The Significance

1

• The Significance
• of the First Risen Jesus Appearance to Women in
  the Gospel of Matthew
• Prepared for
• Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.
• Early Christianity in Syria Asia Minor
• RL 499 Spring, 2004
• By Jackie Bluett

2
Matthew 289-10

• Suddenly Jesus met them Mary of Magdala and the
  other Mary and said, Greetings! And they came
  to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.
  Then Jesus said to them. Do not be afraid go
  and tell my brothers to go to Galilee there they
  will see me.

3
Introduction

• End of the resurrection story in the gospel of
  Matthew (28 1-10).
• Resurrected Jesus making his first appearance to
  women.
• Significances of this pericope and Mary of
  Magdala were all but ignored. Why?
• Why does it not seem important in the tradition
  of apostolic succession?

4
Introduction

• Show that Matthew intentionally places the Marys
  in this pericope
• Discourse on good discipleship
• Highlight the role of womens discipleship to
  community in 3rd generation

5
Introduction

• How?
• Through lenses different critical approaches
  pertaining to whole book
• Historical-sociological
• Form
• Redaction
• Textual
• Narrative
• Literary

6
Introduction

• Look at two traditions pericope
• Empty tomb
• Discipleship

7
Historical-Sociological

• 3 Cultures influenced society
• We will look at issues pertaining to women

8
Historical-Sociological

• Roman
• Stoic Epicurean philosophers encouraged
  education of women advocated egalitarian
  women-men relationships.
• Organizations of women, even guilds
• Legal rights
• Partners in contracts
• Independent after death of fathers /or spouses -
  especially if women could write.
• Pagan priestesses
• Thompson, Mary of Magdala Apostle Leader, 82.

9
Historical-Sociological

• Roman Laws - not kept because
• Less warlike
• Too much territory over which to enforce these
  laws

10
Historical-Sociological

• Hellenistic
• More social (not legal) freedom
• Higher roles in society
• Pagan priestesses

11
Historical-Sociological

• Jewish
• No documents of this time to research
• Inscriptions
• Epigraphs
• Reveal
• Administrative leadership roles in synagogues
• Donated to building upkeep of synagogues from
  own property.

12
Historical-Sociological

• Deaconesses in Church
• 1 Timothy 310
• writings of Pliny
• Apostolic Constitutions.
• Might not have been as ostracized as we formally
  believed

13
Form

• Biography of Jesus
• Five sermons or lessons interspersed throughout
  - Moses Pentateuch
• Composed these sermons out of traditional oral or
  maybe written material
• Imposed literary structure
• Balanced intentional structures

14
Viviano, The Gospel According to Matthew, 633.

15
Redaction
16
Redaction

• Changes from the Gospel of Mark include
• Kept two of Marks three women witnesses
• Women came to see not to prepare body for
  burial
• Changed description of womens reaction from
  fear being frozen from action to fear joy
• Added appearance of risen Jesus to womenJesus
  repeats message given to them by angel at
  empty tomb
• Women worshipped Jesus by touching his feet

17
Redaction

• Gundry points out several words unique to Matthew
• xairete for rejoice
• ?arav for joy.
• announce these things to my brothers,
  typifies Matthews habit of borrowing OT
  phraseology. This command also brings into view
  his portrayal of church as brotherhood.1
• 1 Gundry, Matthew, A Commentary on His Literary
  Theological Art, 591.

18
Redaction

• Viviano
• Women become apostle to apostles, and their
  testimony, precisely because it is discountable
  in rabbinic law, it becomes historically
  credible.2
• 2 Viviano, Gospel According to Matthew, 673.

19
Redaction

• Mary R. Thompson
• Women in Matthews resurrection story were not
  passive observers, they were evangelists!

20
Redaction

• Carolyn Osiek - Was 289-10 added?
• Adds nothing to angels message
• Contradicts angels message You will see him in
  Galilee.

21
Redaction

• Osiek (cont)
• Reinforces message that he is risen
• Forges the first link between the empty tomb and
  appearance traditions
• it is the first tendency to relocate
  appearances in Jersulem
• Womens touch Jesus feet shows inclination to
  materialized appearances
• 1st appearance of Jesus is to women
  disciples.3
• 3 Osiek, Women at Tomb What Were They Doing
  There? 208-209.

