Disciplines
History, Archaeology (10%); Philosophy, Ethics, Religion (80%); Linguistics and Literature (10%)
Keywords
New Testament,
Early Christianity,
Source Q,
Jewish Christianity
Abstract
The Two-Source-Theorie explains the relations between the Synoptic Gospels Mark, Matthew and
Luke by the hypothesis of an independent use of the Gospel of Mark through Matthew and Luke
and the assumption of an additional source, the Sayings Gospel Q, which was used by the Gospels
of Matthew and Luke in the parallel non-markan sections.
The Sayings Gospel Q is reconstructed by a comparison of the parallel material of Matthew and
Luke which is not found in Mark under consideration of the scribal peculiarities of those authors.
The Documenta Q series supplements the Critical Edition of Q which appeared in the year 2000 in
form of a documentation and evaluation of the history of research of the reconstruction of Q.
The texts Q 17:26-30 and 34-35 are part of the so called eschatological speech (Q 17:23-37) in the
Sayings Gospel. Eschatology means theological concepts about the end of history and the
determination of the presence through those concepts. The person who acts at the end of time is the
so called Son of Man that is Jesus as ultimate judge and saviour. The turning point of times is the
day of the Son of Man (Q 17:24.26.30). This day is compared to the events in the time of Noah
(Q 17:26-27.30). So as the people were surprised in their daily business by the flood, so suddenly
and unexpected is the coming of the Son of Man. The division between judgment and salvation will
happen without a recognizable distinction of the human beings. Decisive for the final separation is
the present orientation on the ethics of Jesus as unfolded in the Sayings Source.
The eschatological speech in Q is a prime example of the scribal habits of the scribe(s) of the
Sayings Gospel: The usage of parallelisms, the form of the prophetic correlative which compares in
two sentences two events with a futuristic outlook, the quotation of the Septuagint (the Greek
translation of the Hebrew bible), a ring composition, and finally the argumentation with symbolic
and metaphorical expressions.
In this way the Sayings Gospel Q answers in few sentences but with expressive pictures the two
questions for the Where and the When of the coming of the end of times. The eschatological
event is unpredictable and comes without previous signs. Yet it is an universal event that affects all
people.