Are You the Christ?: The Trial Narrative in the Gospel of Mark

276 Pages·1973·10.754 MB·English

by  John R. Donahue

ARE YOU THE CHRIST? THE TRIAL NARRATIVE
IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
by
John R. Donahue, S.J.
Woodstock College
475 Riverside Dr.
New York, New York 10027
Ph.D. 1972 Advisor:
University of Chicago Norman Perrin
Copyright © 1973
by
SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE
ISBN 0-88414-021-0
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 73-81373
Printed in the United States of America
Printing Department, University of Montana,
Missoula, Montana 59801
ARE YOU THE CHRIST? THE TRIAL NARRATIVE
IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
ARE YOU THE CHRIST!! THE TRIAL NARRATIVE
IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
by
John R. Donahue, S.J.
H
Published by
SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE
for
The Seminar on Mark
DISSERTATION SERIES, NUMBER TEN
1973
To My Parents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABBREVIATIONS ix-x
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi
INTRODUCTION • . 1
Chapter
I. TRIAL NARRATIVE AND PASSION NARRATIVE 5
Introduction
Survey of Research
Methodological Considerations
Conclusion
II. TRADITION AND REDACTION IN THE MARCAN TRIAL
NARRATIVE . • . . .• • ..•..• 53
Introduction
The Trial Scene as Marean
Tradition and Redaction in the Trial Narrative
Conclusion
III. THE TEMPLE SAYING OF THE TRIAL NARRATIVE . . . •• 103
Introduction
Tradition and Redaction of the Temple Saying
The Anti-Temple Theme in Mark
Conclusion
IV. THE CHRISTOLOGY OF THE TRIAL NARRATIVE 139
Introduction
Future Son of Man Sayings and the Christo logy
of the Trial Narrative
Mark's Use of Future Son of Man Sayings
Son of Man and the Other Titles of the
Trial Scene
Conclusion
V. THE TRIAL NARRATIVE IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK 189
Introduction
Trial Narrative and Crucifixion Narrative
(15:20b-4l)
The Trial Narrative and the Marean Community
The Trial Narrative as NarratiVe
Conclusion
CONCLUSION . . . . . . 237
APPENDIX: THE MARCAN INSERTIONS 241
BIBLIOGRAPHY . 245
INDEX OF SCRIPTURAL CITATIONS 261
vii
ABBREVIATIONS
BJRL Bulletin of the John Rylands Library
BZ Biblische Zeitschrift
BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche
Wissenschaft
BZNW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die neutestamentliche
Wissenschaft
Catholic Biblical Quarterly
EvT Evangelische Theologie
ExpT Expository Times
l"RLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und
Neuen Testaments
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JR Journal of Religion
JTS Journal of Theological Studies
LXX The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament
NovT Novum Testamentum
NTS New Testament Studies
RB Revue Biblique
RGG Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart
RHPR Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses
SBL Society of Biblical Literature
StANT Studien zum Alten und Neuen Testament
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
Theologische Rundschau
ix
ABBREVIATIONS--Continued
TLZ Theologische Literaturzeitung
Union Seminary Quarterly Review
Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen
Testament
ZAW Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
ZNW Zeitschrift fur die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft
ZTK Zeitschrift fur Theologie und Kirche
The system of transliteration of Greek and Hebrew follows
that adopted by the Catholic Biblical Quarterly and the Journal
of Biblical Literature, with the exception that the initial
rough breathing is transliterated as "h."
x
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In the course of completing this study of the trial nar
rative of the gospel of Mark, two individuals became very much
part of my life for over two years. The evangelist, Mark, spoke
to me through his text out of the distant past. Prof. Norman
Perrin spoke out of a vital presence. To him lowe profound
appreciation and gratitude. His own creative research was the
impetus to begin this work. He was ever available for help,
criticism and encouragement. I am proud to have worked with
him. I would also like to thank Prof. Jonathan Z. Smith and
Prof. Jay A. Wilcoxen who kindlY read the dissertation, and who,
in classes and discussion, taught me much about the world of the
Ancient Near East and Hellenism. To Prof. Joseph A. Fitzmyer,
S.J., I am ever indebted for introducing me to the excitement of
New Testament scholarship and encouraging me to pursue research
in this area. lowe also a special debt of gratitude to Joseph
M. Kitagawa, Dean of the Divinity School of the university of
Chicago, who, along with Prof. Perrin, was instrumental in ap
pointing me as Research Associate so that I could finish the
dissertation with care and gain experience in teaching.
lowe a special debt of gratitude to my fellow Jesuits at
Hopkins Hall in Chicago and to Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald, Pastor,
the other priests and the people of St. Thomas the Apostle
parish who lived through with me the times of doubt and the
times of joy which characterize the writing of a dissertation.
Their support and the support and encouragement of many other
good friends in Chicago are as close to me as anything I have
written.
xi
INTRODUCTION
Progress in the scientific study of any area of human
concern is due, usually, to one of two factors: the discovery
of new data or the emergence of a new methodology. The dis
covery, pUblication and interpretation of both the Qumran
scrolls and the texts from Nag Hammadi provide a dramatic illus
tration of the contribution of new data to the present excite
ment of New Testament research. Equally influential is the
emergence and practice of the new methodology of redaction
criticism. since the mid-fifties this method has given scholars
a new way of asking questions of the synoptic gospels, and a way
of finding new answers to old questions. Basically redaction
criticism argues from the literary activity of one of the evan
gelists to his theological concerns. In the case of both the
Qumran scrolls and the Nag Hammadi texts as well as in the case
of redaction criticism, scholarship works in continuity with the
past. The discoveries emerging from Qumran and Nag Hammadi
build on the previous studies of sectarian Judaism and Gnosti
cism in the early part of this century. So too, redaction
criticism builds on the literary analysis of the synoptic gos
pels, in its concrete forms of source and form criticism, which
has occupied scholars in the past century.
In this light the present work arises as an attempt to
apply a new methodology to the Marcan narrative of the trial
before the Sanhedrin (Mk l4:53-65)--a section of Mark which has
not been studied before from this viewpoint. The concern of the
initial chapter of the wo~k is therefore twofold: to survey the
problems of this narrative which have eluded the solution of
earlier approaches and to outline in detail the various aspects
I