Thanks. My question is more about what Mark thinks of the accusation that Jesus said he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. This exact prediction is placed only here in the gospel, and it is placed on the mouths of false witnesses. The saying in Mark 13.1-2 lacks anything about rebuilding the temple, and does not predict that Jesus himself will destroy it (or the Herodian buildings, or anything); furthermore, it is presented as a private conversation between Jesus and his disciples. The options for what Mark intends begin to multiply:andrewcriddle wrote:This blog post does-marks-jesus-prophesy-the-destruction-of-the-temple may possibly be relevant to Mark's views about Jesus and the temple.
- The accusation is false, and is a complete invention of the false witnesses.
- The accusation is false, and is a garbled overhearing of the conversation in 13.2 and/or 9.31 (both of which are presented as private conversations).
- The accusation is true, but the saying actually goes unnarrated in the gospel; furthermore, the saying is misunderstood (taken too literally).
- The accusation is true, but the saying actually goes unnarrated in the gospel; furthermore, the saying is understood correctly.
Crossan, IIRC, thinks that this saying had some currency amongst early Christians, and that each one interpreted it as best s/he could, so to speak. It goes in one direction in Matthew 26.61 and Mark 14.58, in another in John 2.19, in yet another in Acts 6.14, and in quite another again in Thomas 71. If this saying had currency amongst early Christians, then that would indicate some sort of tradition before Mark, one to which Mark is reacting. This would explain why the saying receives no introduction in Mark: the evangelist expects his readership to have already heard it, and he is simply putting it into what he believes to be its proper context (perhaps favoring #1 or possibly #2 above).
But I have not given this matter much thought for many years now, and am more than ready to hear different takes on it.
Ben.