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Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

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FROM THE GOSPELS TO JESUS §8.1<br />

have cited it (1 Cor. 7.25; 14.37). 47 At <strong>the</strong> same time, <strong>the</strong>re are various echoes of<br />

Synoptic tradition <strong>in</strong> Paul's letters, 48 but none which he refers explicitly to <strong>Jesus</strong>;<br />

nor does he cite <strong>Jesus</strong>' authority to give <strong>the</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g more weight.<br />

Does this evidence suggest Paul's own lack of <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> 'remember<strong>in</strong>g'<br />

what <strong>Jesus</strong> said and that it was <strong>Jesus</strong> who said it? Those who argue for an affirmative<br />

answer seem to forget that <strong>the</strong> pattern we f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> Paul's letters is repeated elsewhere<br />

with<strong>in</strong> earliest <strong>Christianity</strong>, particularly <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> letters of James and 1 Peter. 49<br />

47. 1 Thess. 4.15-17 is also frequently taken as a deliberate citation of a <strong>Jesus</strong> say<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

though I doubt it (see my Theology of Paul 303-304).<br />

48. Arguably among <strong>the</strong> most strik<strong>in</strong>g are:<br />

Rom. 1.16 Mark 8.38/Luke 9.26<br />

Rom. 2.1/14.10 Luke 6.37/Matt. 7.1-2<br />

Rom. 8.15-17/Gal. 4.4-6 Abba<br />

Rom. 12.14 Luke 6.27-28/Matt. 5.44<br />

Rom. 12.17/1 Thess. 5.15 Matt. 5.39/Luke 6.29<br />

Rom. 12.18 Mark 9.50<br />

Rom. 13.7 Mark 12.17 pars.<br />

Rom. 13.9 Mark 12.31 pars.<br />

Rom. 14.13 Mark 9.42 pars.<br />

Rom. 14.14 Mark 7.15<br />

Rom. 14.17 k<strong>in</strong>gdom of God<br />

1 Cor. 2.7 Matt. 13.35<br />

1 Cor. 13.2 Matt. 17.20<br />

1 Thess. 5.2, 4 Matt. 24.43/Luke 12.39<br />

1 Thess. 5.13 Mark 9.50<br />

On <strong>the</strong> Romans passages see my Romans (WBC 38; Dallas: Word, 1988) ad loc; see also<br />

Koester, Ancient Christian Gospels 52-57; o<strong>the</strong>r bibliography <strong>in</strong> my Theology of Paul 182. On<br />

<strong>the</strong> possibility that Paul knew Q (material) see Allison, <strong>Jesus</strong> Tradition 54-60 (with fur<strong>the</strong>r bibliography).<br />

For Colossians see Col. 2.22 (Mark 7.7/Matt. 15.9); 3.13 (Matt. 6.12, 14-15; 18.23-<br />

35); 4.2 (Mark 13.35, 37; Matt. 24.42; 25.13).<br />

49. James 1.5<br />

2.5<br />

4.9<br />

4.10<br />

5.1<br />

5.2-3a<br />

5.12<br />

1 Peter 2.12b<br />

2.19-20<br />

3.9, 16<br />

3.14<br />

4.14<br />

Luke 11.9/Matt. 7.7<br />

Luke 6.20b/Matt. 5.3<br />

Luke 6.21b/Matt. 5.4<br />

Luke 14.1 I/Matt. 23.12<br />

Luke 6.24-25<br />

Matt. 6.20/Luke 12.33b<br />

Matt. 5.34-37<br />

Matt. 5.16b<br />

Luke 6.32-33/Matt. 5.46-47<br />

Luke 6.28/Matt. 5.44<br />

Matt. 5.10<br />

Luke 6.22/Matt. 5.11<br />

For convenience I follow Koester's analysis (Ancient Christian Gospels 63-75). We should also<br />

note that 1 John must have known and valued <strong>the</strong> Johann<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Jesus</strong> tradition; but we would hardly<br />

182

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