He did the same with teaching sections, placing each teaching section next to other such sections (resulting in such complexes as the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7).
Cataloging the Gospels’ Hebraisms: Part Five (Parallelism)
(Matt. 7:9-10; NIV)
bread | stone fish | snake
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. … (Matt. 7:2; my trans.)… (Matt. 7:7-8 = Luke 11:9-10; RSV)
A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his
Spontaneous Growth Parable
Mark 4:26-29 (Huck 95; Aland 126; Crook 148)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'” Revised: 8-April-2020
1. Text
2. Conjectured Stages of Transmission
3. Comment
4.
Praying Like Gentiles
Matt. 6:7-8
(Huck 29; Aland 62; Crook 42)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”… In Matthew this critique appears in a discussion of the proper performance of three major religious duties: almsgiving (Matt. 6:1-4), prayer (Matt. 6:5-15) and fasting (Matt. 6:16-18). … The section on prayer is the longest of the triad because the author of Matthew supplemented the section on prayer with the addition of the Praying Like Gentiles pericope (Matt. 6:7-8), the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13) and an elaboration on the need to forgive others in order to receive forgiveness from on high (Matt. 6:14-15)…. Catchpole presented one of the clearest arguments that Matt. 6:7-8 is an independent unit in David R. …
Despite its artificial position within the Sermon on the Mount, the Praying Like Gentiles pericope probably did originally belong to an extended teaching unit on prayer, which also included the Lord’s Prayer, Yeshua’s Discourse on Worry (Matt. 6:25-34 // Luke 12:22-31), the Persistent Widow parable (Luke 18:1-8), and the Friend in Need (Matt. 7:7-8 // Luke 11:5-10) and Fathers Give Good Gifts similes (Matt. 7:9-11 // Luke 11:11-13).
Healing Shimon’s Mother-in-law
Matt. 8:14-15; Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39
(Huck 13, 47; Aland 37, 87; Crook 61, 91)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”
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)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'” Revised: 27-March-2020
הַבָּא 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 וְהוֹלֵךְ אַחֲרַי אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת תַּלְמִידִי מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ כָּל מַה שֶּׁיֵשׁ לוֹ אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת תַּלְמִידִי
“Anyone who wants to join me 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.”This translation is a dynamic rendition of our reconstruction of the conjectured Hebrew source that stands behind the Greek of the Synoptic Gospels.
Sending the Twelve: Commissioning
Matt. 9:35; 10:1, 5a; Mark 6:6b-7; Luke 9:1-2; 10:1 (Huck 58, 72, 109, 139a; Aland 49, 98-99, 142, 177; Crook 72, 102-104, 162, 196)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”
The Kingdom of God: God’s Power Among Believers
Jesus spoke of the Kingdom with the same understanding in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ to me will come into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” … When Matthew 7:21 is translated back into Hebrew, one recognizes its proverbial form in which there is no real future tense. … Matthew 6:10 makes the same point: “Your Kingdom come, your will be done in heaven and on earth.”
