Demands of Discipleship

Matt. 10:37-38; 16:24; Mark 8:34;
Luke 9:23; 14:25-27, 33

(Huck 62, 171; Aland 103, 217; Crook 118, 260-261)^[102]

Revised: 15 January 2025^[103]

מִי שֶׁבָּא אֵלַי וְאֵינוֹ שׂוֹנֵא אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אִמּוֹ וְאֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת יְלָדָיו וְאֶת אֶחָיו וְאֶת אַחְיוֹתָיו וְאַף אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת תַּלְמִידִי מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נוֹשֵׂא אֶת צְלוּבוֹ וּבָא אַחֲרַי אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת תַּלְמִידִי מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ כָּל מַה שֶּׁיֵשׁ לוֹ אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת תַּלְמִידִי

“Anyone who comes to join my band of followers but puts family ties or love of self ahead of me cannot possibly be my full-time disciple. Anyone who is not prepared to die cannot possibly be my full-time disciple. Anyone who does not renounce his possessions cannot possibly be my full-time disciple.”^[104]

Reconstruction

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• ^[1] See Robert L. Lindsey, “Unlocking the Synoptic Problem: Four Keys for Better Understanding Jesus”; idem, “From Luke to Mark to Matthew: A Discussion of the Sources of Markan 'Pick-ups' and the Use of a Basic Non-canonical Source by All the Synoptists.” ↩
• ^[2] See Robert L. Lindsey, “From Luke to Mark to Matthew: A Discussion of the Sources of Markan ‘Pick-ups’ and the Use of a Basic Non-canonical Source by All the Synoptists,” under the subheading “Restoring Narrative Sayings Complexes”; idem, TJS, 38-39, 42-43. ↩
• ^[3] Lindsey dated his discovery of the literary link between Rich Man Declines the Kingdom of Heaven and Demands of Discipleship to 14 March 1978 (LHNS, 135). ↩
• ^[4] See Robert L. Lindsey, “From Luke to Mark to Matthew: A Discussion of the Sources of Markan 'Pick-ups' and the Use of a Basic Non-canonical Source by All the Synoptists,” under the subheading “Restoration of Narrative-Sayings Complexes.” ↩
• ^[5] The non-canonical Gospel of Thomas also attests to two versions (logion 55 and logion 101) of Jesus’ cross-bearing saying:

  Jesus said: Whoever does not hate his father and his mother will not be a disciple to Me, and (whoever does not) hate his brethren and his sisters and (does not) take up his cross in My way will not be worthy of Me. (Gos. Thom. §55 [ed. Guillaumont, 31])

  <Jesus said:> Whoever does not hate his father and his mother in My way will not be able to be a [disciple] to me. And whoever does [not] love [his father] and his mother in My way will not be able to be a [disciple] to me, for My mother [ ] but [My] true [Mother] gave me the life. (Gos. Thom. §101 [ed. Guillaumont, 51])

  The versions in the Gospel of Thomas share similarities with the versions in Luke 14:26-27 and Matt. 10:37-38. Like Luke 14:26, the Gospel of Thomas uses the verb “hate,” but like Matt. 10:38, Gos. Thom. logion 55 uses the adjective “worthy.” The versions in Thomas are likely dependent, either directly or indirectly, on the canonical versions of Matthew and Luke. The version in logion 101 may be an adaptation of Jesus’ saying to a Hellenistic proverb. Theon of Alexandria (first cent. C.E.) reports that Isocrates advised students to honor teachers above parents, since parents only give life, whereas teachers are the cause of living nobly (Progymnasmata chpt. 3 Chreia), which may be similar to “[My] true [Mother] gave me the life” (Gos. Thom. logion 101). The Gospel of Thomas adapted other sayings of Jesus to Hellenistic models. For instance, logion 102 is the adaptation of the Aesopic fable about the dog in the manger into a woe against the Pharisees. ↩

