Conflict in the miracle stories in Matthew 8 and 9 : a sociological and exegetical study

The conflict in the Gospel of Matthew has been investigated by a number of scholars before. However, the emphasis in this study is placed more on the dynamics of conflict. How does conflict 'work' and why are people in conflict? A theory of conflict is developed. The aim is to offer a systematic way of organizing th~ information on conflict in order to focus the attention on the social structures and processes thereof. The basis question is: 'Why is there conflict between Jesus and the leaders of Israel?' The thesis is that Jesus was in conflict with the leaders because of contradicting interests. The leaders acted on behalf of the Roman rulers as retainers, and therefore failed to realize the interests of the marginalized. Jesus (and the Matthean community) acted on behalf of the marginalized. The community challenged the authority of the Jewish leaders because they were on their way out, out of the sphere of the authority of the leaders. This was perceived as a threat. Furthermore the community challenged the dormant values of the leaders to forgive and to act merciful, that is: to act in the interests of the marginalized. The conflict is resolved negatively in Matthew 9:34 by the label that Jesus was possessed by the devil (by implication this also applies to the community). At the same time the conflict has the potential to go on and challenge the leaders of the community themselves to act in the interests of the marginalized, which we call: 'to become voluntary marginalized'. Chapter 1 serves as an orientation of the possibilities on where to enter into the debate on the miracle stories. It leads to accounting for the use of the socialscientific criticism, conflict theory and the use of the model as template or heuristic tool. Chapter 2 serves as an attempt to identify a research gap. Different scholars are investigated in terms of their views on the marginalized and their usei and explication (or not) of conflict. In chapter 3 an own synthesis is developed, predominantly from the theories of Coser and Dahrendorf. As a theory (and a model), five basic statements arei derived from this chapter: ( 1) All conflicts are essentially conflicts of class/group interests. (2) Closely related to the above is the urge one has to survive. (3) In basically all societies/groups there are those who in terms of power and authority are in positions of either domination or subordination. (4) Conflict almost always brings about change. (5) Conflict is always present as a never ending spiral. Chapter 4: In between the high level of abstraction on a macro-level (conflict theory; chapter 3) and the text to be interpreted on a micro-level (Mt 8 & 9; chapter 5), chapter 4 is placed to act on a 'mesa-level' and to bring these two poles together. The social location of the Matthean community is investigated. It is argued that they are not on their own yet, but are in a process of parting from Judaism. In chapter 5, the implications of chapters 3 and 4 are applied to the text of Matthew 8 and 9. This chapter is the exegetical part of the study. Emphasis is placed on the plot as it unfolds in terms of time and causality. All the knots are tied together in chapter 6. The findings of the study is implemented in terms of the above five statements.Afrikaans: Die konflik in die Evangelie van Matteus is al tevore deur 'n aantal geleerdes bestudeer. Die klem val egter in hierdie studie meer op die dinamiek van konflik. Hoe 'werk' konflik en waarom is mense in konflik? 'n Konflikteorie word ontwerp. Die doel is daarom om 'n sistematiese werkwyse te bied om die inligting oar konflik te orden, met. die oog daarop om die fokus te plaas op die sosiale strukture en prosesse van konflik. Die basiese vraag is 'Waarom is daar konflik tussen Jesus en die leiers van Israel?' Die tese is dat Jesus in konflik met die leiers was vanwee teenstrydige belange. As ondersteuners (retainers) het die leiers in die belang van die Romeinse heersers opgetree, en daarom nagelaat om die belange van die gemarginaliseerdes in te sien. Jesus (en die gemeenskap van Matteus) het in die belang van die gemarginaliseerdes opgetree. Die gemeenskap het die gesag van die leiers uitgedaag want hulle was op pad uit, uit die gesagsfeer van die leiers. Die leiers het dit as 'n bedreiging gesien. Verder het die gemeenskap die sluimerende waardes van die leiers uitgedaag om te vergewe en om barmhartig op te tree, dit wil se, om in die belang van die gemargaliseerdes op te tree. Die konflik is op 'n negatiewe manier opgelos in Matteus 9:34 deur die etiket dat Jesus deur die duiwel besete was {dit geld by implikasie ook vir die gemeenskap). Terselfdertyd het die konflik die potensiaal om voort te gaan en die leiers van die gemeenskap uit te daag om in die belang van die gemarginaliseerdes op te tree. Dit noem ons 'vrywillige marginaliseering'. Hoofstuk 1 dien as 'n orientasie van die verskillende moontlikhede waar om tot die debat oor die wonderverhale toe te tree. Die bedoeling is om die gebruik van die sosiaal-wetenskaplike metode, konflikteorie en die gebruik van 'n model as templaat of heuristiese werktuig te verantwoord. Hoofstuk 2 is 'n paging om 'n navorsingsgaping te identifiseer. Verskillende geleerdes is bestudeer in terme van hulle sieninge ten opsigte van die gemarginaliseerdes en hulle gebruik en verklaring {al dan nie} van konflik. In hoofstuk 3 word 'n eie sintese uitgewerk, hoofsaaklik na aanleiding van die teorie van Coser en Dahrendorf. As teorie {en as model), word vyf stellings uit hierdie hoofstuk afgelei: { 1) Alie konflikte is in wese konflikte van groep/klasse-be/ange. (2) Die drang tot oorlewing is nou aan die stelling hierbo verwant. (3) In vrywel alle gemeenskappe/groepe is daar die wat in terme van mag en gesag in 'n posisie van 6f dominasie 6f subordinasie verkeer. (4) Konflik bring altyd veranderinge mee. (5) Konflik is altyd teenwoordig as 'n nimmer eindigende spiraal. Hoofstuk 4: Tussen die hoe vlak van abstraksie op 'n makro-vlak (konflikteorie; hoofst:uk 3) en die teks wat interpreteer meet word op 'n mikro-vlak (Matt 8 en 9; hoofstuk 5), word hoofstuk 4 geplaas as 'meso-vlak' en om die twee pole bymekaar te bring. Die sosiale plasing (location) van die gemeenskap van Matteus word bestudeer. Daar word geredeneer dat die gemeenskap nog nie op hulle eie is nie, maar in die proses van skeiding met die Juda"isme is. In hoofstuk 5 word die implikasies van hoofstukke 3 en 4 op die teks van Matteus 8 en 9 van toepassing gemaak. Hierdie hoofstuk is die eksegetiese deel van die studie. Klem word gele op die plot in terme van tyd en kousaliteit. Al die las drade word in hoofstuk 6 saamgevat. Die bevindinge van die studie word ge"implimenteer in terme van die genoemde vyf stellings.Thesis (DDiv)--University of Pretoria, 1994.Stich ting Studiefonds voor Zuidafrikaanse studenten, Keizersgracht 141, 1015 CK Amsterdam-C, The NetherlandsNew Testament StudiesDDivUnrestricte

