Matthew Index





How Matthew used Mark's gospel
as revealed by a structural chart


Matthew's editing of Mark's gospel


     The following chart shows how blocks of passages from Mark's gospel are found to be organized in Matthew's version. Note that even when passages from Mark's gospel are included in Matthew they are often edited, either expanded upon, reduced, or sometimes appearing with verses rearranged. It is interesting to note how in certain places Matthew's gospel closely follows the schema of Mark's arrangement, which is a pretty strong indication that Matthew worked with a copy of Mark's gospel open before him, since it is highly unlikely that such close correspondence could have ever happened by coincidence. (However even when Matthew is following the arrangement in Mark you will notice that certain passages will be cut, which is also interesting in that it tells us something of Matthew's agenda and something of the mind of Matthew). When it is in Matthew's interest to follow Mark's ordering and arrangement he does so and when it is not he feels free to cut Mark's gospel in pieces and reorder when certain events were said to have taken place, and while he uses almost all of Mark's gospel, he feels free to use passages wherever they suit his particular agenda, often changing the meaning the passages had in Mark's careful polemical arrangement in the process. (For an example of how carefully Mark arranged parables in polemical form consult the piece A Commentary on the Gospel of Mark.) So then it is revealing that Matthew could so closely follow Mark's arrangement and equally of interest is how passages from Mark's gospel will appear in Matthew's gospel scattered here and there like a tossed salad.

     Matthew chapters 1 and 2 are original to the book. Matthew chapters 3 and 4 follow Mark. From this point on, up to chapter 13 much of the material in the first five chapters of Mark, as well as assorted verses from later chapters, appears in tossed salad form interspersed within material original to the gospel of Matthew. From chapter 14 onwards Matthew once again follows the gospel of Mark, with a few omissions (some of which have been moved to earlier chapters of the gospel, and some of which are simply disposed of). There are also interpolations of new material. When new material is inserted in these chapters Matthew will return to pick up where Mark's gospel left off. To generalize, Matthew does not bother following Mark's arrangement from chapters 1 to 5 and the follows the schema of Mark's gospel from chapter 6 in Mark's gospel onwards. This is a pretty strong indication that Matthew was familiar with Mark's gospel, and thus the gospel of Mark has priority and was the first one written. It is also interesting to note that the careful arrangement of parables in the beginning chapters of Mark's gospel contained a particularly strong polemical attack on the Torah, and this might explain why Matthew does not bother following Mark until chapter six, and then, interestingly enough, when Mark launches the strongest attack on the Torah beginning in chapter 6 this is where the Matthew account begins to follow along in Mark's arrangement, although Matthew dilutes the careful structural arrangement found in chapters 6 and 7 in Mark's account. (Follow the link above to the commentary on the gospel of Mark for more detail.)

     The following structural chart shows how material from Mark's gospel appears in Matthew's gospel, but you should keep in mind that even when Mark's material is used, it is often edited, or expanded upon by a few verses. For a more detailed analysis consult the Synoptic Gospels Compared in Parallel Columns, or follow the links to individual chapters of The Synoptic Gospels Compared to Matthew given in the chart below. Passages from Mark's gospel are in BLACK and blocks of scripture unique to Matthew's gospel (not appearing in Mark) are in RED.



