Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

Here's what I consider to be an important discovery. We previously noted: 8 Commentary on Matthew Book 11 Chapter 1 Matthew says: “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the...

But I don't know if that is really an objection because I am not arguing for a 1:1 identification of 'it' (the Alexandrian Diatessaron of Ammonius) with the Arabic Diatessaron. The fact that there is even a consistent relationship (my next one is quite interesting) is quite powerful I think. I don't...

14 Commentary on Matthew Book 11 Chapter 16 Matthew says: Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” The Diatessaron s...

13 Commentary on Matthew Book 11 Chapter 12 Matthew says: He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides.[d] If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” “Are you ...

12 Commentary on Matthew Book 11 Chapter 11 Matthew says: Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of ...

But there was an inherent Matthaeanness to the harmony. Hence Epiphanius identifies the Diatessaron as the Gospel of the Hebrews. But someone later, possibly a progression of revisions (cf Adv Marc 1:1).

And to use the ape costume analogy, a dog in an ape costume still doesn't look like an ape. Humans have the capacity with the aid of a costume to appear "ape like."

I thought I had answered that when I initially hypothesized that Eusebius (or someone subsequent to Origen) recast the original text as a commentary on Matthew. Like asking why someone in an ape costume looks now like an ape.

The same idea is present in the Philosophumena's Marcionite 'gospel of Mark' - http://www.gnosis.org/library/hyp_refut7.htm

Notice the idea that a text of Mark existed which contained 'added bits' of mysticism ('Empedoclean').

When Clement says this: As for Mark, then, during Peter's stay in Rome he wrote an account of the Lord's doings, not, however, declaring all of them, nor yet hinting at the secret ones, but selecting what he thought most useful for increasing the faith of those who were being instructed. That was li...