Bock

Tabor’s Latest Effort – May 2

Jim Tabor has updated his blog on the tomb and come up with a "new" argument for Jesus being married, besides workign over the 20 issues he sees ont e family tomb (issues we already have covered).

The argument in fact is not so new. I dealt withit years ago in dealing with the daVinci Code phenomena.

He argues that in 1 Corinthians 7 the hypothesis that if Jesus had been single, it would have been affirmed in the case that Paul makes for remaining single there.

Jim Tabor has updated his blog on the tomb and come up with a "new" argument for Jesus being married, besides workign over the 20 issues he sees ont e family tomb (issues we already have covered).

The argument in fact is not so new. I dealt withit years ago in dealing with the daVinci Code phenomena.

He argues that in 1 Corinthians 7 the hypothesis that if Jesus had been single, it would have been affirmed in the case that Paul makes for remaining single there.

The point sounds good at first until you think through it.

(1) Had Paul known Jesus was married, as Tabor implies, then why did he not mention that at 1 Cor 9 about support?

(2) If Paul knew, then why did not such evidence show up anywhere else in the church materials?

(3) This means there must be another explanation for why the point is not made about Jesus’ being single in 1 Cor. 7. That reason is ready to hand. Paul’s argument argues for a preference for singleness, but not a requirement that one remain single. To mention Jesus’ example in 1 Cor 7 might say too much by presenting the example of Jesus as the guide, when it, in the case, did not establish the overall case Paul makes, (namely, if one marries, the couple does not sin).