THE THREE THE THREE WORLDSWORLDS

The relationship among the different Biblical Criticism tools

Historical Criticism

Author, Historical situations and

theological concerns

Historical Criticism

Author, Historical situations and

theological concernsLiterary Criticism

Analysis of the text as it stands

Literary Criticism

Analysis of the text as it stands Audience Criticism

Contemporary receiver of the text and/or process of reading

Audience CriticismContemporary receiver of the text and/or process of reading

Before 18th ceIt was believed that Pentateuch is written by MosesAfter that who are the authors? The 4 traditioons P J D E

Genesis 1-11 are literature: narratives, etiology…

Gen. 1:28Go & multiplySubdue/Dominion

I. World Behind The Text

There are various ways to determine how the world of the author influences and shapes the message of the Bible. The following are the different tools of Biblical criticism

1. Historical Criticism2. Redaction Criticism3. Textual Criticism4. Source Criticism

1.Historical Criticism

• Historically and culturally conditioned- Biblical authors drew both their imagery and their thought patterns from the milieu in which they lived. The Bible has to be studied in the spirit in which it had been written.

One does not only rely on Biblical Evidences but also considers historians, archaeologists and other related sciences which digs the ancient past

Ancient Historians:•Josephus – 1ce Historian•Lucian of Samosata was a 2 ce Greek satirist•Cornelius Tacitus -56 ce Roman Historian•Pliny the Younger – 61ce Magistrate of Ancient Rome•Babylonian Talmud- Jewsih Rabbnical Writings (70-200ce

Historical criticism is the attempt to verify the historicity of and understand the meaning of an event that is reported to have taken place in the past

Example:•The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem Judea, under Caesar Augustus

•The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist

•Josephus, 1ce historian•The census of Lk.2:11-Inscripted in lapis venetus, giving evidence of census in Apamea (Syria) by order of Quirinus, legate in Syria (LK.2:2)

Historical Jesus

• Most scholars agree that Jesus was a Galilean Jew, born around the beginning of the first century, who died between 30 and 36 AD in Judea. The general scholarly consensus is that Jesus was a contemporary of John the Baptist and was crucified by Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who held office from 26 to 36 AD. Most scholars hold that Jesus lived in Galilee and Judea and did not preach or study elsewhere.

Digging into other materialsDigging into other materials

• See videos: Nile & Archeology• Gospel Evidence• Ancient Historians:

Josephus – 1ce HistorianPliny the Younger -Cornelius Tacitus -

Applying historical method• The gospels offer several clues concerning the year of Jesus' birth. Matthew 2:1 associates the birth of Jesus with the reign of Herod the Great, who died around 4 BC, and Luke 1:5 mentions that Herod was on the throne shortly before the birth of Jesus. Although this gospel also associates the birth with the Census of Quirinius which took place ten years later.

• Luke 3:23 states that Jesus was "about thirty years old" at the start of his ministry, which according to Acts 10:37–38 was preceded by John's ministry, itself recorded in Luke 3:1–2 to have begun in the 15th year of Tiberius' reign (28 or 29 AD). By collating the gospel accounts with historical data and using various other methods, most scholars arrive at a date of birth between 6 and 4 BC for Jesus, but some propose estimates that lie in a wider range

2. Redaction Criticism• It examines the intentions and theologies of the

editors (called redactors) who compiled the biblical texts out of earlier source materials. (Four-fold Roles: Selectors, arrangers,shapers, proclaimers)

The Matthean community produced materials within a Palestinian culture

The Matthean community produced materials within a Palestinian culture

the Lukan community within a Hellenistic culture

the Lukan community within a Hellenistic culture

the Markan within a Roman culture. the Markan within a Roman culture.

TO WHOM?implied

audience?