MATTHEW CHAPTER 1


Matthew chapter 1 verses 1 to 25


MATTHEW CHAPTER 2


Matthew chapter 2 verses 1 to 23


MATTHEW CHAPTER 3


Mark Chapter 1 verses 4 to 6

Matthew Chapter 3 verses 7 to 10

Mark Chapter 1 verses 7 and 8

Matthew Chapter 3 verse 12

Mark chapter 1 verses 9 to 11


MATTHEW CHAPTER 4


Mark chapter 1 verses 12 and 13

Matthew chapter 4 verses 3 to 11

Mark chapter 1 verse 14

Mark chapter 1 verse 21

Matthew chapter 4 verses 14 to 16

Mark chapter 1 verses 15 to 20

Mark chapter 1 verse 39

Matthew chapter 4 verse 24

Mark chapter 3 verses 7 to 8


MATTHEW CHAPTER 5


Mark chapter 3 verse 13

Matthew chapter 5 verses 2 to 12

Mark chapter 9 verse 50

Matthew chapter 5 verse 14

Mark chapter 4 verse 21

Matthew chapter 5 verses 16 to 28

Mark chapter 9 verse 47

Mark chapter 9 verse 43

Mark chapter 10 verse 4

Mark chapter 10 verse 11

Matthew chapter 5 verses 33 to 48


MATTHEW CHAPTER 6


Matthew chapter 6 verses 1 to 13

Mark chapter 11 verse 25

Matthew chapter 6 verses 15 to 34


MATTHEW CHAPTER 7


Matthew chapter 7 verses 1 to 28

Mark chapter 1 verse 22


MATTHEW CHAPTER 8


Matthew chapter 8 verse 1

Mark chapter 1 verses 40 to 44

Matthew chapter 8 verses 5 to 13

Mark chapter 1 verses 29 to 34

Matthew chapter 8 verse 17

Mark chapter 4 verse 35

Matthew Chapter 8 verses 19 to 22

Mark chapter 4 verses 36 to 41

Mark chapter 5 verses 1 to 17


MATTHEW CHAPTER 9


Matthew chapter 9 verse 1

Mark chapter 2 verses 3 to 12

Mark chapter 2 verses 14 to 22

Mark chapter 5 verses 22 to 43

Mark chapter 10 verses 46 and 47

Mark chapter 1 verses 44 and 45

Mark chapter 2 verse 12

Mark chapter 3 verse 22

Matthew chapter 9 verse 35

Mark chapter 6 verse 34

Matthew chapter 9 verses 37 and 38


MATTHEW CHAPTER 10


Mark chapter 3 verses 13 to 19

Matthew chapter 10 verses 5 to 8

Mark chapter 6 verses 8 to 11

Matthew chapter 10 verse 16

Mark chapter 13 verse 9

Mark chapter 13 verses 11 to 13

Matthew chapter 10 verses 23 to 25

Mark chapter 4 verse 22

Matthew chapter 10 verses 27 to 37

Mark chapter 8 verses 34 and 35

Mark chapter 9 verse 37

Matthew chapter 10 verse 41

Mark chapter 9 verse 41


MATTHEW CHAPTER 11


Matthew chapter 11 verses 1 to 30


MATTHEW CHAPTER 12


Mark chapter 2 verses 23 to 28

Mark chapter 3 verses 1 to 6

Matthew chapter 12 verses 15 to 24

Mark chapter 3 verses 23 to 27

Mark chapter 9 verse 40

Mark chapter 3 verses 28 to 30

Matthew chapter 12 verses 33 to 37

Mark chapter 8 verse 11

Matthew chapter 12 verses 39 to 45

Mark chapter 3 verses 31 to 35


MATTHEW CHAPTER 13


Mark chapter 4 verses 1 to 12

Matthew chapter 13 verses 16 and 17

Mark chapter 4 verses 13 to 20

Matthew chapter 13 verses 24 to 30

Mark chapter 4 verses 30 to 32

Matthew chapter 13 verse 33

Mark chapter 4 verse 34

Matthew chapter 13 verses 35 to 53

Mark chapter 6 verses 1 to 6


MATTHEW CHAPTER 14


Mark chapter 6 verses 14 to 29

Mark chapter 6 verses 32 to 51

Matthew chapter 14 verses 35 and 36


MATTHEW CHAPTER 15


Mark chapter 7 verses 1 to 23

Matthew chapter 15 verses 21 to 28

Mark chapter 7 verses 31 to 37

Mark chapter 8 verses 1 to 10


MATTHEW CHAPTER 16


Mark chapter 8 verses 11 to 21

Mark chapter 8 verses 27 to 29

Matthew chapter 16 verses 17 to 19

Mark chapter 8 verses 30 to 38

Mark chapter 9 verse 1


MATTHEW CHAPTER 17


Mark chapter 9 verses 2 TO 28

Mark chapter 11 verse 23

Mark chapter 9 verses 30 to 32

Matthew chapter 17 verses 24 to 27


MATTHEW CHAPTER 18


Mark chapter 9 verses 33 to 37

Mark chapter 9 verse 42

Matthew chapter 18 verse 7

Mark chapter 9 verse 43

Mark chapter 9 verse 47

Matthew chapter 18 verses 10 to 35


MATTHEW CHAPTER 19


Mark chapter 10 verses 1 to 12

Matthew chapter 20 verses 10 to 12

Mark chapter 10 verses 13 to 31


MATTHEW CHAPTER 20


Matthew chapter 20 verses 1 to 16

Mark chapter 10 verses 32 to 52


MATTHEW CHAPTER 21


Mark chapter 11 verses 1 to 10

Matthew chapter 21 verses 10 and 11

