Thursday, November 20, 2014

102. the gospel of Marcion had Mark 6:41 - 49

Volker Lukas notes that Tertullian Adv Marc 4.20.1 only cites verse 25 from Luke 8:22 - 25: One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Yet Lukas makes the interesting observation that Tertullian's cites from Mark or John the idea that the disciples say Jesus on the waters: but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, [Mark 6:49] So we read him note: Jesu Stillung des Seesturms liegt nach Tertullian also genau auf der Linie der Taten der Diener des Schöpfers, ja seine Leistung sei nicht größer als die von diesen vollbrachten Taten. Dieser findet sich aber gar nicht in Lk (sondern Mk 6,49; Jon 6, 1 9), so dass Tertullian offenbar beabsichtigt, das einschlägige Motiv der Beherrschung der Elemente durch Jesus, den Christus des Schöpfergottes, noch ein wenig weiter zu. [Volker Lukas Rhetorik und literarischer "Kampf": Tertullians p. 266] 
Now Tertullian's original statement: Now who is this, that commands even the winds and the sea? [Luke 8:25] Some new ruler, perhaps, and impropriator of the elements which have belonged to that Creator who is now subdued and dispossessed? By no means. Those elements had recognized their author, even as they had of old been accustomed to obey his servants. Look at Exodus, Marcion: see how Moses' rod gave orders to the Red Sea, a much greater matter than all the ponds in Judaea, so that it was split to the bottom, was made firm with equal amazement on either side, and by a route through its midst let the people pass through on dry feet: and again at the command of the same rod its nature returned, and the flowing together of the waters overwhelmed the Egyptian host. To that Work also the south winds gave service. Read how for the dividing off of one tribe by lot there was a sword at their crossing of Jordan, after Joshua had clearly enjoined its current from above and below to stand still as the prophets passed over. What say you to this? If Christ belongs to you, you will not find him more powerful than these servants of the Creator. Now I might have been content with these instances, but that a prophecy of this actual walking upon the sea had anticipated Christ's action. When he crosses the sea, there is
a psalm being fulfilled, The Lord is upon many waters. When he scatters its waves, Habakkuk is being fulfilled, Scattering the waters by his passage.d When at his rebuke the sea is stricken down, Nahum too is made complete, He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry, along with those winds, of course, by which it was disquieted. By what evidence will you have me prove that Christ is mine? By the Creator's acts or by his prophets? [Tertullian 4.20] 
The passage in Tertullian Adversus Marcionem is understood to refer to Mark in Oden's compilation


Email stephan.h.huller@gmail.com with comments or questions.


 
Stephan Huller's Observations by Stephan Huller
is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.