The Language of the Kingdom and Jesus: Parable, Aphorism and Metaphor in the Sayings Material Common to the Synoptic Tradition and the Gospel of Thomas

564 Pages·2000·97.381 MB·

by  Jacobus Liebenberg

Jacobus Liebenberg
The Language of the Kingdom and Jesus
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die
neutestamentliche Wissenschaft
und die Kunde der älteren Kirche
In Verbindung mit
James D. G. Dünn · Richard B. Hays
Hermann Lichtenberger
herausgegeben von
Michael Woher
Band 102
W
DE
G
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
2001
Jacobus Liebenberg
The Language
of the Kingdom and Jesus
Parable, Aphorism, and Metaphor
in the Sayings Material
Common to the Synoptic Tradition
and the Gospel of Thomas
W
DE
G
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
2001
Printed on acid-free paper which falls within the guidelines
of the ANSI to ensure permanence and durability.
Die Deutsche Bibliothek — CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Liebenberg, Jacobus:
The language of the kingdom and Jesus : parable, aphorism, and
metaphor in the sayings material ; common to the synoptic tradition
and the gospel of Thomas / Jacobus Liebenberg. — Berlin ; New
York : de Gruyter, 2001
(Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft
und die Kunde der älteren Kirche ; Bd. 102)
Zugl.: Berün, Humboldt-Univ., Diss., 1998
ISBN 3-11-016733-6
© Copyright 2000 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, 10785 Berlin
All rights reserved, including those of translation into foreign languages. No part of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permis-
sion in writing from the publisher.
Printed in Germany
Printing: Werner Hildebrand, Berlin
Binding: Lüderitz & Bauer-GmbH, Berlin
Preface
This study is a reworked version of my Doctoral dissertation, delivered at the
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin in 1997 and accepted in 1998. The book, as it
is now, was already completed in 1998, but various delays (most of which were
beyond my control) as well as very difficult personal circumstances, contributed
toward it's being published only now.
Many people were instrumental in the successful completion of my studies.
I want to thank especially my promoter, Prof. Dr. C. Breytenbach, for providing
me with the opportunity to study with him in Berlin. His scholarship, academic
integrity and belief in my ability to complete this book in the limited time I had
available, proved invaluable during those periods when it seemed that the end
was nowhere in sight. I also owe much to the group of doctoral students and
assistants working with Prof. Dr. Breytenbach during my stay in Berlin. The
regular colloquia where my work, as well as their own, were discussed,
contributed immensely to improve the quality of my own work. I also owe a lot
to Prof H-G Bethge and the other people from the "Berliner Arbeitskreis" for
Coptic-Gnostic texts for their patience during the time that I read Coptic with
them.
I am especially thankful to Annelize, Jaco and Anika Liebenberg for their
support throughout my doctoral studies, including the time in Berlin. They
suffered much on behalf of my studies over the years. Heidi Breytenbach went
out of her way to make our stay in Berlin as comfortable as possible. Jansie
Kilian proof-read a significant part of the final manuscript, but unfortunately
could not finish because of sudden illness.
The friendship of both Lourens Human and Machdel Matthee during 2000,
which has been an extremely difficult year for me personally, was invaluable.
Financial assistance towards my stay in Berlin, and for the completion of this
study, was provided by the following institutions: The Centre for Science
Development of the HSRC in South Africa; Research and Bursary Committee
of the University of South Africa; The EKD and the World Council of Churches.
Opinions expressed, and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are
not necessarily to be attributed to the CSD or any of the above contributors.
