Recovering Jewish-Christian Sects and Gospels (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae)

 chapter three

Jewish Christians who were successors of the Q people, or at least heavily
influenced by Q traditions?
The following fragments in the new reconstruction have affinities with
Q traditions. There are passages that are clear parallels as well as more
general thematic connections.
Parallel passages:

. Fragment , The baptism of Jesus, is paralleled in Q :–.

. Fragment , Even anointed prophets sinned, is paralleled in

Q :–.

. Fragment , The parable of the talents, has parallels only in Mat-

thew and Luke; despite the differences, IQP attributes it to Q.

. Fragment  (Strom. V XIV .) contains the idea of seeking and

finding which is paralleled in Q :–.

. Fragment , Jesus chooses the good ones. Within the synoptic

tradition, one possible parallel is Q :–, the other one being

Q :–. Thus, possible parallels are in Q material.

Given the limited number of preserved fragments, the number of parallel
passages is impressive. In addition, there are also more general thematic
connections:

. The centrality of Wisdom speculations and how that connects with

Q was already observed at the beginning of this section.

. A connection to prophetic traditions can already be observed in

the conventional reconstruction of the GH, since the Holy Spirit

refers to the prophets as Jesus’ predecessors in the context of his

baptism. In the reconstruction of the NGH, this becomes even

more pronounced because the prophets’ position as anointed ones

who are in need of forgiveness provides a model for how one should

treat a sinning brother.

. Brotherly love and an admonition not to distress the spirit of one’s

brother are central in fragments  and . In theGospel of the

Hebrews, brothers receive the prophetic attributes of being chosen

ones (fragment !), endowed with spirit but still in need of for-

giveness. This seems to presuppose the Deuteronomistic scheme—

typical of Q—of a series of envoys of God running from the OT

prophets, through John and Jesus, up through the disciples. Admo-

nitions to forgive one’s brother and not to judge are found not only

in Q :– but also in Q :–.