Papers by Charles Quarles
The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2021
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2017
In his recent commentary on Matthew, C. A. Evans suggested that Matt 27:52-53 is an early scribal... more In his recent commentary on Matthew, C. A. Evans suggested that Matt 27:52-53 is an early scribal interpolation. Although no extant manuscripts omit these verses, Evans argued thatthe absence of references to these verses in Christian literature prior to the Council of Nicaea supports this conjectural emendation. Although several German and Dutch scholars ofthe 18th and 19th centuries also proposed this emendation, most appealed primarily to historical and theological evidence. A thorough text-critical analysis has not previously beenpublished. This essay explores the internal and external evidence and concludes that these verses belong to the earliest text of Matthew that can be established from currentlyavailable evidence.
Bible Studies, Sermon on the Mount, Sep 7, 2011
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 2020
The Bible Translator, 2021
The evidence favoring the reading ἅμα τῷ πατρι in Col 1.12 is more compelling than is generally r... more The evidence favoring the reading ἅμα τῷ πατρι in Col 1.12 is more compelling than is generally recognized. This variant is the reading supported by the earliest extant witnesses (P46 B), the more difficult reading, and the reading that best explains the origin of the other readings. Scholars who have viewed the reading as a palpable error are likely misreading the variant in the same manner that prompted early scribes to omit the ἅμα. This earliest attested reading supports Tischendorf's punctuation of the verse, the translation adopted by many major English versions, and the structure and exegesis of the passage affirmed by most recent commentaries. These versions and commentaries demonstrate how suitable this reading is in this context. Critical editions of the Greek New Testament should reconsider adopting this reading in their base text.
Bulletin for Biblical Research, 1998
This article contrasts the compositional techniques used in the Synoptic birth narratives with th... more This article contrasts the compositional techniques used in the Synoptic birth narratives with those used by the author of a work which is almost universally recognized as midrashic, the Protevangelium of James. While "James" created his "history" from OT narratives, he was apparently unaware of the many OT dependencies in the Synoptic Gospels asserted by midrash critics. Unlike the Synoptic writers, the author of the Protevangelium of James created some of his narrative by retrojecting words and events from the later ministry of Christ into his account of Jesus' birth. These disparate compositional techniques suggest that the Synoptic Gospels and the midrashic Protevangelium of James belong to different literary genres.
The term “midrash” is appearing with increasingly greater frequency in discussions among NT schol... more The term “midrash” is appearing with increasingly greater frequency in discussions among NT scholars today. Unfortunately many students of the NT use the term with completely diˆerent intents. 1 Some use it to designate rabbinic methods of Scriptural interpretation. Others use it in a very diˆerent sense to designate creative historiography that produces theological tales with little or no connection to actual history. As NT students attempt to sift through this confusing nomenclature, they should consider carefully the explanations of the nature and essential characteristics of midrash oˆered by those who specialize in rabbinic literature. 2 More importantly, they should examine the ancient usage of the term to discover its meaning during the NT era.
The Resurrection of Jesus, 2005
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2019
In several recent works, Bart Ehrman has argued that Jesus frequently taught about the coming of ... more In several recent works, Bart Ehrman has argued that Jesus frequently taught about the coming of a figure called the Son of Man who was a divine figure, cosmic judge, and ruler of the kingdom of God. Although Jesus did not see himself as this Son of Man, his disciples mistakenly identified him as this figure as a result of their belief in Jesus’s resurrection. This article surveys the use of the title Son of Man by Jesus and Jewish literature and generally confirms Ehrman’s view of the meaning of the title. It further argues that the standard criteria of authenticity which Ehrman confidently employs in his works also confirm that Jesus identified himself as the Son of Man. Thus, the high Christology of early Christianity is not the result of “legend” as Ehrman claims but resulted from Jesus’s own divine claims.
New Testament Studies, 2021
Since other evidence strongly suggests that the omission of Matt 16:2b–3 is the result of multipl... more Since other evidence strongly suggests that the omission of Matt 16:2b–3 is the result of multiple emergence, this variant unit serves as a helpful case study to evaluate the usefulness of pre-genealogical coherence for detecting multiple emergence of a reading, an important premise of the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method (CBGM). This article adapts the Wasserman–Gurry method of assessing pre-genealogical coherence in the Synoptic Gospels (for which full collation of the relevant witnesses is presently lacking) in several ways to approximate more closely the approach used in the CBGM. It also attempts to refine the data generated by the Parallel Pericopes: Manuscript Clusters tool of the INTF at certain points. The study confirms that the assessment of pre-genealogical coherence is useful in detecting multiple emergence, coincidental agreement and contamination even based on the limited data in the Parallel Pericopes volume of the Editio Critica Maior.
