Whose Outline Templates Did The Gospel Writer Use?

 Whose Outline Templates Did The Gospel Writer Use?

February 28, 2022

Brett Todd

I’m sure you have all had to write an essay outline a time or two in grade school.  I think it was mandatory for every student to learn how to create a template.  You know, “Introduction, Thesis Statement, Body, Conclusion.  After that, writing was kind of like filling in the blanks, so to speak.  Thinking back, I loathed making these templates, I just wanted to sit down and write.

It might be a revelation for you, but the authors of the New Testament also used templates to write their literature.  This is especially true in the Gospel of Mark where you can see almost identical templates used and reused. Although the templates were the same, the author would just fill in the blanks with different names and places to create a completely different story.  Let me give you an example. The underlined items below were the blank spaces filled in by the author of Mark:

     Template Mark 11:1-6 Mark 14:12-16

A    Person (s) two disciples two disciples

B    Command said to them said to them

C    Where go to village go to city

D    Instructions         find colt find man

E    Instructions fulfilled found colt found man

The first story, Mark 11:1-6, is about finding a colt which Jesus would ride into Jerusalem, and the second story, Mark 14:12-16, it is about finding a man carrying a jar in preparation for the Last Supper.  Throughout the Gospel of Mark and the Bible, we find templates that are the same, and yet, the stories are different.

Where do these outline templates in the New Testament come from?  We know many of these templates came from the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament). But there are also possibilities that other templates came from such authors as Homer. Dennis R. MacDonald presents us with a small sample.  Here, Mark 5:1-20 in the story of the demoniac and the swine draws from Homer’s template in Book 9 of the Odyssey to create a new story.  Note the parallel:

Homer's Odyssey	Gospel of Mark
Odysseus reaches the land of the Cyclops with several ships and his 12 followers	Jesus reaches the area of ​​the Gerasenes with several ships and the 12 disciples
Odysseus goes ashore with 12 companions. His other men are supposed to wait in the ship for his return	Jesus goes ashore, his companions are to wait in the ship for his return
He meets a supernatural opponent, the Cyclops Polyphemus	he meets a supernatural opponent, the demons who have occupied a man
who lives in a cave	who lives in "graves"
The Cyclops asks Odysseus his name.	Jesus asks the man his name
Odysseus answers with a play on words, a quantity: "Nobody"	The man answers with a play on words, a quantity: “My name is Legion; because we are many. "
Odysseus defeats the Cyclops	Jesus defeats the demons
Odysseus' men escape over a herd of cattle (cling to the bellies of sheep)	The demons escape over a herd of cattle. "And the devils all asked him and said: Let's go to the swine!"
Odysseus returns to his ship and calls out to the Cyclops who he really is, Odysseus, King of Ithaca	Jesus returns to his ship and calls to the man to praise this benefit of God.

As we read the stories of the Bible, it is beneficial to be aware that these stories are not unique and separate from all other literature.  We know the writers of the New Testament were familiar with Greek and Roman literature.  It is very possible, that the authors of the New Testament drew from some of their thoughts, stories, and beliefs, and yes, they used their templates to create their own stories and writings. 

In our next article, we will look at the question: “What Bible did the early Christians use?

Talking In Circles

 

Talking In Circles

Brett A. Todd

There is an old idiom I’m sure you have heard, he is “talking in circles” again. This idiom refers to someone who talks about something in a confusing way, never answering the question directly but instead going around and around.

In the Bible, they also talked in circles, not in a confusing way, but in an actual circular pattern to help the storyteller and listeners understand, follow the storyline, remember, and then retell the story.  This circular pattern is not something new or only present in the Bible, but it is also in other ancient writings and artifacts.  From ancient Greek prose, Hebrew, and Chinese poetry, Druidic teachings, Mayan literature, we can find this circular pattern.  Is it possible, in time, we will find it in the ancient narratives of Inca Khipu? It would not surprise me in the least.

In this study, I am going to give you a Bible story example of this circular pattern you will find throughout the Bible, and then explain why this circular pattern is so important for understanding the Bible.

Most Bible readers and even scholars are unaware of this circular pattern in the stories of the Bible, but to be sure, every time you pick up your Bible and read a story, there is in most cases a circular pattern, unless, for some reason, the story was unfinished or altered.

From the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), let me give you one example of the many circular patterns found in the Bible.  Numbers 14:2 reads, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or in this wilderness would that we had died!” Note in the diagram below the circular pattern of this verse starting from the top with the cross and moving to the right until it meets up again at the top:  “we died in Egypt” then repeating itself, “in the wilderness we died”.   You can find this not only in sentences but also in the story as a whole. 

