Monday, February 17, 2020

What were the last words of Jesus on the cross?

Some critics say the Gospels give contradictory accounts of Christ's last words on the cross. A few observations:

i) On the face of it, this allegation is just a fallacy. It confuses the last words recorded by the narrator with the last words of the speaker. It isn't necessarily or even presumptively the last thing the speaker said, but the last thing the narrator quoted the speaker saying. That's where the narrator ends his account. 

ii) To take some comparisons: suppose I speak to a friend who died in a traffic accident the next day. I remember his last words to me. I can quote his final words to me. But it's unlikely that those are the last words he ever spoke.

Or suppose loved one is dying in a hospital. His bed is surrounded by family and friends. One of them has to leave. They remember the last thing they heard him say before they stepped out of the room. That's something they quote him saying, but it's probably not the last thing he said before he died.

Or take the "wit and wisdom" books of a celebrity. They may arrange quotes chronologically from his writings. But the last quoted statement is unlikely to be the last thing he said before he died. The book is selective to begin with. It may be his last public statement. Or his last wittism.

iii) Keep in mind that according to traditional authorship, only John was present at the crucifixion. Possibly Mark. But the other disciples had fled. Matthew and Luke probably got their information from the women at the cross. 

There's a distinction between the last thing they record Jesus saying and the last thing he said. The former doesn't entail the latter. It tells you when the narrator stopped quoting, not when the speaker stopped talking. That's where the narrator decided to wrap up his account of the Crucifixion. Maybe because he had no more information about what was said and done. 

Other than John, the Synoptics might well not know the original order of what Jesus said on the cross, if they depend on the women for their information. It would also depend on which women they consulted. For that matter, the women might not remember the original order. You don't know ahead of time if what they say the last thing they will ever say. You might expect more. 

vi) Bart Ehrman makes a big deal about mood shifts. Needless to say, someone in agonizing pain is prone to sudden mood swings. They may oscillate in and out of consciousness and lucidity. They may have moments of euphoria. They may slip back into despondency. This is realistic. 

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