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Proclaimed Message or Proclamation of the Message?

A Critical Analysis of the Meaning of εὐαγγέλιον in the Letters of Paul and in the Gospel of Mark
  • Reimund Bieringer
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Receptions of Paul in Early Christianity
This chapter is in the book Receptions of Paul in Early Christianity

Abstract

This study undertakes a detailed analysis of the occurrences of εὐαγ- γέλιον in the undisputed letters of Paul and in the gospel of Mark, the texts where most of the New Testament instances are found. The focus is on the question whether εὐαγγέλιον refers to the proclamation of the message or the (proclaimed) message. In the letters of Paul these two meanings occur side by side with almost equal frequency. Both meanings also occur in Mark, but not in Matthew. In our reading, Paul uses εὐαγγέλιον in the terminological sense and is the only one in the New Testament who uses the noun sometimes in the absolute sense, without explicit or implicit modifiers. Mark is the only evangelist who gives a prominent place to εὐαγγέλιον as the primary qualification of his entire “gospel” and as the characterization of Jesus’ entire earthly ministry. Matthew changed this prominent place of εὐαγγέλιον, removed it in some places in his redaction of the Markan text or moved it to another place. In Luke the noun εὐαγγέλιον is completely absent. On the basis of these observations we reach the conclusion that Mark’s use of εὐαγγέλιον was influenced (directly or indirectly) by the letters of Paul but not without Mark’s creative redactional reworking.

Abstract

This study undertakes a detailed analysis of the occurrences of εὐαγ- γέλιον in the undisputed letters of Paul and in the gospel of Mark, the texts where most of the New Testament instances are found. The focus is on the question whether εὐαγγέλιον refers to the proclamation of the message or the (proclaimed) message. In the letters of Paul these two meanings occur side by side with almost equal frequency. Both meanings also occur in Mark, but not in Matthew. In our reading, Paul uses εὐαγγέλιον in the terminological sense and is the only one in the New Testament who uses the noun sometimes in the absolute sense, without explicit or implicit modifiers. Mark is the only evangelist who gives a prominent place to εὐαγγέλιον as the primary qualification of his entire “gospel” and as the characterization of Jesus’ entire earthly ministry. Matthew changed this prominent place of εὐαγγέλιον, removed it in some places in his redaction of the Markan text or moved it to another place. In Luke the noun εὐαγγέλιον is completely absent. On the basis of these observations we reach the conclusion that Mark’s use of εὐαγγέλιον was influenced (directly or indirectly) by the letters of Paul but not without Mark’s creative redactional reworking.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Preface IX
  4. I Prolegomena
  5. Introduction 3
  6. Paulus im ältesten Christentum 23
  7. II The Reception of the Pauline “Gospel” in EarlyChristianity
  8. Proclaimed Message or Proclamation of the Message? 61
  9. Lorsque Paul parle d’Evangile dans lapremière lettre aux Corinthiens 89
  10. III (Auto-)Biographical Receptions of Paul
  11. Das Selbstverständnis des Paulus als Apostel 115
  12. Biographie und Rhetorik 143
  13. Die Akten des Paulus und der Thekla als biographische Paulusrezeption 175
  14. The Conversion of Paul: A New Perspective (Epistula Apostolorum 31–33) 195
  15. IV Paul and his Work: Sociological and EconomicEffects
  16. Pauline Assemblies and Graeco-Roman Associations 215
  17. Zwischen Elend und Elite 249
  18. V Theological Receptions of Paul
  19. Der Kolosserbrief als ethischer Text –zugleich ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte derPaulusrezeption 289
  20. Paulus als Ökumeniker 317
  21. „Dies ist die geistige Auferstehung“ 355
  22. The Ecclesiology of 2 Clement 14 377
  23. VI Literary (Epistolary and Narrative) Receptionsof Paul
  24. Paul et la mémoire lucanienne des Origines 411
  25. Der 2. Thessalonicherbrief im Verhältnis zum 1. Thessalonicherbrief 443
  26. Hébreux et la tradition paulinienne 461
  27. VII Pauline Reception as Pauline Tradition
  28. Paulustradition und Paulusrezeption in den Pastoralbriefen 487
  29. La tradition paulinienne dans les lettres d’Ignace 519
  30. VIII Paul as an Authoritative Figure in EarlyChristianity
  31. Paul, Clement and the Corinthians 555
  32. Apocalipsis Pauli/Visio Pauli – Warum eigentlich Paulus? 579
  33. Apostolic Authority and Women in Second-Century Christianity 607
  34. Pauline Reception in Valentinian and Basilidian Gnosis 623
  35. IX Anti-Paulinism and Conflicts about Paul in EarlyChristianity
  36. Kreuzfeuer 647
  37. Antipauliner oder Zeugen eines nichtpaulinischen Christentums? 675
  38. La construction de l’homme ennemi ou l’anti-paulinisme dans le corpus pseudo-clément 729
  39. X Constructing the “Canonical” Paul
  40. Ungetrennt und Unvermischt? 751
  41. Marcion and the Canonical Paul 779
  42. Sammlungen der Paulusbriefe und die Entstehung des neutestamentlichen Kanons 799
  43. XI Pauline Reception: Archeological and EpigraphicEvidence
  44. Epigraphic Evidence for the Impact of Paul in Central Asia Minor 825
  45. List of Contributors 839
  46. Index of Ancient Sources 841
  47. Index of Modern Authors 896
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110533781-004

