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Introduction
Introductory Remarks
Jesusâ protest in the temple, referred to here simply as the temple incident, recorded by all four evangelists, can provide much insight for our understanding of Jesus, Judaism, and the relations between the two. It is perhaps for this reason that a host of interpreters have engaged this pericope for a very long time now with varying results. Treatments of this subject have appeared in monographs and journals, and many commentaries have unsurprisingly also taken it up at length.
Two observations can be made about most of these scholarly efforts. First, scholars have focused their attention mainly on the question of the probable motivation of the historical Jesus for his actions. Why did Jesus protest in the temple precincts? What was he protesting against? This focus has resulted in several varying, and often conflicting, proposals and conclusions. What seems clear, however, is that, insofar as the records of the evangelists are concerned, Jesus seemed to have had multiple purposes or motivations (though not of equal importance). So it seems that scholarly preoccupation on the probable motivation of the historical Jesus has had its run, and that it is time for a shift of focus.
Second, one such area that has not yet been sufficiently investigated is the narratival meaning or significance that the temple incident plays in the Gospels. Put differently, what significance has each evangelist sought to invest into the temple incident as he composed his respective Gospel? I am here using the word âsignificanceâ to mean meaning. Hence in this study the question âWhat is the significance of the temple incident according to John?â is equivalent to the question of the meaning of the incident within the narrative of Johnâs Gospel. The reason for this decision is apparent: âmeaningâ is itself a very fluid, ambiguous, and confusing word. So it is helpful here to define it by the word âsignificanceâ and to locate that within the whole of a given narrative itself.
It is now a general consensus that the evangelists were historians and theologians alike. Long gone is the assumption that the evangelists were disinteresred âcopy-pasteâ editors or collectors of first-century traditions. The evangelists composed their respective Gospel accounts with predetermined goals and emphases, which are accessible to us via the Gospel texts.
Aim and Objectives
The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the significance of the temple incident in each of the canonical Gospels. To achieve this, the following objectives will be pursued.
First, we will identify, state, and analyze the immediate and broader contexts of each Gospel. By broader contexts I mean the big picture of the Gospels, and in pursuit of that we need to touch on issues of probable authorship, dating, recipients, occasion of writing, purposes, emphases, and outline. Immediate contexts pertain to what immediately surrounds the temple incident pericope. For example, in the case of the Mattean temple incident (21:12â13), the immediate contexts include Jesusâ entry into Jerusalem (21:1â11) and his acts of healing in the temple (21:14â17).
Second, we will analyze the language and thought of the subject-pericope and express its main idea. Third, we will try to establish the connections of the main idea to the overall message and main emphasis of each Gospel. Finally, we will enunciate the meaning of the temple incident in the light of all of the above.
Central Argument
The central theoretical argument of this book is that the significance of the temple incident is established by each evangelist according to his literary and theological purposes. Therefore, its significance (âmeaningâ) varies from one evangelist to another.
The significance of the temple incident in Matthew is that it assists the readers to see Jesus as the prophesied Davidic Messiah who has authority over and concern for the temple. Jesus expresses that authority and concern not by cursing the temple but by clearing it of sellers and buyers, allowing the blind and the lame into the temple and healing them there, and receiving acclaim from children gathered in the temple precincts who acclaim him as the Son of David.
The significance of the temple incident in Mark is that it symbolizes Godâs sovereign and righteous judgment upon the temple for its apparent failure to produce fruits that God had desired. Jesusâ actionsâdriving out the sellers and buyers and the animals, overturning tables and chairs, and blockading the passage of goodsâmust be seen not as acts of cleansing but as symbolic of the dissolution of the temple as a result of Godâs judgment.
The significance of the incident in Luke lies in its balancing two realities about the temple: that it is under Godâs rightful judgment and that, nevertheless, it still serves as a venue for Jesusâ ministry of teaching and healing.
Finally, the significance of the incident in John lies in what it affirms about Johnâs view of Jesus as not only the ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of the world, but also as the new temple superseding the temple in Jerusalem.
Presuppositions and Methodology
The main methodology employed in this study is a variation of composition criticism. According to Randall Tan, composition criticism is a kind of redaction criticism that âlocates the patterns and emphases of the evangelists without systematically identifying or separating out redaction from tradition,â in contrast to another kind of redaction criticism that âlooks for the evangelistsâ theology in the redactional text after separating out redaction from tradition by means of source and form criticism.â Some works that have employed composition criticism are OâTooleâs study of Luke (1984) and Kingsburyâs study of Matthew (1975). More recent works include Willits (2007) and Hood (2011).
Specifically, composition criticism employed in this study will be characterized by the following. First, a focus on the work itself, that is, on the final text rather on the putative sources. The working presupposition is that âthe work itself, viewed vigorously and persistently in its entirety, becomes the primary context for interpreting any part of it.â Second,...