Incredible Encounters?

Imagine entering a Christian congregation during the first-century. What kinds of people would you see and meet? Imagine further that you were introduced to ones who had the special honor of being healed or resurrected by Jesus Christ. Even though their Lord was no longer in their midst, they could readily explain what Jesus did to them as seen in the Gospels. Interacting with such ones would be absolutely incredible and dramatically increase trust in the Gospel accounts.

Yet, these encounters were reported to have actually occurred. One Christian included this when writing to Emperor Hadrian in defense of the faith. Hadrian was born in 76 C.E. and reigned from 117 to 138 C.E. The writer was Quadratus, and he wrote a book now lost but was quoted from by church historian Eusebius.^[1] Quadratus curiously wrote:

But the works of our Saviour were always present, for they were true, those who were cured, those who rose from the dead, who not merely appeared as cured and risen, but were constantly present, not only while the Saviour was living, but even for some time after he had gone, so that some of them survived even till our own time.^[2]

Another translation presents:

But the works of our Saviour were always present, for they were genuine:—those that were healed, and those that were raised from the dead, who were seen not only when they were healed and when they were raised, but were also always present; and not merely while the Saviour was on earth, but also after his death, they were alive for quite a while, so that some of them lived even to our day.^[3]

This translation points out that Quadratus “seems to introduce a contrast, and allows us to assume with some measure of assurance that an exposure of the pretended wonders of heathen magicians, who were numerous at that time, preceded this ocular proof of the genuineness of Christ’s miracles.” We are then cautioned that “Quadratus had evidently seen none of these persons himself; he had simply heard of them through others. We have no record elsewhere of the fact that any of those raised by Christ lived to a later age.” This is an important caution, and it raises the questions of when he wrote to the emperor and, most importantly, of life expectancy. First, the Catholic Encyclopedia notes that “He addressed a discourse to the Emperor Hadrian containing an apology for the Christian religion, during a visit which the latter made to Athens in 124 or 125.”^[4] Another scholar noted this was “when Hadrian visited Athens and was initiated in the Eleusinian mysteries.” He also cautions that “it is improbable that any one contemporary with subjects of our Lord’s miracles should survive to 170 [sic 117?].”^[5] This is a good point. To recap, Hadrian was born in 76. So, if a person was 30 and healed in 30 C.E., then he would be 76 in 76 C.E. But Jesus healed younger people too, like the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter, the daughter of Jairus, and the widow of Nain’s son—with only the daughter of Jairus being given an age, 12.^[6] But it’s unlikely someone from Jesus’ time survived into the early second century. So Quadratus may have been flattering Hadrian by referring to the time of his year of birth. We also know nothing about when Quadratus was born.

Additionally, another scholar reports:

About half a century later, Irenaeus may have relied on Quadratus for his own discussions of miracles (Haer. 2.31.2 and 2.32.4), later copied by Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. 5.7). Irenaeus claimed that in Christian churches there were those who “cure the sick by laying hands on them, and…the dead have been raised and remained with us for many years.” It is not absolutely certain what time frames either Quadratus or Irenaeus had in view.^[7]

The bottom line is, people whom Jesus healed and resurrected were reported to have become Christians.


Footnotes:
^[1]This testimony was also presented in two issues of the Watchtower:

Further proof comes from fourth-century church historian Eusebius. In his book The History of the Church From Christ to Constantine, he quotes a certain Quadratus who sent a letter to the emperor in defense of Christianity. Quadratus wrote: “Our Saviour’s works were always there to see, for they were true—the people who had been cured and those raised from the dead, who had not merely been seen at the moment when they were cured or raised, but were always there to see, not only when the Saviour was among us, but for a long time after His departure; in fact some of them survived right up to my own time.” Scholar William Barclay observed: “Quadratus is saying that until his own day men on whom miracles had been worked could actually be produced. If that was untrue nothing would have been easier than for the Roman government to brand it as a lie.” w95 3/1 pp. 4-5 Jesus’ Miracles—History or Myth?

