Opening
Since Matthew and Luke inserted the contents of Q into a narrative
framework taken from Mark, Q's original opening cannot be reconstructed with
any precision. Most likely it began with some formula identifying its
contents as sayings of Jesus. Early Christian writers refer to the
"words" (λόγοι) or "oracles" (λόγια) of "the Lord" (i.e., Jesus).
These may be indirect references to this collection. But as the first
identifiable Q passages in Matthew and Luke are sayings ascribed to John the
Baptist, it is possible that Q's opening identified John as well, like Mark
1:4 or John 1:6.
Framing
The common details in the synoptic descriptions of John and the baptism of
Jesus are traceable to Mark. Matthew and Luke echo and expound upon elements
of Mark's wording. The most information about John shared by Matthew
and Luke that cannot be traced to Mark is their location of him in "the
region of the Jordan" (see Luke 3:3//Matt 3:5 below), that is: the Roman
province of Perea. Other than that their narratives contain no clear
evidence that they knew any account of John's activity except Mark's.
Matt 3:1-5 |
Luke 3:2-3 |
Mark 1:4-6 |
1 In due course |
2 ...the word of God came |
4 So, |
John the Baptizer appears |
to John, son of Zechariah, |
John the Baptist appeared |
in the Judean desert, |
in the desert. |
in the desert |
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3 And he went into |
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[see Matt 3:5 below] |
all the region around the Jordan, |
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2 calling out, |
calling |
calling |
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for baptism |
for baptism |
"Change your ways because |
and a change of heart |
and a change of heart |
the empire of Heaven |
that lead to |
that lead to |
is arriving!"... |
forgiveness of sins... |
forgiveness of sins. |
4 Now this same John |
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[see Mark 1:6 below] |
wore clothes |
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made of camel hair |
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and had a leather belt |
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around his waist; |
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he lived on grasshoppers |
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and wild honey |
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5 Then |
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5 And everyone |
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from the Jordan countryside |
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and all the residents |
Jerusalem |
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of Jerusalem |
and all Judea |
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all the region around the Jordan |
[see Luke 3:3 above] |
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streamed out to him, |
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streamed out to him |
and got baptized |
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and got baptized by him |
in the Jordan River by him, |
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in the Jordan River, |
admitting their sins. |
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admitting their sins. |
[see Matt 3:4 above] |
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6 And John wore a mantle |
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made of camel hair |
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and a leather belt |
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around his waist |
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and lived on grasshoppers |
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and wild honey. |
The lack of a detailed description of John or the baptism of Jesus in Q
is understandable. The gospels of Mark and John show that early
Christians had more interest in the Baptist's message than in his activity.
Q shows even less interest in story-telling than these gospels. Q generally
describes a setting only where it is necessary to provide some context for a
saying of Jesus. Since Jesus is not the speaker in any baptism scene,
Q did not have to include such a passage.
Source
The first clear evidence that Matthew and Luke used a common source other
than Mark is the substitution of the same summary of John's preaching for
Mark's much briefer account.
