Corpus-Paul

[<stephen.finlan AT durham.ac.uk>]

I tend to think that verses 19b and 20 (the "body given"
and "covenant in my blood" verses) were added later,
patterned after 1 Cor 11:24-25.  Of course, this is
the view of Hort, Ehrmann, and others.

VV. 19b-20 are missing from all the oldest Latin and
Syriac, and some of the Bohairic mss., and also from 
the oldest Western Greek ms. [D].  Luke's account 
hangs together literarily without them, being
focused on his drinking again with them when the 
kingdom of God comes, and on the fact that his
betrayer is at the table with them.

Now, I want to go back to the main subject.  How's 
this for a possibility? --
   Luke did not know Paul's letters, but he did know
Paul's preaching.  This is shown by the fact that the
only place in Acts where there is mention of 
redemption in blood, the words are uttered by Paul,
when he says God obtained the chruch with the blood of
his own Son (20:28), which IS distinctly Pauline,
to my ear.  

"Obtained" (PERIEPOIHSATO) is a redemption/purchase word,
like (EX)AGORAZW and other words Paul uses (Gal 3:13,
etc), and "blood" summons up both the martyr image
and the sacrifice image.


Stephen Finlan
University of Durham