Eusebius of Caesarea, in The Ecclesiastical history, provides an interesting statement by a certain Quadratus, who wrote an “apology” in behalf of Christianity to Hadrian, emperor of Rome from 117 to 138 C.E. Quadratus declares: “The works of our Saviour were always conspicuous, for they were real. Both they that were healed, and they that were raised from the dead, were seen, not only when they were healed or raised, but for a long time afterwards; not only whilst he dwelt on this earth, but also after his departure and for a good while subsequent to it: insomuch that some of them have reached to our times.” w76 7/15 p. 430 A Look at Some Miracles of Jesus

^[2] Loeb Classical Library
^[3] Arthur Cushman McGiffert
www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0265-0339,_Eusebius_Caesariensis,_Historia_ecclesiastica_%5BSchaff%5D,_EN.pdf
^[4] Quadratus of Athens
www.earlychristianwritings.com/info/quadratus-cathen.html
^[5] Quadratus
www.earlychristianwritings.com/info/quadratus-wace.html
^[6] (Daughter of Jairus: Matthew 9:18, 19, 23-26. Mark 5:22-24, 35-43. Luke 8:41, 42, 49-56. Son of the widow of Nain: Luke 7:11-17. Daughter of the Syrophoenician: Matthew 15:22-28. Mark 7:26-30.) A list of Jesus’ miracles is here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracles_of_Jesus
^[7] Robert M. Grant, “Quadratus,” The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 582. See also: Quadratus of Athens
www.earlychristianwritings.com/quadratus.html

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Psalms of Despair and Rejoicing: Psalm 6

As in the previous post on despair in Psalms,^[1] Psalm 6 presents us with the fear and dread of the psalmist and how he recovered. It is absolutely fascinating. Again, this will compare this psalm from the New World Translation and the NET Bible, with Jehovah^[2] included in the later in place of “LORD.”

The first few verses bristle with terrified panic, from illness and/or persecution (this table is best viewed in the web version):

NWT

NET Bible

A request for favor The dead do not praise God God hears requests for favor O Jehovah, do not reprove me in your anger, And do not correct me in your rage. 2 Show me favor, O Jehovah, for I am growing weak. Heal me, O Jehovah, for my bones are shaking. 3 Yes, I am greatly disturbed, And I ask you, O Jehovah—how long will it be? 4 Return, O Jehovah, and rescue me; Save me for the sake of your loyal love. 5 For in death there is no mention of you; In the Grave, who will praise you? [Research Guide reference: Psalm 89:48; Psalm 146:3, 4. The above texts include three of the more than sixty occurrences in the Bible of the Hebrew word Sheol, which literally means “gravedom.” A corresponding word in the Greek Scriptures, Hades, which appears just ten times, means the same. Both of these words always refer, not to individual tombs, but to the “common grave,” where [we] go at death. This is a place of nonexistence, unconsciousness, where the dead must remain until God resurrects them. They are completely dead, but not without hope. Hence, Sheol is obviously the place to which the dead go. It is not an individual grave but the common grave of dead mankind in general, where all conscious activity ceases. This is also what the New Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledges to be the Biblical significance of Sheol, saying: “In the Bible it designates the place of complete inertia that one goes down to when one dies whether one be just or wicked, rich or poor.” —Vol. 13, p. 170.] 6 I have grown weary with my sighing; All night long I soak my bed with tears; I flood my couch with weeping. 7 My eye is weak from my grief; It has dimmed because of all those harassing me. 8 Get away from me, all you who behave wickedly, For Jehovah will hear the sound of my weeping. 9 Jehovah will hear my request for favor; Jehovah will accept my prayer. [Research Guide reference: Have there been times when you prayed to God and your prayers were not answered? Many have had this experience. Does it mean that prayers are of no value? No, God can both hear prayers and act upon them.] 10 All my enemies will be put to shame and dismayed; They will fall back in sudden disgrace.

