Opening the library…
The Diatessaron
Tatian
An influential continuous harmony weaving material from the four canonical Gospels into one narrative, known especially through later witnesses because Tatian’s original form does not survive intact.
The original text is lost; surviving witnesses and reconstructions differ and require source-specific review.
Section XIII.
[1] I am sending you as
[9, 10] A disciple is not superior to his lord, nor a servant to his master. For it is enough then for the disciple that he be as his lord, and the servant as his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the people [11] of his house! Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall [12] [Arabic, p. 51] not be revealed; nor hid, that shall not be disclosed and published. What I say unto you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye have told [13] secretly in the ears in closets, let it be proclaimed on the housetops. I say unto you now, my beloved, Be not agitated at those who kill the body, but have no power to [14] kill the soul. I will inform you whom ye shall fear: him which is able to destroy [15] soul and body in hell. Yea, I say unto you, Be afraid of him especially. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing in a bond? and one of them shall not fall on the [16] ground without your Father. But what concerns you: even the hair of your heads [17, 18] also is numbered. Fear not therefore; ye are better than many sparrows. Every man who confesseth me now before men, I also will confess him before my Father [19] which is in heaven; but whosoever denieth me before men, I also will deny him before my Father which is in heaven.
[20] Think ye that I am come to cast peace into the earth? I came not to cast peace, [21] but to cast dissension. Henceforth there shall be five in one house, three of them [22] disagreeing with two, and the two with the three. The father shall become hostile to his son, and the son to his father; and the mother to her daughter, and the daughter to her mother; and the mother in law to her daughter in law, and the daughter [23] in law to her mother in law: and a man’s enemies shall be the people of his house. [24] Whosoever loveth father or mother better than me is not worthy of me; and whosoever [Arabic, p. 52] loveth son or daughter more than his love of me is not worthy of me. [25] And every one that doth not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of [26] me. Whosoever findeth his life shall lose it; and whosoever loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
[27] And whosoever receiveth you receiveth me; and whosoever receiveth me receiveth [28] him that sent me. And whosoever receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall take a prophet’s reward; and whosoever shall receive a righteous man [29] in the name of a righteous man shall take a righteous man’s reward. And every one that shall give to drink to one of these least ones a drink of water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
[30] And when Jesus finished charging his twelve disciples, he removed thence to [31] teach and preach in their cities. And while they were going in the way they entered into a certain village; and a woman named Martha entertained him in her house. [32] And she had a sister named Mary, and she came and sat at the feet of our Lord, [33] and heard his sayings. But Martha was disquieted by much serving; and she came and said unto him, My Lord, givest thou no heed that my sister left me alone to [34] serve? speak to her that she help me. Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, [35] Martha, thou art solicitous and impatient on account of many things: but what is sought is one thing. But Mary hath chosen for herself a good portion, and that which shall not be taken from her.
[36] And the apostles went forth, and preached to the people that they might repent. [37] And they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick with oil, and healed them. [38, 39] And the disciples of John told him of all these things. And when John heard in [Arabic, p. 53] the prison of the doings of the Messiah, he called two of his disciples, and sent them to Jesus, and said, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for [40] another? And they came to Jesus, and said unto him, John the Baptist hath sent [41] us unto thee, and said, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? And in that hour he cured many of diseases, and of plagues of an evil spirit; and he gave sight [42] to many blind. Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John everything ye have seen and heard: the blind see, and the lame walk, and the lepers are cleansed, and the blind hear, and the dead rise, and the poor have the gospel preached to [43] them. And blessed is he who doubteth not in me.
[44] And when John’s disciples departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken with the [45] winds? And if not, then what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that are in magnificent garments and in voluptuousness are in the abode [46] of kings. And if not, then what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto [47] you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
I am sending my messenger before thy face
To prepare the way before thee.
The word is occasionally used in this sense, but ordinarily means sound, unhurt.
From this point down to Matt. x. 27a, is assigned by Vat. ms. to Mark.
Borg. ms. reads, but what ye are granted ye shall speak, and ye shall be given in, etc., and there seems to be a trace of this reading in Ciasca’s text.
See note to § 1, 78.
See note to § 9, 21.
Matt. x. 27a; Luke xii. 3b.
Luke xii. 4a; Luke x. 28b.
Perhaps this Arabic word is a copyist’s error for that used a few lines further down in Luke xii. 5, the Arabic words being very similar; but see note on § 1, 14.
Syriac.
The Vat. ms., like the Brit. Mus. text of Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary, omits for a farthing, retaining in a bond. The two phrases are simply different explanations of the same Syriac consonants. These are really the naturalised Greek word rendered farthing in Eng. version; but they also form a Syriac word meaning bond.
Or, soul.
Or, soul.
Or, receive.
Or, receive.
Matt. x. 42a; Mark ix. 41b.
Or, agitated.
Lit. And his disciples told John, as in the Greek, etc.
Matt. xi. 2a; Luke vii. 19.
A different word from that used in the preceding verse. It is either an Arabic copyist’s error for the word for deaf used in Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary, or a careless blunder.