An important Gospel lesson from Elizabeth Warren

You may have seen the video showing two different Elizabeth Warren interviews where she is clearly following a script. Her monologue in each case follows the same theme, the same order, and often uses exactly the same words. But not always.

It seems funny at first, but if you spend any time at all thinking about it, it makes perfect sense.

In college, I spent a lot of time listening to Tom Short, an open-air preacher. There were several questions/comments that would come up again and again — e.g., “what about the heathen in Africa?,” or “what about all the different translations of the Bible?,” or “love is all you need, Tom” — and over the years, Tom refined his answers. It got to the point that I could predict what he was going to say. Almost word for word.

When someone spends a lot of time speaking publicly, they develop patterns and scripts. They have talking points they want to communicate, and they have ways of answering certain questions. They tell the same stories and illustrations. Over and over and over again.

With that background, when I first started reading critical analyses of the Gospels, I was somewhat surprised that New Testament scholars seem oblivious to this. They assumed that if a passage in Luke sounds like a passage in Mark, both passages had to be relating the same event.

Of course they might be, but it’s also a dead certainty that most of Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament were said over and over and over again. In different cities, at different times, with different audiences, … but sometimes in the same city with similar audiences.

There were certain hecklers who came back, time and again, to challenge Tom with the same sorts of questions. And I’m sure the same was true with Jesus.

“Remember the time Jesus was asked about divorce by the Pharisees?” someone might ask.

“Ha!” St. Peter might say. “I can think of at least ten times.”

Remember the conditions for the replacement for Judas?

Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us — beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us — one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.

These were people who heard Jesus speak again and again and again. They got the rhythm of his answers. They knew phrases and favorite words. They knew the illustrations he would use.

Is it any surprise that there might be several different versions of key parables and stories?

I don’t think so. And the fact that they don’t precisely agree doesn’t mean they’re inaccurate.