Mustard seed challenge

Mustard Seed Challenge

Not all challenges to the New Testament narratives are chronological ones; sometimes scientific facts are contested, such as the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19) which critics say is a reflection of scientific ignorance because a mustard seed is definitely not the smallest seed on earth.

Let us therefore take a close look at what the narratives say:[i]

Matthew 13:31-32The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”Mark 4:30-32The Parable of the Mustard Seed30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth (i.e., in the soil). 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

Luke 13:18-19

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

In each of these cases, although it may look like we are straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel, a specific location is mentioned; i.e., his field, a garden or plants in a garden, his garden. Also, it should be noted that the English word rendewhite “earth” also means “soil” in the Greek language. So, what do we have? We have a small seed which happens to be the smallest seed in the garden and yet it grows into a large bush, so large that even the birds can rest in it. Now, had Jesus said, there is absolutely no seed in existence smaller than a mustard seed, then we would have a problem. It does, therefore, seem rather argumentative to insist that we take this seed into a laboratory and check its size against all other seeds in existence; however, if we compare this seed to the other seeds planted in a specific garden and there are none other smaller, then we can honestly say it is the smallest seed in that garden.

These are only two examples. There are others. However, in each case I am convinced that given enough research and/or accounting for a copyist’s error, or an inadequate translation of a particular word these difficulties can be reasonably solved. Furthermore, we should not assume that every day conversational Aramaic or Greek or Hebrews contained the same nuances that we associate with particular words.

We should also keep in mind that Mark, for example was written in Aramaic then translated into Greek, which to my mind may account for some of the subtleties or shades of difference perceived when compawhite Mark’s narratives to the other Gospels.[ii][iii]    

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[i] Strong’s Concordance gives the following:

Matthew

mikros: small, little

Original Word: μικρός, ά, όν

Part of Speech: Adjective

Transliteration: mikros

Phonetic Spelling: (mik-ros')

Short Definition: little, small

Definition: little, small.

Mark 4:30-32

mikros: small, little

Original Word: μικρός, ά, όν

Part of Speech: Adjective

Transliteration: mikros

Phonetic Spelling: (mik-ros')

Short Definition: little, small

Definition: little, small.

gé: the earth, land

Original Word: γῆ, γῆς, ἡ

Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine

Transliteration: gé

Phonetic Spelling: (ghay)

Short Definition: the earth, soil, land

Definition: the earth, soil, land, region, country, inhabitants of a region.

epi: on, upon

Original Word: ἐπί

Part of Speech: Preposition

Transliteration: epi

Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ee')

Short Definition: on, to, against, on the basis of, at

Definition: on, to, against, on the basis of, at.

[ii] One such incident that I have in mind is the word “except” a staff; whereas the other Synoptics say shall take no staff. I am no expert in Aramaic, but from what I have been able to gather, there is a strong possibility that the word “except.” In Arabic, a Semitic language not unlike Aramaic, “except” can also mean not even, or exclude, leave out, leave off, omit, take out. That being the case, the Greek translator may have mistranslated the word. Reference: Mark 6:8 and Matthew 10:9-10; Luke 9:3:

Can take a staff

(Mark 6:8) - "and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belt."

Cannot take a staff

(Matthew 10:9-10) - "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support."

(Luke 9:3) - "And He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece."

[iii] Some of the evidence adduced for the existence of Aramaic Gospels is very questionable. For example, a passage in Tosephta Yadaim has been interpreted as evidence of the existence of Christian Gospels in Aramaic before the fall of Jerusalem, before AD. 70. The passage reads: "The rolls [if this is what ha-gilyônim means] and books of the Minim do not defile the hands." As explained by the "Aramaicists." the term gillayôn was derived from cuaggelion, and clearly refers to the Christian Gospels; and the term Minim ("apostates") means the Christians.(Charles C. Torrey, Documents of the Primitive Church (1942), chap. iii, "Aramaic Gospels in the Synagogue." )