Subject: Re: Thomas/Synoptic Parallels Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 22:06:58 -0500 From: "Stephen C. Carlson" To: crosstalk@info.harpercollins.com At 09:24 AM 10/28/98 -0500, Mahlon H. Smith wrote: >As for H0 (the null hypothesis: "Thomas was formed by copying >selected sayings from first one synoptic gospel, then another..."): No >one who has ever bothered to compare the wording of GThom sayings with >canonical parallels could ever seriously propose this. Even a >superficial reading of GThom proves that its sayings are not "copied" >from any canonical text. Usually the purpose of the Null Hypothesis is to disprove it statistically. Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn't. At any rate, to be fair to Bob's formulation, the operative part is "from first one synoptic gospel, then another." If you want to quibble about "copied" then one could substitute "ultimately deriving" or some such. The criticism, even if pedantically correct, simply misses Bob's point. Stephen Carlson -- Stephen C. Carlson mailto:scarlson@mindspring.com Synoptic Problem Home Page http://www.mindspring.com/~scarlson/synopt/ "Poetry speaks of aspirations, and songs chant the words." Shujing 2.35