Mark chapter 11 verses 15 to 18

Matthew chapter 21 verse 17

Mark chapter 11 verses 12 to 14

Mark chapter 11 verses 20 to 24

Mark chapter 11 verses 27 to 33

Matthew chapter 21 verses 28 to 32

Mark chapter 12 verses 1 to 12


MATTHEW CHAPTER 22


Matthew chapter 22 verses 1 to 14

Mark chapter 12 verses 13 to 31

Mark chapter 12 verses 35 to 37


MATTHEW CHAPTER 23


Mark chapter 12 verse 38

Matthew chapter 23 verses 2 to 5

Mark chapter 12 verse 39

Matthew chapter 23 verses 7 to 39


MATTHEW CHAPTER 24


Mark chapter 13 verses 1 to 37


MATTHEW CHAPTER 25


Matthew chapter 25 verses 1 to 46


MATTHEW CHAPTER 26


Matthew chapter 26 verse 1 and 2

Mark chapter 14 verses 1 and 21

Matthew chapter 26 verse 25

Mark chapter 14 verses 22 to 50

Mark chapter 14 verses 53 to 72


MATTHEW CHAPTER 27


Mark chapter 15 verse 1

Matthew chapter 27 verses 3 to 10

Mark chapter 15 verses 2 to 34

Mark chapter 15 verses 42 to 47

Matthew chapter 27 verses 62 to 66


MATTHEW CHAPTER 28


Mark chapter 16 verses 1 to 8

Matthew chapter 28 verses 9 to 20



     The structural similarities found in Matthew's gospel in particular in the last half of the book where Mark's prior arrangement is closely followed is a clear indication that Matthew was familiar with Mark's earliest account, and as the numerous small deletions as well as the editing that Matthew did also indicates that Matthew wished, for theological reasons, to 'improve upon' the earlier account that he had inherited from the original author of the Gospel of Mark.




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A Unified Field Theory

failed_gravity_theory.gif - 10361 Bytes



The Unified Field Theory
is also available as a zip file ->
unified.zip

Introduction :The Pioneer Effect and the New Physics. A brief description of the new physics required to explain the 'Pioneer Effect', which is the constant deceleration of space craft as they fly through space.










Principles of Evolution: A Study in the Evolution of Bedbugs



A couple of years ago my bedroom was invaded by bedbugs. There were two variant genetic lines. One type of bedbug was an enlongated, thin, tubular insect, and the second genetic line was a flat, perfectly circular insect. The result of the cross breeding of these two genetically distinct variants was the production of a bedbug with charcteristics of both, an enlongated, flat bedbug with a central bulge (such that the shape of the bedbug was somewhere between 'long' and 'circular'). The long skinny bedbugs were such strange and unfamiliar looking insects that at first I did not recognize them as being bedbugs, and considered them to be a seperate species of insect. However, as the photographs of bedbugs above indicate, enlongated and skinny bedbugs are not uncommon, and the photographs also show the variants that are produced by genetic combinations that result in an insect somewhere in between 'circular' and 'enlongated'.

Therefore it is my hypothesis that evolution occurs by means of the transfer of dominate genes, with the production of such dominant genes being the product of 'biological algorithms', a genetic software program that brings physical characteristics into harmony with behavior, such that when behavior changes, and a conflict then exists, this acts as a trigger and causes the release of dominant genes. The result is rapid evolution of species. The bedbug is a relatively new insect, not the product of millions of years of evolution but rather an insect that is evolving in real time. The newly emerging dominant form of the insect is the flat, round ciruclar insect, well adapted to living in human bedrooms (it is flat, rather than tubular, thus allowing it to hide in the smallest cracks, living a stealthy lifestyle, and it is round, which gives the insect a maximum storage capacity such that it must endanger itself only a few times a month by emerging to feed.