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Preface IX
  4. I Prolegomena
  5. Introduction 3
  6. Paulus im ältesten Christentum 23
  7. II The Reception of the Pauline “Gospel” in EarlyChristianity
  8. Proclaimed Message or Proclamation of the Message? 61
  9. Lorsque Paul parle d’Evangile dans lapremière lettre aux Corinthiens 89
  10. III (Auto-)Biographical Receptions of Paul
  11. Das Selbstverständnis des Paulus als Apostel 115
  12. Biographie und Rhetorik 143
  13. Die Akten des Paulus und der Thekla als biographische Paulusrezeption 175
  14. The Conversion of Paul: A New Perspective (Epistula Apostolorum 31–33) 195
  15. IV Paul and his Work: Sociological and EconomicEffects
  16. Pauline Assemblies and Graeco-Roman Associations 215
  17. Zwischen Elend und Elite 249
  18. V Theological Receptions of Paul
  19. Der Kolosserbrief als ethischer Text –zugleich ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte derPaulusrezeption 289
  20. Paulus als Ökumeniker 317
  21. „Dies ist die geistige Auferstehung“ 355
  22. The Ecclesiology of 2 Clement 14 377
  23. VI Literary (Epistolary and Narrative) Receptionsof Paul
  24. Paul et la mémoire lucanienne des Origines 411
  25. Der 2. Thessalonicherbrief im Verhältnis zum 1. Thessalonicherbrief 443
  26. Hébreux et la tradition paulinienne 461
  27. VII Pauline Reception as Pauline Tradition
  28. Paulustradition und Paulusrezeption in den Pastoralbriefen 487
  29. La tradition paulinienne dans les lettres d’Ignace 519
  30. VIII Paul as an Authoritative Figure in EarlyChristianity
  31. Paul, Clement and the Corinthians 555
  32. Apocalipsis Pauli/Visio Pauli – Warum eigentlich Paulus? 579
  33. Apostolic Authority and Women in Second-Century Christianity 607
  34. Pauline Reception in Valentinian and Basilidian Gnosis 623
  35. IX Anti-Paulinism and Conflicts about Paul in EarlyChristianity
  36. Kreuzfeuer 647
  37. Antipauliner oder Zeugen eines nichtpaulinischen Christentums? 675
  38. La construction de l’homme ennemi ou l’anti-paulinisme dans le corpus pseudo-clément 729
  39. X Constructing the “Canonical” Paul
  40. Ungetrennt und Unvermischt? 751
  41. Marcion and the Canonical Paul 779
  42. Sammlungen der Paulusbriefe und die Entstehung des neutestamentlichen Kanons 799
  43. XI Pauline Reception: Archeological and EpigraphicEvidence
  44. Epigraphic Evidence for the Impact of Paul in Central Asia Minor 825
  45. List of Contributors 839
  46. Index of Ancient Sources 841
  47. Index of Modern Authors 896
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