2. Use of other writings in the Gospels. — Are other writings than the OT used in the Gospels ? This question recognizes the possibility (n) of ex- plicit citations from writings outside of the OT as authoritative documents, or (6) of a general use of material as a source of historical example or ex- plicit allusion, or (c) of literary relationship, or {d) of other writings with a genetic relation to the teachings of the Gospels.
(«) The passages which have been brought into debate are Mt 27», Lk T'^^" 11''", Jn 4^7 and 7^\
Mt 27^ Is this a citation from some lost writing outside tlie OT and attributed to Jeremiah ? Ap- parently the dictate of common sense is that the passage is really from Zee ll'^- ^^ and that there was some slip in the memory of the writer of the Gospel, or that there was an error on the part of the earliest transcribers.
Lk 7^^. Doubtless here Jesus was using as an illustration facts with which all persons who observed children at play were familiar. It seems an attempt to manufacture a difficulty. This pass- age should be dismissed from consideration.
Lk 11*9. This is a passage which is not so easily explained. (1) Is ' The Wisdom of God ' the name of a book ? No such book is known. (2) Is ' The Wisdom of God ' a speaker in a book, after the manner of ' Wisdom ' in Pr 8 ? Every trace of such a book now seems lost. (3) Is Jesus quoting Him- self? See Mt 23^, where Jesus says, 'Behold I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes,' just as in this passage Wisdom says, ' I will send unto them prophets and apostles.' The words in Mt. are dated in the second day of Passion Week, while the passage in Lk. belongs to a time several weeks or months earlier. If Jesus in Lk. is quoting Himself, it is from an utterance of an earlier date, not elsewhere transmitted to us. Resch (Agrapha^, p. 184) would show that 'The Wisdom of God' was one of the self-designations of Jesus like ' The Son of Man.' To these statements it must be said that while they are possible, Jesus is nowhere else designated in this manner, nor is He elsewhere represented as quoting Himself in this manner. (4) It is claimed that the passage is founded upon Pr 12»-3i, and this is supported by the fact that in the early Christian Church the Book of Proverbs was called a Sophia. The passage hardly seems adequate for the words of Jesus. (5) This passage is claimed as an amplification of 2 Ch 2420-22. rp^jg is in reality the same as (7) below. (6) Used of Divine Providence, as manifested in history (cf. Pr 822-31), sending prophets and apostles, equivalent to saying 'God in His wisdom said." This is sup- ported by tlie passage Lk 7=^^ ' and wisdom is justi- fied of ail her children.' This is quite tenable. (7) The personal wisdom of God in Christ. In sup- port of this are the facts that Jesus says the same thing in Mt 2337 in His own Person, that He is else- Avhere said to send prophets and apostles (Lk 10^ Eph 4"), and that tiiis is a Logos conception of Jesus. Even so, a reason for the expression is not obvious, nor is it at all evident why Jesus should have used this unusual phrase, there are diffi- culties in regard to any explanation of this passage. The greatest of all is in. the theory of an extra-OT source. The passage is perfectly' intelligible with-
out such a theory, whatever be said as to the reason of the expression.
Jn 437. ' For herein is the saying true, One sowetli, and another reapeth.' Is this an exj^licit quotation from some writing ? The word ' saying ' does not point back to a Avriting. It might readily be sometliing of a proverbial character, which had its origin in the mode of thought and utterance which is found in Lv 261", Dt 28='8-*' 6", Job 318, Mic 6^^, thus having a literary connexion of some sort with the OT.
Jn 738. If this is a quotation from a writing out- side the OT, a wholly unknown writing has to be assumed. Nowhere else in the NT is a writing outside the OT called 'ypa<pri, ' Scripture. ' It is a tenable and adequate explanation to treat it as ' a free quotation harmonizing in thought with parts of various passages, especially Is 44^ 55^ 58^^ ' (Meyer). See, on an attempt to trace the saying to a Buddhist source, ExpT xviii. [1906] p. 100.
The examination of these passages fails to show the slightest probability that Jesus, a speaker in the Gospels, or any writer of the Gospels, explicitly cited any writing outside the OT as authoritative Scripture.
{b) Examination of the facts gives no greater probability that historical illustrations from writ- ings other than the OT occur in the Gospels, or intentional allusions to such writings, in any such manner as the illustrations taken from the OT, or as the allusions to the OT found in the Gospels.
(c) It is difficult not to believe that literary con- nexion is quite marked. Note, especially, the following passages : Mt 5''^- =*« (Sir 23") 5^2a (gir 4*- ^) 5^2b (Sir 29^) 544 (Wis 1219^) G'- " (Sir 28^) 7^2 (To 416) ipsf. (Sir 5i23ff.) 1921 (Sir 09") 23^^ (To 14^), Lk 638 (Sir MIS'*-) 1925 igis (Enoch 409, Sibyl, procem. 85 = frag. ii. 47) W (Enoch 108") 18' (Enoch 47'- 2) 181-8 (Sir 32"- !«) 20i»- '^ (Enoch 89^1), Jn 62^'' (Sir 15^ 2419) 8« (Wis 22^ Enoch 69«).