What grade would a history teacher give the book of Matthew?

[TruthSeeker1]

If a history teacher were to read the book of "Matthew" and give it a grade based on how accurate a description the author gives of historical events, what kind of grade would the author get?

The author of "Matthew" didn't put his name on the book, or identify himself to his readers. In many cases a book will get a failing grade if it is turned in without a name on it as it is hard to challenge an author's claims when he doesn't identify himself.
Just about 90% of the words in "Matthew" come straight from a book written earlier, the book of "Mark". The author of "Matthew", whomever that might be, doesn't tell his readers that most of the material which he has written came from another's work. In most cases this will be enough to give a failing grade because of the problem with plagiarizing another person's work.

Much of what the author of "Matthew" writes about can't be collaborated with any other materials that were written during this time period. From Herod's supposed killing of the infants, to dead saints rising from graves and walking into Jerusalem, we just cannot corroborate significant events that the author of "Matthew" speaks about.

The author of "Matthew" doesn't name any of his sources. Just where did this author get his information? Other writers in this time period identified sources, so why not the author of "Matthew"? How would someone back then been able to evaluate the information that the author provides if there are not any sources for the information contained in "Matthew"?

Lastly, the author of "Matthew" doesn't tell his readers that the events written about are literal historic events. How do any readers of "Matthew" know that they are supposed to be taking the events described as being literal history if the author doesn't identify the events as such?

Just what kind of grade would a history teacher give the book of Matthew? Should not a book that is purported to be divinely inspired be expected to receive at least a passing grade. Would the book of "Matthew" receive one?

[Confused]

Unless recent opinion has changed, I think Matthew would get a failing grade based on plagiarism alone. Was it not Mark who first wrote and then Luke and Matthew used his writings for their own template without referencing Mark in the bibliography?

[TruthSeeker1]

Unless recent opinion has changed, I think Matthew would get a failing grade based on plagiarism alone. Was it not Mark who first wrote and then Luke and Matthew used his writings for their own template without referencing Mark in the bibliography?

I agree. The fact that the author of Matthew copied another person's work without making note of it would indeed lead to a failing grade.

Some will argue that this type of writing was common with historical documents. However, shouldn't we expect that a divinely inspired text would have anything but "common" attributes when compared to other writings of this time?

[Confused]

Unless recent opinion has changed, I think Matthew would get a failing grade based on plagiarism alone. Was it not Mark who first wrote and then Luke and Matthew used his writings for their own template without referencing Mark in the bibliography?

I agree. The fact that the author of Matthew copied another person's work without making note of it would indeed lead to a failing grade.

Some will argue that this type of writing was common with historical documents. However, shouldn't we expect that a divinely inspired text would have anything but "common" attributes when compared to other writings of this time?

It is still an automatic failure.

It appears to me that the point of so many people writing the same thing is for the fallacy that the more people who write, the more true it is. They screwed up when the wrote so many inconsistencies. Instead, they should have just copied it verbatim, then we wouldn't have so many issue to deal with.

Personally, I think that if it is a divine text, then it should have been written by the one who was divine. Then we wouldn't have any confusion (well, except for me since I cant seem to get out of this circular hell).

[McCulloch]

They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: [center]AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"[/center]

[center]But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity." [/center]

Lose five marks for misquoting and another five for quoting out of context.

and came and lived in a city called Nazareth This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Lose 10 marks for making an unverifiable claim. Where does the prophets say this?

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,[center]'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU';
and
'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"[/center]
Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."
Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

"You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.

"You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.

Lose one mark for slight misquote. Lose 3 marks for geographic impossibility. You cannot see all of the kingdoms of the world and their glory from any high mountain, unless the world is flat. The metaphoric usage here should be more explicit.

[Confused]

They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: [center]AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"[/center]

[center]But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity." [/center]

Lose five marks for misquoting and another five for quoting out of context.

and came and lived in a city called Nazareth This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Lose 10 marks for making an unverifiable claim. Where does the prophets say this?

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,[center]'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU';
and
'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"[/center]
Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."
Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

"You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.