• ^[6] The two versions of Jesus’ cross-bearing saying in Luke 14:27 and Luke 9:23 constitute a Lukan Doublet. According to Lindsey’s hypothesis, Lukan Doublets are indicative of Luke’s dependence on two pre-synoptic sources. One of these sources (Anth.) was highly Hebraic, the other (FR) is characterized by a more refined Greek style. Several times in his Gospel Luke copied both the Anth. and the FR versions of Jesus’ sayings, resulting in the Lukan Doublets. See Robert L. Lindsey, “From Luke to Mark to Matthew: A Discussion of the Sources of Markan ‘Pick-ups’ and the Use of a Basic Non-canonical Source by All the Synoptists,” under the subheading “Lukan Doublets: Sayings Doublets.” Note, too, that the version of Jesus’ cross-bearing saying in Luke 9:23 belongs to a small collection of pithy sayings we refer to as a “string of pearls.” On the “strings of pearls” as stemming from FR, see the LOY Excursus: Sources of the “Strings of Pearls” in Luke’s Gospel. ↩
• ^[7] Compare all these versions of the cross-bearing saying in the Synoptic Gospels to John 12:25-26. ↩
• ^[8] Commenting on Matt. 10:37-38, Beare wrote: “the Lucan version probably stands closer to the original form of the saying, as it reproduces a peculiarly Semitic locution.... Matthew’s version...conveys the sense better in Greek (and in English)” (Beare, Earliest, 86 §62). Cf. Johannes Schneider, “σταυρός κτλ.,” TDNT, 7:578; C. H. Dodd, Historical Tradition in the Fourth Gospel (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1965), 343. ↩
• ^[9] Allen (Matt., 110-111) wrote: “It is clear that in the Synoptic Gospels we have three recensions of this saying, viz. (a) Mk 8³⁴ = Mt 16²⁴ = Lk 9²³, a positive form, εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν (Lk. ἔρχεσθαι), ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ (Lk. adds καθ᾽ ἡμέραν) καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι. (b) Mt 10³⁸, a negative form, ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος. (c) Lk 14²⁷, another negative form in a different context, ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἔρχεται ὀπίσω μου. The two latter look like independent translations of a Semitic original.” Cf. Albright-Mann, 132. ↩
• ^[10] The Tower Builder and King Going to War similes have a high frequency of words that appear only in this passage in the Synoptic Gospels (ψηφίζειν [Luke 14:28]; δαπάνη [Luke 14:28]; ἀπαρτισμός [Luke 14:28]; ἐκτελεῖν [Luke 14:29, 30]), as well as words and phrases that do not appear in LXX (ψηφίζειν [Luke 14:28]; ἀπαρτισμός [Luke 14:28]; εἰ δυνατός [Luke 14:31]). Thus, the Tower Builder and King Going to War similes stand out linguistically from their Lukan context. ↩
• ^[11] On equating becoming a disciple with entering the Kingdom of Heaven, see Rich Man Declines the Kingdom of Heaven, Comment to L64-65; David N. Bivin and Joshua N. Tilton, "LOY Excursus: The Kingdom of Heaven in the Life of Yeshua,” under the subheading "The Kingdom of Heaven in the Teachings of Jesus: Jesus’ Band of Itinerating Disciples." ↩
• ^[12] Moore pointed out that in the Tower Builder and King Going to War similes, “The men are not asking themselves whether they are willing to pay the cost. But ‘desiring’ (ver. 28. θέλων), to do a certain thing, they are considering whether they are able, with the resources at hand, to accomplish it.” See Thomas Verner Moore, “The Tower-builder and the King: A Suggested Exposition of Luke xiv. 25-35,” The Expositor 7.6 (1914)): 519-537, quotation on 522. The Tower Builder and King Going to War similes are poor illustrations of the rich man’s dilemma, for whereas the tower builder and the king were willing to pursue their tasks if they had the necessary resources, the rich man who had abundant resources was unwilling to accept Jesus’ invitation. ↩
• ^[13] According to Jarvis, “if vv. 28-32 are removed the continuity of the remainder is improved.” See Peter G. Jarvis, “Expounding the Parables: V. The Tower-builder and the King going to War (Luke 14:25-33),” Expository Times 77 (1965-1966): 196-198, quotation on 196. Cf. Snodgrass (384): “if the parables are omitted, the text that remains (Luke 14:26-27, 33) reads smoothly.” ↩
• ^[14] See Hatch-Redpath, 1:548-553. ↩
