THE GOSPEL OF ME - FOUND AGAIN!

the chosen herald of the “glad tidings”- Catholic Encyclopedia writes “The prevailing view at the present among Protestant scholars and not a few Catholics, in America and England as well as in Germany, is that St. Mark's Gospel is prior to St. Matthew's, and used in it as well as in St. Luke's. Thus Gigot writes: "The Gospel according to Mark was written first and utilized by the other two Synoptics" ("The New York Review", Sept.-Dec., 1907). So too Bacon, Yale Divinity School: "It appears that the narrative material of Matthew is simply that of Mark transferred to form a framework for the masses of discourse" . . . "We find here positive proof of dependence by our Matthew on our Mark" (Introd. to the N.T., 1905, 186-89). Allen, art. "Matthew" in "The International Critical Commentary", speaks of the priority of the Second to the other two Synoptic Gospels as "the one solid result of literary criticism"; and Burkitt in "The Gospel History" (1907), 37, writes: "We are bound to conclude that Mark contains the whole of a document which Matthew and Luke have independently used, and, further, that Mark contains very little else beside. This conclusion is extremely important; it is the one solid contribution made by the scholarship of the nineteenth century towards the solution of the Synoptic Problem". See also Hawkins, "Horæ Synopt." (1899), 122; Salmond in Hast., "Dict. of the Bible", III, 261; Plummer, "Gospel of Matthew" (1909), p. xi; Stanton, "The Gospels as Historical Documents" (1909), 30-37; Jackson, "Cambridge Biblical Essays" (1909), 455.” Pope Shenouda III spokesperson of the Coptic Church and occupier of the throne of St. Mark simply writes “The first gospel which was written, was the gospel of St. mark. It was written in Rome or in Alexandria for the people of Rome. All the scholars of Biblical studies say that it was written about the year 56. The second written gospel is the gospel of St. Matthew …”

people corrupting my holy word -Tertullian Against Marcion 4:4 “I say that my Gospel is the true one; Marcion, that his is. I affirm that Marcion's Gospel is adulterated; Marcion, that mine is.”

the basest of heretics - Ibid “Marcion, himself once believed [in the doctrine of the Church] when in the first warmth of faith he contributed money to the Catholic church, which along with himself was afterwards rejected when he fell away from our truth into his own heresy.”

we heretics are forced to appear as wild men - Ibid 1:1 “[the Marqionites] have no fixed abode; their life has no germ of civilization.”

[heretics] forced to live in the wilderness - Origen Contra Celsus 8:49 [writing of the position which Jews and Christians found themselves c. 138 A.D. “"if all were to do the same as you, you surely do not say that if the Romans were, in compliance with your wish, to neglect their customary duties to gods and men, and were to worship the Most High, or whatever you please to call him, that he will come down and fight for them, so that they shall need no other help than his. For this same God, as yourselves say, promised of old this and much more to those who served him, and see in what way he has helped them and you! They, in place of being masters of the whole world, are left with not so much as a patch of ground or a home; and as for you, if any of you transgresses even in secret, he is sought out and punished with death."

[heretics] hide from the eyes of the Imperial intelligence services - Ibid Book 1:1 “Celsus brings forward, in his desire to throw discredit upon Christianity, is, that the Christians entered into secret associations with each other contrary to law, saying, that "of associations some are public, and that these are in accordance with the laws; others, again, secret, and maintained in violation of the laws." See also much of Book 8

[Mark] apprehended by the powers of the world cf Irenaeus AFG Book 3:43 as well as Tertullian AM 4:4. The standard dating of “little Mark” in Rome is early in the reign of Antoninus based on the supporting evidence of Polycarp’s visit to the city when he met him c. 138 A.D. (Irenaeus AFG 3:3:4 “[Polycarp] coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus (c. 138 A.D.) caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God … [when] Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, "Dost thou know me? ""I do know thee, the first-born of Satan."

Philumene - Tertullian Prescription Against the Heretics 6 “the Holy Ghost had even then foreseen that there would be in a certain virgin (called) Philumene an angel of deceit, "transformed into an angel of light," by whose miracles and illusions [many were mis]led” and also 30 “he rather forsook the continence of Marcion, by resorting to the company of a woman, and withdrew to Alexandria, out of sight of his most abstemious master. Returning therefrom, after some years, unimproved, except that he was no longer a Marcionite, he clave to another woman, the maiden Philumene (whom we have already mentioned), who herself afterwards became an enormous prostitute.” The figure of “Apelles” whom Tertullian speaks of is undoubtedly a misreporting of the angel ha Pele who is acknowledged in the Alexandrian tradition as another way of saying “Jesus” cf. Eusebius In Praise of Constantine.

