Page 406 - ILIAS ATHANASIADIS AKA RO1

A prime example is the prohibition of divorce, which appears in the letters of
Paul and in two different forms in the Synoptic Gospels.

The short form, which is focused on remarriage after divorce, is found in

Matthew 5:31–32 and Luke 16:18. The long form, which is more absolute in
prohibiting divorce, appears in Matthew 19:1–12 and Mark 10:1–12.

Paul’s version (1 Corinthians 7:10–11) agrees most closely with the short

form.

Because of that excellent attestation, it is almost indisputable that Jesus
opposed divorce and especially remarriage after divorce, though study of the

five passages does not reveal precisely what he said.

A second test is “against the grain of the Gospels”: a passage that seems to be
contrary to one of the main themes or views expressed in one or more Gospels

is likely to be authentic because the early Christians were not likely to have
created material with which they disagreed.

Matthew’s depiction of John the Baptist is a good example. The author

apparently found it to be embarrassing that Jesus received John’s baptism of
repentance (why would Jesus have needed it?).

Thus, he has John protest against the baptism and claim that Jesus should
instead baptize him (Matthew 3:13–17; this objection is not in Mark or Luke).

Those verses in Matthew assume that John recognized Jesus as being greater
than he, but Matthew later shows John, in prison, sending a message to ask
Jesus whether he was “the one who is to come” (Matthew 11:2–6).

Those passages make it virtually certain that John baptized Jesus and highly
probable that John asked Jesus who he was. John’s protest against baptizing
Jesus appears to be Matthew’s creation.

In keeping those passages while, in effect, arguing against them, Matthew

validates the authenticity of the tradition that John baptized Jesus and later
enquired about his true identity