1. Prophetic Rhetorolect in Matthew 12:1-8
Lecture by Vernon K. Robbins
Produced by Sam Bradford
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4. Prophetic Rhetorolect in Matthew 12:1-8
Lecture by Vernon K. Robbins
Produced by Sam Bradford
NO AUDIO

5. Review of Socio-Rhetorical Terms click links to explore Socio-Rhetorical terms
Opening-Middle-Closing Texture:
SR online dictionary definition
SR audio files
Narrational Texture:
NO AUDIO

6. Matthew 12:1-8 FOR YOU TO READ, IF YOU WISH
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.”
3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4 He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests.
NO AUDIO

7. Matthew 12:1-8 continued FOR YOU TO READ, IF YOU WISH
5 Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless?
6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
NO AUDIO

8. Matthew 15:1-14 To provide a comparison between wisdom and prophetic rhetorolects in Matthew FOR YOU TO READ, IF YOU WISH
1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.”
3He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
4For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’
5But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father.
6So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God.
7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:
8‘This people honors me with their lips,    but their hearts are far from me; 9in vain do they worship me,    teaching human precepts as doctrines .’”
NO AUDIO

9. Matthew 15:1-14 continued To provide a comparison between wisdom and prophetic rhetorolects in Matthew FOR YOU TO READ, IF YOU WISH
10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand:
11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”
12Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?”
13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”
NO AUDIO

10. Matthew 12:1-8 as Prophetic Discourse
Large impact of Prophetic Rhetorolect on early Christian tradition
Christians continue past traditions
Matthew 12 is an example of Prophetic Rhetorolect, Matthew 15 is an example of Wisdom Rhetorolect

11. Opening – Middle – Closing of Matthew 12:1-8
I. 2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.”
II. 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
4 He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests.
III. 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless?
6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
Closing:
7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
Opening:
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
= Narrational Texture
Observations:
Opening is entirely Narrative
Parts I and II of Middle have Narrative introduction
OMC sections and subsections are open to interpretation

12. Function of the Pharisees
Part I of Middle:
2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.”
Function of Pharisees is to find fault, accusing the disciples of breaking the sabbath
Note: Not in the form of a question

13. Wisdom Questions vs. Prophetic Questions
Question in Wisdom Rhetorolect  seeking information, a genuine question
Question in Prophetic Rhetorolect  makes an accusation, accuses of wrong thought and behavior

14. Examples of Prophetic and Wisdom Questions in Galatians 3
See Galatians 3:
3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?...
3:2 The only thing I want to know from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing works of the law or by believing what you heard?
3:3 Are you so foolish?...
Prophetic questions
Initial assertion  “You foolish Galatians!”
Thought connected with questions
Accusation – someone has bewitched you
Questions in both Rhetorolects can include rhetorical questions, as a way for a teacher to continue
3:19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made…
Genuine Question, Paul acts as a teacher
Shift to Wisdom Rhetorolect, as early as verse 6

15. How Jesus speaks to the Pharisees (1)
Matthew 12:3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
Implication  the Pharisees have not read the law
Not instructional
PROPHETIC

16. How Jesus speaks to the Pharisees (2)
12:4 He [David] entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests.
Relation to Prophetic discourse: people do not realize they are breaking the law, even though they appear to be righteous and proper.
Also, what may appear to be improper may actually be proper
Pharisees are supposed to be very familiar with the law
Jesus functions in their domain, and has very skillful interpretation, as they do – on their level, in their arena
Jesus interprets from prophets in 1 Samuel 21

17. How Jesus speaks to the Pharisees (3)
Jesus interprets from prophets in 1 Samuel 21
And also from Numbers, a book in the Torah  the Pharisees’ primary text:
12:5 Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless?
Not supposed to work on the sabbath, but priests do  “work” is not clear cut
Three step process:
Pharisees accusing Jesus’ disciples of wrongdoing
Jesus challenges Pharisees with Prophetic text
Jesus challenges Pharisees with text from the Torah
Jesus also quotes from Hosea, another prophetic book in verse 7:
But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
Result: Prophetic Discourse

18. WELL DONE!!
You have successfully completed the lesson on how Matthew 12:1-8 is an example of Prophetic Rhetorolect
Have a great day!