis of contrast/comparison moved from physical verses spiritual to believing or not believing in Jesus.
Now onto some ironic contrast, transfer and reversal. Paul uses a very relevant word in the context of contrast here:
1 Thessalonians 2:15
who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and pleased not God, and are contrary to all men; (ASV)
contrary =
ἐναντίων
Note that this goes well beyond contrast to comparison/evil and is thus more evidence of forgery here in what is commonly thought to be the earliest extant Pauline epistle (I've noted many times now that this epistle makes no mention of Jesus being crucified = amazing that an entire epistle and possibly the first one would make no mention of it - if it was historical).
The offending word is used again in what is clearly Fake Paul:
Titus 2:8
sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us. (ASV)
You have to go to the previous chapter for a "who" part of the contrast:
10 For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision,
11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre`s sake.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.
13 This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Sadly, perhaps the only irony beyond "Mark" (author) is that there was/is/will be nothing evil or wicked about "The Jews". Only the words of Fake Paul above are evil and wicked.
So than, a key word in Paul/Fake Paul for a key theme = contrary (ἐναντίων). How does "Mark" use the word:
Mark 6
46 And after he had taken leave of them, he departed into the mountain to pray.
47 And when even was come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
48 And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them:
49 but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;
50 for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he straightway spake with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
51 And he went up unto them into the boat; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves;
52 for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened.
The contrast here is that the Jewish/physical disciples are physically with Jesus but they are not spiritually with Jesus ("for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened"). "Mark's" literary magic here is using the offending word to show the disciples going (rowing) against the spirit (wind). Understand dear Reader? "Mark" uses the water as a symbolic (and physical) representation of the boundary between Jews and Gentiles. "Mark" explicitly says the disciples do not spiritually understand Jesus and accompanies this with an image of the disciples physically going against the spirit (rowing). Nice. In GMark this also looks like the point where the disciples lose the Spirit.
In contrast/comparison, "Mark's" only other use of the offending word:
Mark 15
37 And Jesus uttered a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38 And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom.
39 And when the centurion, who stood by over against him, saw that he so gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
"over against him" has the underlying offending word in Greek. The contrast here is that the Gentile who was not physically with Jesus (as opposed to the Jewish disciples who were) is now spiritually with Jesus ("Truly this man was the Son of God") as opposed to the Jewish disciples who were not. For those who need points sharply explained, per "Mark", the Jewish disciples who had a tradition of Judaism and were trained by Jesus, saw the crucifixion as failure. In contrast/comparison, at this defining moment for each side, the Gentile who had no tradition of Judaism and did not know Jesus saw the crucifixion as success. As usual, note the careful placement of the offending word at the key points in the narrative to help connect them and the jewdicious avoidance of the word anywhere else in the narrative.
Word.
Bonus material for Solo. What key section of GMark does the "going against the spirit" section foreshadow (I kind of gave it away)? Perhaps KK can find a related nice picture of the disciples going against the spirit.
Joseph
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