CADRE Comments

PART 8: LIKE ONE UNTIMELY BORN Starting from back here , I've been arguing that Mark (the GosMark author) didn't invent the tomb of Jesus Christ or even the emptiness of the tomb: the hypothesis doesn't fit the actual facts of the textual characteristics, and the implications of those textual characteristics, and so I would regard that theory as historically impossible (even though not metaphysically impossible) even if I was an atheist. But as tomb sceptics are well aware, the only earliest texts that mention a tomb are the four canonical Gospels -- and Acts, which people are sometimes less aware of, since the tomb and its emptiness are only mentioned by heavy implication once (in Simon Peter's first sermon) and only mentioned once explicitly in the first main report of a sermon from Paul of Tarsus. Some sceptics, not only Jesus Myth proponents (though naturally them, too), like to appeal to an argument from silence in the epistles (and RevJohn) about the tomb, ...

PART 7: DISAPPEARING ACTS OF THE TOMB Part 1 of this series is way back here. Recently I've been looking at curious problems surrounding the empty tomb narratives in the Gospels and how they point away , in one or two categories I think quite decisively, from GosMark's having invented the empty tomb. But enough about the Gospel accounts. How about some disappearing Acts? No, not the Ascension account in Acts. I'm talking about the tomb! 7.) The canonical book of Acts is quite notable, not only for having some seriously primitive(-seeming) language in talking about the risen Jesus, but in a lack of detail during reported preaching about the empty tomb. And by a lack of detail, I mean almost no mention of the tomb at all! To begin with, it's important to notice, and to keep in mind, that regardless of whether Acts and GosLuke were written by the same guy, and regardless of any redactional theories of Acts' composition; whoever put Acts together in its fina...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) Days of Courage and Turmoil and Peace Now going back to Capernaum again during these days (says the Follower), people hear Jesus has come home. And it happened on one of these days (says the Scholar) that He was teaching; and Pharisees and lawyers were sitting (with Him), having come out of the villages of Galilee, and of Judea, and Jerusalem. And there was power of the Lord for their healing. [Note: notice that it is the Pharisees and lawyers whom Jesus is hoping to 'heal' in this case.] And immediately many (others) were gathered (adds the Follower), so that there absolutely was not any room (in His house), even at the door! And He was speaking the Word to them. Now look! (say the Follower, Disciple and Scholar) Four men are bringing a paralyzed man lying on a cot, seeking to carr...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) Since some of the later chapters are long enough that I'll want to break them into two parts, I'm taking the opportunity to consolidate some shorter chapters here. The Nobleman and the King When Jesus went on up into Galilee (says the Evangelist; meaning from Sychar in Samaria, via Nazareth as implied the Evangelist’s peculiar callback to Luke 4:16-30), the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He had done in Jerusalem at the (Passover) Feast; for they themselves had also gone to the festival. And what He preached in Galilee (adds the Follower)--after leaving Nazareth (adds the Disciple)--was: "The time is now fulfilled; the kingdom of God is near! Commit to doing better, and trust in this good news!" ....... Thus He came again (from Nazareth) to Cana of Galil...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) The next several 'chapters' are relatively short, but also footnote heavy; so watch for indications where I've left notes in the comments that I thought would be unwieldy to mention within the narrative. Also, since some of the chapters are long enough that I'll want to break them into two parts, I'm taking the opportunity to consolidate some short chapters here. First Disciples The next day (says the Evangelist), John (the Baptist) again was standing with two of his disciples (one of whom remains unnamed); and seeing Jesus as He walked (passing nearby), he says: "Behold! The Lamb of God!" Now the two disciples, hearing him say this, follow after Jesus. Jesus, turning and having seen them as they follow, is saying to them: "What are you seeking?" They...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) An earlier guest author for the Cadre, Anne A. Kim, aka "Weekend Fisher", has also compiled a slightly different, and slightly more traditional {g}, way of solving for the Resurrection ranges, so to speak, here. Seeing as I certainly didn't need to do a harmonization study on Acts per se, except insofar as it relates to the end of the Gospel accounts (including Luke's), yet at the same time I had to find a way to ease out of telling the story, I have chosen to skip past a couple of things in early chapters of Acts. This includes reference to Judas' fate; though this can be accounted for easily enough if Peter and/or Luke is focusing on the nastiness of the result of a rope or branch snapping and Judas' body falling to the ground to be burst open. (By the legalities...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) An earlier guest author for the Cadre, Anne A. Kim, aka "Weekend Fisher", has also compiled a slightly different, and slightly more traditional {g}, way of solving for the Resurrection ranges, so to speak, here. ] Anastasis ...now look!--a severe earthquake occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and wallowed away the stone and sat on top of it... ...and his appearance was like lightning, and his garment was white as snow... ...and the guards shook for fear of him... ...and became like dead men... ....... Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene is coming early to the tomb (along with someone else, apparently; the Disciple says that this is "the other Mary", maybe meaning Mary the mother of James and Joses whom he had previously mentione...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) The plotnotes continue factoring heavily for this entry; so I am continuing to blockquote them for ease of distinction between them and actual text. Into the Trials (The storytellers continue together in harmony, complementing and overlapping each other...) So the squad and the captain and the deputies of the Jews arrested Jesus, and bound Him, and led Him away--first to Annas, for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Now Caiaphas (the Evangelist reminds his audience) was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better for one man to die on behalf of the people. But Simon Peter was following Jesus at a distance... and so was another disciple (says the Evangelist). Now that (other) disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of ...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) The plotnotes really kick into gear for this entry--in fact, there are more plotnotes than actual text! That will be true for the next entries, too, which deal with the trials. To help distinguish plotnotes from textual data, therefore, I will begin formatting the plotnotes as if they were blockquotes. The End Begins (All the storytellers join in harmony...) Jesus arrived on the Mount of Olives, as He usually did, and went into the groves with His disciples. And they are coming to a place called Geth Semanei. ('where the oil goes through': i.e., the olive press--now deserted on a night in spring when olives aren't in season.) Now He says to His disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." [Plotnote: placing them to watch for anyone coming up the three main pa...