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[Mark] became too influential - The influence of “little Mark” was sufficient for a pagan like Celsus to have composed his anti-Marqionite polemic the True Word. Cf Robin L. Fox, Pagans and Christians, at 516

ringleader of this most brutal of military campaigns against the state – i.e. the bar Khochba revolt c. 130 – 133 A.D. Cf Origen Contra Celsus Book 7:50 through until the end of book 8. The argument here is clearly anti-Marqionite which means that the argument that Christianity is a sedition insurgency movement (which Origen can’t understand being attached to his Church) must have originally been connected with pre-Catholic traditions from before 140 A.D. including Marqionitism.

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Hadrian - AD; 76-138, Roman emperor (117-138), b. Spain. His name in full was Publius Aelius Hadrianus. An orphan, he became the ward of Trajan. Hadrian distinguished himself as a commander (especially in Dacia) and as an administrator. Nevertheless, Trajan's choice, announced after his death, of Hadrian as his successor, caused some discontent in Rome. Hadrian's reign was vigorous and judicious. He proved his military skill in pacifying (118) Moesia. Abandoning the aggressive policy of Trajan in Asia, he withdrew to the boundary of the Euphrates. In Palestine, however, he proved himself ruthless. His Romanizing policy aroused opposition, especially when he excluded the Jews from Jerusalem. He put down (&AD; 132) the insurrection of Bar Kokba with great severity; the ensuing war (132-135) was the most difficult of his reign. In Rome he was generous in offering circuses and in giving alms to the poor, and he enlarged and reformed the civil service. He traveled extensively in the empire, interesting himself in all the local affairs of state and adorning the provincial cities. In Germany he built great protective walls, and in Britain (where he had visited c.121) he had Hadrian's Wall built. He carried out his plan of building a temple of Jupiter Capitolinus on the site of the ruined Temple at Jerusalem and renamed Jerusalem Colonia Aelia Capitolina. He built the Arch of Hadrian in Athens, and in Rome he rebuilt the Pantheon, added to the Roman Forum, and erected a mausoleum (now Castel Sant'Angelo). His last years were spent more or less quietly in Rome and in his villa at Tibur (which has been excavated), cultivating the arts. He was learned in Greek and was accomplished in poetry and music. He patronized artists, and his regard for the young Antinoüs was imperishably recorded by sculptors and architects. As his successor he chose Antoninus Pius

[Mark’s] gospel has a secret meaning cf Celsus’ arguments in Origen’s Against Celsus 7:50 and through most of Book 8. cf Clement to Theodore where Marcus was the author of the truest gospel and who “brought in certain sayings [of Jesus] of which he knew the interpretation would, as a mystagogue, lead the hearers into the innermost sanctuary of that truth hidden by seven veil.” What is that “hidden mystery” mentioned here by Clement? It necessarily has to relate back to the identity of the messiah. This secret knowledge was left by Marcus in a “fuller gospel” left in the care of “the church in Alexandria, where it even yet is most carefully guarded, being read only to those who are being initiated into the great mysteries.” This mystery has to be related to the “secret knowledge” of Marcus himself as the very messiah of his text. It is also by no means only a feature of “heretical” traditions to assume an underlying “mystery” to the gospel cf. Eph 6:19-20, Rom 16:24, 25 “the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest” etc.

[the idea of a hidden secret appears] many times in my writings - see above. The key assumption here is that of the Marcionite understanding articulated in Eznik of Kolb’s Against Marcion that the man we call “Paul” was really named Mark. Thus the constant references to “my gospel” in the writings of the apostle are really to the gospel written by Mark. Cf. as well as “the mystery made known to me by revelation,” Ephesians 3:3 and “this mystery that is through the gospel we are members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Jesus.” Ibid 3:6 among other references. It is noteworthy that adherents of “little Mark” understand the apostle to be the paraclete mention in the gospel (cf Origen Homily on Luke as well as Acts of Archelaus) as well as the apostle, messiah and angel of their tradition (cf. Tertullian Against Marcion Book 2)

hostility to the “ruler of the world”- Irenaeus AFG 1:27:2; Tertullian Against Valentinus 5:4; cf Origen Against Celsus 8. See also Porphyry Against the Christians: The Literary Remains R. Joseph Hoffman Oxford University Press 1994 “The Christians taught absurd doctrines about the suffering of God or the suffering of a some of the supermen god. They also prayed for the destruction of the world, which they hated because they were hated by it - and believed that at its end they alone would be raised bodily from the dead . . . . The sky would be destroyed and the ruler of the world would be cast into an outer darkness, as a tyrant might be driven out by a good king. By such thinking the Christians showed contempt for God. How could god be angry? How, if all powerful, as even some of their teachers said, could his property have been stolen in the first place?” also Irenaeus AFG 1:5:4