• ^[15] See Dos Santos, 22-23. ↩
• ^[16] See Saul Lieberman, Greek in Jewish Palestine: Studies in the Life and Manners of Jewish Palestine in the II-IV Centuries C.E. (New York: Jewish Theological Seminary, 1942), 80. ↩
• ^[17] Cf. the tradition about the Rechabites who said: באתי...ללמוד תורה (“I came...to study Torah”; Sifre Zuta 10:29). ↩
• ^[18] See Dos Santos, 200. ↩
• ^[19] See Hatch-Redpath, 2:929-930. ↩
• ^[20] Cf. Flusser, Jesus, 35. ↩
• ^[21] See R. Steven Notley, “Jesus’ Command to ‘Hate’.” ↩
• ^[22] Another illustration of this nuance—“to hate” in the sense of “to put in an inferior position in terms of affection”—is found in Jesus’ own words: “No servant can serve two masters...he will hate the one and love the other...” (Luke 16:13; Matt. 6:24). The point of this teaching is that any attempt to be God’s slave and at the same time to be a slave to money will fail. It is not that in such a situation a person actually hates God, but rather, that he tries to love both God and money. Inevitably, a conflict of interest will arise in which the person will sometimes prefer money to God. ↩
• ^[23] See Marshall, 592. ↩
• ^[24] These two rabbinic sayings are exhortations to prefer one thing and put aside another. The second saying enjoins that one should prefer the “What if?” that is, weigh or consider carefully one’s actions, but flee the “What of it?” that is, avoid the attitude that one’s actions do not matter. ↩
• ^[25] See Isaac Newman, “Talmudic Discipleship,” in Encyclopaedia Judaica Yearbook (Jerusalem: Keter, 1989), 33-40. ↩
• ^[26] See David N. Bivin, “At the Feet of a Sage”; idem, “First-century Discipleship.” ↩
• ^[27] Compare Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah’s words of comfort to Rabbi Eliezer recorded in Sifre Deut. § 31 (on Deut. 6:5), and compare these rabbinic traditions to Theon of Alexandria’s statement (first cent. C.E.) regarding Isocrates (436–338 B.C.E.): “We object to...Isocrates’ saying that one should honor teachers before parents, since the latter have offered us the chance to live but teachers the chance to live nobly” (Progymnasmata chpt. 3 Chreia). Translation according to James R. Butts, The Progymnasmata of Theon: A New Text with Translation and Commentary (Claremont, Calif.: Claremont Graduate School, 1987), 213. ↩
• ^[28] Compare Elijah’s response to Elisha’s request to say good-bye to his parents (1 Kgs. 19:20). See Not Everyone Can Be Yeshua’s Disciple, Comments to L32, L35-36. ↩
• ^[29] See Hatch-Redpath, 2:1105-1111. ↩
• ^[30] See Dos Santos, 1. ↩
• ^[31] See Hatch-Redpath, 1:278-283. ↩
• ^[32] See Dos Santos, 19. ↩
• ^[33] See Newman, “Talmudic Discipleship,” 38. ↩
• ^[34] See Shimon’s Mother-in-law, Comment to L11. ↩
• ^[35] See Sending the Twelve: Conduct in Town, Comment to L82-83. ↩
• ^[36] See Dos Santos, 6. ↩
• ^[37] See Hatch-Redpath, 1:20-23. ↩
• ^[38] See Dos Santos, 6. ↩
• ^[39] See Hatch-Redpath, 1:19. ↩
• ^[40] On the dropping of pronominal suffixes in the course of translation from Hebrew to Greek, see Lord’s Prayer, Comment to L10. ↩
• ^[41] See Hawkins, 22. ↩
• ^[42] Cf. Davies-Allison, 2:221. While τε καί is frequent in Luke and Acts, the phrase ἔτι τε καὶ occurs only in Luke 14:26 and Acts 21:28. ↩
• ^[43] An example of ψυχή ("soul") carrying the sense “self” appears in a mid-first-cent. C.E. Greek novel, where a prospective husband advises himself to be patient as he anticipates marriage: καρτέρησον ψυχή (“be patient, soul,” i.e., “be patient, self,”) (Chariton, De Chaerea et Callirhoe 3.2.9). ↩
• ^[44] Understood in the sense of “self,” the meaning of Jesus' saying would be that disciples must put their interests, concerns and comforts second to serving Jesus as his disciple. The two senses are not mutually exclusive, since anyone who is prepared to die has, by definition, put his or her personal interests beneath the call to discipleship. ↩
• ^[45] In Genesis alone, the LXX translators rendered וְגַם simply as καί in Gen. 6:4; 13:5; 14:7, 16 (2xx); 17:6; 24:14, 44, 46 (2xx); 30:6; 32:7; 37:7; 38:22, 24; 40:15; 42:28; 48:19, which accounts for most of the instances of וְגַם in Genesis. ↩
• ^[46] See Jastrow, 99, 251; Segal, 146 §302. ↩
