There was great excitement amongst historians and theologians as it was revealed that, during the exploratory digging at St.
Peter's a couple of years ago, a small section of parchment was discovered.
After months of work, carbon dating and careful translation point to it being part of the long searched-for
‘Q’ source.
Professor Hugh Ebrilll-Ffwl, Head of Theological Studies at Cardiff University, explained,
“Until
now Q was hypothetical – it’s a written collection of Jesus' sayings that appear in
Matthew and Luke but not in the Gospel of Mark, which was written before them.
To announce its discovery today is most fitting.”
Q
is thought to be based on the Oral Tradition of the Early Church – but on
careful reading, it appears this document has influenced more than just the Gospels…
That same day the Sadducees, who
say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. “Teacher,” they
said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother
must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now as I was going to St.
Ives I met a man with seven wives. Every
wife had seven sacks, every sack had seven cats, every cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks, wives, how many were going to St Ives and, at the
resurrection, whose husband will he be of the seven, since all of them were
married to him?”
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know
the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither
marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But
about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I
am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the
God of the dead but of the living. And only one was going to St. Ives.”
When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his
teaching.
Hearing that Jesus had silenced
the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law,
tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in
the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is
the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your
neighbour as yourself.’ It is our choices that show what we truly
are, far more than our abilities. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these
two commandments.” The number of people listening had grown and had attracted
the attention of a centurion. Jesus turned to the crowds and said, “Friends,
Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. There’s nothing you can make that can’t
be made; no-one you can save that can’t be saved; nothing you can do but you
can learn how to be you in time – it’s easy. All you need is love.
“Ask, and it will
be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and
he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. For what man is there among you who,
if a boy asks ‘Please sir, I want some more,’ would aim a blow at his head with
a ladle? Or if he asks
for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in
heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
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Dane Aprilsnar