Matt 3:7-12 |
Luke 3:7-9, 16-17 |
Mark 1:7-8 |
7 When he saw that |
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7 And he began |
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his proclamation |
many of the Pharisees |
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and Sadducees |
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were coming for baptism, |
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John said to them, |
7 So John would say |
by saying, |
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to the crowds |
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that came out |
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to get baptized by him, |
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"You spawn of Satan! |
"You spawn of Satan! |
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Who warned you to flee |
Who warned you to flee |
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from the impending doom? |
from the impending doom? |
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8 Well then, |
8 Well then, |
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start producing fruit |
start producing fruits |
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suitable for a change of heart, |
suitable for a change of heart, |
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9 and don't even think |
and don't even start |
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of saying to yourselves, |
saying to yourselves, |
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'We have Abraham |
'We have Abraham |
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for our father.' |
for our father.' |
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Let me tell you, |
Let me tell you, |
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God can raise up |
God can raise up |
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children for Abraham |
children for Abraham |
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right out of these rocks! |
right out of these rocks! |
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10 Even now the axe is aimed |
9 Even now the axe is aimed |
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at the root of the trees. |
at the root of the trees. |
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So every tree |
So every tree |
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not producing fruit |
not producing choice fruit |
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gets cut down |
gets cut down |
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and tossed into the fire. |
and tossed into the fire... |
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11 I baptize you with water |
16 I baptize you with water; |
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for a change of heart, |
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but someone |
but someone |
"Someone |
more powerful than I |
more powerful than I |
more powerful than me |
will succeed me. |
is coming |
will succeed me, |
I'm not fit |
I'm not fit |
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to take off his sandals. |
to untie his sandal straps. |
whose sandal straps |
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I am not fit to bend down |
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and untie. |
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8 I've been baptizing you |
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with water, |
He'll baptize you |
He'll baptize you |
but he'll baptize you |
with holy spirit |
with holy spirit |
with holy spirit." |
and fire. |
and fire. |
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12 His pitchfork |
17 His pitchfork |
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is in his hand, |
is in his hand, |
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and he'll make a clean sweep |
to make a clean sweep |
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of his threshing floor, |
of his threshing floor, |
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and gather the wheat |
and to gather the wheat |
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into his granary, |
into his granary, |
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but the chaff he'll burn |
but the chaff he'll burn |
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in a fire |
in a fire |
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that can't be put out." |
that can't be put out." |
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Matthew and Luke's quotation of John's warnings of imminent
destruction and call for repentance have no parallel in Mark. Mark had no
apparent reason to omit such preaching here, since later he makes similar
themes central to Jesus' message (see Mark 1:15, 8:38-9:1, 13:24-31).
Thus any claim that Mark knew Q or Matthew or Luke is questionable.
Matthew and Luke present the Baptist's oracle with only two
slight differences in wording (see Luke 3:8//Matt 3:8-9).
This indicates that they got it from a common Greek source
circulating probably in written form. The care with which
Matthew and Luke repeat this oracle, practically word for word, contrasts
sharply with the freedom with which each reworks Mark's description of the
Baptist, which they certainly both knew as a written text. This is a clear
sign of their high regard for the sayings material in Q.
Oracles
Q apparently opened with a warning of doom and call
for repentance addressed to those who were proud to be descendants of
Abraham. John's provocative epithet (lit: "spawn of snakes") doubled as an
insult to both his audience and their ancestors. In Jewish tradition
serpents symbolized forces that did not obey God.
The graphic language of the oracle is similar to that used
by Hebrew prophets, but is based on everyday agricultural imagery rather
than apocalyptic visions or particular OT texts. The references to
fruit trees (Luke 3:8-9//Matt 3:8-10) anticipate images used in a string of
sayings near the conclusion of Jesus' opening sermon (Luke 6:43-45//Matt
7:15-20). In fact, there Matthew (7:19) credits Jesus with
echoing the observation that unproductive trees are turned into firewood
that here is credited to John. Matthew was more inclined than other
evangelists to draw a close parallel between the messages of John and
Jesus (e.g., Matt 3:2 and 4:17).
The Q oracle concluded with another agricultural fire image:
the burning of the inedible refuse from a grain harvest (Luke 3:17//Matt
3:12). The harvest image reoccurs at the beginning of Jesus' mission
instructions (Luke 10:2//Matt 9:37) but there without reference to burning.
These warnings of destruction frame John's prediction of a
stronger successor (Luke 3:16//Matt 3:11), which is the only part of John's
message quoted by Mark. Mark's version, however, differs in sequence.
It is composed of a pair of contrasts between John and the one to come:
Q's version splits Mark's second balanced statement and
inserts the whole first contrast between the parts. Most scholars consider
Mark to have the simpler and earlier version of this oracle. The more
polished longer version in Matthew and Luke shows that Q did not simply
collect sayings, but edited them. So, sometimes Mark preserves a more
primitive tradition than Q.
The purpose of Q's revision here is clear. Unlike Mark, who
contrasts John and his successor, Q stresses continuity in their mission.
John's message is presented as prologue to that of Jesus, which is precisely
how Q uses this quote. Q opened with John warning Israel of judgment;
it apparently concluded with Jesus nominating his disciples to serve as its
judges (Luke 22:28-30//Matt 19:28).