Form Criticism

is a method that assumes

that the Bible had human

authors with different styles

of writing, who were free to

tell their story differently.

Fundamentalists are uncomfortable with what "Form Critics" are likely

to say, because the Basic Assumption of Fundamentalism is that the

Bible cannot be wrong or in error in any way, nor can one be mislead

while reading the Bible....and allowing the Bible authors freedom to

make their own choices as to what to write down seems at odds with

this ABSOLUTELY AND ALWAYS TRUE assumption!

That the 4 Gospels deal with what is obviously ONE STORY, the

"Temptation of Christ", in 4 different conflicting ways seems to show

the FORM CRITICS are right!

The Gospel of John begins its narr-

itive with John the Baptist, as does MARK, and

with Jesus's baptism by John the Baptist, but totally

leaves out "THE TEMPTATION"...Replacing it

with a WEDDING in three days, at Cana..[ch.2].

 The Gospel of Mark places Jesus in the

"wilderness" right after his baptism, traditionally at

the Jordan near the DEAD SEA .. MARK mentions NO

MOUNTAIN, nor any specific temptations! Mark 1:12-13

"And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wild-

erness...And he was there in the wilderness forty days,

tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and

the angels ministered unto him."

 

The Dead Sea

The Gospel of Luke

[who claims he "researched"

these stories..Luke 1:1-4]

gives specific temptations,

but in a different order than

Matthew's Gospel...Luke 4:

1-13 "led by the Spirit into the

wilderness" .."Being forty days tempt

-ed of the devil...did eat nothing..after

-ward hungered." 1) "Command this

stone that it be made bread." 2) "into

a high mountain, shewed unto him

all the kingdoms of the world in

a moment of time."

Luke 4:6 "And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of

them: for it is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will give it...7 If thou therefore

wilt worship me, all shall be thine." [Jesus refused, quoting a traditional Jewish

affirmation in ONE GOD.]..3) At the temple pinnacle, "cast thyself down"[verse. 9]

Matthew

uses a diff-

erent order,

and thereby, a

different empha

-sis...1) "stones"

not "a stone"......

[much bread]..2)

next..to the temple

where Jesus again

refuses to "tempt"

God..[Matt 4:5-7]

by leaping off....

3) The third [and last] place Matthew takes us his readers, and Jesus, is that same

high mountain [on the NEXT WEB-PAGE we will discover where it is], but in

Matthew's account Jesus doesn't see eveything that will happen in the world "in a

moment of time" as in Luke, nor does Satan claim that he, Satan, has the "power...

delivered to me," to give it to "whomsoever I will give it." [as in Luke].

In only TWO of the FOUR Gospels are specific temptations given, but Satan and

Jesus use the same Old Testament Bible Texts to carry on their "DIALOG".....

And that is what the Bible Critics will call this, a formal "Dialog" composed in Greek style

to promote certain Religious and Ethical principles, without any need for an actual EVENT

to have taken place!....There need not have been, in their opinion, any stay in the wilderness,

or if so, it need not have been 40 days...and of course, Satan himself need not have made an

actual appearance in person to this young ex-carpenter about to become a Preacher....

Perhaps more valid is that we can RATE each story as to the developement

of a doctrine of a "Personal Devil" [since Jews believed God didn't need one],

with John not sure, Mark not specific, and Matthew and Luke supporting

the Essene [and Persian] Good and Evil Dieties idea.

 We have seen on this page how a critical look at differences in the way the Gospel writers present a subject allows logic to help us discover things cursory reading [and most preachers] overlook. We're ready now to discover what really happened in a literal, historical way.

temptor3.htm............or, EXIT