Marcion and the Dating of the Synoptic Gospels

by M Vinzent

Overview

Are the Synoptic Gospels at odds with Early Christian art and archaeology? Art and archaeology cannot provide the material basis 'to secure the irrefutable inner continuity' of the Christian beginnings (Erich Dinkler); can the Synoptic Gospels step in? Their narratives, however, are as absent from the first hundred and fifty years of early Christianity as are their visual imageries. 'Many of the dates confidently assigned by modern experts to the New Testament documents', especially the Gospels, rest 'on presuppositions rather than facts' (J.A.T. Robinson). The present volume is the first systematic study of all available early evidence that we have about the first witness to our Gospel narratives, Marcion of Sinope. It evaluates our commonly known arguments for dating the Synoptic Gospels, elaborates on Marcion's crucial role in the Gospel making and argues for a re-dating of the Gospels to the years between 138 and 144 AD.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789042930278
Publisher:	Peeters Publishing
Publication date:	01/28/2014
Series:	Studia Patristica Supplements , #2
Pages:	365
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction - 'Deductions from Deductions' vii

Chapter 1 Marcion, his Gospel and the Gospels in the Sources 1

Justin Martyr, To Marcion 10

Papias of Hierapolis, Explanations of Dominical Oracles 12

Justin Martyr, First Apology 26

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 36

Justin Martyr - summary 45

Rhodo, To Marcion's School, and Tatian 46

An unknown Asian Presbyter 52

Dionysius of Corinth, Letter to the Nicomedians 56

Theophilus of Antioch, Against Marcion 56

Hegesippus, Memoranda 61

Irenaeus, Against the Heresies 66

Tertullian, Against Marcion 89

Celsus and Origen 107

The Prologues to the Pauline Letters 111

The Muratorian Fragment 131

What do we know about Marcion and what does it tell us about the dating of the Gospels? 133

Marcion's Gospel in the history of research on the Synoptic Question 145

Chapter 2 Dating the Synoptic Gospels - the Status Quaestionis 159

Mark 161

Matthew 173

Luke 180

The Synoptic Problem 187

A shared, source (or shared sources) 190

Mutual use 191

Matthew first, Mark second 191

Matthew first, Luke second 192

Markan priority 193

Mark and 'Q' - Two-Source hypothesis 194

Mark and Matthew 196

Mark and Luke 196

Proto-Mark 197

Proto-Matthew 197

Proto-Narrative and Q 197

Lukan priority 198

John's Priority 199

Independent witnesses 199

The 'multiple-stage hypothesis' 200

The Status Quaestionis 200

The 'Two-Source' or 'Two-Document' hypothesis by Weisse-Streeter 201

The 'Two-Gospel' hypothesis by Owen-Griesbach-Farmer 207

The 'Luke/Matthew' hypothesis by Farrer-Goulder-Goodacre 208

Chapter 3 Re-dating the Gospels 215

Early New Testament Papyri - Evidence to the Contrary? 215

Reception of the canonical Gospels vs. that of Paul 224

Internal Evidence 255

Chapter 4 Marcion's Gospel - An Inspirational New Literary Genre 277

Bibliography 283

Index 335