Other examples of rapid evolution include the development of long legs in an invasive species of toad in Australia. As the toads move into the mountainous regions of Australia, and their behvaior changes, making them 'climbing toads', over the course of just a couple of decades the toads in the highlands have grown long legs specially adapted to climbing. It is worth noting here that the toads are poisonous, and are a successful invasive species because they have no natural predators in Australia, and so it would not be the case that the toads with long legs were 'the fittest survivors', because all the toads are survivors, and therefore predation does not explain the rapid emergence and spread of such well adapted, long legged toads. Once again we see evidence for the existence of biological algorithms and the rapid spread of dominant genes through a population, which once introduced proceed to overwhelm the older genes which are being replaced (making toad long legged and a bed bug round and flat).


A Theological Experiment

My interest in pursuing the Unified Field Theory is spurred on by my need to discover the theoretical explanation of a new form of propulsion (as explained on this page: Why the Unified Field Theory?). The experiment involving the bedbugs came out of nowhere.

I also believe that it is possible to justify theological propositions using experimental methods. If a thing is an objective truth then it can be verified and proven true by means of experimentation. Such a theological proposition is of more value than a ‘divine revelation’, since such revelations depend upon nothing more than establishing authority figures which requires the creation of artificial hierarchies, for the only reason why I might be encouraged to believe an authority figure who orders me to believe unsubstantiated opinions is if I could somehow be convinced that this authority possessed a mind that was somehow superior to mine, and thus was fit to express opinions as though opinions were unquestionable facts and thus worthy of being elevated to the status of absolute dogma.

There is a self evident human inequality which is visibly apparent. Some people are ‘beautiful’ and thus are the true elite on this planet, and some people are not. It is this sexual inequality and the degeneration that follows upon beauty that is the true driving force behind all the evil that happens on earth. The need for ruthless oppression and the pursuit of wealth and the consequent creation of suffering and poverty which must follow upon this practice is for the purpose of creating an artificial alpha elite.

The true elites are the young and the beautiful. The artificial elite are the rich and the wealthy. The elite aging rich artificial alpha male has no good looks, for he is physically degenerate, but he will be found escorting beauty because he has a beautiful wallet. If he loses his wallet he will be found at home with all the other unattractive aged beta males sitting in a rocking chair watching reruns of Bonanza. No money, no sex. It is for this reason that the alpha males are found to be so ruthless and so violent in pursuit of their goal. The alpha male has fallen. The beta male has arisen and now the whole planet is full of ruinous destruction for it.

We see in religion a confused and contradictory reaction to this reality. On the one hand religion preaches a sexless heaven where castration and the clitorectomy create ‘pure spirits’. Muslims throw women under sacks. On the other hand religion supports hierarchy and is the prop of the elite alpha male. It is for this reason that religion is incoherent when it comes to speaking about sex.

Now we see this same principle at work in all of nature. Guppies dance and show off their colorful tails and the guppy who dances with the most colorful tail is the sexually successful guppy. Therefore it is the doctrine of the ruthless oppressor which teaches that the solution to human sexual violence is to be found in castration and the creation of pure ghosts. This would be equivalent to damning an aardvark for having the ‘sinful aardvark nature’ or prosecuting an anteater for the high crime of ‘ant genocide’.

Therefore it was my theological hypothesis that the correct solution to this problem is to give every guppy a beautiful colorful tail. I compare this solution to the classic religious solution which is to cut off every tail since having a tail is ‘sinful’. If having a tail is sinful then God must be sinful for no human being has any choice in deciding whether or not they would be born with a colorful tail, or whether they would not.

When I was young I was a beautiful guppy with a lovely tail. So everyone seemed to think. I am older now. My nose became very badly sunburned and destroyed. It seemed good to me to test my hypothesis by using these ‘biological algorithms’ to correct this problem. I healed half my nose as you can see by the line separating the still very dark patch on the side in the photograph below.





I documented my experiment on these pages. one two t hree four fi ve six


I have confirmed to my own satisfaction that my theological proposition is correct and that religious dogma is erroneous, being based as it was upon nothing more than ‘divine revelation’ which is just a form of opinionated speculation. For the time being I am not continuing this experiment, for I must wait until the weather on this planet improves, and the dark clouds of ruthless oppression break letting a little sun shine come through so that I can show the world the truth about God, by showing people how God goes about giving an old guppy back his beautiful colorful tail.


Until then I will have to sit on the sidelines, while all my scientific breakthroughs are deliberately ignored, while I wonder to myself what ever in the world could be wrong with the human race, because what this all will prove at the end of it all is that there definitely was something wrong with the people on this planet.