An anti-marcionite reading of ‘a den of robbers’

Discussion about the New Testament, apocrypha, gnostics, church fathers, Christian origins, historical Jesus or otherwise, etc.
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Giuseppe
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An anti-marcionite reading of ‘a den of robbers’

Post by Giuseppe »

Mark 11:15-19 15 :

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’ ? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

Note the strange coincidence: Jesus is identifying as ''robbers'' basically the same people ''who were buying and selling there'', precisely, ''those selling doves''. If the ''doves'' are symbols of the Holy Spirit (of Christ?) then these people are portrayed as Simon Magus, sellers of spiritual goods.

But according to Marcion, the Christ came to earth as a robber insofar he bought the souls of men from the demiurge, without the latter knowing the real identity of him. So also the marcionite Christ had any credential to be mocked as a ''buyer and seller'' of souls. And he could be cursed by the Judaizers as a factor of corruption of the Judaism (read: Christianity of the Judaizers).

So it is possible an anti-gnostic reading of Mark 11:15-19 15 insofar the Jesus (of the Judaizer ''Mark'') casts out the preachers of the marcionite/gnostic Christ.
Last edited by Giuseppe on Fri Jun 22, 2018 9:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
Giuseppe
Posts: 13732
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:37 am
Location: Italy

Re: An anti-marcionite reading of ‘a den of robbers’

Post by Giuseppe »

Curiously, in Acts it is Paul the corrupter of the Temple, in the eyes of the aggressive Judaizers (and that they are aggressive - since they want to kill Paul - is a claim of the author of Acts, not only of myself).

So in the Gospel tradition of the Judaizers we have basically a Jesus who casts out by violence the same Paul!

But then the ''crucifixion'' of Jesus, if it was a mere effect of the Temple scene, allegorizes the same crucifixion of the paulines (i.e. the Gnostic community) by the Judaizers.
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
Giuseppe
Posts: 13732
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:37 am
Location: Italy

Re: An anti-marcionite reading of ‘a den of robbers’

Post by Giuseppe »


the Gospel traditionThe Acts of the Apostles + later tradition
Jesus casts out the Gnostic ''robbers''The Jews casts out Paul (Acts 21:27)
Jesus is condemned by the sinedrites, but Pilate comes in.The Jews want to kill Paul but the Roman tribune enters.
Despite of Pilate, Jesus is put to Death, but by the RomansDespite of the Romans, Paul will be put to death, but in Rome by Nero (this latter episode is not in Acts, but in a surely related proto-catholic tradition).

Conclusion:

In the Gospel tradition, there is a change of the identity of the enemies of Jesus: in the temple episode he casts out the Gnostic ''robbers'', but then in the next episodes the his enemies become ''the scribes and pharisees'' (while the Gnostic ''robber'' appears again under the form of Jesus Barabbas).

In Acts the enemies of Paul are always the Jews.


Paradoxically, Acts reflects a more accurate version of the ''historical' earliest propaganda insofar his version of the events in Acts is more simple and with less modifications compared to the Gospel tradition: the ''Jews'' - i.e. the Judaizers - condemned to death the Gnostics of which ''Paul'' is symbol.

Translated in Gospel terms: the ''Jews'' crucify Jesus.
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
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