Most ancient people were illiterate and used this circular literary device to help them remember and then retell the story to others.  This includes Jesus’ disciples and followers.  Why?  Because most of them were illiterate and could not read or write.  They belonged to an oral culture.  They learned by hearing, remembering, and doing. As already mentioned above, the purpose of these circular patterns was to help the storyteller or listener understand, follow the storyline, remember, and then retell the story. 

In our next article, we consider how New Testament authors used templates for creating and writing their own literature.

Homosexuality And Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9 (Part 4)

 

Homosexuality And Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9 (Part 4)

Brett A. Todd

It has been said from time to time that the word “homosexual” is used in the Bible or at least it should be used. This is not exactly correct. For one thing, as already mentioned, the word homosexual is never used in the original languages of the Bible.  So when translating these ancient languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek) into English, one has to be certain the English word is equivalent to the meaning of the word translated.  Here lies the problem, there is no ancient word in the Bible that is equivalent to the word, homosexual, as we know the word today.

Nevertheless, some have referred to 1 Corinthians 6:9 to boost their argument that in Romans 1:26-27, Paul was talking about homosexuality as we know it today. This is how this Corinthian verse reads, “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites…” Here, unfortunately, some zealous Bible translators have done just that, they translated the Greek word “ἀρσενοκοῖται” (arsenokoitai) as homosexuals or sodomites. Both of these translations are incorrect, and yes, distorted.

There is not a whole lot we can know about this Greek word.  It is a very rare word and is only used twice in the New Testament, here in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10.  Because of this rarity, translating “ἀρσενοκοῖται” (arsenokoitai) as homosexuals or sodomites is only a bias or naive guess.  However, there is a possibility this word refers to a “male bed partner” describing the male abuser who penetrates a passive male, who is a slave or prostitute “μαλακοὶ”.  But again, we don’t have enough information to be certain. At this point in New Testament studies, simply and honestly, until we learn more and can decipher the meaning of this word, it is best to translate it as “male illicit sex”. 

Something to keep in mind, during Paul’s time, for a Roman male citizen, it was okay to have sexual relations with another male as long as this other person was not a male Roman citizen and as long as the Roman citizen male was not the receptive person in the sex act.  The male Roman citizen could do anything he wanted sexually to his slaves or to someone who was not a Roman citizen as long as he didn’t take on the role of a woman.  To do this would be completely reprehensible for any real man.  This might be a touchstone in understanding Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians as well as Romans 1:26-27.

Either way, neither 1 Corinthians 6:9 nor Romans 1:26-27 refers to a committed relationship between two adult men or two adult women, nor does it refer to one’s sexual identity or orientation.  Rather, both Scriptures do describe abusive and exploitative relationships.

From here, we will move on to some lighter topics.  Next, we will talk about the circular patterns you find in the stories of the Bible.

Homosexuality And Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9 (Part 3)

 Homosexuality And Romans 1:26-27;

1 Corinthians 6:9 (Part 3)

Brett A. Todd

“You mention that part of Paul’s disapproval of homosexual activity was toward men who became passive recipients in sexual intercourse, it seems to me that this is a strong indication of how Paul would feel toward male homosexual activity today?”  

I think this is a fair question.  So, let us take a look at this thought for a few minutes.

Honestly, we don’t know how Paul would react toward modern homosexuality. So, our answer would have to be, maybe, maybe not.  Remember, Paul, lived nearly 2000 years ago. It was a different time, and a different culture, where women were condemned for speaking in the church (1 Corinthians 14:34), not properly wearing headdresses (1 Cor 11:5-6), and for not submitting to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22). It was a time when couples were strongly encouraged not get married, but to stay single (they expected Jesus to return within a few years (1 Thessalonians). And of course, we could continue to add to this list of dos and don’ts of differences from today’s standards of ethics in the church (In another article, we will discuss the topic of marriage and remarriage).

Historically, yes, there is a “maybe, maybe not” to this question.  If Paul would have been placed in an H. G. Wells’ time travel machine, or if Paul would have touched the fictitious Callanish stone in Craigh na Dun, in Scotland, and appeared here in the 21st Century, he may have condemned the practice of homosexual activity between two men. But remember, his condemnation would be based on what he understood from his culture, 2000 years ago, and not what our modern society would call a committed relationship between two adult men or two adult women.  Paul would have had no idea what we mean by sexual identity and orientation.

It is also possible, however, once Paul saw and understood what modern society calls a committed and non-abusive relationship between two men or two women, he might be supportive.  But we don’t know.  As one can see, all of this speculation is not helpful and can become very disingenuous. 

Personally, I’m not 100 percent beholden to everything Paul said, he was a man and only a man who most of our churches would not have had the time of day for. However, I do believe Paul got it right in regards to Romans 1:26-27, I too condemn any and all abusive and oppressive relationships, whether it is between straight or gay couples.

In our next article, I want to address the term “homosexuality” by asking the question, does the Bible ever use the word “homosexual”?