22
Redaction

• Elaine Wainwright other scholars
• Women are powerful examples
• of radicalism
• inclusiveness of Kingdom taught by Jesus.
• foremothers of gospel proclamation.4
• Story was linked to women who witnessed
  crucifixion
• Women were double commissioned
• by angel to proclaim resurrection
• by Jesus to make possible disciples
  reconciliation.
• If Jesus message to the women is to deliver
  message of reconciliation, is that like Jesus
  giving Peter disciples ability to reconcile
  humans to God in 1619?
• 4 Wainwright, Gospel of Matthew, 665.

23
Redaction

• Is repetition evidence of the authors use of
  more than one tradition?
• 2 feedings
• Several healings with similar lessons attached to
  them
• 2 commission proclamations
• Disciples to preach to Jews (Chapter 10)
• Disciples to evangelize to gentiles (Chapter 28).

24
Redaction

• Petrine tradition
• Peter receives keys of Kingdom
• Jesus gives him power (1617-19)
• Rebukes him as if he were Satan (1623)
• Final time Peter was referred to by name is third
  denial of Jesus
• Peter was not mentioned by name in Great
  Commission.
• Does this make Peter primary leader?

25
Redaction

• Mary of Magdala tradition
• 2 commands
• 1st witness to resurrected Jesus
• Could gospel of Matthew be telling us that Jesus
  appointed her leader of his new Kingdom?

26
Textual

• If author of Matthew intentionally modified
  281-8 added 289-10, is it not possible that
  addition of 289-10 is part of entire addition,
  which is beginning of Great Commission?
• Study of agreement between Greek texts of
  Matthew, Mark Luke
• William Farmer notes no common terms, not even
  significant but incomplete, among Synoptics in
  Matthew 289-206
• Therefore verses are unique intentional to
  author of Matthew. 6 Famer, Synopticon
  Verbal Agreement Between Greek Texts of Matthew,
  Mark Luke Contextually Exhibited, 82-83.

27
Narrative

• Jack D. Kingsbury
• God communicates through point of view of Jesus
  narrator
• Narrators point of view has supreme authority -
  God sanctions theology
• Centered on different persons how they interact
  with Jesus
• Gives sense of authority to our pericope

28
Narrative

• Jack D. Kingsbury (cont)
• Intended reader of this gospel is
  Jewish-Christian
• Jesus is fulfillment of Jewish law - implies
  that he is another Moses
• People are more important than law
• Are people more important than tradition?

29
Literary

• Three more structures that highlight womens role
  

30
Literary

• B. Luters example deals with Jesus crucifixion
  to Great Commission (2750-2820)
• Women are mentioned more than anyone was but
  Jesus
• Women were only disciples at
• Crucifixion
• Burial
• Women were 1st to see him resurrected
• Women were commissioned by risen Christ to give
  witness of resurrection to apostles.
• Missing 11 male disciples at climax of gospel.

31
Literary
Mirroring Structure of Matt 2750-2820 A
(2750-53) Crucified Jesus Dies, causing effects
reflecting shift from old to new covenant, as
well as resurrecting of many Jewish saints B
(2754) Roman centurion guards speak truth
about crucified Christ C (2755-56) Women
disciples from Galilee who followed served
Jesus view cross (with a painful silence about
Eleven) D (2757-60 Joseph of Arimathea, a
disciple who courageously buried Jesus in his
personal tomb, rolls a large rock against
entrance E (2761) Women disciples who followed
Jesus body to tomb in evening F (2762-66)
Jewish leaders futile attempt to secure tomb
against resurrection of Christ E (281) Women
disciples return to tomb at early dawn on
Easter D (282-4) Guards terrified by angel at
tomb, who rolls away rock from entrance C
(285-10) Women disciples see risen Christ are
sent to inform Eleven tell them to meet him in
Galilee B (2811-15) Roman guards bribed to lie
about empty tomb A (2816-20) Resurrected Jesus
gives New Covenant commission to make disciples
of all nations until end of age Luter,
Women Disciples Great Commission, 176.
32
Literary

