working together for the future of faith
 

 

Eye, Ear, Mind

 

Data

(1a) 1Cor 2:9a
(1b) 1Clem 34:8
(2) Thom 17
(3) 2Q: Luke 10:23-24 = Matt 13:16-17
(4) DialSav 22:2 [= 57a (140:1-4) ]

 

Texts

(1) Letters to Corinth

(a) 1 Cor 2:9
But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him"

(1b) 1 Clem 34:8
For [the Scripture] saith, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which He hath prepared for them that wait for Him." [ANF]

 

cf. Isaiah 64:4
From ages past no-one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.

Psalm of Solomon 17:44
Blessed is he who may live in those days and see the salvation of Israel in the union of the [twelve] tribes, as it is brought about by God.

1 Enoch 68:2ff
On that day, Michael addressed himself to Raphael, saying to him, "The power of the spirit grabs me and causes me to go up on account of the severity of the judgment concerning (the knowledge of) the secrets. Who is able to endure the severity of the judgment which has been executed and before which one melts away?" Michael continued to speak further, saying to Raphael, "Who is he whose heart does not become sordid in respect to this matter and whose reins do not become stirred up from the word of judgment which has been pronounced against them." Then it happened that when they stood beofre the Lord of the Spirits, Michael said to Raphael thus, "They shall not prosper before the eye of the Lord; for they quarreled with the Lord of the Spirits because they make the image of the Lord. therefore, all that which has been concealed shall come upon them forever and ever; for neither an angel nor a man should be assigned his role; (so) those (evil ones) alone received their judgment forever and ever." [OTP I,47]

 

(2) Thom 17

Jesus said, "I will give you what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no hand has touched, what has not arisen in the human heart." [Complete Gospels]

(3) 2Q: Luke 10:23-24 = Matt 13:16-17

Luke 10:23-24
/23/ Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! /24/ For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

= Matt 13:16-17
/16/ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. /17/ Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

 

(4) DialSav 22:2 [= 57a (140:1-4) ]

/1/ Matthew said, "Tell me, Lord, how the dead die and how the living live."
/2/ The Lord said, "[You have] asked me about a saying [..that] which eye has not seen, nor have I heard it, except from you. /3/ But I say to you that when that which moves a person is drained out, that person will be called dead; /4/ and when what is living leaves what is dead, <it> will be called alive." [
Complete Gospels]

 

Notes

John Dominic Crossan

Item: 14
Stratum: I (30-60 CE)
Attestation: Multiple
Historicity: -
Common Sayings Tradition: Yes

Crossan notes that this is one of several complexes that extend the general theme of the Kingdom as an open secret but is most likely not derived from the historical Jesus. Following the proposals of William Stroker (The Formation of Secondary Sayings of Jesus. Ann Arbor, MI; University Microfilms International,1970. Pages 278-79) and Helmut Koester ("Gnostic Writings as Witnesses for the Development of the Sayings Tradition" in The Rediscovery of Gnosticism. Supplements to Numen XLI/1. Leiden: Brill, 1980. Pages 249-50), Crossan accepts that this saying represents an esoteric Jewish tradition that was attributed to Jesus in various Christian circles. [Historical Jesus, 349f]

 

Jesus Seminar

Text

Item

 Source

JS Mtg

%Red

%Pink

%Gray

%Black

W Avg

Color
1 Cor 2:9

323

P, T, DS

91Son

0

0

26

74

0.09

Black
DialSav 57:1

323

P, T, DS

90Son

0

0

0

100

0.00

Black
DialSav 57:1

323

P, T, DS

91Son

0

0

0

100

0.00

Black
Luke 10:23b-24

183

Q

89Tor

7

22

22

48

0.30

Gray
Matt 13:16-17

183

Q

89Tor

7

22

22

48

0.30

Gray
Thom 17

323

P, T, DS

90Son

0

0

0

100

0.00

Black

Gerd Luedemann

Luedemann [Jesus, 331] sugegsts that "the Q saying is probably authentic, since in it Jesus is addressing a beautitude to his disciples and hearerers without a community situation being visible. The beautitude is uttered on the presupposition that with the appearance of Jesus the time of salvation has dawned." Luedemann notes similar ideas in PssSol and 1 Enoch.

John P. Meier

Meier [Marginal Jew II,434-439] accepts that the "Beatitude on Eyewitnesses" is authentic, partly on the basis of two other Q traditions he had already judged to be authentic: the Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-23) and the Reply to John (Matt 11:2-6). he also notes the immediate eschatology, the indirect reference to Jesus and the instrinsic focus on those privileged to be eyewitnesses to the events of salvation. Meier concludes, "it seems on the whole more likely that Luke 10:23-24 is a saying of the historical Jesus rather than a creation of the church."

 

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