Peter Kirby

You asked for it, you got it! Credit belongs primarily to Vorkosigan.

A. Mark 1:1-8. John the Baptist preaches Jesus.
B. Mark 1:9-11. Jesus is baptized and is proclaimed the son of God.
C. Mark 1:12-13. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness.
D. Mark 1:14-20. Jesus calls disciples.
E. Mark 1:21-28. Jesus defeats a demon; it knows his identity.
F. Mark 1:29-34. Peter's mother-in-law is raised and serves.
G. Mark 1:35-39. Jesus teaches with authority.
H. Mark 1:40-45. Leper healed, goes to temple (as Moses instructed).
I. Mark 1:46-4:20. Five conflict stories and a parable.
J. Mark 4:21-8:21. Jesus teaches in Galilee.
K. Mark 8:22-26. Jesus heals a blind man.
L. Mark 8:27-30. Jesus rebukes Peter.
M. Mark 8:31-10:34. Transfiguration. Jesus predicts his death.
L'. Mark 10:35-45. Jesus rebukes James and John.
K'. Mark 10:46-52. Jesus heals a blind man.
J'. Mark 11. Jesus teaches in Jerusalem.
I'. Mark 12:1-40. A parable and five conflict stories.
H'. Mark 12:41-44. Widow gives to Temple (as Moses instructed).
G'. Mark 13. Jesus teaches with authority.
F'. Mark 14:1-9. A woman serves Jesus by anointing him.
E'. Mark 14:10-25. Judas overcome by Satan. Jesus reveals his identity.
D'. Mark 14:26-31. Jesus predicts his disciples will desert him.
C'. Mark 14:32-72. Jesus is tempted and tried. Peter is tempted and denies.
B'. Mark 15. Jesus dies. Centruion declares him the Son of God.
A'. Mark 16. Disciples sent out to preach Jesus.

There it is. How do you like it?

best,
Peter Kirby

Vorkosigan

Looks wonderful! Definitely a good framework for discussion. I'll be back later today. Got undergrads to shepard from the Galilee of ignorance to the Jerusalem of test failure.

Haran

There is an interesting article in this month's Scientific American that seems indirectly relevant to the discussion of the existence of a grand chiasmic structure in Mark.

Turn Me On, Dead Man

Chris Weimer

I do see where you are going with this. Indeed, often I've done comparative analyses on linguistics especially on Hebrew and IndoEuropean (primarily Latin and Greek) and have noted many similarities, most likely most of them simply coincidental. Take Maskil (MSKYL) "teacher" the root being "SKL" to teach (and various related meanings, to ponder, to reflect, to consider, depending on pointings etc...). SKL. SKL. Hrm... Aha! School, from schola, from SXOLH. The only problem is that even though school and schola have meanings which relate to learning, schole in Greek means leisure.

http://neonostalgia.com/forum/index.php?topic=68

Patterns, patterns, patterns. Intentional? or not?

Zeichman

Nice job, Peter and Micheal!

I noticed that the center was not doubled. Care to comment on this?

JoeWallack

JW:
As Raul Jewlia said in the classic "Moon Over Parador", "Improvisation, I like it!". As Montgomery Burns would say, "Exxxcellent" summary of Peter, Peter.
So what we have here Luke, is a success to communicate. A simple fisherman gives an honest, straight-forward, no-tricks, eyewitness account by utilizing individual and group chiasms in a Contrived, Ironic and Sophisticated Way in a language he didn't speak and couldn't write. Truly this was/is/willbe? The Son of Providence. Hallelulah, Amun!

What I like best about your Contrived summary of "Mark's" Contrived summary is the Center/Pivot:

"M. Mark 8:31-10:34. Transfiguration. Jesus predicts his death."

Kevin Kline: What was the middle part?

JW:
I think "Mark" really did intentionally place it in the Middle as the related story is the Key to understanding what was "Mark's" primary point:

Here's the Introduction:

8: (NIV)
27 "Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."
29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "You are the Christ.
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him."

Note that when Jesus asks who he is the first answer is John the Baptist. Doesn't make sense from a historical standpoint. Why in God's Name would any first century Jew think that a dead John the Baptist had been resurrected as Jesus. It may make sense though if the Author is making a point through the use of Figurative language. Now on to...The Transfiguration! (James Caraville struck by Lighting and a Tornadoe destroying a Church in Goshen Alabama):

9: (NIV)
2 "After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus."

Again note that literal Transfigurations are not Historical. Is the author making a point that someone in his story is being Figuratively Transfigured into Jesus through Literay Device? Next!:

9: (NIV)
9 "As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.
11 And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
12 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."

Here is the Heart/Center of the story in my opinion and the Author's Primary point. The characters in The Story didn't realize that John the Baptist was Elijah because John was Unexpected. They had to be told after the supposed fact, that John the Baptist was Elijah. Even then, "Mark" in his subtle fashion, doesn't Explicitly identify John the Baptist as Elijah. You have to Figurative it out from the story. This is all intended though to Foreshadow/Type/Predict/Describe Jesus. Acording to the Author "The Jews" in The History didn't realize that Jesus was Messiah because Jesus was Unexpected. They had to be told after the supposed fact, that Jesus was Messiah.

If you go through "Mark" you'll see that most of the narrative regarding John the Baptist foreshadows the narrative of Jesus, especially:

6: (NIV)
14 "King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
15 Others said, "He is Elijah."
And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!"

Again, now why on Heaven or earth would historical first century Jews think that John the Baptist had been resurrected Allah Carte as Jesus or just another JB?

Interestingly, one thing "Mark's" JB did that JC didn't, as The Story stands, is Baptize. Could an unrightly dividing editor have exorcised Jesus baptizing because of the theological problem of Jesus baptizing in His Name before he had a name? Is this support for "Secret Mark" which does have Jesus baptizing as expected to follow John the Baptist? (Yuri, look out!).

So, I think Mark 9:13 is the Key to The Story:

"But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."

Ironically, this is perhaps the only Verse from Vorkosigan's Most Excellent Commentary on "Mark" that has no detailed analysis. I think some Editing would be appropriate. Now go to work Pal!



Joseph

STORY, n.
A narrative, commonly untrue. The truth of the stories here following has, however, not been successfully impeached

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Errors...yguid=68161660

http://hometown.aol.com/abdulreis/myhomepage/index.html

Peter Kirby

Sure. If I used a double center, I would get an F.

best,
Peter Kirby

Amaleq13

Peter,

Is there a reason you include Peter in C’? It seems to me that, if he is to be included at all, he qualifies for his own pairing:

C. Mark 1:12-13. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness.

Mark 1:16-18. Peter is called and follows.

C'. Mark 14:32-65. Jesus is tempted and tried.

Mark 14:66-72. Peter is tempted and denies.

What do you think?

judge

Well chiasms are part of "semitic" poetry.
Take a look at this one from Acts.



This is taken from Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet and Peasant: A Literary Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1976), pp. 65-66.

Vorkosigan

I see. That's scary.