The Making of the New TestamentBacon, Benjamin Wisner
Religion
The Making of the New Testament
Bacon, Benjamin Wisner
Bible. New Testament -- Introductions
Paul's decapitation in Rome occurred not more than a year or two later,
and was followed there in 64, according to very ancient and trustworthy
tradition, by the martyrdom of Peter. The death of all the principal
leaders explains why the Jerusalem church when it reassembled after the
overthrow of city and temple in the year 70, put forward no more
prominent candidates for the leadership than a certain Symeon, son of
Clopas, one of the group of 'relatives of the Lord' who are traceable
"until the time of Trajan," and a certain unknown Thebuthis. Symeon,
according to Eusebius, who takes his account from Hegesippus (165), was
the representative of "those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord
that were still living, together with the Lord's relatives." Thebuthis
is said to have sprung from one of the heretical Jewish sects and to
have organized a schism in consequence of his disappointment. All we can
be sure of is that Jerusalem 'down to the time of Trajan' continued to
regard itself as the seat of apostolic authority and arbiter of
orthodoxy, on account of its succession of disciples and relatives of
the Lord. Among the latter the leading, if not the only, representatives
of the seed of David, when "search was made" in the persecution under
Domitian (81-95), were two _grandsons_ of Jude, the Lord's brother. Jude
himself, then, was no longer living. Luke (_c._ 100), Papias (145), and
Hegesippus (165) successively exhibit the growing authority of the
"tradition handed down," especially that of "the apostles and elders in
Jerusalem." But what Papias records of the traditions of these "elders"
does not rise above the level of Jewish midrash, and the epistles which
bear the names of James and Jude have little intrinsic value, and
enjoyed from the beginning only the most meagre acceptance. At Rome
tradition attaches to the name of Peter, but besides the bare fact of
his martyrdom "at the same time with Paul" (64-5) it has little of value
to relate. We cannot safely go beyond the tradition reported by Porphyry
that Peter fed the lambs (at Rome) for a few months before his
martyrdom, and that reported by Papias that Mark, who had been Peter's
assistant, compiled there the Gospel which bears his name, basing it
upon his recollections of Peter's preaching. Of this vitally important
work (_c._ A.D. 75) we must speak in another connection. We are
concerned at present with writings which directly reflect the
development of Christian life and doctrine in this sub-apostolic
period, especially that in the Pauline mission-field.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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