• Elaine Wainwright - from introduction to
  disciples (261) to instructions to disciples
  (2820).
• Women recognized Jesus will die (anointing)
• Women question Peters faithfulness (denial)
• A woman has a dream that Jesus is innocent

33
Literary

• Elaine Wainwright (cont)
• Women witness crucifixion
• Women witnessed burial
• Woman witness empty tomb
• Women first saw Risen Jesus
• Women are commissioned to proclaim resurrected
  Jesus. She remarks,
• Women took advantage of opportunities provided to
  respond to Christological significance

34
(No Transcript)
35
Literary

• David E. Garlands structure (2757 2919)
• 281-10 is middle scene
• Story elements from each of other scenesWomen
  are second most important characters (to Jesus)
  in chiasm
• Women first recognize that Jesus must die
• Women witness crucifixion (2755-56)
• Women witness burial (2761)
• Women are first to get news of resurrection
• Jesus first appears to women
• Garland thinks to reassure that what they have
  been told is real
• Confirms risen Jesus is earthly Jesus are who
  women knew2816-20 is important

36
Literary

• a Jesus dead buried (2755-61) 1
• b posting of guards (2762-66)
• c appearance of an angel risen Jesus
  (281-10)
• b report of guards (2811-15)
• a Jesus living sovereign (2816-20)
• 1 Garland, Reading Matthew A Literary
  Theological Commentary on First Gospel, 267.

37
Rhetoric

• Initial argument to his Jewish community relating
  genealogy, birth early life of Jesus with OT
• Acquires communitys attention ascent that
  Jesus is fulfillment
• Differences of Mosaic law preferred societal
  interpretations through biography of Jesus
  public life

38
Rhetoric

• By Passion reader is persuaded that fulfillment
  of OT corrects mistakes of interpretation of law
  society by Pharisees
• Sheila McGinn - concentration of active women in
  final three chapters
• We note - references to OT at end of gospel are
  fewer than in beginning

39
Rhetoric

• Matthew was taking his community to new point of
  view of God, Gods law society
• Included least, marginalized (includes women)
• Leaders are those who serve

40

• Matthew 289-10 in Context of Two Traditions

41
Empty Tomb

• Our pericope is within the contextOnly 2nd time,
  outside of Herodias that women not related to
  Jesus are named.
• In 28.1 Matthew has women going to see tomb
  using term theoreo, Some insight as well as
  just seeing

42
Empty Tomb

• Warren Carter states
• Women ( audience) have learned from Jesus
  previous teaching (1238-40, 1621 1723 2019)
  that Gods purposes do not end with Jesus death
  but continue through resurrection on third day.
  In this context their coming to see tomb
  indicates to audience faith in anticipation
  of what God will do.
• Carter, To See Tomb Matthews Women at
  Tomb, 204.

43
Empty Tomb

• Some scholars ask if empty tomb story was added
  to passion, death resurrection story because of
  need to make point rather than its being based on
  fact
• Paul does not include empty tomb story in his
  resurrection storiesAuthor of Acts knew empty
  tomb story yet did not include it in Acts why?

44
Empty Tomb

• Was empty tomb story essential to resurrection?
  
• For earliest Christian Community, it empty
  tomb tradition seemed not as origin cause of
  their Easter faith, but as a vehicle for
  proclamation of Easter faith which they already
  held as a result of appearances. (Fuller,
  Formation of Resurrection Narratives, p. 70)
• Osiek, Women at Tomb What Are They Doing
  There?, 213.

45
Empty Tomb

• Osieks theory
• Tradition started in womens groups
• Was added to canonical tradition
• Explains why women were not in list of
  appearances in Paul because it had not made its
  way from private female kerygmatic tradition to
  public male kerygmatic tradition?
• Could it have been passed over by Paul Luke
  because they disregard testimony of women it
  was not considered proof of resurrection.
• Osiek, Women at Tomb What Are They Doing
  There?, 215.

46
Empty Tomb

• Women witnesses to empty tomb in all four
  canonical Gospels (all four probably would not
  have included tradition if there had not been
  some fact as its basis)
• Women received a message to explain meaning of
  empty tomb in each of synoptic Gospels.

