Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

I thought I'd develop a 'Top Ten' list of important questions for early Christianity. In no particular order (yet)

1. when Paul said 'my gospel' was he referencing a written gospel?
2. did Jesus exist?
3. was there a Jewish Christianity which predated the Christianity which emerges from the Church Fathers?
4. what year was the gospel narrative set?
5. was there a gospel before canonical Mark?
7. who was the original gospel writer?
8. who was Irenaeus?
9. what did Marcion's canon look like?
10. who were the first Christians?

it might be interesting to see what other list people come up with. I made this list in about a minute. I am not married to it.

1. when Paul said 'my gospel' was he referencing a written gospel? no
2. did Jesus exist? yes
3. was there a Jewish Christianity which predated the Christianity which emerges from the Church Fathers? yes
4. what year was the gospel narrative set? 70 or71 (gMark), one year from 81 to 93 for gMatthew & gLuke, 75 (for beginning of composition) to about 105 (epilogue) for gJohn.
5. was there a gospel before canonical Mark? no
7. who was the original gospel writer? "Mark", a Jew who knew Aramaic, Latin, and Greek (not fluently), who wrote his gospel in Corinth for Corinthian Christians.
8. who was Irenaeus? bishop of Lyons
9. what did Marcion's canon look like? truncated and modified: one gospel drawn from gLuke, plus 10 Pauline letters.
10. who were the first Christians? The first to be named Christians were in Antioch Syria.

Cordially, Bernard

I think they're questions. You think many have been answered. Not surprising really. Thanks.

Secret Alias wrote: ↑Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:39 am I thought I'd develop a 'Top Ten' list of important questions for early Christianity. In no particular order (yet)

1. when Paul said 'my gospel' was he referencing a written gospel?
2. did Jesus exist?
3. was there a Jewish Christianity which predated the Christianity which emerges from the Church Fathers?
4. what year was the gospel narrative set?
5. was there a gospel before canonical Mark?
7. who was the original gospel writer?
8. who was Irenaeus?
9. what did Marcion's canon look like?
10. who were the first Christians?

it might be interesting to see what other list people come up with. I made this list in about a minute. I am not married to it.

Well, I started to compile a list, but found that about five of my items overlapped pretty heavily with yours (albeit sometimes with a different focus or approach), so I decided rather to list the Christian texts — besides lost Gospels, Acts, Apocalypses, and Epistles, as such (too numerous to prioritize into a Top Ten list) — which I wish would show up in a new papyrus find soon. In no particular order:

1. The Exegesis of Papias.
2. The Memoirs of Hegesippus.
3. The True Word of Celsus.
4. The Exegetica of Basilides.
5. The Apology of Quadratus.
6. The Antitheses of Marcion.
7. The Syntagma of Justin Martyr.
8. The Commentary on John of Heracleon.
9. The Ophite Diagram.
10. The Disputation of Jason and Papiscus of Aristo of Pella.

I agree with your list. I think of myself as a deranged, unfocused version of you with a lot of personal shortcomings. Notice though that Bernard has no questions. Everything's been already answered on his website.

I am sure that Giuseppe would only have questions to the degree to which the answers would or could support his pre-existent gnostic-mysticism.

Secret Alias wrote: ↑Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:12 pmNotice though that Bernard has no questions. Everything's been already answered on his website.

I love #8, though. Who was Irenaeus? Bishop of Lyons. You should have known that, Stephan.

Either Bernard or I must be misinterpreting the intent of #4 on your list. I would have "set" the gospel narrative in AD 20, 30, or 40-50.

Either Bernard or I must be misinterpreting the intent of #4 on your list. I would have "set" the gospel narrative in AD 20, 30, or 40-50.

If you mean what years do the gospel narrate?
for gMark, 27-28 (up to 16:8)
for gMatthew, 2-4 to 28
for gLuke, 3-4 to 28
for gJohn, 27 to around 100

Cordially, Bernard

I only have one:

Why were the Marcionites so ruthlessly erased from History?

Did Paul exist?