Caesar [is not meant] by this term “ruler of the world” - Origen Against Celsus 8 67 – 73. See also frequent Christian “apologies” for this “misunderstanding.” Justin Apology developed by Catholic authors as a statement of obedience to Antoninus with statements like “we know there is no ruler more kingly and just” (xii) “whence to God alone we render worship, but in other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging you as kings and rulers of men, and praying that with your kingly power you be found to possess also sound judgment. But if you pay no regard to our prayers and frank explanations, we shall suffer no loss, since we believe (or rather, indeed, are persuaded) that every man will suffer punishment in eternal fire according to the merit of his deed (xvii) “we pray that the sacred senate and your people may, along with yourselves, be arbiters of this our memorial, in order that if any one be entangled by [heretical] doctrines, he may learn the truth, and so be able to escape error … [and be not] prejudiced in their own opinions, should kill and hate us … they ought to give heed to our doctrines … [for] as we said before, the devils put forward Marcion of Pontus, who is even now teaching men to deny that God is the maker of all things in heaven and on earth … [a]nd this man many have believed, as if he alone knew the truth, and laugh at us … [and] are carried away irrationally as lambs by a wolf, and become the prey of atheistical doctrines, and of devils.” Bloom develops the idea of “ruler of the world” as a codeword for Rome and Caesar.

the Jews … separate themselves from the rest of the world and revolt against authority from the time of Moses – In terms of it reflecting a contemporary attitude see Origen Against Celsus 3:5 “Celsus, imagining that the Jews are Egyptians by descent, and had abandoned Egypt, after revolting against the Egyptian state, and despising the customs of that people in matters of worship, says that "they suffered from the adherents of Jesus, who believed in Him as the Christ, the same treatment which they had inflicted upon the Egyptians; and that the cause which led to the new state of things in either instance was rebellion against the state." On Marqionite emphasis that Moses was subordinate to their apostle Marcus AM 2:22 “[Marcion says that] the brazen serpent which the Lord afterwards commanded Moses to make [was] idolatry.” Ibid 26 “you [Marcion] maintain that Moses is better than his God, as the deprecator, nay the averter, of His anger. "For," said he, "Thou shall not do this; or else destroy me along with them. [Ex 32:32]" (see also ibid 4:28 my Moses is better than your Christ, aiming as he did at the peace of brethren, and obviating their wrong). Irenaeus AFG 4:30 “[the Marcionites] cavil and find fault because the people did, by God's command, upon the eve of their departure, take vessels of all kinds and raiment from the Egyptians,and so went away, from which [spoils], too, the tabernacle was constructed in the wilderness, prove themselves ignorant of the righteous dealings of God, and of His dispensations.” (cf Tertullian AM 4:24, 4:26, 5:13 but also the tradition of Jannai i.e. “Johnny” Berakoth 9a, Berakoth 32a, Sanhedrin 102a). On the Jewish perception that Christians necessarily depreciate Moses cf Toledoth Yeshu “[Yeshu] gave his own impudent interpretation of the law and in an ensuing debate he held that Moses could not be the greatest of the prophets if he had to receive counsel from Jethro.”

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hidden from the god who created all things - Ephesians 3:9 [among the Marcionites cited as “to the Laodiceans” undoubtedly the Laodicea in Syria presently the home of the early proto-Islamic sect of the Alawites].

Emperor Antoninus … [changed Mark’s] religion – I hope that most of my readers understand that Antoninus immediately follows Hadrian’s rule in 138 A.D. Tathbit Dala'il Nubuwwat Sayyidina Mahammad (The Establishment of Proofs for the Prophethood of Our Master Mohammed') by 'Abd al-Jabbar translated by Shlomo Pines “The Islamic author makes mention of the followers of Mark negatively as well. The charge is also in the background of the near contemporary Passing of Perigrinus by Lucian (c. 160 A.D.)

these charges do not stand up to intense scrutiny – on the contemporary charges of Christianity as a seditious religion cf Origen Against Celsus 8:49

Jews, Samaritans and Christians, each former members of my one community: The idea that the Jews, Samaritans and Galileans (Christians) were united is clearly implied by the evidence of the Bar Kochba revolt and also taken up by Samaritanologists like Boid in his Samaritan Halakhah.

