John’s Systematic Use of Matthew

Abstract

Abstract One of the first general indications of John’s knowledge of Matthew is not so much that both of them used Mark (though that in itself is important), but that the way in which Matthew did so-his absorbing and clarifying of Mark, and the fact that he added discourses-would seem to have provided a partial precedent for the work of John. In particular, Matthew ‘s general way of arranging the discourses-each is preceded and introduced by narrative-furnishes an initial model for the procedure found in John. In approaching the question of how John has actually adapted Matthew, it is useful to regard Matthew as consisting of four main elements. The references are simplified: John’s use of the infancy narrative is a puzzle, at least for the present writer. Perhaps its essence or part of its essence has been distilled into John 9. Apart from that, however, John’s overall use of Matthew is reasonably clear. Matthew ‘s narratives are drawn largely from Mark; and in absorbing Mark, John has also absorbed the corresponding Matthean texts, including apparently the Matthean elaborations.