Q 9:13

Week 3:  Social Backgrounds and Historical Criticisms

Why students ought to start researching now.
"Then by the time it gets to crunch time, it won't be so... crunchy."

Referencing the account of Jesus healing the 10 lepers - only one of whom (and a Samaritan, at that) came back to express gratitude.
"There is no word [in certain languages/cultures] for 'thankfulness'.  Words are meaningless, in this sense.  The way you show what you call 'thanks' is by doing something.  Jesus uses this as an instance of grace: God cannot be paid back.  It is a clash of worldviews."

"We think words can just make things better - can make things go away."

In response to a student asking about the hermeneutics of GLBT Christians who claim the Bible as their authority:
"GLBT... is that... bacon, lettuce, tomato?"  --JOKE.

How far-right readers of Scripture are offended by wine in the Bible.
"People have turned exegetical somersaults to try to make the drink unfermented."

Accidentally skipped forward two slides:
"Pretend you saw nothing..."

"The phrase 'knock up your neighbor', which today means something completely different, was completely socially acceptable in that time!"

"Have you seen old locks?  Like in a museum or something?  They were essentially the same as locks today, just BIG!  And then they figured out how to do it real small."

"How are you envisioning loaves?  Wonderbread?"

"What would you do with leftover loaves?  It's either breakfast or... someone came at midnight."

"After Jesus healed him, He sent him off, not to go on the lecture circuit, but to present himself to the priests, follow the law and all that."

"For the rest of you, this is criticism-lite.  Like church-lite:  only 8 commandments, 10 minute sermon..."

On the far-right devotion to the KJV translation:
"It is the one, true, inspired translation.  That Paul wrote.  ...I exaggerate slightly."

On the Byzantine family of manuscripts (from which came the KJV translation)
"Don't we live in a democracy?  Can 80% of the manuscripts be lying?  Yes.  In numbering manuscripts, we don't count votes."

Drawing a diagram of the families of manuscripts on the board that looks something like a really hairy flowchart, he steps back and says:
"Boring."  And as he walks away and turns back to look at the diagrams, "Ohh!  Fireworks!"

"You've been reading in the footnotes, as you have in my book... or... the two or three of you who have and are asking questions, praise the Lord..."

"Counseling majors, please psychoanalyze me.  I get some sick, perverse pleasure from asking this question of my students before it is asked of me."

Asking why the Gospels are almost certainly literarily related - using similar sources, etc, one student points to Luke 1.  Blomberg's response:
"Imagine that.  The Bible tells us so."

Referring to the genre of quote-collecting as demonstrated by the hypothetical Q, and the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas:
"Today, we'd cut a CD and call it 'The Best of Jesus'."

"Someone from a different mindset, reading a newspaper headline: 'Sacred Heart Crushes Holy Family!' would respond, 'That's religious barbarism!' until he realizes the literary form.  Oh... it's a football game."

"...We'll discuss that at a later date.  Different Bat-time.  Same Bat-classroom."

"Jesus said... 'Wahwahwah wah wah,' as in the old cartoons..."

On Jesus' command to hate your father, mother, etc.
"I don't hear that coming from Focus on the Family..."

"I shouldn't have gone on for so long... time for three-and-three-quarters questions."

"Lots of questions?  Maybe that's what Q stands for..."

"We will do at least one useful thing per evening with these magical books." - The Synopsis of the Gospels.

"With your vertical trifocals, read down the column.  Forget about John."