Literary Criticism:
Before Matthew 17:1-13, the previous passage (Mathew 16) is about the confession of Peter and the Christ's Church. The passage is about Lord's warning to his disciples to be away from the temptations of Pharisees and Sadducees “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” This was the warning given to the disciples by Jesus. Here Jesus uses the word “Yeast” or “Bread” symbolically. The concepts are associated with the false teaching of Pharisees and Sadducees. 'Pharisees and Sadducees were notorious for their disagreements, especially over the doctrine of the resurrection; Pharisees taught that Sadducees had no part in the world to come, because they did not believe in life after death.' (Keener 392) This passage tells us about the confusion arising in the mind of the people about the real teaching. For removing the dilemma of the disciples' mind, Jesus transfigures himself and shows his divine power to the disciples which is described in the passage Matthew 17:1-13. It starts with the transfiguration of Christ on the mountain. This is a dramatic event and it is the important turning point to the gospel narrative. Mathew 17:1-13 is the answer of Jesus to those, who are confused about His power and glory. Blessed by the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, the disciples now are yearning to gain more and more knowledge from Jesus and the following passage (Mathew 18) are based on the questions asked by the disciples and Jesus tells them the way and the qualities necessary for being close to God and attaining heaven. He also describes some of the ideal qualities man should possess while living a pious life on the earth.
Form criticism:
The book is written in apocalyptic form. Apocalyptic form is a kind of genre that is used in prophetic writing. As defined by Davis (18)'apocalyptic literature is characterized by a particular kind of theology – a particular understanding of who God is and how he deals with his creation.' (Davis17)It is a type of Jewish literature which uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope to those in the midst of persecution. Being a literary text the events are written in literary form rather than chronological pattern. The major theme included here is hope that comes through the transfiguration and divine order by the God and divine Father of Jesus Christ. The passage is based on the revelation for giving hope to the believers about the glory of Jesus Christ. This passage is about the transfiguration. The same incident is described in the other gospels as well. For example Mark (9:2-12) visualizes the transfiguration of Jesus Christ with a beautiful description. It narrates that during the transfiguration, His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. While Mathew describes, “There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.” (Mathew 17:3) Mathew describes the state of mind of the disciples while experiencing the divine incident. God Himself, through the cloud assures that Jesus is His beloved son and instructed to listen to Him. The disciples were experiencing bewilderment and fear due to the sudden revelation of God. Like Mathew, Mark also describes the same state of mind of Peter. Luke also has the same similarities of incidents thought there are slight changes in his interpretation. Luke describes the incident in Chapter 9 verses 28 to 36. “After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” (Mathew 17:2) This is the information given by Mathew. Unlike Mathew, Luke says that it took place after 8 days and not 6 days, they went on to the mountain for pray. Luke further informs that while praying Jesus was transfigured. His face changed and His clothes became as white as the lightning. Luke further describes that Moses and Elijah were also in their glorious splendour and their conversation with Jesus was regarding His exodus (Departure). Like Mark, Luke also records the same words from Heaven but unlike Mark, Luke has not included the discussion about Elijah.
The structure of the passage:
This passage can be divided into three parts for our literary criticism. From verse 1 to 3, we can get the record of the transfiguration. It is just a description of the divine experience and the miracles given by Jesus to his disciples. There is no dialogue included; it is a mere third person narration. In the second part, we come across Peter's suggestion and the divine response for his suggestion. It is included from verse 4 to 8. From here the dialogues start. The dialogues are between Jesus and Peter, and then Jesus and his all disciples present there. The third part is from verse 9 to 13. The third part includes the instructions of Jesus Christ and the questions asked by his disciples. The first part is based on what occurred exactly at that time. It is a third person narration. Green (2000, 19) describes the gospels as “an entirely new literary form not biography, though it contains it not history, though it reflects it. According to Ducker (p.3) the narrator here is trustworthy and reliable and we can read his account safe in the knowledge that he does not intend to mislead us.
Redaction Criticism:
Redaction Criticism is the term associated with the critical process used to study Biblical texts. According to Slick redaction criticism of the Bible is the theory that different copyists and commentators of the early biblical writings embellished and altered the biblical texts throughout early Jewish and Christian history to make them appear more miraculous, inspirational, and legitimate. In Redaction Criticism, the writer is regarded as an editor of his or her source material. The methodology of redaction criticism includes common motif and theme. The central theme of the passage is the Revelation or the transfiguration and thus the hope that is brought by Jesus among his disciples who were facing the state of perplexed mind in previous chapter. Mathew has taken the sources of Mark for the transfiguration. He changes Mark by referring to Moses before Elijah and in this way he makes Mosaic reference more emphatic. He is alone among the synoptic evangelists who has described cloud that overshadowed the group on the mountains as “bright.” Mathew also highlights that after the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah disappeared and only Jesus remains alone there. The Exodus theme is there everywhere in Mathew, it is eventually restrained. During the end of the scene of transfiguration narrative, Mathew uses the words and phrases such as “this is my beloved Son; listen to him” and “with whom I am well pleased. It echoes Isaiah 42:1 and Psalm 2:7. This redaction clearly signifies that Jesus was destined to bring law to the world.
