On Launching a Book in Paris

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on 17 July 2014 2 Comments
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Question

I read your Magi story with considerable interest, partly because of my family name. I do wonder how the Magi got their names but my main question is, how does your explanation of the Magi story help me? So "Matthew" made up a nice story. You have provided the context and motivation for the story, but the story is still just a story. Even if I know why he did it, it still undermines the credibility of his gospel. Maybe "Matthew" made up a lot of stories. How would I know? Some of the gospel has to be sort of true or else what good is it, i.e. wherein is the Good News?

 

Answer

Dear Lawrence,

I have never met a person who bears one of the mythical names of one of the wise men. Thank you for writing.

In response to your question, let me say first that there is no common consensus as to how they got their names, but the best guess locates the naming in Alexandria around 500 CE.

I don’t think it quite right to say “Matthew made up a nice story.” That is not quite how it worked. The followers of Jesus when Matthew wrote were still members of the synagogue. At that time, worship in the synagogue involved a long lesson from the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). In the traditional synagogue the entire Torah had to be read at worship on the Sabbath for an entire year. This meant that the Torah lesson would be five to six of the chapters per Sabbath as we now have these first five books of the Bible. This was followed by a reading from the former prophets (Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel and I and II Kings). Finally a reading would come from what they called “the latter prophets,” i.e. (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve as they called what we now call “the minor prophets.” All of these twelve (Hosea through Malachi) were on a single scroll. After these scripture readings, the synagogue leader would invite comments from the congregation on the lessons. It was then that the disciples of Jesus would relate the life of Jesus to these texts. It was the reading of Isaiah 60, I believe, that caused the story of the Magi to develop. It was a typical infancy story that by wrapping great signs around the birth of the hero would portend great things to come. In this narrative, the author of Matthew’s gospel could proclaim that the life of Jesus was so important that his birth was accompanied by cosmic signs - a star in the east. This cosmic sign had the power to draw Gentiles, “The Wise Men,” into the Jesus orbit. Before they could actually find the “King of the Jews,” they had to consult the Jewish prophets, Micah in this case, and affirm not only Jesus’ Jewishness but also his claim to the messianic role as the son and heir of David. Then in the gifts presented by the wise men, the author could make claims for the adult Jesus that he was a king (gold), a divine figure (frankincense) and one whose purpose would be fulfilled through suffering (myrrh). This is not just a nice story it is a powerful and provocative introduction to the adult Jesus.

Matthew did not just “make up the stories.” He searched the Jewish Scriptures to find hints and pointers to the life of Jesus so that he could, in the language and style with which the Jewish people were familiar, interpret to them the Jesus experience.

Recall that Matthew’s gospel would have been written some 55 years after the crucifixion. That would be two to three generations. He is not writing history or biography. He is a Jewish artist painting an interpretive portrait of the power and impact of Jesus of Nazareth on his life and on human history. There is clearly a person of history behind his narrative. but his narrative is not itself history.

What I am doing is trying to get into the mind of Matthew and there to determine his intentions in writing. It is quite different from what we have been taught in Christian history.

My best,

John Shelby Spong

 

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