The New Perspective (NP) has offered some positive and, hopefully, enduring contributions to the ... more The New Perspective (NP) has offered some positive and, hopefully, enduring contributions to the study of Paul. E. P. Sanders and those influenced by his work have raised compelling arguments in defense of a “pattern of religion” in Second Temple Judaism which celebrated divine grace in the election of Israel and in which God mercifully provided means of atonement for his people’s failure to satisfy the demands of the covenant. Sanders’s stated intention in Paul and Palestinian Judaism was to destroy the view held and propagated by Weber, Bousset, and Billerbeck that first-century Judaism was based upon legalistic works-righteousness. While he admitted that the older view was held by the majority of New Testament scholars, he argued that the view “is based upon a massive perversion and misunderstanding of the material.” Sanders argued that the essence of ancient Judaism is covenantal nomism. He initially defined covenantal nomism thusly:
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2016
Matthew 27:51–53 is characterized by Matthean vocabulary, style, and theological themes that supp... more Matthew 27:51–53 is characterized by Matthean vocabulary, style, and theological themes that support viewing the passage as Matthew’s composition rather than an early scribal interpolation or pre-Matthean tradition which he adopted. The structure of the text presents the account as historical narrative rather than poetry. The earliest extant interpretations treated the passage as literal history rather than fiction. Matthew viewed the resurrection of the saints at the time of the crucifixion as a fulfillment of Ezekiel 37 which signaled that the era of the new covenant and new creation had arrived.
Tyndale Bulletin, 2021
Although several Matthean scholars have suggested that the oath formulas in Matthew 23:16-22 offe... more Although several Matthean scholars have suggested that the oath formulas in Matthew 23:16-22 offer evidence of a pre-70 date of composition for the Gospel, scholars have not previously conducted a thorough investigation of this claim. This essay explores the potential meaning and rationale of the oath formulas, examines post-70 Jewish conceptions of the temple site, scrutinises the oaths ‘by the sanctuary’ or ‘by the temple’ in early rabbinic literature that potentially undermine the usefulness of the oath formulas for establishing the date of the Gospel, and considers Matthew’s purpose for including Matthew 23:16-22. It concludes that the oath formulas of Matthew 23 do lend credible support to a pre-70 date of composition for the Gospel of Matthew, though they cannot establish this date conclusively.
New Testament Texts on Greek Amulets From Late Antiquity, 2016
This dissertation examines New Testament citations on all Greek papyrus and parchment amulets fro... more This dissertation examines New Testament citations on all Greek papyrus and parchment amulets from late antique Egypt. Since New Testament textual criticism does not allow for the inclusion of non-continuous manuscripts (of which amulets are a part) in the official catalogue of manuscripts, a large body of textual evidence has fallen outside the purview of scholars. This dissertation, which constitutes the first systematic treatment of non-continuous manuscripts, seeks to remedy the situation in part by determining the ways in which New Testament texts on amulets may be useful for textual criticism. This dissertation has three main objectives. The first objective is to define more closely the categories of continuous and non-continuous by formulating criteria for the identification of the latter. The second objective is to propose a method for analyzing the texts of non-continuous artifacts in terms of their text-critical value. The third objective is to establish a comprehensive database of one category of non-continuous artifacts (amulets) and provide a detailed analysis of both their texts and containers (i.e., physical manuscripts). By analyzing a largely untapped source of New Testament textual data, this project contributes to a methodological question in textual criticism concerning its categories and provides a wealth of source material for the study of the reception of the Bible in early Christianity. Thus, while the study is targeted at textual critics, it contributes to a conversation about early Christianity that is much larger than the project, as these texts demonstrate the various ways in which early Christians used scripture. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation has its genesis in a Q&A session at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in New Orleans, 2009. Geoffrey Smith had just announced a new papyrus amulet from Oxyrhynchus containing a citation of Mark 1:1-2, when Michael Theophilos raised his hand and asked: "As a rule, this amulet will not be listed in the official list of New Testament manuscripts. So what will be its significance to the field overall?" A "rule"? "Why could it not be catalogued with other manuscripts?," I thought. And so began the journey. The amulet in question is P.Oxy. 76.5073 and is featured below (no. 16). A project like this would not have been possible without the help and support of many individuals. In particular, I thank my doctoral supervisor, André Gagné, who has gone above and beyond in helping me become the scholar that I am today. He has informed my scholarship and thinking in many ways, and I will always be indebted to him for his contributions, both professionally and personally. I am also grateful to the other members of my doctoral examining
The objective of How Did Christianity Begin? is to present two contrasting perspectives on the hi... more The objective of How Did Christianity Begin? is to present two contrasting perspectives on the history of early Christianity. The contrast is evidently sharp as one co-author comes from a conservative Christian background (Michael Bird), while the other co-author (James Crossley) approaches the matter from a secular standpoint. The volume works sequentially through Christian origins and addresses various topics including the historical Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostle Paul, the Gospels, and the early church. Each author in turn examines these subjects and lays out his historical arguments concerning their origin and meaning. [Summary from GoogleBooks]
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Papers by Charles Quarles