I have two certaintes and a doubt/dilemma, followed by a his possible solution.
- FIRST CERTAINTY. The Evangelion of Marcion was the first gospel, and his incipit had Jesus descended from above "the 15° year of Tiberius". The reason was that Marcion wanted the historical Paul (lived under Tiberius) as the implicit only privileged witness of the descent of Jesus Chrestos on the earth. The Judaizers knew this implicit corollary, therefore they introduced John the Baptist (=the Samaritan Prophet killed by Pilate) in the role of witness, or even (some of them) in the role of the Christ himself.
- SECOND CERTAINTY. The Earliest Gospel Passion Story was the following kernel (the proof is given by Jean Magne in Jésus devant Pilate):
So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
It is evident that the point of this episode is to make it clear, by mouth of Jesus himself, that he is the Messiah, the Christ of YHWH. Hence this final CANNOT be written by Marcion.
THE DILEMMA.
- It is evident that the first part of the first gospel was written by Marcion, since only he could fix the invented Jesus during the lifetime of Paul the Apostle.
- It is evident that the final of the first gospel was written by an enemy of Marcion, since only he could point out that Jesus is the Christ of YHWH.
BEST ANSWER: a fusion is happened. I reject any hypothesis about Marcion having the Jews or Herod who kill Jesus. The introduction of Pilate was too much embarrassing to serve to replace a Herod or the deicide Jews. If Pilate was introduced, then he figured as the first human killer of Jesus. And once introduced, the Christians couldn't remove more him: the Pagans would have felt easily the embarrassment.
THE GREAT SOLUTION OF THE DILEMMA
The following is the solution of the dilemma. It is evident that Pilate, just as John the Baptist and Antipas and Caiaphas, was introduced by the Judaizers. Hence, the problem can be reduced to the question: what was the original final of the Evangelion of Marcion? The following clues give us the solution:
- 1) the pattern of the earliest Passion Story shows a dialogue between the victim and his killer, followed by the death of the victim provoked by his answer to the killer's question.
- 2) Try to remove 'Synagogues' from Luke 12:11-12 and you gain a mythicist Logion:
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
...insofar it fits perfectly the situation of the soul who has to ascend beyond the archontic Gate-keepers in lower heavens: the only original 'rulers and authorities' who are meant in the original Logion.
Apocalypse of James 1:8.30_I taught you what to say before the archons
See also Epiphanius Panarion, 26:13:13,2 They cite a fictitious Gospel in the name of the holy disciple, Philip, as follows. “The Lord hath shown me what my soul must say on its ascent to heaven, and how it must answer each of the powers on high. ‘I have recognized myself,’ it saith, ‘and gathered myself from every quarter, and have sown no children for the archon. But I have pulled up his roots, and gathered my scattered members, and I know who thou art. For I,’ it saith, ‘am of the ones on high.’ ” And so, they say, it is set free. (3) But if it turns out to have fathered a son, it is detained below until it can take its own children up and restore them to itself.
- 3) Note that if we remove Pilate and any Passion story from Marcion's Evangelion, then Luke 12:11-12 is saying that Jesus predicts that his disciples will face the demons in outer space and the holy spirit will give them the correct magical password to escape the demons. Jesus assumes so that himself has been questioned by demons in outer space.
But did Jesus give the correct password before the demons in outer space? The original layer of the Ascension of Isaiah answers us: NO. During his descent to lower heavens, Jesus gave the password to enter in any heaven. But at the end, he didn't give the final password. Why ? Because only so he could oblige the demons in outer space to crucify him there.
The conclusion is inescapable.
- The mythical Jesus, during his descent to lower heavens, was questioned continually by the demons met by him on his way: and any time he furnished the correct magical password to go through their territory.
- The Gospel Jesus, during his first preaching on earth, was questioned continually by the scribes and high priests met by him on his way: and any time he furnished the correct answers to confuse them.
The Earliest Mythical Passion Story (=original layer of the Ascension of Isaiah) | The Earliest Earthly Passion Story |
So the demons bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to the chief of demons. “WHO ARE YOU?” asked the chief of demons. Jesus didn't answer. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. |
So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. |
THE GREAT DIFFERENCE:
Note the great difference.
- In the original mythical story, the Jesus's silence before his demonic jugdes provoked ipso facto his crucifixion in outer space.
- In the first Gospel Passion story, the Jesus's answer (in sense positive: he is the Messiah of YHWH) provoked ipso facto his crucifixion by Pilate.
□