[Footnote: The psalmist begs Jehovah to withdraw his anger and spare his life. Having received a positive response to his prayer, the psalmist then confronts his enemies and describes how they retreat.] Jehovah, do not rebuke me in your anger. Do not discipline me in your raging fury. 2 Have mercy on me, Jehovah, for I am frail. Heal me, Jehovah, for my bones are shaking. [Footnote: Normally the verb בָּהַל (bahal) refers to an emotional response and means “tremble with fear, be terrified” (see vv. 3, 10). Perhaps here the “bones” are viewed as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. However, the verb may describe one of the effects of his physical ailment, perhaps a fever. In Ezek 7:27 the verb describes how the hands of the people will shake with fear when they experience the horrors of divine judgment.] 3 I am absolutely terrified, and you, Jehovah—how long will this continue? [Footnote: Heb “and you, Jehovah, how long?” The suffering psalmist speaks in broken syntax. He addresses God, but then simply cries out with a brief, but poignant, question: How long will this (= his suffering) continue?] 4 Relent, Jehovah, rescue me! Deliver me because of your faithfulness. 5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death. [Footnote: Heb “for there is not in death your remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זֵכֶר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 30:4; 97:12. “Death” here refers to the realm of death where the dead reside. See the reference to Sheol in the next line.] In Sheol who gives you thanks? [Footnote: The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.” sn In Sheol who gives you thanks? According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 30:9; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!] 6 I am exhausted as I groan. All night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. 7 My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies. 8 Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, for Jehovah has heard the sound of my weeping. [Footnote: Jehovah has heard. The psalmist’s mood abruptly changes because Jehovah responded positively to the lament and petition of vv. 1-7 and promised him deliverance.] 9 Jehovah has heard my appeal for mercy; Jehovah has accepted my prayer. [Footnote: The prefixed verbal form is probably a preterite here; it is parallel to a perfect and refers to the fact that Jehovah has responded favorably to the psalmist’s request.] 10 They will be humiliated and absolutely terrified. All my enemies will turn back and be suddenly humiliated. [Footnote: The psalmist uses the same expression in v. 3 to describe the terror he was experiencing. He is confident that the tables will be turned and his enemies will know what absolute terror feels like.]

When looking up Psalm 6 I noticed something peculiar about verses 8 and 9. The NWT says Jehovah “will hear” twice and “will accept.” However, other translations present “has heard” twice and “has accepted.” This difference is explained in the NET Bible footnote for verse 9. The Jewish Study Bible is similar, and has this translation in verses 8-10 (with Jehovah inserted again) and the following note:

Away from me, all you evildoers, for Jehovah heeds the sound of my weeping.
Jehovah heeds my plea,
Jehovah accepts my prayer.
All my enemies will be frustrated and stricken with terror; they will turn back in an instant, frustrated.

The note explains:

The Heb tenses are better reflected by rendering:
“Away … has heard … has heeded … will be frustrated.” The back-and-forth movement may express the psalmist’s religious conviction that God will hear his prayer, and thus he simultaneously expresses hope and certainty.

The note adds that “perhaps this is reflected in Lam. 3.57. “You have ever drawn nigh when I called You; You have said, ‘Do not fear!’”” It adds that this “may also be reflected in Ps. 12.6 [Ps. 12.5], where God is quoted in the middle of the psalm.”

In any case, we can appreciate that the psalmist began his heartfelt plea with trust in Jehovah, and closed it with his ironclad assurance that his prayer was heard and his enemies will therefore be absolutely defeated.


Footnotes:
^[1] Psalms of Despair and Rejoicing
jimspace3000.blogspot.com/2020/01/psalms-of-despair-and-rejoicing.html
^[2] The reason for the name
jimspace3000.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-reason-for-name.html

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