First Q: In Matthew 26:63, when the high priest adjures Jesus to say whether or not he is the Messiah, the Son of God, Matthew says that Jesus responded, Thou hast said. But in the parallel-passage in Mark 14:62, Mark says that Jesus responded, I am. Thats a pretty big difference.
A: No it isnt; it just looks that way because readers fail to appreciate the idiom that is in use here. The phrase Thou hast said is not evasive. It means It is as you say. Some idiomatic phrases in English come close: You said it! and You can say that again! for instance. Matthew and Luke preserve the Hebrew-based idiom; by the time Mark wrote the definitive text of his account, he had adjusted it at this point so that Roman readers would understand it without impediment; for this reason he presents the translated meaning of Jesus reply.
(In addition, many an apologist has pointed out that if Jesus had wanted to deny being the Messiah, the Son of God, He could have easily said something like, "No. Of course not. How absurd. I am not the Messiah. Let me out of here!" But He didn't.)
Second Q: In Matthew 26:64, Jesus prophesies that the high priest will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. But this never occurred, which makes that a false prophecy. How can that be explained?
A: Jesus did not say that Caiaphas would see the Son of Man during Caiaphas earthly lifetime. Jesus only said that Caiaphas would see the Son of Man hereafter, sitting at Gods right hand (Matthew uses the term the Power to euphemistically refer to the heavenly presence of the Almighty) and coming in the clouds of heaven. By the time any of the four Gospels were written, Caiaphas was dead; the meaning here is not that Caiaphas will live long enough to see the glorious return of the Son of Man, but rather that he will, at some future time (i.e., hereafter, which is the only limit -- and a redundant one -- in the text) see the Son of Man as Jesus describes. A comparison with Revelation 1:7 illustrates how Jesus prophecy was expected to be fulfilled by the early church.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A: No it isnt; it just looks that way because readers fail to appreciate the idiom that is in use here. The phrase Thou hast said is not evasive. It means It is as you say. Some idiomatic phrases in English come close: You said it! and You can say that again! for instance. Matthew and Luke preserve the Hebrew-based idiom; by the time Mark wrote the definitive text of his account, he had adjusted it at this point so that Roman readers would understand it without impediment; for this reason he presents the translated meaning of Jesus reply.
(In addition, many an apologist has pointed out that if Jesus had wanted to deny being the Messiah, the Son of God, He could have easily said something like, "No. Of course not. How absurd. I am not the Messiah. Let me out of here!" But He didn't.)
Second Q: In Matthew 26:64, Jesus prophesies that the high priest will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. But this never occurred, which makes that a false prophecy. How can that be explained?
A: Jesus did not say that Caiaphas would see the Son of Man during Caiaphas earthly lifetime. Jesus only said that Caiaphas would see the Son of Man hereafter, sitting at Gods right hand (Matthew uses the term the Power to euphemistically refer to the heavenly presence of the Almighty) and coming in the clouds of heaven. By the time any of the four Gospels were written, Caiaphas was dead; the meaning here is not that Caiaphas will live long enough to see the glorious return of the Son of Man, but rather that he will, at some future time (i.e., hereafter, which is the only limit -- and a redundant one -- in the text) see the Son of Man as Jesus describes. A comparison with Revelation 1:7 illustrates how Jesus prophecy was expected to be fulfilled by the early church.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
then no doubt the other disciples would have taken some action rather than carry on with their supper or did the fact that Judas was to betray and they just merely carried on having their meal.
