Obviously, the New Testament was edited and re-edited by different people to reach the form we read today.
A scholar named John Dominic Crossan argues that the original text ended with the Roman soldier staring at Jesus on the cross and all of the resurrection accounts were added by later authors.
http://unbound.biola.edu/
Mark 1:1
A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
Many of the oldest copies leave out "Son of God" and just say "A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ."
When the Emperor Augustus issued a proclamation, the common term was "good news." So the author here is saying this will be an official proclamation of good news about Jesus, who is also entitled to the title that Augustus used, "Son of God."
Kind of a gutsy claim, considering that Jesus died on a cross in agony.
Jump down to the end of the Gospel, after the trial:
Mark 15:29
And those passing by were speaking evil of him, shaking their heads, and saying, 'Ah, the thrower down of the sanctuary, and in three days the builder! save thyself, and come down from the cross!'
Mark 15:31
And in like manner also the chief priests, mocking with one another, with the scribes, said, 'Others he saved; himself he is not able to save.
Mark 15:32
The Christ! the king of Israel -- let him come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe;' and those crucified with him were reproaching him.
Mark 15:34
and at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a great voice, saying, 'Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?' which is, being interpreted, 'My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?'
Mark 15:37
And Jesus having uttered a loud cry, yielded the spirit,
Mark 15:39
and the centurion who was standing over-against him, having seen that, having so cried out, he yielded the spirit, said, 'Truly this man was Son of God.'
Mark 15:40
And there were also women afar off beholding, among whom was also Mary the Magdalene, and Mary of James the less, and of Joses, and Salome,
Crossan thinks the original Gospel ended at 15:39, with the centurion saying "Truly this man was Son of God." Because the text seems to make a jump into the next subject, but mostly because there is a parallel with the opening statement.
But think this one out. You're a Roman soldier on the burial detail. You have a quota of dead bodies to bury. Why would you single out one of the corpses and announce, "Truly this man was Son of God." ? What was there about the corpse that would inspire such a remark?
Seems like it was just invented to give suggestion that Romans present at the crucifixion thought Jesus was a good guy, because peter was making up a story to impress Christians in Rome.
A scholar named John Dominic Crossan argues that the original text ended with the Roman soldier staring at Jesus on the cross and all of the resurrection accounts were added by later authors.
http://unbound.biola.edu/
Mark 1:1
A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
Many of the oldest copies leave out "Son of God" and just say "A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ."
When the Emperor Augustus issued a proclamation, the common term was "good news." So the author here is saying this will be an official proclamation of good news about Jesus, who is also entitled to the title that Augustus used, "Son of God."
Kind of a gutsy claim, considering that Jesus died on a cross in agony.
Jump down to the end of the Gospel, after the trial:
Mark 15:29
And those passing by were speaking evil of him, shaking their heads, and saying, 'Ah, the thrower down of the sanctuary, and in three days the builder! save thyself, and come down from the cross!'
Mark 15:31
And in like manner also the chief priests, mocking with one another, with the scribes, said, 'Others he saved; himself he is not able to save.
Mark 15:32
The Christ! the king of Israel -- let him come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe;' and those crucified with him were reproaching him.
Mark 15:34
and at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a great voice, saying, 'Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?' which is, being interpreted, 'My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?'
Mark 15:37
And Jesus having uttered a loud cry, yielded the spirit,
Mark 15:39
and the centurion who was standing over-against him, having seen that, having so cried out, he yielded the spirit, said, 'Truly this man was Son of God.'
Mark 15:40
And there were also women afar off beholding, among whom was also Mary the Magdalene, and Mary of James the less, and of Joses, and Salome,
Crossan thinks the original Gospel ended at 15:39, with the centurion saying "Truly this man was Son of God." Because the text seems to make a jump into the next subject, but mostly because there is a parallel with the opening statement.
But think this one out. You're a Roman soldier on the burial detail. You have a quota of dead bodies to bury. Why would you single out one of the corpses and announce, "Truly this man was Son of God." ? What was there about the corpse that would inspire such a remark?
Seems like it was just invented to give suggestion that Romans present at the crucifixion thought Jesus was a good guy, because peter was making up a story to impress Christians in Rome.
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