Holtzmann suggests, as had previously been suggested by others, that ‘to do anything in three days’? merely meant to do it quickly. Reference is made to Hos. vi. 2, Mt. xiii. 40. This may be. Holtzmann further maintains that such an announcement as Jesus is here re- presented as making was impossible at so early a period of the ministry, that it must have been uttered on some other occasion and have been inserted here to suit John’s purpose. The origin of the expression he finds in the Pauline- Alexandrian conception of the body as the temple of God. If this was believed
710
n Of build- καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις " ἐγερῶ αὐτόν."
ing ; see
Kypke, ἐκ Τεσσαράκοντα καὶ εξ ἔτεσιν ᾠκοδομήθη 6 ναὸς wea ii. ο. τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερεῖς αὐτόν; ΡΙ. Ἐκεῖνος δὲ
1 Cor. iii. Prine oat >a 16. ναοῦ τοῦ σώματος AUTOU.
20. Εἶπον οὖν ot ᾿Ιουδαῖοι, οὗτος, καὶ σὺ ἐν ἔλεγε περὶ ᾿ τοῦ
22. ὅτε οὖν ἠγέρθη ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐμνήσθησαν
οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι τοῦτο ἔλεγεν adtois!- καὶ ἐπίστευσαν τῇ
γραφῇ, καὶ τῷ Adyw ᾧ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς.
λύμοις ἐν τῷ πάσχα, ἐν τῇ
wi. τε. τα Omit αντοις with ΝΑΕΒΊ, Τε. vulg.
of ordinary men much more must that body be the temple in which dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Col. ii. Q).
Phat the saying itself was historical is put beyond doubt by its quotation at the trial of Jesus, Mk. xiv. 58; cf. xv. 29. There were those who had heard Him say that He would destroy the Temple ; which gives this saying with just the kind of misunderstanding and perversion one would expect. But if the saying itself is historical, can Jesus have meant anything else by it than John tells us He meant? That He considered His body the Temple of God goes without saying.
It is indeed extremely unlikely that Jesus should at the very beginning of His ministry have spoken of His death and resurrection openly. Hence even Weiss seems to think that the words meant: Destroy this Temple, as you are doing by allowing such abuses in it, prohibit me from those reforms on the Temple which can alone save it, and eventually this Temple must be com- pletely destroyed, its purpose gone, and its services extinct. But I will in its place raise a spiritual temple, the living Church. But if already Jesus had thought out the Messianic career, then He already was sure both that He would die and that He would rise again. Being in perfect fellowship with the living God He knew that He must be hated of men, and He knew that He could never fall from that fellowship but must conquer death. At no time then after His baptism and temptation could it be impossible to Him to speak covertly as here of His death and resurrection. On this point see Schwartzkopff, Die Weissagungen Christi.
Ver. 20. The Jews naturally saw no reference to His own body or to its re- surrection, and replied to the letter of His words, τεσσεράκοντα. . . . The Temple was begun to be rebuilt in the eighteenth year of Herod’s reign that is the autumn
23. ὡς δὲ ἦν ἐν Ἱεροσο-
ἑορτῇ, πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν " εἰς τὸ ὄνομα
of 734-735. In Jewish reckoning the beginning of a year was reckoned one year. Thus forty-six years might bring us to the autumn of 779 and the Passover of 780, 1.ε., 27 A.D. would be regarded as forty-six years from the rebuilding ; and this is Edersheim’s calculation. But several accurate chronologists think the following year is meant.
The Synoptical Gospels insert a similar incident at the close of Christ’s ministry, and there alone. Harmonists accordingly understand that the Temple was twice cleansed by Him. ‘ Bis ergo Christus templum ... purgavit”’ (Calvin). It is easy to find reasons for such action either at the beginning or at the close of the ministry. On the whole it seems more appropriate at the beginning. The Messiah might be expected to manifest Himself at the Temple.