Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, Chapter 6

Now Bauckham turns his attention to the structure of the gospels themselves. He notes that both John and Luke structure their work with accounts from people who were with Jesus "from the beginning" (Acts 1:21-22, John 2:11). The preface to Luke's gospel, one of the most studied passages in the New Testament, records that Luke's works is from eyewitnesses who were from the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Eyewitness does not have a forensic (courtroom) meaning, but a meaning of observer of events. Bauckham focuses on this phrase, "from the beginning," because in antiquity going to the beginning of the story was important. The right start was essential, citing examples from Josephus and Polybius. What Luke has done, Bauckham suggests, is understood (examined) the story from the beginning (of Jesus) because he has spoken with people who were with Jesus from the beginning--the eyewitnesses to certain events. Not only were eyewitnesses essential to the stories, but eyewitnesses who were present from beginning to end were essential.

Can we see this principle in the gospels? Bauckham argues yes. He argues that Peter is the disciple in Mark mentioned first and last. The first mention of Peter says literally, "Simon and Simon's brother," which emphasizes Simon's name. The final mention of Peter is that the women who saw the empty tomb are to tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus is going ahead of them into Galilee. Bauckham says these uses form an inclusio that bracket everything between them as Peter's testimony.

Bauckham also sees this literary device in the gospel of John. In John the first two disciples of John the Baptist are anonymous, until Andrew is named. The other, however, remains unknown. Bauckham argues that this anonymous disciple is the Beloved Disciple and author of this gospel. A few points make the argument: first, John is written from the perspective of the ideal witness (21:24) and ideal witnesses are from the beginning, whom Jesus affirms is to testify to him (15:27). Second, Jesus turns to see the anonymous disciple following him (1:38) and at the end of the Gospel Peter turns to see the disciple whom Jesus loved following (21:20). The connotation of following is of discipleship, as is the word, "remain." (Remember Jesus' words to remain in me.) The first disciples ask Jesus where he is staying and remain with him the whole day (1:38). At the end of the gospel, Jesus tells Peter that if he wants the Beloved Disciple to remain until he comes, then Peter shouldn't worry (21:22). If this disciple is one and the same and author of John, then he has displaced Peter as the authority of this gospel, but Bauckham thinks this is more of a friendly rivalry but with a serious purpose of showing the author a qualified witness.

Bauckham also examines this device in Luke with the women. This is not surprising as Luke draws on more witnesses than just the Twelve. Luke mentions three women in Jesus' Galilean ministry (Luke 8:2-3). They reappear at 24:10, at the crucifixion. While Luke also has a Petrine inclusio, this shorter inclusio shows that Luke owes some of his special material to people other than the Twelve and Peter. The only gospel not to include such a literary device is Matthew and along with the fact that Matthew adds no names other than the ones in Mark, even dropping some of those, this gospel seems not to be as concerned with eyewitness authority as the other gospels.

After examining works by Lucius and Porphyry for the same literary device, Bauckham offers his conclusion. He says that most authoritative witnesses were present for the events narrated and they can therefore vouch for the overall shape of the story. Mark, Luke, and John all use a device to tell us this is the case for the eyewitnesses of their work.