Fishers of Men Account(s) - Mark 1:16-20 Compared to Luke 5:1-11

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Ed Walsh

Puritan Board Senior
Greetings,

I have concluded (though I hope I am teachable) that the two accounts were not reporting of the same event.

Here are three things for you to consider which were part of an email communication I had with the person who differed from me.
  1. The opposition I experienced from a minister with a doctorate in the Old Testament. This is the email I sent as a followup of the study on Luke's gospel.
  2. Summary Thoughts on my Conclusion.
  3. Attached PDF of my full communication including 11 commentary quotations from various persuasions that either agrees with me or at least consider it a possibility.
I would appreciate your input.

Thanks in advance,

Ed

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1. The email I sent:

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Good morning [name],

By the manner in which you questioned me on my theory that Mark and Luke were separate events, I can only assume that sometime in your studies you wrestled with these accounts and concluded that they were the same event told in different ways by the two authors. You questioned my assumptions one after another without giving me an opportunity to respond. And I respect that in a man who is convinced that what I was saying was wrong. I'll admit that I was a bit shaken and did not fully recover the rest of the evening and therefore was not at all pleased with my performance after that.

The attached PDF is some of the thought processes that I went through in coming to my conclusion about the two reports. I just wanted you to know that I do think a lot about the things I share in the small group.

Thanks for allowing me to lead the group studies. It means a lot.

Sincerely,


Ed

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2. Summary Thoughts on my Conclusion.

Through the years I have tried to harmonize the parallel accounts in the Synoptics, including John where applicable. In some cases, it is possible that some or even all the phrases in the reports could all be accurate. Example: The different wording of the superscription Pilot put on the cross in Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19 could all be accurate since the phrases were in Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew. Being fully aware that this harmonization method is not the widely accepted resolution, and, I agree there are places where one must conclude that the authors, using their own words, reported the events differently–adding, removing and rephrasing elements of their reports as they (and the Holy Spirit) saw fit. However, regarding the account under discussion, I have been pretty well persuaded that the differences and contradictions are too significant to be reporting the same event. This conclusion is indeed a minority view–but not so small a minority as to compel agreement with the majority. The minority opinion leads one to believe that the account goes too far in a direction that would force one to rethink the way God has authored and preserved his Word. I could be convinced otherwise but would have to adjust my view of Scripture a bit. And, I am getting kind of old for that. :)

PS – One thing the Bible has taught me about majority views is–They are NEVER right.[1] Why we should hold in such high regard that which God scorns is a mystery to me.
[1] Except Acts 15 and a few places in the NT.

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3. Please download the PDF I uploaded or click on the link below to download.
Comments on Fishers of Men.pdf
 

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