"You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.

Lose one mark for slight misquote. Lose 3 marks for geographic impossibility. You cannot see all of the kingdoms of the world and their glory from any high mountain, unless the world is flat. The metaphoric usage here should be more explicit.

So your overall grade is a 76?

[TruthSeeker1]

They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: [center]AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"[/center]

[center]But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity." [/center]

Lose five marks for misquoting and another five for quoting out of context.

and came and lived in a city called Nazareth This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Lose 10 marks for making an unverifiable claim. Where does the prophets say this?

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,[center]'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU';
and
'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"[/center]
Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."
Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

"You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.

"You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.

Lose one mark for slight misquote. Lose 3 marks for geographic impossibility. You cannot see all of the kingdoms of the world and their glory from any high mountain, unless the world is flat. The metaphoric usage here should be more explicit.

Very good analysis McCulloch, hard to argue with your findings. I wonder how a Christian feels about the fact that a fallible and wretched sinner like yourself has been able to find errors in God's supposed revealed word?

[McCulloch]

So your overall grade is a 76?

No, the marking is not yet complete. I only got through to chapter 4.

[Easyrider]

If a history teacher were to read the book of "Matthew" and give it a grade based on how accurate a description the author gives of historical events, what kind of grade would the author get?

The author of "Matthew" didn't put his name on the book, or identify himself to his readers. In many cases a book will get a failing grade if it is turned in without a name on it as it is hard to challenge an author's claims when he doesn't identify himself.

Just about 90% of the words in "Matthew" come straight from a book written earlier, the book of "Mark".

That's hardly been established. It's the "Q" Theory which has more problems than a math quiz, and which itself would get a failing grade..

Much of what the author of "Matthew" writes about can't be collaborated with any other materials that were written during this time period. From Herod's supposed killing of the infants, to dead saints rising from graves and walking into Jerusalem, we just cannot corroborate significant events that the author of "Matthew" speaks about.

Nor has it ever been disproven that Matthew isn't accurate.

The author of "Matthew" doesn't name any of his sources. Just where did this author get his information? Other writers in this time period identified sources, so why not the author of "Matthew"?

Who do you think he hung around with for 3 and 1/2 years? Jesus and the other disciples, and occasionally Mary, the mother of Jesus, and others.

In short, there's nothing in or about Matthew's Gospel that I've seen that discredits his authorship or the events he wrote about.

[Easyrider]

Unless recent opinion has changed, I think Matthew would get a failing grade based on plagiarism alone. Was it not Mark who first wrote and then Luke and Matthew used his writings for their own template without referencing Mark in the bibliography?

I agree. The fact that the author of Matthew copied another person's work without making note of it would indeed lead to a failing grade.

You've bought into a fallacy, that Matthew copied Mark.

Only if one were willfully ignorant of historical testimony could one conclude that.

The second-century writer Papias shares the following concerning Matthew:

"Matthew made an arrangement of the oracles in the Hebrew language, and each translated them as he was able..."

Were you familiar with Eusebius (who quotes Origen), you would know that "the first (Gospel) was written by Matthew...and was prepared for the converts from Judaism" (Ecclesiastical History, 6:25). There is also additional evidence that it was originally written in Hebrew. Eusebius quotes Papias as stating, “"Matthew put together the oracles in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could." Irenaeus wrote, "Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and laying the foundations of the church."

It appears to me that the point of so many people writing the same thing is for the fallacy that the more people who write, the more true it is. They screwed up when the wrote so many inconsistencies. Instead, they should have just copied it verbatim, then we wouldn't have so many issue to deal with.

Wait a second. You've already argued that Matthew copied Mark (which is a far-reaching theory as opposed to established fact), and now you say he should have copied Mark verbatim? In that case the skeptic's claim would be that Matthew never experienced anything he wrote about because he simply copied Mark.

Regarding "inconsistencies," that position, with no foundation, assumes the Gospels cannot possibly be complimentary. That seems to indicate an unwarranted bias is present, doesn't it?