Thursday, November 20, 2014

Matthew 26:38

He said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again."(John 2:19) For He showed to what belongs (the incidents of) being destroyed, thrown down, and kept down-even to that to which it also appertains to be lifted and raised up again; although He was at the same time bearing about with Him "a soul that was trembling even unto death,"(Matthew 26:38) but which did not fall through death, because even the Scripture informs us that "He spoke of His body."(John 2:21) [Tertullian De resurrectione mortuorum 18.7 BORLEFFS J.G.Ph., CCL 2 (1954), 921-1012. (p.943, l.31) BP1]
Notice that the passage is 'harmonized' between John 2:19 and John 2:21 with the implication that Jesus explicitly told the priests that they/he would destroy this temple and raise it up in three days. This was changed in the canonical texts (a) with John placing the statement at the beginning of the gospel and (b) avoiding it becoming the immediate cause of his arrest.


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