$1.95 The conflict the church and the synagogue

CHAPTER TWOTHE CLASH WITH CHRISTIANITYBIBLIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTIONThe narrative of this chapter turns mainly upon the accountgiven in Mark and in the Acts of the Apostles of the ministryof Jesus and the development of the early Church. It isclaimed that these narratives give a logical, reasonable andsatisfying picture of what occurred, and it cannot be toostrongly urged that the main sources to be consulted are thenarratives themselves, approached with an open mind insteadof with some particular modern theory as to their corruption.While modern exegesis has rendered incalculableservices to the elucidation of the texts, it has become socomplicated and contradictory that we are in perpetualdanger of forgetting that a reasonable amount of inaccuracyand forgetfulness on the part of their authors may beallowed without any need for a logical reason being given forthis carelessness. The danger of the modern approachisnowhere more conspicuous than when it is the general atmosphereand picture of the original narrative which is underconsideration, and not the exact implication of this or thatpoint of detail.This pleaisurged, not with the intention of claiming anyoriginality for my approach or conclusions, but because it isimpossible to survey and assess all the different theorieswhich might invalidate them. Something, however, needsto be said of the two books which have been mainly quoted.The essential accuracy of the historical narrative of Mark isdefended by Burkitt, and I see no reason to forsake hisconclusions for the new German theory of authentic scrapsof teaching set in an imaginary framework, which is presentedby Rawlinson. That so logical a development as Markpresents happened fortuitously seems to me impossible.And if it is not fortuitous, then,' whether the author receivedit from eye-witnesses or together with the scraps of teaching,seems to me an utterly unimportant issue. The same is