Jesus Tradition in the Apostolic Fathers: Their Explicit Appeals to the Words of Jesus in Light of Orality Studies

Preface .……………………………………………….…….…………….VII
Table of Contents ….………………………………………………….…...IX
Abbreviations …....………………………………………….….….…….XIII
Chapter 1: Orality and the Study of Early Christianity …....……..1
1.1 Introduction ….…….….…………………….………………………1
1.2 Thesis ……….….……………………………………………………5
1.3 Problems ….….….…………………………………………………..9
1.4 An Alternative to Form Criticism and the Rabbinic Model ….…..11
1.4.1 Form Criticism ….….….….…………………………………11
1.4.2 The Rabbinic Model ….….….………………………………15
1.5 Parameters …..….….………………………………………………24
1.5.1 Apostolic Fathers ……………………………………………24
1.5.2 Explicit Appeals to Jesus Tradition …………………………25
1.6 Definition of “Oral Jesus Tradition” ….….….……………………29
1.7 Presuppositions and Assumptions ….….….………………………34
1.8 Procedure ……….….………………………………………………35
Chapter 2: A Brief History of Scholarship on the Sources of the
Jesus Tradition in the Apostolic Fathers …...….….….……………36
2.1 Introduction ….….…………………………………………………36
2.2 Foundation for a New Approach (1905) ….….……..…..………...39
2.3 Establishing the Scholarly Agenda:
Massaux and Koester (1950s) …..….….….….….…………….….….42
2.3.1 Édouard Massaux ….….….….………………………………42
2.3.2 Helmut Koester ….….….……………………………………45
2.4 Furthering Koester’s Conclusions: Donald A. Hagner (1985) …...48
2.5 Refining Massaux’s Method: Wolf-Dietrich Köhler (1987) .…….51
2.6 Applying and Refining Koester’s Method:
Tuckett and Gregory …..….….….…………………………………...54
2.6.1 C. M. Tuckett (1989) ..…..….….….….…..…………………54
2.6.2 Andrew Gregory (2003) ..…..….….………….….….………55
2.7 Coming Full Circle (2005) ….……….……………………….……60
2.8 Conclusions ….….….….…………….….…………………………67
Chapter 3: Method: Orality and Oral Tradition …………………..70
3.1 Orality in Oral-Derived Texts ………………………………….….70
3.2 Orality and Literacy in the Ancient Mediterranean World ..….…..74
3.3 Markers of Orality: Oral Indicators in a Written Medium ….….…81
3.3.1 Additive Rather than Subordinative ….….….….….….….…84
3.3.2 Aggregative Rather than Analytic ….….……………………84
3.3.3 Redundant or “Copious” ….….….….….……………………85
3.3.4 Conservative or Traditionalist ….….….….…………………85
3.3.5 Both Variable and Stable ….….….….………………………87
3.3.6 Close to the Human Lifeworld ….….….……………………88
3.3.7 Agonistically Toned ….….….……………………………….88
3.3.8 Empathetic and Participatory ….….…………………………88
3.3.9 Mnemonically Constructed ….….….….…………………….89
3.3.10 Socially Identified ….….….….….…………………………91
3.3.11 Situational Rather than Abstract ….….….…………………96
3.4 The Limits of Comparative Study ….….………………………….97
3.5 Giving Scribality a Fair Hearing … in Light of Orality ………...102
Chapter 4: Identifying Markers and Ways of Orality: The Explicit
Appeal to Jesus Tradition in 1 Clement 13.1c–2 ………………..107
4.1 Introduction ….….….….…………………………………………107
4.2 Comparing the Jesus Tradition in 1 Clem. 13.2 to its
Gospel Parallels ……………………………………………………..113
4.3 Searching for the Redactional Footprints of the Evangelists …...114
4.4 Tracing the Sources of the Tradition in 1 Clement 13.2 ….….….118
4.4.1 Distribution of the Synoptic Parallels to 1 Clem. 13.2 …....120
4.4.2 Luke 6:36–38, Matthew 7:1–2, and the Contents
of Q 6:36–38 ….….….….………………………………………122
4.5 The Gospel Sources and 1 Clem. 13.2 ….….….…………………139