47
Disciple Tradition

• Good disciple does Gods will
• Jesus called those he chose.
• Discipleship reverses order of Jewish society of
  that time those who would lead are to be
  servants to all (2311-12)
• Women continue to follow (a??????e?) (another
  word of disciple language) Jesus to cross tomb
• Portrays women as faithful disciples (staying
  with Jesus in crisis.)

48
Disciple Tradition

• Matthew used term disciple 69 times, including
  when he referred to twelve
• Matthew also used term disciple to specific
  followers who were not part of twelve

49
Disciple Tradition

• Robert H. Gundry notes that Gospel teaches what
  true disciples doConfess their following of
  Jesus in public (1032-33)
• Do good works in public (513-16)
• Righteousness grows out of heart (58, 28
  1129 1315 1835)
• Hear understand Jesus words (1313-15, 19, 23,
  51)
• Obey Jesus words (216, 28-32 2820)
• Understanding obeying Jesus words leads to
  growth progress toward perfection (548
  1713).

50
Disciple Tradition

• Teaches that ecclesiastical leaders must be
• Humble (184 2312)
• Servants in Church (183 2311)

51
Disciple Tradition

• Mary of Magdala other Mary meet these criteria
  in 289-10
• Hear, understand obey Jesus (Churchs) word
• Do him homage by kissing his feet.
• Obey Jesus command to tell the brothers
• Servants in the Church
• Assume humble

52
Disciple Tradition

• Apostolic Succession
• Bruce Malinas definition of apostle, It was
  concise type of resurrected Jesus appearance
  that was recognized required in early Jesus
  groups as basis for apostolic authority.
• Concise type of appearance as when Jesus appears
  physically, touchable (as when in Mary touches
  risen Jesus feet)
• Circumstantial type which is like appearance on
  road to Emmaus it takes time for followers to
  recognize Jesus.
• Malina, Social-Science Commentary on Synoptic
  Gospels, 399.

53
Disciple Tradition

• Paul as an apostle
• Where would this definition leave Paul?
• Pauls witness of risen Jesus was
  circumstantial, yet he and tradition call him
  apostle (1 Corinthians 9)
• Paul states that God appoints apostles first in
  Church (1 Corinthians 12)
• Using Pauls line of reasoning, Mary of Magdala
  other Mary are certainly apostles having seen
  resurrected Jesus

54
Conclusion and Questions for Further Thought and
Study

• Women might not have been as ostrocized as we
  formally believed.
• Since gospels were written to explain to
  communities why things were the way they were,
  then the author of Matthew was reflecting the
  fact of women apostleship to the third generation
  of followers of Jesus the Christ.

55

Conclusion and Questions for Further Thought and
Study

• Balanced structure and precise editing implies
  that the author was deliberate about his work.
• Women delivered message of reconciliation between
  the eleven and Jesus why is this not noticed in
  our traditions for the sacrament of
  reconciliation?
• If Peters discipleship translated to his being a
  primary leader, then the Marys discipleship
  should translate to being leaders of the
  community as well.

56
Conclusion and Questions for Further Thought and
Study

• Since 289-20 is uniquely Matthew, then our
  pericope, 289-10 could be the beginning of the
  Great Commission (2816-20)
• The Marys were missionaries to the eleven.

57
Conclusion and Questions for Further Thought
and Study

• All three of literary structures point to the
  importance of women as positive examples of
  discipleship during the crisis of Jesus passion
  and death.

58
Conclusion and Questions for Further Thought and
Study

• The author is persuading his community to live by
  the changes Jesus made from the OT way.
• Jesus way includes women disciples who serve as
  much as the eleven.

59
Conclusion and Questions for Further Thought and
Study

• The author used the term disciple rather than
  apostle (apostle is used only once in the
  entire book).
• Women followed Jesus faithfully they stayed with
  Jesus when it was most difficult, in crisis.
• Women reconciled the eleven with Jesus.
• Mary of Magdala and the other Mary meet criteria
  of good disciple

60
Conclusion and Questions for Further Thought and
Study

• These women are apostles since
• They meet the Malina definition of apostle and
• They meet Pauls definition of apostle.