WHY? community

circumstances &

author's purpose?

mostly Gentiles,

fairly new intheir faith, and facing

persecutions

to encourage a

groupundergoing

difficult trialsand

persecutions

better educated Jews whobelieve in Jesus, but

argueover the

Law

to teach a community

withinternal

divisions andexternal enemies

wealthier Gentile

Christiansin an urban

setting,becoming

complacent

to challenge believers to

puttheir faith

into practice morefully

very mixed: mostly Jews,

some Gentiles,

Samaritans,etc.

to strengthen a

groupostracized by other Jews for

their faith

Mark Matthew Luke John

Christ/Messiah Son of GodSuffering Son of ManEschatological Judge

Son of David & Son of AbrahamNew Lawgiver Great Teacher (like Moses)Emmanuel; King of Jews

a great Prophet (in word & deed);Lord (of all nations);Savior (esp. of the poor)

Eternal LogosDivine Word made FleshOnly-begotten Son, sent from FatherPassover Lamb; "I Am” ; "Equal to God

Who is Jesus for the Evangelists?

Mark

Matthew

Luke

John

2. Redaction CriticismPericope Matthew Mark Luke

The Temptation

4.1-11 1.12-13 4.1-13

better educated Jews who believe in Jesus, but argue over the Law

mostly

Gentiles, fairly new in their faith, and facing persecutions

wealthier

Gentile Christians in an urban setting, becoming complacent

Matthew Mark LukeThe Lord's Prayer

6.7-15 11.25 11.1-4

Matthew Mark Luke JohnThe Marriage at Cana

2.1-11

The Discourse with Nicodemus

3.1-21

3. Textual Criticism 3.1 Textual Criticism is the discipline

which would help us reconstruct a text as close as possible to the original. It does by means of a two-fold task:

3.1.1 the collection and comparison of the ancient manuscripts, versions and citations the attempt to explain the agreements and disagreements among the different manuscripts and versions.

3.1.2 The reading that is best able to offer explanations for itself when compared with other readings is considered the most authentic.

Word for Word Study of the Text1. ERROR IN EYESIGHT• Parablepsis - Literally "looking by the side." This refers to mistakes made by a

scribe when his or her eye "jumps" to the wrong place in a text and he/she either leaves out text (haplography) or repeats it (dittography).

• Homoioteleuton - means "identical ending."• Homoioarcton - means "identical beginning.“

2. ERROR IN HEARING3. ERROR IN JUDGMENT

FINDING MISTAKES IN THE TEXT

FINDING THE MEANING OF THE TEXT

• PHILOLOGY Love (gk) Agape

1 Cor.13:4-7

Ancient Greek has four distinct words for love: agápe, éros, philía, and storgē.

Source Criticism

4.1 Source criticism determines the presence of sources in our present texts.

4.2 It investigates where the sources came from, how they were used and what they meant then and mean now in the present use of the text

Matthew and Luke have independently used Q, taken to be a Greek document with sayings and narrative.

It believed that Luke used SamuelCompare Lk.1.46-55 & 1Sam.2:2-10

WHO?traditionallyattributed author?

WHO?implied author?

"John Mark of Jerusalem"

(Acts 12:12; 15:37;

Col 4:10;Phlm 1:24; 1Pet 5:13)

bilingual (Aramaic &

Greek)Christian of

the 2nd generation;

"young man" of

14:51-52?

tax collector & apostle

(Mark 3:18; Matt 9:9;

10:3; Luke 6:15;

Acts 1:13)

multi-lingual (Aramaic &Greek) early

JewishChristian; trained

"scribe"of13:52?

physician & companion of

Paul (Col 4:14; 2Tim 4:11;Phlm 1:24

only)

Gentile Christian convert;

well educated Greek

"historian"; client of

Theophilus (1:1-4)?

John, son of Zebedee; oneof 12 apostles

(Mark 1:19;3:17;

cf. John 21:2)

the "beloved disciple" and

his Jewish Christianfollowers

(19:35; 21:20-24)

Mark Matthew Luke John

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