Pretoria, August 2000
Jacobus (Lieb) Liebenberg

Table of contents
Preface v
1. Eschatology, Kingdom and the Teaching of Jesus (or: Parable,
Aphorism and the Historical Jesus ) 1
1.0 Introduction: Setting the Scene 1
1.1 From the Life of Jesus to the Kingdom of God in the Teaching
of Jesus 5
1.1.1 J Weiss: Jesus' Preaching of the Kingdom 5
1.1.2 Albert Schweitzer: Thoroughgoing Eschatology as Framework
for the Deeds and Words of Jesus 11
1.2 The Domination of the Parables 17
1.2.1 C H Dodd: Finding the Original Setting of the Parables 17
1.2.2 J Jeremias: Finding the Original Form of the Parables 21
1.3 The Resumption of the Quest for the Historical Jesus 24
1.3.1 G Bornkamm: The Parables as Jesus' "Verkündigung selbst" .... 26
1.3.2 J Becker 27
1.3.3 N Perrin: Jesus and the Language of the Kingdom 29
1.4 Redefining the Context of Jesus' Teaching: Understanding
Jesus as a First-Century Jewish Peasant 34
1.4.1 G Vermes: Returning to Jesus the Jew 37
1.4.2 E P Sanders: the Kingdom of God in the (F)Acts of Jesus 39
1.4.3 J D Crossan: Meticulously Creating the Historical Jesus 41
1.5 Conclusion 46
2. Parable and Metaphor 48
2.0 Parable and Metaphor 48
2.1 From Refuting Allegory to Embracing Metaphor 50
2.1.1 A Julicher: Either Allegory (Metaphor) or Parable (Simile) 50
2.1.2 C H Dodd: Parable as Metaphor and Simile 53
2.1.3 R W Funk: Parable as Irreducible Metaphor 55
2.1.4 H-J Klauck: Parable and Context 57
2.1.5 H Weder: Metaphor (Parable) as Predication 59
2.1.6 W Harnisch: Metaphor and Parable as Semantic and Narrative
Tension 63
2.1.7 J D Crossan: the Parables as Key to the Historical Jesus 66
v Hi Table of contents
2.1.8 C Hedrick: Parable as Non-Metaphoric Poetic Fiction 69
2.1.9 E Jüngel: Language is Metaphoric 72
2.2 Understanding Metaphor 75
2.2.1 Interpretation as a Function of Contemporary Epistemology 75
2.2.2 Interpretation and the Exceptional 80
2.3 Defining Metaphor: Clarifying Terminology 84
2.3.1 Literal and Figurative (Metaphoric) Speech (or on Metaphoric
Meaning and the Word) 84
2.3.2 The Legacy of the Aristotelian Understanding of Metaphor 88
2.3.3 From Black to Lakoff, Johnson and Turner: from Metaphor
as Interaction to Metaphor as Conceptual Mapping 92
2.3.4 Grasping Metaphor 94
2.3.5 Metaphorically Defining a Process: Metaphor as
Cross-Conceptual "Mapping" 99
Excursus: The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, Lk 13:6b-9
as Metaphor 104
Introduction 104
Examining the Parable Story in Lk 13:6-9 106
The Background to the Parable, Lk 13:1-5 106
The Parable Story, Lk 13:6-9 107
Relating a Barren Fig Tree with Unrepentant People 108
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree as Metaphor 110
Metaphoric Mapping Schematised 112
2.3.6 Concepts, Structure and the Constraints on Metaphoric
Mapping 113
2.3.6.1 Generic-Level Metaphors 122
2.3.6.2 The Generic-Level Metaphor: GENERIC is SPECIFIC 126
2.3.6.3 The Great Chain of Being, the Commonsense Theory
about the Nature of Things and the Interpretation
of Proverbs and Aphorisms 129
2.3.6.4 The Great Chain of Being Metaphor 132
2.3.7 Explaining the GREAT CHAIN OF BEING METAPHOR,
GTh 56, 80, 110 136
2.3.7.1 Explaining GTh 56 and 80 by Using "Conventional
Metaphors" 143
2.3.7.2 Explaining GTh 56 and 80 by Using "The GREAT CHAIN
METAPHOR" 145
2.3.7.3 The Meaning of GTh 110 147
Excursus: Kittay on the Conditions that Facilitate
Table of Contents ix
Metaphoric Understanding 150
2.4 Parable as Metaphor 154
