Apologetic Discourse and the Scribal Tradition. Evidence of the Influence of Apologetic Interests on the Text of the Canonical Gospels (Text-Critical Studies, V. 5.)

289 Pages·2005·1.16 MB·English

by  Wayne C. Kannaday

A D
POLOGETIC ISCOURSE
S T
AND THE CRIBAL RADITION
Text-Critical Studies
Editor
James R. Adair, Jr.
Volume 5
A D
POLOGETIC ISCOURSE
S T
AND THE CRIBAL RADITION
A D
POLOGETIC ISCOURSE
S T
AND THE CRIBAL RADITION
Evidence of the Influence of Apologetic Interests
on the Text of the Canonical Gospels
Wayne C. Kannaday
BRILL
LEIDEN (cid:2) BOSTON
2004
A D
POLOGETIC ISCOURSE
S T
AND THE CRIBAL RADITION
Wayne C. Kannaday
Copyright © 2004 by the Society of Biblical Literature
This edition published under license from the Society of Biblical Literature
by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kannaday, Wayne Campbell.
Apologetic discourse and the scribal tradition : evidence of the influence of apologetic
interests on the text of the canonical Gospels / by Wayne C. Kannaday.
p. cm. — (Society of Biblical Literature text-critical studies ; v. 5)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 90-04-13085-3 (cloth binding : alk. paper)
1. Bible N.T. Gospels—Canon. 2. Apologetics—History—Early church, ca. 30-600. I.
Title. II. Series: Text-critical studies ; v. 5.
BS2555.52.K36 2004
226'.0486—dc22
2004017340
ISSN: 1569-3619
Printed in The Netherlands
on acid-free paper
To
Helen and Christopher
a0ga/ph pro_j gunai/kan mou kai_ uio/n
i

CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................... xi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................... xii
Chapter I. THE PEN AND THE SWORD: APOLOGETIC DISCOURSE
AND THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ............. 1
SCRIBALINTENTIONALITY AND
THENEWTESTAMENT TEXT:AFORSCHUNGSBERICHT ....... 5
RELEVANT TEXT-CRITICALWORKS ....................... 5
RELEVANT WRITINGSPERTAINING TO
EARLYCHRISTIANAPOLOGETICS ........................ 18
PAGANOPPOSITION AND
CHRISTIANAPOLOGETIC RESPONSE ..................... 23
Pagan Opposition to Christianity ..................... 24
Pliny, Governor of Bithynia-Pontus ..................... 24
Two Pagan Historians: Tacitus & Suetonius.............. 25
Other Early Second-Century Sources .................... 26
Satirists: Lucian of Samosata and Apuleius of Madaura ..... 26
Marcus Cornelius Fronto ............................ 30
Celsus andA/ lhqh_v Lo/gov ........................ 31
Porphyry of Tyre .................................. 32
Pagan Opposition in Summary:
One Side of the Discourse............................ 34
Christian Apologetic Response ....................... 35
The Earliest Christian Apologists:
Quadratus and Aristides ............................ 35
Justin Martyr .................................... 37
Tatian ......................................... 44
Athenagoras of Athens ............................. 46
Theophilus of Antioch .............................. 48
Melito of Sardis .................................. 50
Clement of Alexandria ............................. 51
Origen ......................................... 52
Select Latin Apologists: Tertullian and Minucius Felix ...... 54
INSUMMARY:APROFILE OF APOLOGETIC INTERESTS ....... 56
Chapter II. ANTIQUITY, HARMONY, AND
FACTUAL CONSISTENCY: ISSUES OF
INTELLECTUAL INTEGRITY........................... 59
THEPAGANACCUSATION OF NOVELTY AND THE
APOLOGETIC CLAIM TO ANTIQUITY ..................... 61
vii
viii Table of Contents
VARIANTREADINGS RELATED TO PROPHECY
ANDANTIQUITY ...................................... 65
EXCURSUS:THETEMPORALPRIORITY OF JESUS
TOJOHN THE BAPTIZER ............................... 78
PAGANCRITICISM OF INCONSISTENCY AND
CHRISTIANHARMONIZATION ........................... 82
HARMONIZATION .................................... 86
VARIANTREADINGS RELATED TO ISSUES OF
TEXTUALHARMONY AND CONSISTENCY.................. 90
CONCLUSION ........................................ 99
Chapter III. JESUS: ACCORDING TO THE SCRIBES ................. 101
VARIANTREADINGS ................................. 104
The Folly of the Cross ............................. 105
The Author of This Sedition ........................ 111
A Carpenter by Trade .............................. 117
A Magician and A Deceiver of the People ............. 119
A Man of Profane Temperament .................... 129
CONCLUSION ....................................... 139
Chapter IV. FANATICS, FOOLS, AND FEMALES: SCRIBES
IN DEFENSE OF THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS .......... 141
VARIANTREADINGS ................................. 148
Regarding the Fanatics Who Followed Jesus ........... 148
Regarding the Fools Who Followed Jesus ............. 166
The Females Who Followed Jesus.................... 176
ALL’SWELLTHATENDSWELL:MARK 16:9–20 ........... 189
The Shorter Ending ............................... 192
The Longer Ending ............................... 193
The Freer Logion ................................. 196
CONCLUSION ....................................... 196
Chapter V. WHEN QUIRE MEETS EMPIRE: SCRIBAL
TRADITION AND THE ROMAN STATE ................ 199
EXCURSUS:WHYWEREEARLYCHRISTIANS
PERSECUTED? ....................................... 200
CHRISTIANSTHROUGH THE EYES OF PAGANDESPISERS .... 206
CHRISTIANAPOLOGISTS AND THE ROMANSTATE ......... 208
VARIANTREADINGS ................................. 210
“Kingdom” (basilei/a) Language
in the Gospel of Luke ............................. 210
The Exoneration of Pilate .......................... 216
Secrecy.......................................... 226
Scribal Characterization of Opponents as Evil .......... 231
Table of Contents ix
CONCLUSION ....................................... 234
Chapter VI. THE INFLUENCE OF APOLOGETIC INTERESTS
ON THE TEXT OF THE CANONICAL GOSPELS ........ 237
IMPLICATIONS OF THISSTUDY ......................... 244
Textual Implications ............................... 244
Methodological Implications ........................ 245
Historical Implications ............................. 247
SUMMARY.......................................... 249
Chapter VII. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY........................... 251