• ^[47] For examples of וְאַף in the Mishnah, cf., e.g., m. Ter. 5:4; m. Yom. 3:10; m. Sot. 7:3, 4; m. Bab. Kam. 2:5; m. Bab. Metz. 2:5 (2xx); m. Edu. 6:3 (2xx). ↩
• ^[48] See Hatch-Redpath, 2:1486-1490. ↩
• ^[49] See Dos Santos, 135. ↩
• ^[50] Cf. HALOT, 712. ↩
• ^[51] For the semantic range of ψυχή, cf. Luke 12:19, “I will say to myself [ψυχή]: ‘Self [ψυχή], you have many good things...’”; and Luke 12:20, “Your life [ψυχή] will be demanded from you.” See also Moule, Idiom, 185. ↩
• ^[52] It is possible that the identification of מְאוֹדֶיךָ as wealth is also witnessed in DSS. See Serge Ruzer, "The Double Love Precept in the New Testament and the Community Rule" (JS1, 89-94). ↩
• ^[53] As Kister wrote, "notwithstanding significant changes in style, tone, context, and content, aggadic statements in rabbinic literature should be regarded principally as traditions, and the sages to whom these utterances are attributed as tradents of ancient material. Studies that consider rabbinic literature together with writings of the Second Temple period (such as Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, Qumran, Philo, Josephus, Gospels) validate time and again this assertion." See Menahem Kister, "Allegorical Interpretations of Biblical Narratives in Rabbinic Literature, Philo, and Origen: Some Case Studies," in New Approaches to the Study of Biblical Interpretation in Judaism of the Second Temple Period and in Early Christianity (ed. Gary A. Anderson, Ruth A. Clements, and David Satran; Leiden: Brill, 2013), 133-183, quotation on 141-142. ↩
• ^[54] See Dos Santos, 81. ↩
• ^[55] See Hatch-Redpath, 1:353-354. ↩
• ^[56] See Robert L. Lindsey, "Unlocking the Synoptic Problem," under the subheadings "Pre-synoptic Sources" and "Lukan Doublets"; idem, "Measuring the Disparity Between Matthew, Mark and Luke”; idem, "From Luke to Mark to Matthew: A Discussion of the Sources of Markan 'Pick-ups' and the Use of a Basic Non-canonical Source by All the Synoptists," under the subheading "Lukan Doublets: Sayings Doublets." ↩
• ^[57] See Brad Young, "A Fresh Examination of the Cross, Jesus and the Jewish People" (JS1, 202). ↩
• ^[58] On the term shimush in the context of discipleship, see Newman, "Talmudic Discipleship," 33-34. ↩
• ^[59] See N. T. Wright, "Paul and Caesar: A New Reading of Romans," in A Royal Priesthood? The Use of the Bible Ethically and Politically: A Dialogue with Oliver O'Donovan (ed. Craig Bartholomew, Jonathan Chaplin, Robert Song, Al Wolters; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 173-193, esp. 182. ↩
• ^[60] See David N. Bivin and Joshua N. Tilton, "LOY Excursus: The Kingdom of Heaven in the Life of Yeshua," under the subheading "The Kingdom of Heaven in the Teachings of Jesus: Political Aspect." Although there are reports of Jewish authorities who practiced crucifixion (e.g., Jos., J.W. 1:97; 4Q169 [4QpNah] 3-4 I, 6-8; Gen. Rab. 65:22; y. Sanh. 6:6 [23c]; y. Hag. 2:2 [78a]), and despite the evidence that the Essenes may have sanctioned crucifixion for certain crimes (11Q19 [11QTemple^a] LXIV, 6-13), only the Roman governor had the legal authority to impose the death penalty during Jesus' lifetime (cf. John 18:31; Jos., J.W. 2:117-118; y. Sanh. 18a, 24b). See Brad H. Young, "A Fresh Examination of the Cross, Jesus and the Jewish People" (JS1, 196-199); Jean-Jacques Aubert, "A Double Standard in Roman Criminal Law?" in Speculum Iuris: Roman Law as a Reflection of Social and Economic Life in Antiquity (ed. Jean-Jacques Aubert and Adriaan Johan Boudewijn Sirks; Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press, 2002), 123. ↩
• ^[61] Cross-bearing is used once in rabbinic literature to portray the plight of Isaac, who carried the wood for the whole burnt offering on his shoulders (Gen. Rab. 56:3). Strictly speaking, this example is not a metaphorical usage of cross-bearing, rather the image of a man carrying his cross shares a point of comparison with the story of Isaac: both Isaac and the cross-bearer carry an instrument of their own deaths to the place where their doom will be carried out. ↩