Excursus: Parable and Reception 163
2.5 Conclusion 165
3. The Kingdom Parables Shared by the Gospel of Matthew and
the Gospel of Thomas 167
3.0 Introduction 167
3.1 Mt 13 as Context for the Parables of the Planted Weeds,
Treasure, Pearl and Fishnet 168
3.1.1 Mt 13:1-35: Teaching the Crowds at the Lakeside 169
3.1.2 Mt 13:36-52: Teaching the Disciples (only) at Home 171
Excursus: Matthew as Collector of Parables vs Matthew
as Performer of Parables 172
3.2 The Contextualisation of the Matthean "Sondergut" Parables
in the Gospel of Thomas 177
3.3 The Reception of the Parable of the Weeds in Mt 13:24-30
and GTh 57 179
3.3.1 The Reception of the Parable of the Weeds in Mt 13:24-30 179
3.3.1.1 The Narrative Elements of the Parable of the Weeds in
Mt 13:24-30 179
3.3.1.2 The Parable of the Weeds in Mt 13:24-30 as Metaphor 191
3.3.1.3 The Parable and its Interpretation 206
3.3.2 The Reception of the Parable of the Weeds in GTh 57 208
3.3.2.1 The Narrative Elements of the Parable of the Weeds
in GTh 57 208
3.3.2.2 The Parable of the Weeds in GTh 57 as Metaphor 212
3.3.2.3 A Global Metaphoric Reading of GTh 57 218
3.3.3 Comparison of the Metaphors of Mt 13:24-30 and GTh 57 223
3.4 The Parable of the Treasure in Mt 13:44 and GTh 109 225
3.4.1 The Matthean Reception of the Parable of the Treasure,
Mt 13:44 225
3.4.1.1 The Constitutive Elements of the Parable of the Treasure
in Mt 13:44 225
3.4.1.2 The Parable of the Treasure in Mt 13:44 as Metaphor 227
3.4.2 The Reception of the Parable of Treasure in GTh 109 233
3.4.2.1 The Narrative Elements of the Parable of the Treasure in
GTh 109 233
3.4.2.2 The Parable of the Treasure in GTh 109 as Metaphor 236
χ Table of contents
3.4.3 Comparison of the Reception of the Parable of the Treasure in
Mt 13:44 and GTh 109 243
3.5 The Parable of the Pearl in Mt 13:45 and GTh 76 244
3.5.1 The Matthean Reception of the Parable of the Pearl,
Mt 13:45-46 244
3.5.1.1 The Constitutive Elements of the Parable of the Pearl in
Mt 13:45-46 244
3.5.1.2 The Parable of the Pearl in Mt 13:45-46 as Metaphor 245
3.5.2 The Reception of the Parable of the Pearl in GTh 76 250
3.5.2.1 The Constitutive Elements of the Parable of the Pearl in
GTh 76:1-3 250
3.5.2.2 The Parable of the Pearl in GTh 76 as Metaphor 253
3.5.3 Comparison of the Reception of the Parable of the Pearl in
Mt 13:45-46 and GTh 76 256
3.6 The Parable of the Fishnet in Mt 13:47-48 and GTh 8 258
3.6.1 The Matthean Reception of the Parable of the Fishnet in
Mt 13:47-48 258
3.6.1.1 The Narrative Elements of the Parable of the Fishnet in
Mt 13:47-48 258
3.6.1.2 The Parable of the Fishnet in Mt 13:47-48 as Metaphor 261
3.6.2 The Reception of the Parable of the Fishnet in GTh 8 267
3.6.2.1 The Narrative Elements of the Parable of the Fishnet in
GTh 8 267
3.6.2.2 The Parable of the Fishnet in GTh 8 as Metaphor 270
3.6.3 Comparison of the Reception of the Parable of the Fishnet in
Mt 13:47-50 and GTh 8 275
4. The Reception of the Parables of the Mustard Seed, Leaven,
Sower and Lost Sheep in the Synoptics, Thomas and Q 276
4.1 The Parable of the Mustard Seed in the Synoptic Tradition
and the Gospel of Thomas 276
4.1.1 The Parable of the Mustard Seed in Mk 4:30-32 276
4.1.1.1 Mk 4:1-34 as Context for the Parables of the Sower,
Harvest and Mustard Seed 276
4.1.1.2 The Structure of Mk 4:1-34 277
4.1.1.3 The Contextualisation of the Parables of Mk 4 279
4.1.1.4 The Constitutive Elements of the Parable of the Mustard Seed
in Mk 4:30-32 289