A little mythicist advantage under Markan priority

Discussion about the New Testament, apocrypha, gnostics, church fathers, Christian origins, historical Jesus or otherwise, etc.
Post Reply
Giuseppe
Posts: 13732
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:37 am
Location: Italy

A little mythicist advantage under Markan priority

Post by Giuseppe »

Richard Carrier points out an advantage for mythicism under Markan priority: the absence of a life on the earth for the Risen Christ.

Obviously it is assumed that 16:8 is the original final.

As the argument goes, if the late gospels were able to fill the void, by inventing (and here very none may disagree) a Risen Christ who walks on the earth etc, then why wasn't Mark himself able to invent ex novo an entire life on earth for the Jesus before the crucifixion ?

Just as the late gospels had to have from Mark (assuming Mark is the first gospel) only the mere implication that Jesus was risen, so Mark had to have from someone only the idea (even only from a mere Pagan hearsay) that the Paul's Jesus was "seen" and/or crucified on the earth.

The argument would be very powerful if it was accompanied by a true certainty that Mark was the oldest gospel. Frankly, I have not that certainty.
Giuseppe
Posts: 13732
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:37 am
Location: Italy

Re: A little mythicist advantage under Markan priority

Post by Giuseppe »

I have talked about an 'implication': the empty tomb implies that Jesus was risen.

So, in analogous terms for the entire Gospel Jesus, the implication, docet G. A. Wells inter alia, could be only the mere belief, witnessed in Hebrews (even if in Hebrews the crucifixion is still placed in outer space, for Couchoud/Doherty/Carrier), that Jesus is appeared "at the end of times".

A relatively strong apocalypticism would have given the 'implication': a recent apparition "at the end of times" implies that Jesus was crucified recently on the earth.
Post Reply