• ^[62] Tilton agrees with France, who writes: "The metaphor of taking up one's cross is not to be domesticated into an exhortation merely to endure hardship patiently.... While it may no doubt be legitimately applied to other and lesser aspects of the suffering involved in following Jesus, the primary reference in context must be to the possibility of literal death" (France, 340). In Tilton's opinion, the point of comparison in Jesus’ warning between disciples and cross-bearers is not the action of carrying a burden, but one's status as an enemy in the eyes of the state. Had Jesus said, "Anyone who wishes to be my disciple must take his seat in the electric chair" or "must wear a noose around his neck," no one today would have supposed that the force of the imagery was focused on the sitting in the chair or the swinging on the rope. Cf. Plummer (Luke, 248), who noted that the image of carrying one’s cross "represents...not so much a burden as an instrument of death." Likewise, in a culture where crucifixion was a practiced mode of execution, the point of Jesus' imagery is that discipleship involves accepting risk to life and limb. Cf. Allen, 182; Manson, Luke, 110-111; Nolland, Matthew, 442. ↩
• ^[63] Bivin regards the Roman Empire as more benign than does Tilton. ↩
• ^[64] See Tilton’s discussion of the political aspect of Jesus’ message in the LOY Excursus: The Kingdom of Heaven in the Life of Yeshua, under the subheading “The Kingdom of Heaven in the Teachings of Jesus: Political Aspect.” ↩
• ^[65] On the political aspect of this prophecy, see David Flusser, "The Times of the Gentiles and the Redemption of Jerusalem," under the subheading "Solidarity with Israel." ↩
• ^[66] Tilton can see no reason to suppose that the Roman Empire would have made a distinction between violent insurgents and peaceful resisters, any more than the British Empire made an exception for Gandhi's non-violent resistance in the twentieth century. On the usefulness of comparing the behavior of empires separated in time by several centuries, see Daniel R. Schwartz, Reading the First Century, viii. ↩
• ^[67] On P⁷⁵, see Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, The Text of the New Testament (trans. Erroll F. Rhodes; 2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989), 87. The staurogram also appears at Luke 9:23 in P⁷⁵. ↩
• ^[68] This abbreviation is unusual in that Greek monograms typically combine adjacent letters, for example, χ (chi) and ρ (rho) were combined in the monogram ☧, which stands for the word χριστός (christos, "anointed one") in Christian writings. The pictographic quality of the staurogram may account for the unusual combination of non-adjacent letters to form the monogram. ↩
• ^[69] Cf., e.g., Barn. 9:7-9; Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6:11 §278-280; Tertullian, Adv. Marc. 3:22. ↩
• ^[70] See Larry W. Hurtado, "The Staurogram in Early Christian Manuscripts: The Earliest Visual Reference to the Crucified Jesus?" in New Testament Manuscripts: Their Texts and Their World (ed. Thomas J. Kraus and Tobias Nicklas; Leiden: Brill, 2006), 207-226, quotation on 223. ↩
• ^[71] The insertion of a final ν (nu) by copyists, even when this changed the meaning of the word, was a fairly common error. For an analogous example in the writings of Josephus, see Daniel R. Schwartz, Reading the First Century: On Reading Josephus and Studying Jewish History of the First Century (Tübingen: Mohr [Siebeck], 2013), 38. On the rationale for basing the LOY reconstructions on Codex Vaticanus, see the “Introduction to 'The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction',” under the subheading "Codex Vaticanus or an Eclectic Text?" ↩
• ^[72] On the basis of a rabbinic parallel in Gen. Rab. 56:3, Young proposed reconstructing Luke 14:27 as: מי שלא יטען את צלובו ויבוא אחרי אינו יכול להיות תלמידי (“whoever does not load [on his back] his cross and come after me is not able to be my disciple”). See Brad H. Young, “A Fresh Examination of the Cross, Jesus and the Jewish People” (JS1, 191-209, esp. 202). According to the Genesis Rabbah passage, when Isaac carried the wood on his shoulders as he ascended the slope of Moriah (Gen. 22), “...it was like a condemned man who took his cross upon his shoulders.” Some scholars have even suggested that Jesus alluded to an early version of the tradition preserved in Gen. Rab. 56:3 when he spoke of carrying one's own cross. While it is difficult to prove