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It has for long been generally assumed that the relationship between our canonical texts of the Gospels of Mark and Matthew is to be explained in terms of direct literary dependence, either of Matthew on Mark, or of Mark on Matthew. Professor Rist questions this assumption vigourously, and argues that it leads to contradictory and paradoxical conclusions. He replaces the theory of literary dependence with the thesis that Matthew and Mark grew up independently on the basis of a common oral tradition, and supports his view by detailed examination of a large number of parallel passages. The clarity and cogency of the author's argument is in the best tradition of this important series of monographs. In the context of the current resurgence of interest in the Synoptic problem, it will be welcomed by all concerned with the study of the New Testament.
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SOCIETY
F O R NEWT E S T A M E N T
MONOGRAPH SERIES General Editor: Matthew Black, D.D., F.B.A. Associate Editor: R. McL. Wilson
32 ON THE INDEPENDENCE OF MATTHEW AND MARK
STUDIES
On the independence of Matthew and Mark
J O H N M. R I S T Professor of Classics and Philosophy, University of Toronto
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE
PRESS
LONDON • NEW YORK • MELBOURNE
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sao Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521214766 © Cambridge University Press 1978 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 1978 This digitally printed first paperback version 2005 A catalogue recordfor this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Rist, John M. On the independence of Matthew and Mark. (Monograph series - Society for New Testament Studies; 32) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Bible. N.T. Matthew - Relation to Mark. 2. Bible. N.T. Mark - Relation to Matthew I. Title. II. Series: StudoriumNovi Testamenti Societas. Monograph series; 32. BS25 75.2.R58 226' .2'06 76-40840 ISBN-13 978-0-521-21476-6 hardback ISBN-10 0-521-21476-9 hardback ISBN-13 978-0-521-01872-2 paperback ISBN-10 0-521-01872-2 paperback
CONTENTS
Author's note vii 1 Problems and assumptions 2 The Literary hypothesis: some preliminary tests (Mt 3:1 -9:17)
1
17
3 Vocabulary and sequence: Matthew's version ofMk 2:23-6:13 4 More skimpings and bowdlerizings in Matthew
34 56
5 A turning point in the tradition (Mt 14:1, Mk6:14, Lk9:7
63
6 Some passages about Peter in Matthew
68
7 From Caesarea Philippi to the Burial of Jesus
72
8 The end of Mark
89
9 Summary and prospects
92
Appendix A: M. D. Goulder on the Synoptic Problem
109
Notes
112
Index
131
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Some of the conclusions of this monograph were presented to the Oriental Club of Toronto; I should like to thank the members of the Club for their patience and comments. After being bored by Q in a popularized version in my schooldays, my interest in the Synoptics was re-aroused by George Goold, whose critical comments on the manuscript were most helpful even when wrong. Frank Beare and Timothy Barnes also read an earlier draft and tolerated more of it than I had expected. I discussed the major thesis and many of the details wit