rlogan

Been over at the other ARK thread and looking over the "Korean" paper on the Ark structural safety.

Generally, yes - I see your point. So I've made these mistakes:

1) Thinking that both the authors and intended audience had sufficient grey matter in the medula oblongata and frontal lobe regions.

2) Underestimating the power of delusion for the "good fight"

I am becoming very cynnical though, NOGO. Yes, it is a LIE when you do not tell the truth in order to gain converts. This tradition is as old as the Bible itself, obviously. There is just to much of it to excuse though. If it were just the Ark, or a line here and there one could shrug it off. But when it is one big integrated system of lies...



Yes, spenser - no last digit in "pi".

NOGO

I believe that they do have enough grey matter; the problem is that they refuse to use it... at least when it comes to religion and faith.

I compare it to when I was madly in love with this girl and everyone told me that she was not for me. I refuse to believe them. I did not see all the signs that were right there in front of my nose. Nothing to do with grey matter.

rlogan

Yes. I understand completely. You needed someone who was happy that nothing she said was right.

I eagerly await your next parsing correction.

Bernard Muller

I do not think anyone believe Mt was written by a "real Matthew"--disciple of Junior if any such existed. However, Mt does tend to be traditionally--even today--described as the writer for the more "Jewish" followers.

I have not been convinced by this. He makes too many mistakes--such as you noted. Perhaps the author--whom we just call "Matthew" for the sake of argument--tried to research Jewishness and just did not do a perfect job of it.

--J.D.

"Matthew" was certainly a Jew, but that does not mean he had to be an OT expert. Most Jews are not, more so that in Antiquity, it was difficult to handle the scrolls (no verses, no chapters, no reference books, no word search, etc.).
It looks that "Matthew" was only an amateur, regarding the old scriptures. And he stretched the envelop a lot, because he was so intent to have Jesus fulfill many OT items & prophecies.
He appears to be operating from a city of Syria and be a "money man". He was also a Judaizer of some sort, trying to get the strictly Gentile Christians to be more like God fearers, that is Jews except for the circumcision.

Most of the mistakes are in the first two chapters. Later, "Matthew" is consistently correcting GMark mistakes. The mistake about Jesus riding two animals at once, can be explained by "Matthew" finding the passage (Zec9:9) that "Mark" used for Mk11:1-9, read it in such a way he thought two animals were involved (I do not know about the LXX, but the Hebrew of Zec9:9 can give that impression), then depart from GMark and follow closely his "reading" of the prophecy. Because he was writing the gospel in secret, no advices were requested from rabbis ("Matthew", as a Jewish Christian, acknowledged their expertise but hated them!).
For the list from David to Jeconiah, "Matthew" must have known about "Ezra" (& maybe others) skipping innocently some ancestors, for no apparent reason other than reducing the list of names. "Matthew" did the same, but for an obvious purpose, to have the magical fourteen, which is agenda-driven & dishonest. That's what I think anyway.

Best regards, Bernard

PS: I studied the coloring of "Matthew" on my website, more so in HJ-3a and Parables 2.

Doctor X

I was refering more to his mistakes in characterizations of Jews--such as perpetuating the Markan myth of Pharisees and Saducees having some sort of political power. Of course, if he was a "converted Jew," Mt may very well have had a great deal of distaste for "those who did not see" in the past . . . and who was going to make the Romans "the scapegoat!"

If Mt was a relatively young man--grew up after the fall of Jerusalem--he may not have had any idea how the Pharisees, et cetera actually behaved.

Why I love speculation. . . .

--J.D.

NOGO

The word "next" implies that a parsing correction was offered in the past. If that is what you wish to believe you can eagerly await all that you want.

rlogan

Q.E.D.

Can't help yourself, can you?

NOGO

... And again.

Obviously you must find this amusing.

Enjoy!