that the comparison between Isaac and a man carrying a cross existed in the time of Jesus, we do find that this comparison is made in the writings of the church fathers. Davies-Allison (2:223 n. 51) cite Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 4:5.4, which states: “Righteously also do we, possessing the same faith as Abraham, and taking up the cross as Isaac did the wood, follow Him.” Cf. Augustine, De Trinitate 2:2.11, who refers to “Isaac, who became [a symbol of—DNB and JNT] Christ when he carried the wood for his own sacrifice.” Are these examples of cross-pollination between Christian and Jewish interpretations of Scripture later witnesses to a pre-Christian tradition, or independent developments in separate faith communities? ↩
• ^[73] Examples of צְלוּב are found m. Yev. 16:3; t. Sanh. 9:[7]3; Gen. Rab. 56:3; y. Yev. 16:3 [83a]. See Jastrow, 1286; Kaufmann Kohler, “Cross," JE 4:368-369. ↩
• ^[74] An example of צְלִיבָה is found in b. Gittin 70b). See Jastrow, 1283. ↩
• ^[75] See Black, 277-278. ↩
• ^[76] On cross-pollination between similar sayings in Matthew, see Sending the Twelve: Conduct in Town, Comment to L115-122 and Woes on Three Villages, Comment to L24-28. ↩
• ^[77] See Hatch-Redpath, 2:1001-1003. ↩
• ^[78] See above under the subheading “Conjectured Stages of Transmission.” ↩
• ^[79] Among such scholars is Bovon (2:385). ↩
• ^[80] According to Bovon (2:349), "At the point where the parables invite readers to take stock of the means at their disposal to find out what their capacities are and take the measure of them, v. 33 concludes (‘so therefore,’ οὕτως οὖν) paradoxically with an order of renunciation." ↩
• ^[81] The negative adv. οὐ becomes οὐκ when it is followed by a vowel with smooth breathing (BDAG, 733). ↩
• ^[82] The NT instances of ἀποτάξασθαι are: Mark 6:46; Luke 9:61; 14:33; Acts 18:18, 21; 2 Cor. 2:13. ↩
• ^[83] Note that Moses' fast, though lengthy, was temporary. Thus, ἀποτάξασθαι does not imply permanent renunciation. ↩
• ^[84] The other instances of ἀποτάξασθαι in LXX occur in 1 Esdr. and 1 Macc., where ἀποτάξασθαι has the sense "to station [troops]." ↩
• ^[85] On this approach, see David N. Bivin and Joshua N. Tilton, "Introduction to 'The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction'," under the subheading "Guiding Principles." ↩
• ^[86] In certain Triple Tradition pericopae there might be as many as four layers of editorial activity: that of FR, Luke, Mark, and finally Matthew. ↩
• ^[87] See Ze'ev Safrai, "The Sons of Yehonadav ben Rekhav and the Essenes," Annual of Bar-Ilan University Studies in Judaica and Humanities 16 (1979): 37-58 (Hebrew; English summary, 131). ↩
• ^[88] Cf. Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Version A, chpt. 35 (ed. Schechter, 105); Sifre Zuta 10:29, cited in Rich Man Declines the Kingdom of Heaven, Comment to L97. For these sources, we are indebted to Ze’ev Safrai and Peter J. Tomson, "Paul’s ‘Collection for the Saints’ (2 Cor 8-9) and Financial Support of Leaders in Early Christianity and Judaism," in Second Corinthians in the Perspective of Late Second Temple Judaism (ed. Reimund Bieringer, Emmanuel Nathan, Didier Pollefeyt, and Peter J. Tomson; Leiden: Brill, 2014), 212 n. 252. ↩
• ^[89] See Rich Man Declines the Kingdom of Heaven, Comment to L112-129. ↩
• ^[90] In the Mechilta, Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai's comment is juxtaposed to a saying of Rabbi Yehoshua about those who work for a living and only manage to study two halachot in the morning and two halachot in the evening. According to Rabbi Yehoshua, "it is as if he fulfilled the whole Torah." Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai describes the life of those who give up their secular occupations in order to study full time, whereas Rabbi Yehoshua emphasizes the merit of those who manage to fit study into their busy work lives. ↩
• ^[91] Cf. Avot de-Rabbi Natan, Version B, chpt. 22 (ed. Schechter, 46). ↩
• ^[92] In the Lord of Shabbat incident the disciples help themselves to the gleanings because they are hungry. This may be an indication of the disciples’ poverty. ↩
• ^[93] See Hatch-Redpath, 2:1073-1102. ↩
• ^[94] See Dos Santos, 91. ↩
• ^[95] Cf. the following examples:

  וַיִּתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ לְיִצְחָק

  ἔδωκεν δὲ Αβρααμ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ Ισαακ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ

  And Abraham gave all he owned to Isaac. (Gen. 25:5)

  וַיְהִי בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־לֹו בַּבַּיִת וּבַשָּׂדֶה

  καὶ ἐγενήθη εὐλογία κυρίου ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ

  And the LORD’s blessing was on all that he owned in the house and the field. (Gen. 39:5)

  פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵשׁ אַתָּה וּבֵיתְךָ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָךְ

  ἵνα μὴ ἐκτριβῇς σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά σου

  lest you be disinherited: you and your house and all that you own. (Gen. 45:11)

  וַיִּקַּח יְהֹושֻׁעַ אֶת־עָכָן בֶּן־זֶרַח...וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לֹו

  καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἰησοῦς τὸν Αχαρ υἱὸν Ζαρα...καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ

  And Joshua took Achan son of Zerah...and all that he owned. (Josh. 7:24)

  ↩

• ^[96]

  Demands of Discipleship
  Luke’s Anth. Version		Anthology’s Wording (Reconstructed)
  συνεπορεύοντο δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί καὶ στραφεὶς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ οὐ μεισεῖ τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς ἔτι τε καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μου μαθητής ὅστις οὖν βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἔρχεται ὀπίσω μου οὐ δύναται εἶναί μου μαθητής οὕτως οὖν πᾶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ὃς οὐκ ἀποτάσσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὑπάρχουσιν οὐ δύναται εἶναί μου μαθητής		εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ οὐ μεισεῖ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐκ ἀφίησι πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου
  Total Words:	79	Total Words:	62
  Total Words Identical to Anth.:	56	Total Words Taken Over in Luke:	56
  Percentage Identical to Anth.:	70.89%	Percentage of Anth. Represented in Luke:	90.32%

  .

