Prophetic Rhetorolect in Matthew 12:1-8

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Prophetic Rhetorolect in Matthew 121-8

• Lecture by Vernon K. Robbins

Produced by Sam Bradford
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Prophetic Rhetorolect in Matthew 121-8

• Lecture by Vernon K. Robbins

Produced by Sam Bradford
NO AUDIO
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Review of Socio-Rhetorical Termsclick links to
explore Socio-Rhetorical terms

• Opening-Middle-Closing Texture
• SR online dictionary definition
• SR audio files
• Narrational Texture
• SR online dictionary definition
• SR audio files
• NO AUDIO

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Matthew 121-8FOR YOU TO READ, IF YOU WISH

• 1 At that time Jesus went through the
  grainfields on the sabbath his disciples were
  hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain
  and to eat.
• 2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him,
  Look, your disciples are doing what is not
  lawful to do on the sabbath.
• 3 He said to them, Have you not read what David
  did when he and his companions were hungry?
• 4 He entered the house of God and ate the bread
  of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him
  or his companions to eat, but only for the
  priests.
• NO AUDIO

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Matthew 121-8continuedFOR YOU TO READ, IF YOU
WISH

• 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the
  sabbath the priests in the temple break the
  sabbath and yet are guiltless?
• 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple
  is here.
• 7 But if you had known what this means, I
  desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not
  have condemned the guiltless.
• 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.
• NO AUDIO

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Matthew 151-14To provide a comparison between
wisdom and prophetic rhetorolects in MatthewFOR
YOU TO READ, IF YOU WISH

• 1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from
  Jerusalem and said,
• 2Why do your disciples break the tradition of
  the elders? For they do not wash their hands
  before they eat.
• 3He answered them, And why do you break the
  commandment of God for the sake of your
  tradition?
• 4For God said, Honor your father and your
  mother, and, Whoever speaks evil of father or
  mother must surely die.
• 5But you say that whoever tells father or mother,
  Whatever support you might have had from me is
  given to God, then that person need not honor
  the father.
• 6So, for the sake of your tradition, you make
  void the word of God.
• 7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about
  you when he said
• 8This people honors me with their lips,   but
  their hearts are far from me 9in vain do they
  worship me,   teaching human precepts as
  doctrines .
• NO AUDIO

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Matthew 151-14 continuedTo provide a comparison
between wisdom and prophetic rhetorolects in
MatthewFOR YOU TO READ, IF YOU WISH

• 10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to
  them, Listen and understand
• 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles
  a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth
  that defiles.
• 12Then the disciples approached and said to him,
  Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when
  they heard what you said?
• 13He answered, Every plant that my heavenly
  Father has not planted will be uprooted.
• 14Let them alone they are blind guides of the
  blind. And if one blind person guides another,
  both will fall into a pit.
• NO AUDIO

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Matthew 121-8 as Prophetic Discourse

• Large impact of Prophetic Rhetorolect on early
  Christian tradition
• Christians continue past traditions
• Matthew 12 is an example of Prophetic
  Rhetorolect, Matthew 15 is an example of Wisdom
  Rhetorolect

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Opening Middle Closing of Matthew 121-8
Middle I. 2 When the Pharisees saw it, they
said to him, Look, your disciples are doing what
is not lawful to do on the sabbath. II. 3 He
said to them, Have you not read what David did
when he and his companions were hungry? 4
He entered the house of God and ate the bread of
the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or
his companions to eat, but only for the priests.
III. 5 Or have you not read in the law that on
the sabbath the priests in the temple break the
sabbath and yet are guiltless? 6 I tell
you, something greater than the temple is here.
Closing 7 But if you had known what this means,
I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not
have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of
Man is lord of the sabbath.

• Opening
• 1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields
  on the sabbath his disciples were hungry, and
  they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

Narrational Texture

• Observations
• Opening is entirely Narrative
• Parts I and II of Middle have Narrative
  introduction
• OMC sections and subsections are open to
  interpretation

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Function of the Pharisees

• Part I of Middle
• 2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him,
  Look, your disciples are doing what is not
  lawful to do on the sabbath.
• Function of Pharisees is to find fault, accusing
  the disciples of breaking the sabbath
• Note Not in the form of a question

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Wisdom Questions vs. Prophetic Questions

• Question in Wisdom Rhetorolect ? seeking
  information, a genuine question
• Question in Prophetic Rhetorolect ? makes an
  accusation, accuses of wrong thought and behavior

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Examples of Prophetic and Wisdom Questions in
Galatians 3

• See Galatians 3
• 31 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched
  you?...
• 32 The only thing I want to know from you is
  this Did you receive the Spirit by doing works
  of the law or by believing what you heard?
• 33 Are you so foolish?...
• Prophetic questions
• Initial assertion ? You foolish Galatians!
• Thought connected with questions
• Accusation someone has bewitched you
• Questions in both Rhetorolects can include
  rhetorical questions, as a way for a teacher to
  continue
• 319 Why then the law? It was added because of
  transgressions, until the offspring would come to
  whom the promise had been made
• Genuine Question, Paul acts as a teacher
• Shift to Wisdom Rhetorolect, as early as verse 6

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How Jesus speaks to the Pharisees (1)

• Matthew 123 He said to them, Have you not read
  what David did when he and his companions were
  hungry?
• Implication ? the Pharisees have not read the law
• Not instructional
• PROPHETIC

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How Jesus speaks to the Pharisees (2)

• 124 He David entered the house of God and ate
  the bread of the Presence, which it was not
  lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only
  for the priests.
• Relation to Prophetic discourse people do not
  realize they are breaking the law, even though
  they appear to be righteous and proper.
• Also, what may appear to be improper may actually
  be proper
• Pharisees are supposed to be very familiar with
  the law
• Jesus functions in their domain, and has very
  skillful interpretation, as they do on their
  level, in their arena
• Jesus interprets from prophets in 1 Samuel 21

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How Jesus speaks to the Pharisees (3)

• Jesus interprets from prophets in 1 Samuel 21
• And also from Numbers, a book in the Torah ? the
  Pharisees primary text
• 125 Or have you not read in the law that on the
  sabbath the priests in the temple break the
  sabbath and yet are guiltless?
• Not supposed to work on the sabbath, but priests
  do ? work is not clear cut
• Three step process
• Pharisees accusing Jesus disciples of wrongdoing
• Jesus challenges Pharisees with Prophetic text
• Jesus challenges Pharisees with text from the
  Torah
• Jesus also quotes from Hosea, another prophetic
  book in verse 7
• But if you had known what this means, I desire
  mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have
  condemned the guiltless.
• Result Prophetic Discourse

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WELL DONE!!

• You have successfully completed the lesson on how
  Matthew 121-8 is an example of Prophetic
  Rhetorolect
• Have a great day!