The DeConstruction of the New Testament

Preachers, ministers and priests, having been trained in the historical-critical method of studying the Bible, don’t pass it down to their parishioners, content to keep them in the dark about the contradictions, descrepancies and irreconcilable differences between the Gospels. If they have found a cushy job, they are afraid of losing it. And the major denominations have lessons to be covered each week by book, chapter and verse, which leaves no time for other material. Some brave pastor might try to teach the method in an adult Bible class. That might take place in a big city or suburban nondenominational church. The pastor would not have a hierarchy above him telling him what to do and say every week. No canned speaches.

The crucifixion has different versions according to which author talked to which eyewitness, or even a second person to the eyewitness. These Gospels were written late and lives were not long, especially Christian lives. Matthew says, “And when they came to the place called Golgatha (place of the skull), they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall. But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink. After they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots.” Those around Jesus’ cross, the two criminals, the priests, bystanders, jeered at Jesus and abused him. The other two on the crosses taunted Jesus, saying, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Matthew says, “From noon onward darkness came over the land until 3 in the afternoon. And about 3 o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'” According to Matthew, when Jesus cried out, the veil in the Temple protecting the Holy of Holies split open down the middle. This signified that God was present to people everywhere, not just behind a curtain that only one high priest could enter once a year. Also, there was an earthquake, causing dead saints to come out of their tombs. Colorful, but none of this is found in any records.

We know that Matthew took much of Mark for his story line, so Mark is the first writer and we will see there are many similarities between the two. Simon, the Cyrenian, is told to carry Jesus’ cross. We learn that Simon has two sons, Alexander and Rufus. There is wordplay on these names in Greek, but we lose it when we read the English translation. My Study Bible says the names are special only because they were known to early Christians. The soldiers brought Jesus to the place of the skull (Golgatha). They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it. They divided his garments by casting lots for them. Those garments must have been holy and unique-did the soldiers sense this? Jesus had a seamless tunic, which only a high priest would wear. Jesus died at 9 AM in the morning. They crucified the two criminals with Jesus. Bystanders reviled Jesus, saying, “If you are really the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Darkness came over the land from noon to 3 PM and Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” Later, we learn that the only disciple to stay Jesus was John, so he heard what Jesus really heard, and it wasn’t a cry of despair. And it wasn’t in Jesus’ character, either. When Jesus died, the veil of the Temple Sanctuary was torn down the middle, signifying that the priests were no longer in charge. That did, whether it happened or not, foreshadow the destruction of the Temple during the Jewish- Roman war in 70 AD. Judaism was decentralized and synagogues were the places where Jews gathered, and they were lead by local rabbis. After Jesus died, a centurion walked up to the cross and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” It’s easy to see that Matthew borrowed heavily from Mark, yet didn’t take everything, and added items from other sources.

In the Gospel of Luke Jesus is at his second trial, the one with Pilate. Pilate tells the Jews 3 times that he finds no fault in Jesus, and asks the Jewish leaders what they think he has done to deserve death. The Jews can’t give Pilate a straight answer except to tell Pilate to release the criminal Barabbas for Passover, and crucify Jesus. (I was reading a bit of the book with the title of my blog and the author had fantastically good points to make: none of the Gospels show how the priests were able to turn an adoring crowd into a mindless and vicious hater of Jesus. Most of the crowd were followers of Jesus; it’s doubtful if they even respected the priests. Anyway, the crowd was so adament that finally Pilate said ‘whatever’ and handed Jesus over for crucifixion. Simon again was chosen to carry the cross because the Jesus of the Synopic Gospels is a weakling. Jesus, on his way to Golgatha, gives a long winded prediction (considering the circumstances) to some women. He foretells disaster for Jerusalem. And there will be. Atrocities will be committed. People will eat each other. That’s how bad it will get. And Jesus especially feels sorry for pregnant woman or those who are nursing. Getting out of Jerusalem is the only solution, but he knows they won’t until it’s too late.

Next time John’s Version and the version in the Urantia Book, which is the real version.