  Demands of Discipleship
  Luke’s FR Version		Anthology’s Wording (Reconstructed)
  ἔλεγεν δὲ πρὸς πάντας εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἔρχεσθαι ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καθ’ ἡμέραν καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι		εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ οὐ μεισεῖ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐκ ἀφίησι πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου
  Total Words:	22	Total Words:	62
  Total Words Identical to Anth.:	8	Total Words Taken Over in Mark:	8
  Percentage Identical to Anth.:	36.36%	Percentage of Anth. Represented in Mark:	12.90%

  ↩

• ^[97]

  Demands of Discipleship
  Mark’s Version		Anthology’s Wording (Reconstructed)
  καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν ὄχλον σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἔρχεσθαι ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι		εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ οὐ μεισεῖ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐκ ἀφίησι πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου
  Total Words:	26	Total Words:	62
  Total Words Identical to Anth.:	8	Total Words Taken Over in Mark:	8
  Percentage Identical to Anth.:	30.77%	Percentage of Anth. Represented in Mark:	12.90%

  ↩

• ^[98]

  Demands of Discipleship
  Matthew’s Anth. Version		Anthology’s Wording (Reconstructed)
  ὁ φιλῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος [καὶ ὁ φιλῶν υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος] καὶ ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος		εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ οὐ μεισεῖ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐκ ἀφίησι πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου
  Total Words:	38	Total Words:	62
  Total Words Identical to Anth.:	14	Total Words Taken Over in Matt.:	14
  Percentage Identical to Anth.:	36.84%	Percentage of Anth. Represented in Matt.:	22.58%

  .

  Demands of Discipleship
  Matthew’s Markan Version		Anthology’s Wording (Reconstructed)
  τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἔρχεσθαι ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι		εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ οὐ μεισεῖ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου ὅστις οὐκ ἀφίησι πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτοῦ οὐ δύναται εἶναί μαθητής μου
  Total Words:	23	Total Words:	62
  Total Words Identical to Anth.:	8	Total Words Taken Over in Matt.:	8
  Percentage Identical to Anth.:	34.78%	Percentage of Anth. Represented in Matt.:	12.90%

  ↩

• ^[99] We suppose that some form of the cross-bearing saying did originate with Jesus, but not everyone agrees with this conclusion. Some scholars presume that the cross-bearing saying did not originate with Jesus, but was composed by the early Church. If the cross-bearing saying did not originate with Jesus, this would expand the range of interpretive possibilities. ↩
• ^[100] See Rich Man Declines the Kingdom of Heaven, Comment to L15-16. ↩
• ^[101] Cf. John P. Meier, "The Circle of the Twelve: Did it Exist During Jesus' Public Ministry?" Journal of Biblical Literature 116.4 (1997): 635-672, esp. 636-637. ↩
• ^[102] For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.’” ↩
• ^[103] Revised with the assistance of Joshua N. Tilton and Lauren S. Asperschlager. The original version of this LOY segment first appeared in Jerusalem Perspective magazine as David Bivin, “Counting the Cost of Discipleship: Lindsey’s Reconstruction of the Rich Young Ruler Complex,” Jerusalem Perspective no.42-44 (1994):23-35, esp. 29-33. ↩
• ^[104] This translation is a dynamic rendition of our reconstruction of the conjectured Hebrew source that stands behind the Greek of the Synoptic Gospels. It is not a translation of the Greek text of a canonical source. ↩