21 And when Jesus had crossed over again in the boat unto the other side, a great multitude was gathered unto him; and he was by the sea.
22 And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he falleth at his feet,
23 and beseecheth him much, saying, My little daughter is at the point of death: , that thou come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be made whole, and live.
18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
The wording of the accompanying stories are so similar that the authors are clearly telling the same story. Yet "Mark's" version comes immediately after the Gerassic Pork story about the demoniac while "Matthew's" version has â Healing Of The Paralytic, The Call Of Levi and The Question About Fasting stories in between the Gerassic Pork and Jairus Daughter stories.
In the words of the god awful trilogy, Highlander, There can be only one! (historically accurate chronology). The issue of chronological contradictions is an important one because it's generally overlooked in amateur forums and therefore the average person has no conception it even exists. Therefore, I feel that I'm performing a valuable public service by helping to bring this issue to public attention.
Note that Gospel chronologies was an important criterion in Hawkins classic Horae Synopticae demonstrating it likely that GMark was first as the chronologies in GMatthew/GLuke never agree against GMark. The related style support, which I think is even better evidence of GMark priority, such as the near Jairus/Gerasa names connection here and similar themes in connecting narratives, either consecutively or in chiasms, was beyond Hawkins.
Again, just for the record, I think Papias "not in order" comment did not refer to GMatthew/GMark, but referred to Q.
Joseph
STORY, n.
A narrative, commonly untrue. The truth of the stories here following has, however, not been successfully impeached.
The Modern Novel, I think, would have something like Luke 9 as the starting point for the Properly Ordered NT - The Reader/Observer (Think Movie here) would have to wonder about what came before as well as what came after "The Man Setting his Face to Jerusalem".
Another starting point would be with Jairus. Why would this man throw himself at the "Jesus" character's feet and ask that he heal his daughter, who is or is quite near death? What is this "Laying on of Hands"? In another Thread currently On Site, it would be asked what the Audience Knowledge would be in order to understand this Scene.
It is discovered that the girl is 12 years old. What is the significance of this? What about "By the sea"?
Fitzmeyer thought that "Cushions scattered all around" were unnecessary and needless detail" in Mark. It is this Type of detail that makes Mark the important Text that it is. Compare, "Teacher, are we to drown FOR ALL YOU CARE?" with "Master, we are perishing!"
Mark has been not only "smoothed" but rewritten. The pointers to a different Story, a different Text have been scrubbed The Symbolic Story of the Priesthood has been hidden in favor of the story of a savior/god. Other "Objective Measures" are still there deep in the Text, as if the authors were not aware that there were such things (Jannaeus, the Passover of 8/9 CE, paired with the known deaths of the Caesars Galba, Otho and Vitellius. The Holy Spirit, etc.). The Romans knew what they were doing generally. In other places, not so much.
For me, the Double Story gives evidence that the Episode is Symbolic, not Actual. Jairus is the Prime Mover, not a "Jesus" savior/god. The woman has a "Twelve Year Issue of Blood". This LOOKS BACK to an event (as I have frequently stated) that occurred 12 years earlier. It is a Movement and it was nearly destroyed those 12 years ago [Edit Note: I identify this event as the Temple Slaughter of 4 BCE at the ascension of Archelaus] . There is one more Call to Glory and The Priest ( in the Original) accepts, knowing that he goes to his death. "12 years..." in both Stories in Mark has a specific Priestly meaning.
Again, look at Luke 9: "Ummm...I'd love to go with you to Jerusalem but I got this root canal surgery scheduled and I can't miss it, ya' know?..."
Everybody knows what is to happen, including the Priestly character.
2. For Joe --
One BIG Gospel Chronology Problem is the Cleansing of the Temple. In the Synoptics, it comes late. In John it come early and I believe that John is correct. I can expand on this if you would like but I would appreciate your comments on this one.
