Summary
The document titled "Contradictions in the Passion Stories by Centre Place" is a transcript of a lecture given by John Hamer at Centre Place, part of their history, theology, philosophy lecture series. Leandro is assisting by monitoring comments and questions during the stream.
Here's a breakdown of the lecture's content:
- Introduction: John Hamer welcomes the audience and mentions this is part of an Easter lecture series. He also talks about Centre Place's website (centreplace.ca/lectures) where past lectures are archived and encourages donations to support their work.
- Upcoming Lectures: He mentions upcoming lectures, including "Contradictions in the Easter stories" (Part 2) and a lecture by Leandro on the "dying and rising gods" concept.
- Topic: Contradictions in the Passion Stories (Part 1): The main topic is the different ways the four canonical gospels tell the story leading up to Jesus's crucifixion.
- Paul's Account: The lecture starts with the earliest account of the passion stories, which comes from Paul's letters, specifically 1 Corinthians 15. Paul emphasizes Christ's death for sins, burial, resurrection on the third day, and appearances to various individuals and groups. Paul also gives details about the Last Supper and Jesus's betrayal.
- Historical Context: The lecture discusses the historical context of Jesus's execution, referencing non-Christian sources like Tacitus and Josephus. These sources confirm that the Romans, under Pontius Pilate, were responsible for the execution, and that Jewish authorities were also involved in the accusations.
- Timeline: A timeline is provided to ground the events, placing Jesus's ministry in the late 20s and his crucifixion around 30-33 AD. It also mentions the development of Christian communities, Paul's conversion, and the writing of the gospels.
- Gospels as Religious Portraits: It's emphasized that the gospel writers were not historians but rather had a religious purpose, aiming to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah and persuade readers to join the new movement.
- Differences in Gospel Accounts: The lecture highlights that while the four gospels share a broad narrative, they differ in specific details. This is attributed to the different oral traditions and literary purposes of each gospel writer. The length and focus on the passion story vary significantly between the gospels.
- Synoptic Gospels vs. John: The relationship between the synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) and the Gospel of John is discussed. Mark is considered a source for Matthew and Luke, while John has a distinct literary tradition. However, the passion narrative shows an unusual amount of shared details between John and the other three.
- Sources and Influences: Possible sources for the gospels are discussed, including oral tradition, a potential "Q" source, a "signs" gospel, and a possible early passion source. The influence of the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) on the gospel writers is highlighted, with examples of how Old Testament passages are used and sometimes misquoted.
- Harmonization vs. Individual Portraits: The lecture addresses the tendency of readers to conflate all four gospel accounts into a single narrative. It argues that this approach misses the individual portraits and theological purposes of each evangelist.
- Mark's Account of the Last Week: The lecture begins a detailed examination of Mark's gospel, starting with Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem, the triumphal entry, and the clearing of the temple. Differences in the crowd's shouts in each gospel are noted.
- Other Gospel Differences: The lecture discusses how each gospel places events in a different order or provides different motivations for the actions of various individuals and groups (e.g., the reasons for Jewish authorities wanting to get rid of Jesus differ in John compared to the Synoptics).
- Anointing of Jesus' Feet: The varying accounts of the woman anointing Jesus' feet are discussed, noting differences in the setting, the woman's identity, and the meaning of the act.
- Judas's Betrayal: The different motivations given for Judas's betrayal in each gospel are explored.
- The Last Supper: The lecture examines how the Last Supper is portrayed differently in the Synoptics and John, particularly regarding its timing in relation to Passover and the institution of the Lord's Supper.
- Prediction of Peter's Denial and Jesus's Prayer: Differences in the accounts of Jesus predicting Peter's denial and Jesus's prayer in Gethsemane are discussed.
- Jesus's Arrest and Trial: The variations in the accounts of Jesus's arrest and trials before Jewish and Roman authorities are examined, focusing on the different details and motivations given in each gospel.
Overall, the lecture provides a detailed overview of the contradictions and variations in the passion stories across the four canonical gospels, emphasizing the literary and theological purposes of each evangelist.
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