Was Jesus' action in the temple (MK 11:12-8) indeed a cleansing

In the time of Jesus, the temple was of great importance to the Jewish people. Jesus also used to go to the temple for the Passover. There he however clashed with the temple authorities (Mk 11:12-15; Mt 21:12-13; Lk 19:45-46 and Jn 2:14-22). What was the nature of this clash? Contrary Edward P Sanders, who regards Jesus’ action in the temple as a symbolic act of the destruction of the temple, this article concurs with Craig Evans and Hans Betz that the corruption in the temple as a result of the commercialisation and the cooperation between the ruling Roman and temple authorities, affected worship as the temple’s prime purpose. It is this purpose Jesus wanted to restore and for this reason Jesus’ action should be regarded as a form of cleansing.Spine cut of Journal binding and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display format PDFhttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b100134

The social location of the Matthean community

Individuals or societies are always pursuing their own interests. Interests are identified in terms of domination and the retention of the status quo against subordination and the pursuit of change. The conflict between the first-century (after AD 70) Pharisees and the Matthean community is identified as a conflict of interests. The Pharisees functioned as to retain the Roman rulers and maintain the status quo, and attempted to reconcile the Jewish community. The Matthean community predominantly comprised the urban non-elites and rural peasants, thus the marginalized in agrarian society. They pursued a new identity and challenged the values of the Jewish leaders. The mere fact of its existence as a community in the process of departing from the Jewish mainstream was a threat to the authority of the Pharisees. The fact that the community was still very close to Judaism was cause for intense conflict.Spine cut of Journal binding and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display format PDFhttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b1001341wm201