aa5874

When I read the geneaology of Jesus in Luke, it appears to be an interpolation.

The genealogy is found in Luke ch3 from verse 23 to the end, however the verses before the genealogy and after seem to flow without interruption.

If Luke 3:21-22 and Luke 4:1 is read, the continuity is striking. The passages read as follows; (v21-22), 'Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus was also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (ch4-1) And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the spirit into the wilderness.'

Has there been any research or study into the possible interpolation of the geneaology found in Luke?

spin

It is an interpolation. If you look at Mk 1:9-13 or Mt 3:13-4:10 you'll find the same continuity that you found when you removed the genealogy from Luke. However, the question should be asked, is it an interpolation by the Lucan writer(s) when he/they redacted the Marcan text or the efforts of a later scribe? There is so much material that has arrived in Luke neither from Mark nor the source that Matt apparently used, so the interpolation cannot be unequivocably asserted to be either by the Lucan redaction or later, but it seems likely that, as it doesn't have much theological content (other than to connect the messiah to David, which could be done more economically) and as much of the work has grown through such inclusions, it was probably done in the redaction stages of the work.


spin