The major theme of GMark is the contrast between the Spiritual verses the Physical, seasoned with Irony. One way this is illustrated is with
the recognition/lack of recognition of Jesusness by different characters/groups of characters. The start in this Xcurses is John the Baptist.
Noting how subsequent Gospellers edited GMark here helps highlight the high contrast and irony in GMark. Enjoy!:
Description | Mark | Matthew | Luke | John | Commentary |
John the Baptist baptizes Jesus 5 Gospel Parallels |
1.9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 1.10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; 1.11 and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."
|
3.13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him
3.14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 3.15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness." Then he consented. 3.16 And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; 3.17 and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
|
3.21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 3.22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."
|
1.29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 1.30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.' 1.31 I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." 1.32 And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. 1.33 I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 1.34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."
|
- |
John the Baptist/Recognition of Jesus |
No recognition. JtB (John the Baptist) not only knows that he is the Introduction to Jesus Acts (so to speak) but he will also be the one baptizing Jesus. yet he fails to recognize Jesus. Now what's the word for that. He receives the physical Jesus (remember that phrase) but does not recognize the spiritual. |
GMatthew uses GMark as a base but edits GMark so that JtB knows exactly who Jesus is without explicitly saying how. And how is this? Because "Matthew" and everyone else in his time knew it from reading GMark. |
GLuke wrote next but preserves JtB's lack of recognition. |
Last and least GJohn has his JtB not only recognize exactly who/what Jesus is but goes so far as to make his JtB the narrator.
|
The Gospels are primarily defined from each other by their position on witness to Jesus (something Christian Bible scholarship still has not come to terms with). GMark has a primary theme that there was no historical witness to Jesus and this gradually is completely reversed by GJohn which claims multiple historical witness to Jesus. Keep in mind for later that generally in GMark characters that followed Jesus physically are named while those that follow Jesus spiritually (like good ol what'sherface) are not. That subsequent Gospellers wanted named historical witness while GMark did not, yet they still used GMark as a base, suggests there was no other significant source to use, GMark was the original narrative and there was no significant oral tradition. |
Joseph of Arimathea receives the body of Jesus |
15.42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 15.43 Joseph of Arimathe'a, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 15.44 And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 15.45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 15.46 And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
|
27.57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe'a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus
27.58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 27.59 And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, 27.60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.
|
23.50 Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathe'a. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 23.51 who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 23.52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 23.53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid.
|
19.38 After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body. 19.39 Nicode'mus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight. 19.40 They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 19.41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. 19.42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
|
- |
Joseph of Arimathea recognition of the Kingdom of God |
1. Member of the council (condemned Jesus).
2. Looking for the Kingdom of God.
3. Literally handed the Kingdom of God (Jesus' body).
4. Places in a tomb.
We have the parallel irony to JtB. JtB knew he was the introduction to Jesus' acts (so to speak) but fails to recognize him even though he laid hands on him. Likewise Joseph of Arimathea, JA, is looking for the Kingdom of God but condemns it when it is in front of his face, and, literally has the Kingdom of God given to him, literally in his hands, but fails to recognize again, and just "buries it", in a "sealed" tomb (let the BCH Reader understand). In order to recognize and receive the Kingdom of God you have to move the rock/Peter out of The Way (behind you). |
1. Not a Council member (did not condemn Jesus)
2. Between GMark and GMatthew became a disciple of Jesus.
3. Placed it in his own tomb.
"Matthew" has exorcised some irony of GMark and replaced it with respect.
|
1. Member of the council.
2. Did not condemn Jesus (apparently had note from Epstein's mother).
3. Looking for the Kingdom of God.
"Luke" has exorcised some irony of GMark and replaced it with respect. |
1. Disciple of Jesus.
2. Takes Jesus' body secretly. Undoes implication from GMark that JA was
following instructions from Council to take down (so to speak) Jesus.
3. The men anoint Jesus undoing "Luke's" (likely female) picture of the women anointing.
4. Jesus placed in tomb as convenience.
"John" has completely undone the irony. "John's" disciples believe in Jesus all the way
so his ending is consistent with this. |
The specific observations here are consistent with the overall observations regarding
the basic differences between the Gospels. GMark, the first, has a primary theme of
discrediting historical witness to Jesus. His primary style of doing this is irony.
Subsequent Gospellers have the opposite primary theme, they want historical witness
to Jesus. The extent to which they convert themes is directly related to the distance
between themselves and GMark. The shorter the distance in terms of time and Jesus
stories, the less editing of the base. As always, evidence that GMark was not only the
original Gospel narrative but was the only significant supposed historical source. Not
that it's needed but the different reactions to GMark are also evidence of priority. |
EDITOR, n. A person who combines the judicial functions of Minos, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus, but is placable with an obolus; a severely virtuous censor, but so charitable withal that he tolerates the virtues of others and the vices of himself; who flings about him the splintering lightning and sturdy thunders of admonition till he resembles a bunch of firecrackers petulantly uttering his mind at the tail of a dog; then straightway murmurs a mild, melodious lay, soft as the cooing of a donkey intoning its prayer to the evening star. Master of mysteries and lord of law, high-pinnacled upon the throne of thought, his face suffused with the dim splendors of the Transfiguration, his legs intertwisted and his tongue a-cheek, the editor spills his will along the paper and cuts it off in lengths to suit. And at intervals from behind the veil of the temple is heard the voice of the foreman demanding three inches of wit and six lines of religious meditation, or bidding him turn off the wisdom and whack up some pathos.