SOCIETY FOR NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES MONOGRAPH SERIES General Editor: G.N. Stanton 61 WISDOM IN THE Q-TRADITION THE APHORISTIC TEACHING OF JESUS Wisdom in the Q-tradition The Aphoristic Teaching of Jesus RONALD A. PIPER Lecturer in New Testament Language and Literature University of St Andrews The right of the University of Cambridge to print and sell all manner of books was granted by Henry VIII in 1534. The University has printed and published continuously since 1584. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS CAMBRIDGE NEW YORK NEW ROCHELLE MELBOURNE SYDNEY PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK 40 West 20th Street, New York NY 10011-4211, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarcon 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa http://www.cambridge.org © Cambridge University Press 1989 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 1989 First paperback edition 2004 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress cataloguing in publication data Piper, Ronald A. (Ronald Allen), 1948- Wisdom in the Q-tradition: the aphoristic teaching of Jesus Ronald A. Piper. p. cm. - (Monograph series / Society for New Testament Studies: 61) Revision of thesis (doctoral) - University of London, 1986. Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 0 521 35293 2 hardback I. Jesus Christ - words. 2. Jesus Christ - Teachings. 3. Q hypothesis (Synoptics criticism) 4. Wisdom literature. 5. Bible. N.T. Gospels - Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title. II. Series: Monograph series (Society for New Testament Studies): 61. BT306.P46 1988 226'.066 - dcl9 88-10227 ISBN 0 521 35293 2 hardback ISBN 0 521 60942 9 paperback CONTENTS Preface page vii Abbreviations viii Introduction 1 1 Aphoristic wisdom and the New Testament era 4 2 Collections of aphoristic sayings in the double tradition 14 1 Introduction 14 2 Five double-tradition aphoristic collections with similar structure 15 Mt7:7-ll/Lk 11:9-13 15 Mt 6:25-33/Lk 12:22-31 24 Mt 7:1-5 (15:14; 10:24-5)/Lk 6:37-42 36 Mt 7:16-20; 12:33-35/Lk 6:43-5 44 Mt 10:26-33/Lk 1^2-9 51 Summary 61 3 Other collections with similar structure 77 Mt 5:44-8/Lk 6:27-36 78 Lk 16:9-13 86 Summary 99 3 The use of aphoristic sayings outside the aphoristic collections 100 1 Introduction 100 2 Isolated wisdom admonitions 102 Mt 6:19-21/Lk 12:33b-34 103 Mt 5:25-6/Lk 12:58-9 105 Mt 7:13-14/Lk 13:23-4 107 Other types of wisdom admonition 110 Summary and comparison 113 Contents vi 3 Isolated aphoristic sentences 119 Introduction 119 Aphorisms used to defend or validate Jesus' ministry 120 Mt 12:22-30/Lk 11:14-23 121 Mtll:7-19/Lk 7:24-35 124 Summary 126 Aphorisms used as general teaching for disciples 127 Mt 5:15, 6:22-3/Lk 11:33, 34-6 127 Mt5:13/Lk 14:34-5 130 Mt 10:24-25a/Lk 6:40 131 Mt 9:37-8/Lk 10:2 133 Mt 10:10b/Lk 10:7b 134 Summary and comparison 135 Aphorisms used in eschatological announcements 137 Mt24:28/Lk 17:37b 138 Mt3:10b/Lk3:9b 142 Mt25:29/Lk 19:26 144 Three 'future reversal' sayings 149 Summary 154 4 General summary of Chapter 3 155 4 The place of aphoristic wisdom in the sapiential traditions of the double tradition 161 Introduction 161 Divine Sophia in the double tradition 162 Mt ll:25-7/Lk 10:21-2 and access to revelation 170 The interaction of sapiential traditions in double-tradition material 173 Wisdom, revelation and eschatology 178 The bearers of the sapiential traditions 184 5 Conclusion 193 Appendix: Mk 8:34b-38 and Lk 14:26-35 197 Notes 203 Bibliography 277 Index 305 PREFACE One of the characteristics of logoi sophon ('sayings of the wise') is that they often are viewed less as the creation of individual figures than as the product of a cumulative tradition of learning. While this work is hardly to be compared to such logoi, it nevertheless shares the feature that much has been owed to many people during the process of its composition. In its present form, this study represents a revision of my doctoral dissertation, submitted to the University of London in January 1986. That dissertation was begun under the helpful guidance of Professor Christopher Evans and his successor, Professor Graham Stanton. As both supervisor and editor, Professor Stanton has been a continual encouragement to me, for which I am deeply grateful. The completion of that dissertation extended into my appointments as temporary lecturer in New Testament at the University of Aberdeen and as lecturer at the University of St Andrews. Many of my colleagues at both of these universities have aided me in important ways of which they may be only slightly aware. For perceptive criticisms and helpful suggestions during the period of revising the thesis for this monograph series, I owe particular thanks once again to Professor Stanton, and also to Professor David Catchpole, Professor J.L. Houlden and Dr Christopher Tuckett. While benefiting from their advice, I am of course solely responsible for the particular views which are expressed and for any deficiencies which may be found. I am also grateful to Ulrike Hellen and Dr Jennifer Fellows of Cambridge University Press for their editorial advice and to Miss E. A. Gilbertson for her kind help in reading the proofs. Finally, I must publicly acknowledge the patience and encourage- ment offered by my wife during the long, and seemingly unending, process of 'giving birth' to this work. vu ABBREVIATIONS For periodicals and serials, the abbreviations of the Theologische Realenzyklopddie (Berlin/New York, 1976) have been used. Abbrevi- ations for ancient documents, including the Bible, apocryphal and pseudepigraphal works, the early Christian Fathers and rabbinic writings, follow the system in James H. Charlesworth (ed.), The Old TestamentPseudepigrapha, I: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments (London, 1982), xliv-1, apart from minor variations which should be self-evident. The system of abbreviation used for the Dead Sea Scrolls follows Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls: Major Publications and Tools for Study(Missoula, Mont., 1977), pp. 1-53. For Nag Hammadi texts, see C. Tuckett, Nag Hammadi and the Gospel Tradition (Edinburgh, 1986), pp. 166-8. Some abbreviations which are not covered by the above sources include the following: BDF Blass, Friedrich, and Debrunner, Albert, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, trans. & ed. Robert W. Funk (Chicago/London, 1961) ET English Translation Hennecke- Hennecke, Edgar, New Testament Apocrypha, I: Schneemelcher Gospels and Related Writings; II: Writings Related to the Apostles, Apocalypses and Related Subjects, ed. W. Schneemelcher, ET by R. McL. Wilson (London, 1963-5) JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament log. logion NIGTC The New International Greek Testament Com- mentary (Exeter) n.s. new series vm Abbreviations ix SBL The Society of Biblical Literature (USA) Strack - Strack, Hermann L. and Billerbeck, Paul, Kommen- Billerbeck tar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud undMidrasch 4 vols. (Munich, 1922-8) TRE Theologische Realenzyklopddie (Berlin/New York)