| Markan Pericope | Mark Reference | Eusebian Section (approx.) | Canon Assignment(s) | Canonical Handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi | Mark 8:27–30 | §62 | Canon II (Mt–Mk–Lk) | Kept intact; aligned but not used as axis |
| First passion prediction | Mark 8:31–33 | §63 | Canon II | Preserved as a single unit despite Matt/Luke rephrasing |
| Call to discipleship (take up the cross) | Mark 8:34–9:1 | §64 | Canon II | Not fragmented into aphorisms (contrast Matthew) |
| Transfiguration | Mark 9:2–13 | §65 | Canon I (all four) | Treated as a single episode; no subdivision |
| Elijah discussion | Mark 9:9–13 | §66 | Canon II | Retained adjacent to Transfiguration |
| Healing of the epileptic boy | Mark 9:14–29 | §67 | Canon I | Preserved as a continuous narrative |
| Second passion prediction | Mark 9:30–32 | §68 | Canon II | Maintained as a discrete Markan unit |
| Teaching on greatness (child in midst) | Mark 9:33–37 | §69 | Canon II | Not split into sayings |
| Exorcist not following us | Mark 9:38–41 | §70 | Canon II | Preserved as narrative instruction |
| Warnings about stumbling | Mark 9:42–50 | §71 | Canon II | Retained as a single block (contrast Matt 18) |
| Teaching on divorce | Mark 10:1–12 | §72 | Canon II | Preserved as one episode |
| Jesus blesses children | Mark 10:13–16 | §73 | Canon II | Aligned but intact |
| Rich man | Mark 10:17–31 | §§74–75 | Canon II | Narrative and sayings kept together |
| Third passion prediction | Mark 10:32–34 | §76 | Canon II | Maintained in sequence |
| Request of James and John | Mark 10:35–45 | §77 | Canon II | Not rearranged |
| Healing of Bartimaeus | Mark 10:46–52 | §78 | Canon II | Ends corridor; narrative kept whole |
How Eusebius Handles These Pericopes (and Why This Matters)
What this table shows is that the Markan Discipleship Corridor is composed almost entirely of Canon II material—that is, passages shared with Matthew and Luke—but handled in a fundamentally different way from Matthew’s parallels.
Every pericope in this stretch is kept intact. None are split into aphorisms. None are redistributed out of sequence. None are relocated to follow Matthean or Lukan order. Even when Matthew or Luke scatter the material—especially teachings on discipleship, greatness, divorce, stumbling, wealth, or ambition—Eusebius refuses to dismantle Mark’s narrative flow.
At the same time, Mark does not function as the governing axis here. Unlike the opening block (Mark 1–8:26) or the Passion (Mark 11–16:8), these sections do not anchor the canon tables. Matthew’s and Luke’s section numbers advance smoothly; Mark’s are aligned but not used to order the system. The canon tables effectively say: we will keep Mark whole, but we will not force the rest of the Gospels to follow its sequence.
This is the decisive contrast with Matthew. Matthew’s corresponding material—especially Matthew 16–20—is aggressively segmented. Teachings on humility, scandal, divorce, wealth, and ambition are detached and redeployed. In Mark, the same thematic material is preserved as a continuous discipleship itinerary running from Peter’s confession to the approach to Jerusalem.
Eusebius therefore faces a choice in this stretch that he never faces with Matthew: either fragment Mark to improve harmonization, or suspend Mark’s role as axis to preserve its integrity. He chooses the latter. That choice produces the corridor effect.
So the Markan Discipleship Corridor is not a thematic label imposed from outside. It is a canonical phenomenon, defined by three observable facts in the Gospel Canon:
Markan pericopes remain intact.
Markan sequence is preserved.
Markan axial control is suspended.
No other Gospel exhibits this exact combination. And that is why the corridor exists, why it is bounded (8:27–10:52), and why it reasserts Mark’s authority rather than undermining it.
