4 - The Gospels

Question 1

apocryphal meaning

Answer 1

doubtful authenticity/hidden

Question 2

gnostic meaning

Answer 2

knowledge, to be in the know

Question 3

apocryphal/gnostic gospels 5

Answer 3

• false idea that the church has hidden certain non-biblical sources ab Jesus
• supposed secret revelations of J after his death and resurrection
• not ab his ministry but more abstract reflections on theology, the world, angels, creation…
• more esoteric (otherworldly) than historical
• neither authoritative nor reliable

Question 4

gospel of thomas

Answer 4

• has especially attracted some scholarly attention in part bc of its sayings being somewhat reminiscent of J

Question 5

why apocryphal gospels dismissed 3

Answer 5

• 2nd century docs (not 1st century witnesses)
• presents rather mythical J over more full-bodies J in the NT Gospels
• authored in a greco-roman sort of way

Question 6

josephus 2

Answer 6

• ad 37-100
• jewish historian who knew some details ab J

Question 7

roman historians

Answer 7

describe christians as superstitious and being imprisoned and killed for J’s “evils”

Question 8

4 possible gospel genres

Answer 8

expanded preaching, ancient greco-roman biographies, israelite-jewish biographical lit, eyewitness testimonies

Question 9

expanded preaching

Answer 9

• expanded and written versions of the gospel first proclaimed orally by J as he spoke and taught and orally by his first followers who spoke ab him

Question 10

ancient greco-roman biographies 3

Answer 10

• focussed on the main character’s (hero) words and deeds
• for followers to see how great the hero was
• leaves out jewish nature

Question 11

israelite-jewish biographical lit 2

Answer 11

• compared to shorter ot narratives which focus on office and function of a significant and’l, such as moses or david
• or compared with longer jewish narratives or jewish apocrypha

Question 12

eye witness testimonies

Answer 12

• histroians of this time believed history had to be written in living memory, when eyewitnesses were still around

Question 13

the 4 source/document hypothesis 3

Answer 13

• markan priority (mark written first, matt and luke followed)
• matt and luke also used another unnamed doc labelled q
• matt and luke also each have their own independent sources, labelled m and L

Question 14

markan priority arguments 3

Answer 14

length, order, difficulty

Question 15

argument of length 3

Answer 15

• mark ab half the size of matt and luke
• 90% of mark found in matt and/or luke
• so thought more liely that matt and luke knew, drew on, and added to mark

Question 16

argument of order 2

Answer 16

• the synoptic gospels usually have the events in J’s ministry in the same order, but whenever matt or luke depart from the sequence in Mark, they never do so at the same time
• suggests matt and luke frew on mark independently

Question 17

argument of difficulty 2

Answer 17

• mark supposedly has harder readings which appear to have been clarified or smoothed out in matt and/or luke
• matt and luke remove ambiguity, like changing many were healed to all

Question 18

q 5

Answer 18

• ab 250 verses are much the same in matt and luke but not found in mark
• these verses located at dif parts in their narratives
• while one may have borrowed from the other, it’s thought more likely that both used a common source called q
• from german quelle, meaning source
• existence of such a document remains debated

Question 19

m and l

Answer 19

• ab 20% of matt and 40% of luke are unique to themselves, so inferred that they must have their own indl sources

Question 20

genre

Answer 20

shape of the gospels as a whole

Question 21

form

Answer 21

particular literary parts built into each gospel, like columns in a newspaper, each read differently

Question 22

form criticism 4

Answer 22

• scholarly study of the distinct literary forms that may be found w/in the gospels
• includes: classification of forms
• locating social setting of forms
• compilation of forms into the gospels

Question 23

classification of forms 2

Answer 23

• ex miracle accounts, call narratives, parables, etc
• may have emerged in first oral then written forms

Question 24

locating social setting of the forms 2

Answer 24

• context of origin where use of this form was well known so may have arisen from
• ex: many of the parables may have arisen out of the farming context of rural galilee, whereas the lengthier passion narrative more likely came out of urban jerusalem

Question 25

compilation of the forms into the gospels2

Answer 25

• the arrangement and inclusion of these various forms into extended written gospels
• we can see aspects of how they have been composed form-by-form, section-by-section, into full accounts

Question 26

strengths of form critical approach 3

Answer 26

• insists gospels be read in ways that literary forms be taken seriously
• may allow insight into social and historical settings
• could tell how dif parts of the gospe;s may have been shaped, transmitted, collaected, and used

Question 27

weaknesses of form critical approach 2

Answer 27

• can’t be completely confident ab the classifications
• or that gospel materials circulated independently first

Question 28

redaction criticism 3

Answer 28

• another area of scholarly analysis which aims to see how the gospel writers have edited/redacted the various sources and forms used in composing their gospels
• ex: abbreviations additions, arranged differently
• could provide insight of purposes and interests of each gospel

Question 29

stylistic forms of J’s sayings

Answer 29

the forms (such as parables and short sayings) of J that would have been easy to remember and pass on by word of mouth

Question 30

terminology of tradition

Answer 30

Jewish trad’n valued important teachings and would have been careful to remember, communicate, and preserve J’s words

Question 31

function of apostles

Answer 31

J’s 12 would have guarded and transmitted his teachings, acting somewhat like scribes in the early church

Question 32

cultural role of memory

Answer 32

teachers would transmit from memory info orally to their students, who would be expected to retain and retell it as well

Question 33

eyewitnesses and the lapse of time

Answer 33

many who saw and heard what J said and did were still alive when the gospels were transmitted and written so it could be reliable

Question 34

written records

Answer 34

after 70ad, rabbinic students often took notes on what their teachers said, could have started earlier

Question 35

christian prophecy and caution

Answer 35

early ot church communities were careful in accpeting prophets and teachers

Question 36

respect for the sayings of J

Answer 36

early church was careful to make a distinction between the sayings of J and its own teachings

Question 37

dissimilarity of interests

Answer 37

far from recording its own agenda back into the gospels and creating sayings of J, the early church was busy with its own interests such as the mission to the gentiles