The Jesus Problem: A Restatement of the Myth TheoryRobertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Religion
The Jesus Problem: A Restatement of the Myth Theory
Robertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Jesus Christ
While the Christist interpolations are thus obvious after the sixth
chapter, it is not here assumed that the first six chapters as they
stand are a single original document. On the contrary, we are inclined
to think that the scheme of the "two ways" is itself a redaction of
an original document which gave the first "way" without preamble,
the present preamble and the fifth chapter being inserted to give
the dual form. On that view, the pre-Christian document may not
have stopped with the sixth chapter, though the definitely Christian
redaction begins with the seventh, as the document now stands. The
Trinitarian seventh chapter was almost certainly one of the latest
of the Christian additions. In the ninth, rules are laid down for the
Eucharist without any allusion to the Godhead of Jesus, who is spoken
of in Ebionitic terms as "Jesus thy servant," though Jesus Christ is
further on spoken of in more distinctly Christist terms. These are
evidently further additions. In the tenth chapter the Ebionitic tone
is resumed, Jesus being still only "thy servant"; while throughout the
rest of the document there is much teaching that might have come from
the Judaic apostles who propagated that of the earlier chapters. As to
this, however, it is difficult to come to a definite conclusion. All
that is certain is that the nucleus of the document was Judaic,
and that the Christian tamperings were made at different stages,
the earlier indicating the primary Ebionitic creed, in which Jesus
was merely a holy man, no more God than any other "Anointed."]
Chap. VII.--Now concerning baptism, thus baptise ye: having first
uttered all these things, baptise into the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if thou hast
not living water, [503] baptise in other water; and if thou canst
not in cold, [then] in warm. But if thou hast neither, pour water
upon the head thrice, [504] into the name of Father and Son and Holy
Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptiser and baptised fast,
and whatever others can; but the baptised thou shalt command to fast
for one or two days before.
Chap. VIII.--But let not your fastings be in common with the
hypocrites; for they fast on the second day of the week and on the
fifth; [505] but do ye fast during the fourth, and the preparation
[day]. [506] Nor pray ye like the hypocrites, but as the Lord [507]
commanded in his gospel, thus pray: Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as in heaven,
so on earth; our daily bread give us to-day, and forgive us our debt
as we also forgive our debtors, and bring us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil; for thine is the power and the glory
forever. Three times in the day pray ye thus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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