(Part 2 of 4) Christianity, A Question of Reasoning: The Continental/Analytic Philosophy Divide

John MacDonald | October 20, 2024

(Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, Leonardo da Vinci’s late-1490s mural painting in Milan, Italy, being the best-known example. Wiki)

Last time I noted:

One popular idea is Jesus started out as a vague dying/rising savior myth who was later placed in historical fictions/gospels (Euhemerized). But the key point is that the dying/rising salvation theme of the Jesus tale is a later development, and so is not at our earliest level of the Jesus salvation message. Against Christ-mythicism, Prof Bart Ehrman notes for Paul righteousness came through the cross/resurrection, that if it came through the law Chris died for nothing (Gal 2:21). Mark wrote a Paul-inspired propaganda document/gospel (euaggelion, as per the Augustus use of the term) selling Jesus’ cross and resurrection as the way to salvation like Paul argued, and yet contrarily Mark said salvation also came through repentance and the Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15), and following the law and giving everything to the poor (Mark 10:17-22). Mark unwittingly or deliberately (which would be my guess) incorporated material about the historical Jesus that contradicted his Pauline cross/resurrection bias. Similarly, Matthew says He will divide those judged into two groups: “sheep” and “goats.” The sheep will be welcomed and praised for serving those in need. The goats will be sent away from Jesus to fire and condemned for not serving those in need.

As has been identified by critical scholars like Robyn Faith Walsh, the origin of the Lord’s Supper story is not memory of the activities of the historical Jesus with his disciples, but a mystical revelation Paul thinks he received from Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). Mark learned this from Paul, and Mark narrativized the Last Supper by turning it into an event in the life of Jesus and his disciples. Why? Given what I posted about last time with the historical Jesus not teaching his own death/resurrection, it is clear Mark satirizes the point that the crucifixion/resurrection were not topics for Jesus when he was alive. Mark parodies Jesus repeatedly predicting his death, but the disciples as clueless simply couldn’t understand.

The disciples in Mark fled at the arrest and got violent, which wouldn’t have happened if the arrest/death was the expectation of the Jesus group. Why did Paul not learn of the last supper from other disciples who attended it? Because none did. For Paul Jesus revealed the last supper to him because it was a meal Jesus ate alone in his prison cell, and it was a general instruction Jesus gave for all future Christians.

MY ESSAYS