The Markan Discipleship Corridor (Mark 8:34 - 10:52) in Tertullian's Adversus Macionem (in order of gospel citation:
| Gospel reference | Tertullian, Aduersus Marcionem (Kroymann 1954, CCSL 1) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 18:1–5 | 4.23.4 (p.605, l.20) | parallels Lk 9:46–48 in same place |
| Mt 19:3 | 4.19.7 (p.593, l.18) | |
| Mt 19:4–6 | 4.34.2 (p.635, l.15) | includes Mt 19:8 at same locus (see next) |
| Mt 19:6 | 4.34.6 (p.636, l.3) | |
| Mt 19:7 | 4.34.5 (p.636, l.11) | |
| Mt 19:7–9 | 5.7.6 (p.683, l.9) | also where Mk 10:4; Mk 10:11; Lk 16:18 appear |
| Mt 19:8 | 4.34.2 (p.635, l.13) | |
| Mt 19:9 | 4.34.5 (p.635, l.9) | lemma |
| Mt 19:18 | 4.16.17 (p.585, l.7) | also where Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20 are keyed |
Below I have put the material into narrative order by Gospel sequence, and for each unit I give (a) the Synoptic locus, (b) the dominant Gospel identity, and (c) the precise place(s) in Adversus Marcionem where Tertullian treats it. I have collapsed duplicate lemma hits so that what you see corresponds to pericope-level movement, not database noise.
I start where Tertullian does in AM IV, and proceed in gospel order, not database order.
1. Discipleship, self-denial, and losing life
Synoptic locus: Luke 9:24–26 (par. Mark 8:35–38; Matt 16:25–27)
Dominant form in AM: Lukan
Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.21.8–12 (pp. 599–600)
Here Tertullian clusters Luke 9:24–26 tightly, treating it as a single argumentative unit on salvation, shame, and recompense. This belongs to the opening of the Markan discipleship corridor, mediated through Luke.
2. The Transfiguration complex
Synoptic locus: Luke 9:28–36 (par. Mark 9:2–8; Matt 17:1–8)
Dominant form in AM: Lukan
Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.22.1–16 (pp. 600–604)
Tertullian treats the Transfiguration as a continuous block, moving verse-by-verse through Luke 9:28–35, with Moses and Elijah, the cloud, and the heavenly voice. The repetition of Luke 9:30–35 across multiple subsections reflects exegetical return, not narrative disorder.
3. Failure of the disciples / unbelieving generation
Synoptic locus: Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41
Dominant form in AM: Markan–Lukan blend
Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.23.1 (p. 604)
This marks the transition point out of the Transfiguration into the failure theme. Tertullian explicitly invokes the Markan wording (“O faithless generation”) while operating inside Luke’s sequence.
4. Who is the greatest? Child in the midst
Synoptic locus: Luke 9:46–48; Matt 18:1–5; Mark 9:33–37
Dominant form in AM: Lukan with Matthean expansion
Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.23.4 (p. 605)
Matthew 18:1–5 is cited here, but only inside Luke’s narrative slot. This is a classic example of Tertullian importing Matthean wording without allowing Matthew to govern order.
5. Marriage, divorce, and hardness of heart
Synoptic locus:
– Luke 16:18
– Matt 19:3–9
– Mark 10:2–12
Dominant form in AM: Markan logic with Matthean supplementation
Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.34.1–9; 4.34.15–16; 5.7.6 (pp. 634–639; 683)
Tertullian treats divorce across multiple returns, but the controlling framework is Mark 10. Matthew 19 is cited repeatedly, yet always subordinated to the Markan formulation of repudiation and remarriage.
6. The commandments and the rich ruler
Synoptic locus:
– Luke 18:18–23
– Mark 10:17–22
– Matt 19:16–22
Dominant form in AM: Markan
Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.16.17; 4.36.3–7 (pp. 585; 643–644)
The commandments (do not murder, etc.) are explicitly tied to Mark 10:19, even when Luke 18:20 supplies wording. Tertullian treats this as a single dominical interrogation scene, not a Matthean moral discourse.
7. The rich ruler’s sorrow and impossibility saying
Synoptic locus: Luke 18:23; Mark 10:23–27; Matt 19:23–26
Dominant form in AM: Markan
Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.36.5–7 (p. 644)
The focus is on difficulty, not impossibility, aligning with Mark’s rhetoric. Luke’s phrasing is present but not determinative.
8. Healing of the blind man near Jericho
Synoptic locus: Luke 18:35–43 (par. Mark 10:46–52; Matt 20:29–34)
Dominant form in AM: Lukan narrative position
Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4.36.9–14; 4.37.1; 4.38.10 (pp. 645–650)
This closes the Markan discipleship corridor. Tertullian follows Luke’s Jericho placement but preserves Markan thematic closure: sight restored after misunderstanding.
What the ordered list shows
When reordered properly the material in Adversus Marcionem IV runs from Luke 9 through Luke 18, exactly paralleling the Markan Discipleship Corridor (Mark 8:34–10:52). Matthew is never allowed to dictate sequence, only to supply explanatory or polemical wording. Markan units (divorce, rich ruler, blindness/healing) anchor the logic, even when Luke provides the narrative spine.
In short: once ordered, the citations show that Tertullian’s Marcionite gospel is read as a Mark-type gospel moving through the corridor, not as Matthew or a harmonized Luke. This ordering is not accidental; it is structural.
