Kata Markon

[JFAlward AT aol.com]

JEFFREY GIBSON
I wonder if you could back up your claim that PEIRASMOS means "temptation" and
not "a test/ trial"?

JOE ALWARD
The body which needs sleep "tests" the will of the one whose eyes are heavy, 
and thus the body is tempted to sleep.

JOE ALWARD
Maybe this will help to further clarify my position, which is that "tempt" 
and "test" can be the same thing:

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is 
willing, but the body is weak." (Mark 14:38)

can equally well be read,

"Watch and pray so that your body not test (peirasmos) your limits, and win. 
The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.  [i.e., you may WANT to stay 
awake, but your body may subvert your intentions.]" 

Thus, my argument is that the surface reading--the most obvious meaning--of 
Mark's pericope is that the disciples must pray that the be given the 
strength to withstand the body's need to close its eyes and fall asleep.  The 
spirit may be willing to stay awake and wait for Jesus to return, but the 
body is weak--that's what Mark had Jesus say in Mark 14:38.  It seems so 
simple to me, that I believe almost any other candidate explanation would 
require extraordinary support before it could even be considered as a 
plausible alternative to the explanation I've provided, and I certainly don't 
think you've come anywhere near providing such extraordinary evidence.  
That's what I think, but of course it's hard for me not to be biased, and 
easy for me not to see the flaws in my own argument.  Perhaps the same 
applies to you.

Well, there's no point in laying out my whole case against your thesis here, 
Jeff.  I did all of that in my article, "The Sleeping Disciples" at 
http://sol.sci.uop.edu/~jfalward/Sleeping_Disciples.htm


Joseph F. Alward, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
University of the Pacific
Stockton CA 95201
Web page:  "A Skeptical View of Christianity and the Bible"
http://members.aol.com/jalw/joseph_alward.html