HTR.1. See Introduction to the New Testament by Werner Georg Kümmel, Howard Clark Kee trans. (German edition, Quelle and Mayer 1973; English edition: Abingdon 1979).
HTR.2. Even in modern times, of course, amplification may be necessary in order to make meaning clear to readers.
For example, consider that in the King James New Testament, we read of the doings of "evil spirits." The phrase represents the Greek word daemon but in Greek, daemon simply means spirit. In the period of the very early church, hearers would have understood that the word spirit, as used by the evangelists, meant unclean spirit or evil spirit. But translators wished to leave no doubt as to what was meant.
On the other hand, the Greco-Roman word daimon has come down to us as demon, which always means evil spirit.
The point is that we should not be surprised that Matthew and other New Testament books are sometimes amplified by early scribes or by translators.
HTR.3. Though I uphold the value of fasting for the right reasons, I admit to falling far short in this practice.
HTR.X1. When Jesus prefaces his teaching with the word amen, he is quoting from the Hebrew Scriptures as a means of conveying the authority of his words. Though my paraphrases seriously and I mean it when I tell you get across the point as well as the traditional English renderings of verily and truly, we should keep in mind that the way Jesus uses amen should be heard as Jesus saying that a word of God is now being directly revealed.
According to the scholar Bruce M. Metzger,
HTR.y2. Some scholars will point out that the assertion in Mark and Matthew that a certain kind of demon can be exorcised only with "prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:28, Matthew 17:21), has been amplified, the words "and fasting" having been added. Yet one should not take that alteration by early scribes to mean that there is never a need, metaphorically, to hold a knife to one's throat.
In any case, the fact that and fasting was not included in the original texts may well be because to Jews of that period fasting was implied by the word prayer, especially if intense prayer was meant. All through the Old Testament, earnest prayer goes hand in hand with fasting.
Thus, fasting is surely strongly implied in the account of the resistant demon.
HTR.2. Even in modern times, of course, amplification may be necessary in order to make meaning clear to readers.
For example, consider that in the King James New Testament, we read of the doings of "evil spirits." The phrase represents the Greek word daemon but in Greek, daemon simply means spirit. In the period of the very early church, hearers would have understood that the word spirit, as used by the evangelists, meant unclean spirit or evil spirit. But translators wished to leave no doubt as to what was meant.
On the other hand, the Greco-Roman word daimon has come down to us as demon, which always means evil spirit.
The point is that we should not be surprised that Matthew and other New Testament books are sometimes amplified by early scribes or by translators.
HTR.3. Though I uphold the value of fasting for the right reasons, I admit to falling far short in this practice.
HTR.X1. When Jesus prefaces his teaching with the word amen, he is quoting from the Hebrew Scriptures as a means of conveying the authority of his words. Though my paraphrases seriously and I mean it when I tell you get across the point as well as the traditional English renderings of verily and truly, we should keep in mind that the way Jesus uses amen should be heard as Jesus saying that a word of God is now being directly revealed.
According to the scholar Bruce M. Metzger,
The point of the amen before such sayings is to show that their truth is guaranteed because Jesus himself, in his amen, acknowledges them to be his own sayings, thus making them valid. The whole implication is that through this characteristic mode of speech Jesus affirms his unique authority, presenting himself as one who speaks in the name of and with the sanction of God himself. The reader is not surprised, therefore, to be told at the close of Jesus' 'Sermon on the Mount' that "the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes." (Matt. 7:28-29)In the Sermon, the amen sayings are found at Matt. 5:18, Matt. 5:26, Matt. 6:2, Matt. 6:5 and Matt. 6:16. Metzger is quoted in his The New Testament -- Its Background, Growth, and Content (Abingdon 1965; second, enlarged edition 1983).
HTR.y2. Some scholars will point out that the assertion in Mark and Matthew that a certain kind of demon can be exorcised only with "prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:28, Matthew 17:21), has been amplified, the words "and fasting" having been added. Yet one should not take that alteration by early scribes to mean that there is never a need, metaphorically, to hold a knife to one's throat.
Mark 9:28-29
(Also Matthew 17:21)
A possibility is that after the destruction of Jerusalem, when Jewish culture had waned considerably, a scribe thought to insert the and fasting phrase in Matthew or Mark because he thought that, in the old days, everyone knew that prayer and fasting went hand in hand while these days, he thought, no one knows that fact anymore, and so it would be best to amplify [HTR.2] the sentence. Then that scribe, or another, inserted the phrase into the other gospel book.(Also Matthew 17:21)
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer [and fasting].
In any case, the fact that and fasting was not included in the original texts may well be because to Jews of that period fasting was implied by the word prayer, especially if intense prayer was meant. All through the Old Testament, earnest prayer goes hand in hand with fasting.
Thus, fasting is surely strongly implied in the account of the resistant demon.
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