opinions and musings

  Welcome to the sixth installment of my series on the gospels.   In this post we will explore the Lord’s Prayer, which is part of the double tradition.   First a little review:   we’ve noted that the four canonical gospels were all composed in the first century, but were done so anonymously.   The names Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were not associated with the gospels till around 150 CE (common era). The synoptic gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke share much of the same material, but the gospel of John is very different both in style and content.   Here is a table summarizing what we have discovered about the synoptic gospels: Name of Gospel Date of Publication Sources % Of Marks Content repeated Mark 65 CE Oral and possibly some written traditions - Luke 80 CE Mark, Q and L 50 Matthew 85 CE Mark, Q and M...

  Welcome to the fifth installment of my series on the gospels.   In this post we will look at the “Sermon on the Mount,” which is a famous part of the double tradition.   Just to review, the “double tradition” denotes material that appears in Matthew and Luke but not in any of the other Canonical gospels.   As we look at the Sermon on the Mount, we’ll take note of some important differences in the way the two authors present it.   I will present the data in parallel and then I will make some comments.   I will put the verse numbers in parentheses before each section of text.   I am using the Revised Standard Version of 1971 for the text. 1.         The Setting of the Sermon: Matthew 4:24-5:2 Luke 6:17, 20 (4:24) So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he ...