4.6 1 Clement 13.2, Oral Tradition, and Orality in Antiquity …..…..146
4.7 Conclusions ….…………………………………………………...149
Chapter 5: The Explicit Appeal to Jesus Tradition in
Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians, 2.3 ………………………..151
5.1 Introduction ….….….….…………………………………………151
5.2 The Date of Polycarp’s Letter ….………………………………..153
5.3 Poly. Phil. 2.3 in Relation to its Parallels ….……………………158
5.4 Assessing Where We Stand ….…….….…………………………173
Chapter 6: Seeking Consistency:
Looking for Indicators of Orality in 1 Clement 46.7b–8 …...…176
6.1 Introduction ….….….….…………………………………………176
6.2 The Relationship of 1 Clem. 46.8 to its Gospel Parallels ….……179
6.2.1 The Structure and Components of 1 Clem. 46.8
and its Parallels ….….….….……………………………………179
6.2.2 The Order and Wording of the Gospel Parallels
to 1 Clem. 46.8 ….………………………………………………182
6.2.3 Seeking the Redactional Footprints of the Evangelists …...191
6.3 1 Clement 46.8, Oral Tradition, and Orality in Antiquity ….…...195
Chapter 7: Liturgical Tradition in the Didache:
The Lord’s Prayer in Did. 8.2 ….….….…...………………………..201
7.1 Introduction ….….….….…………………………………………201
7.2 The Didache and the Gospels ….….….….………………………203
7.2.1 C. M. Tuckett and Jesus Tradition in the Didache ….…….204
7.2.2 A Critique of C. M. Tuckett’s Approach ….….….….…….206
7.2.2.1 The Didache and the Gospel of Luke ….….….….….206
7.2.2.2 The Didache and the Gospel of Matthew ….….….…207
7.2.2.3 The Didache and Oral Tradition ….….………………213
7.2.2.4 Conclusion ….….….….………………………………216
7.3 The Lord’s Prayer in the Didache ….……………………………218
7.4 Conclusion ….….…………………………………………………224
Chapter 8: Three Isolated Sayings from the Jesus Tradition …226
8.1 Introduction ….….….….…………………………………………226
8.2 Didache 9.5 ….….….….…………………………………………227
8.3 Ignatius, Letter to the Smyrneans, 3.2a ….….….….…………….229
8.4 Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians, 7.2c ….….….……………232
8.5 Conclusions …..…….….…………………………………………237
Chapter 9: “Another Scripture Says …”:
Jesus Tradition in 2 Clement ….….….….….….……………………239
9.1 Introduction ….….….….…………………………………………239
9.2 The Jesus Tradition in 2 Clement in Relation to its Parallels .…..240
9.2.1 2 Clement 2.4 ………………………………………………240
9.2.2 2 Clement 3.2 ….….….….…………………………………242
9.2.3 2 Clement 4.2, 5 ….….….….………………………………244
9.2.4 2 Clement 5.2–4 ….….….….….….….….…………………248
9.2.5 2 Clement 6.1–2 ….….….….………………………………251
9.2.6 2 Clement 8.5 ….….….….…………………………………254
9.2.7 2 Clement 9.11 ……………..………………………………257
9.2.8 2 Clement 12.2, 6 ……………..……………………………261
9.2.9 2 Clement 13.4 ……….….…………………………………266
9.3 Assessing the Evidence from the Jesus Sayings in 2 Clement ….269
9.4 The Sources of Jesus Tradition in 2 Clement: Written or Oral? ...274
9.5 Conclusions ….….….….…………………………………………276
Chapter 10: Conclusions …………….………………………………278
10.1 Oral-Traditional Sources in the Apostolic Fathers ….…………278
10.2 Characteristics of Oral Tradition in the Apostolic Fathers ..…...280
10.3 Impact upon Larger Issues ….….….……………………………283
Appendix: The Fragments of Papias ….….….….….……………………285
Fragment 1.1b–5 (Iren. Adv. Haer. 5.33.3–4) …………….…………286
Fragment 13.2 (George Hamartolos, Chronicon) ….….….….….…..291
Bibliography ….….….……………………………………………………295
Index of Ancient Sources ….….….………………………………………349
Index of Modern Authors ….….…………………………………………360
Index of Subjects ….….….….……………………………………………367