Private: Yohanan the Immerser’s Execution
Matt. 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-29; Luke 3:18-20 (Huck 5, 111; Aland 17, 144; Crook 20, 164)For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”
וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹחָנָן אֵין לְהֵרוֹדֵיס לָשֵׂאת אֶת הֵרוֹדְיָה אֵשֶׁת אָחִיו וַיִּשְׁלַח הֵרוֹדֵיס וַיִּתְפֹּשׂ אֶת יוֹחָנָן וַיַּאַסְרֵהוּ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים וַתִּטֹּר אוֹתוֹ הֵרוֹדְיָה וַתְּבַקֵּשׁ לַהֲרוֹג אוֹתוֹ וְלֹא יָכְלָה כִּי יָרֵא הֵרוֹדֵיס אֶת יוֹחָנָן וַיִּטֹּר אוֹתוֹ וַיְהִי יוֹם גִּינִיסְיָא לְהֵרוֹדֵיס וַיַּעַשׂ מִשְׁתֶּה לְשָׂרָיו וּלְשָׂרֵי הַחַיִל וּלְשָׂרֵי הַגָּלִיל וַתְּרַקֵּד בַּת הֵרוֹדְיָה בַּתָּוֶךְ וַתִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵי הֵרוֹדֵיס וְהַמְּסוּבִּים עִמּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לַנַּעֲרָה שַׁאֲלִי מִמֶּנִּי מַה שֶּׁתִּרְצִי וְאֶתֵּן לָךְ וַיִּשָּׁבַע לָהּ כֹּל מַה שֶּׁתִּשְׁאֲלִי מִמֶּנִּי אֶתֵּן לָךְ עַד חֲצִי מַלְכוּתִי וַתֵּצֵא וַתֹּאמֶר לְאִמָּהּ מָה אֶשְׁאַל וַתֹּאמֶר אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁלְּיוֹחָנָן הַמַּטְבִּיל וַתָּבֹא בְּחִפָּזוֹן אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתִּשְׁאַל לֵאמֹר תֵּן לִי בְּמֵגֵס רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁלְּיוֹחָנָן הַמַּטְבִּיל וַיֵּעָצֵב הַמֶּלֶךְ וּמִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁבֻעוֹת וְהַמְּסוּבִּים עִמּוֹ לֹא אָבָה לִמְאוֹס אוֹתָה וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ סְפִקְלָטוֹר וַיְצַו לְהָבִיא אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּתֵּז אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים וַיָּבֵא אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ בְּמֵגֵס וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ לַנַּעֲרָה וַתְּבִיאֵהוּ לְאִמָּהּ וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ תַּלְמִידָיו וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת גּוּפוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּהוּ בְּקֶבֶר
Yohanan the Immerser announced, “The Torah does not allow Herodes to marry Herodyah, his brother’s ex-wife.” So Herodes sent his men to capture Yohanan, and they locked him up in prison. But Herodyah nursed a grudge against Yohanan, and she searched for an opportunity to kill him. Yet she was unable to carry out her wish because Herodes was afraid of Yohanan and kept him under guard.
“Shake the Dust from Your Feet”: What Did the Apostles’ Action Signify?
Shaking the dust from one’s feet is a powerfully visceral and evocative demonstration of disapproval.For abbreviations and bibliographical references, see “Introduction to ‘The Life of Yeshua: A Suggested Reconstruction.'”As a seminary student I once performed a dust-shaking rite, based on my understanding at that time of Jesus’ command in the Gospels, when concluding a visit to the Flossenbürg extermination camp where Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis on April 9, 1945.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 30: Lord
(Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13)
“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations…If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches?”
Gospel Origins: From a Hebrew Story to the Canonical Gospels
The most fascinating, thrilling and challenging story in the world is that of Jesus as it is recorded in the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament. Without the Gospels we would know precious little about the way Jesus lived and taught, for these remarkable books are the only extensive and reliable sources we have for the life of Jesus.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 31: Righteousness
Behind the word “righteousness” in Jesus’ saying, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men” (Matt. 6:1), probably stands the word tse·da·KAH.
“Recovering the ‘Inspired Text’?”
If Brown is right, one might ask why, for instance, the understanding of Matthew 6:22-23 advocated by the authors, “If your eye is good/bad ,” is not reflected in English versions of the Bible?
Private: Have You Heard?
Two new sections are already under way: the Tower Builder and King Going to War Similes (Luke 14:28-32) and Not Everyone Can Be Yeshua’s Disciple (Matt. 8:19-22; Luke 9:57-62).
Private: Follow Exciting Discussions about the Life of Jesus!
And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and served him (Matt. 8:14-15; RSV).
Private: JerusalemPerspective.com Can Help You Find Answers!
You are studying your Bible and you read Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:22-23, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. … Such a search will turn up articles, blogs, or posts (in Jerusalem Perspective Online’s Discussion Forum) that have discussed the word (for example, “single eye”) or Scripture (for example, “Matthew 6:22-23) for which you are looking.
A New Portrait of Salome
A first century C.E. coin bearing the portraits of Aristobulus (obverse) and Salome (reverse). Image courtesy of the Classical Numismatic Group.