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[lengthy citation ending with] … the spirit who is now at work in those who disobey us - Ephesians 6:12

only I know what [the words of the gospel] actually mean … Irenaeus AFG 3:8:1 “With regard to those (the Marcionites) who allege that Paul alone knew the truth, and that to him the mystery was manifested by revelation,” also ibid 1:13:1 “[Marcus] has induced them to join themselves to him, as to one who is possessed of the greatest knowledge and perfection.” Ibid 1:13:6 “[the followers of Marcus] proclaim themselves as being "perfect," so that no one can be compared to them with respect to the immensity of their knowledge, nor even were you to mention … any other of the apostles. They assert that they themselves know more than all others, and that they alone have imbibed the greatness of the knowledge of that power which is unspeakable,” ibid 1:27:2 “[Marcion] ikewise persuaded his disciples that he himself was more worthy of credit than are those apostles who have handed down the Gospel to us, furnishing them not with the Gospel, but merely a fragment of it,” ibid 3:13:1 “With regard to those (the Marcionites) who allege that [their apostle] alone knew the truth, and that to him the mystery was manifested by revelation.” Hippolytus AH 7: “Marcion or some one of his hounds barks against the [Creator], and adduces reasons from a comparison of what is good and bad, we ought to say to them, that neither Paul the apostle nor Mark, he of the maimed finger, announced such (tenets). For none of these (doctrines) has been written in the Gospel according to Mark. But (the real author of the system) is [someone else].” Clement of Alexandria To Theodore “[Marcus] composed a more spiritual Gospel for the use of those who were being perfected. Nevertheless, he yet did not divulge the things not to be uttered, nor did he write down the hierophantic teaching of the Lord, but to the stories already written he added yet others and, moreover, brought in certain sayings of which he knew the interpretation would, as a mystagogue , lead the hearers into the innermost sanctuary of truth hidden by seven veils. Thus, in sum, he prepared matters, neither grudgingly nor incautionously, in my opinion, and, dying, he left his composition to the church in Alexandria, where it even yet is most carefully guarded, being read only to those who are being initated into the great mysteries.” Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Church Saint Mark the Evangelist p. 24 “How much injustice did St. Mark receive from the followers of St. Peter ? They tried to rob him his apostolic dignity, and credit all his efforts to somebody else? I mean St. Peter. SUMMARY OF THEIR CLAIMS: 1- Denying his fellowship to the Lord during the period of the Lord's ministry on earth and that he became Christian only after the resurrection at the hands of St. Peter. 2- They claimed that St. Mark's Gospel was written by St. Peter. 3- They attempted to credit all St. Mark's preaching, even that in Egypt and the Five Western Cities to St. Peter. Strange was the fact that they tried to falsify the history of our fathers and our church … Here we may say that the Gospel was Mark's and it wasn't dictated by Peter, but was from the filling of the Holy Spirit. Mark the apostle had no need to know from St. Peter any information about Lord Christ, he knew it very well as he witnessed God and saw His miracles from the start, beginning with the first one at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, as one of the seventy apostles. He knew it all as his house was the place where the apostles assembled and with them was Saint Mary.”

[the Catholics] put other gospels in place of my original - Origen Against Celsus 2:27 “After this he says, that certain of the Christian believers, like persons who in a fit of drunkenness lay violent hands upon themselves, have corrupted the Gospel from its original integrity, to a threefold, and fourfold, and many-fold degree, and have remodelled it, so that they might be able to answer objections.” Celsus is identified by Origen as writing at the end of the reign of Hadrian and the beginning of Antoninus i.e. 138 A.D. see note on p. 3 with al Jaffar’s reference.

[they] block the original secret code of my text - Irenaeus AFG 3:2:1 “When, however, [the heretics] are confuted from the Scriptures, they turn round and accuse these same Scriptures, as if they were not correct, nor of authority, and [assert] that they are ambiguous, and that the truth cannot be extracted from them by those who are ignorant of tradition. For [they allege] that the truth was not delivered by means of written documents, but vivâ voce [living voice] … And this wisdom each one of them alleges to be the fiction of his own inventing, forsooth; so that, according to their idea, the truth properly resides at one time in Valentinus, at another in Marcion, at another in Cerinthus, then afterwards in Basilides, or has even been indifferently in any other opponent, who could speak nothing pertaining to salvation. For every one of these men, being altogether of a perverse disposition, depraving the system of truth, is not ashamed to preach himself.