Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction: Reading Early Christian Literature in Context
- Part 1 The Graeco-Roaaan World: Context For Early Christianity
- Part Two The Teaching of the Historcial Jesus (27-30 Ce)
- Part Three The Earliest Christian Literature (30-70 Ce)
- Part Four The Christian Literature of the Late First Century (70-100 Ce)
- Part Five Beyond the New Testament: The Making of Christianity and Its Emergence Into the World
- Index
12 - The Formation of Jesus Traditions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction: Reading Early Christian Literature in Context
- Part 1 The Graeco-Roaaan World: Context For Early Christianity
- Part Two The Teaching of the Historcial Jesus (27-30 Ce)
- Part Three The Earliest Christian Literature (30-70 Ce)
- Part Four The Christian Literature of the Late First Century (70-100 Ce)
- Part Five Beyond the New Testament: The Making of Christianity and Its Emergence Into the World
- Index
Summary
The Sayings Gospel Q
Context of Q
The Gospels in the New Testament are
all narrative gospels. The words and deeds of Jesus, his crucifixion and resurrection are incorporated into a narrative about him. The narrative starts with his baptism by John the Baptist (in Matthew and Luke with narratives about his birth) and ends with his crucifixion and resurrection. Mark, the earliest of these Gospels, was written in about 70 CE.
There were, however, also other kinds of gospels in early Christianity. One kind, the ‘sayings gospels’, probably predate the ‘narrative gospels’. A sayings gospel is a collection of sayings of Jesus. Two examples of these kinds of gospels are the Sayings Gospel Q and the Gospel of Thomas. Q no longer exists as a separate document. The Gospel of Thomas, which is an extra-canonical writing, was only discovered in 1945 in its complete form. To discuss the Sayings Gospel Q in a meaningful way, one needs to examine the sources of the first three canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) (see box).
Q is reconstructed from the material common to Matthew and Luke and which is not derived from Mark. Although this source is currently only available as embedded in Matthew and Luke, some scholars are of the opinion that it initially existed as a separate writing. The Sayings Gospel Q was tentatively reconstructed by New Testament scholars.
It is characteristic of Q that the sayings of Jesus are not assembled at random. The sayings are organised into discourses. It is, moreover, striking that Q contains no material about Jesus's suffering, crucifixion and resurrection. This also applies to the other sayings gospel, namely the Gospel of Thomas. contains no material about Jesus's suffering, crucifixion and resurrecti also applies to the other sayings gospel, namely the Gospel of Thomas.
THE TWO-SOURCE HYPOTHESIS
When reading the four Gospels that form part of the New Testament, it becomes clear that there are substantial differences between the Gospel of John, on the one hand, and the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, on the other. These differences will receive attention when the Gospel of John is discussed. What is of concern for the moment is the relation between the first three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- From Jesus Christ To ChristianityEarly Christian Literature in Context, pp. 131 - 139Publisher: University of South AfricaPrint publication year: 2001