Keywords
The Theologically important words in this passage are transfiguration. According to the Merriam Webster transfiguration is a change in form or appearance. It is also referred to as an exalting, glorifying or spiritual alteration. Transfiguration is culminating point in the life of Jesus Christ. The reference of transfiguration of Jesus is there in synoptic Gospels of Mathew as well as Mark 9.2-8, Luke 9:28-36, Peter 1:16-18. the miracle happened on the mountain when Jesus transfigured himself in the presence of his three disciples. The common man can also transfigure himself not exactly the way Jesus transfigures but by changing his behaviour. In this context, Paul in Romans 12:1,2, gives clear instructions to his believers to transform themselves by real enlightenment that is associated with their minds. The enlightenment of the individual mind and his alteration from a material person to a spiritual personality is also a kind of transfiguration. The New Testament tells that after the grace of God the believers' life completely changes according to him.
Theological Analysis
Transfiguration is the central theme on which the passage is based on. Especially the first three verses talk about transfiguration of Jesus. The term transfiguration is associated with the complete change of the form as well as substance. 'Harnik identifies Jesus' transfiguration as an apocalypse, a heavenly revelation of the coming “eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Kharlamov 232) The passage describes the complete changing form of Jesus Christ from a normal human being to divine figure. The changed form was so glorious that the disciples were wondered, perplexed frightened.
During the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah both appeared and had a conversation with Jesus. They spoke of his Death which is coming in future. It was the conversation regarding the Exodus of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ death thus will not be the death of Jesus but it will be the death of sins in the world. Jesus has come to establish law. Moses and Elijah are not died, they are glorified but Jesus has to face death. But if one dies while serving God or attaining God's divine work, he never dies. In case of Peter's response, Mathew has not commented or justified his speech at all. He just narrates the suggestion of making shelter, given by Peter. “Lord, it is good for us to be here! If you wish . . . .” This line denotes Peter's love and deep faith in Lord. He is ready to do anything for Him.
The transfiguration of Jesus Christ frightened everyone present over there. The transfiguration is followed by the divine voice of God from the heaven. The voice assured the disciples that Jesus is the Messiah. He was the son of God. God Himself, from the heaven assured, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” So the word of God is the final and cannot be challenged. It is a solid proof that Lord loves Jesus and he is pleasing to the Father. God also ordered all to obey His order.
It is described in Matthew 17, that the disciples were frightened at the voice of Lord. The third speech in this section is very simple when Jesus consoled all of his disciples through his calm words, “Get up. Don’t be afraid.” They were still in the same predicament and could not bring them out of the miracle which they experienced some moment before. It was beyond their imagination that they have heard the voice of Lord Himself. Jesus brought them out of this predicament. When the disciples looked at Jesus they found him alone and no one was there with him, neither Moses, nor Elijah and nor the voice of Lord anymore. Lord gave them revelation as a blessing. It did not intend towards making them afraid, but the revelation was to encourage them, to convince them and to take them out from the state of doubts about Jesus. Thus Lord's motif was to strengthen the disciples of Jesus and show them the path of faith. There was assurance in His speech that their faith and obedience towards Jesus will survive them and guide them. Jesus gently touched them and he spoke with them in a very gentle and motivating voice. It means that Jesus has accepted to be their savoir. His one sentence “Do not be afraid” was enough to tell them that God is always with them and they do not need to be afraid of any calamities in their life. It was the successful attempt by God to convince them that His love and grace is always there with them and they do not need to feel afraid of anything. Jesus is an ultimate hope for them. We, as human beings, have to endure immense sorrow in our earthly life but the words of Lord creates hope in our mind that Christ is always there for giving them grace and glory.
While they were returning from the mountain, Jesus cautioned his disciples not to reveal to the people what they have seen or heard on the mountain. Probably because, God always wants that certain things should be kept secret, or certain things should never be revealed. There is a right time for everything. Before the time, nothing can happen. So Jesus instructs them not to disclose the miracle as the right time of disclosing it has yet to come. We find many mysterious things around us. We always try to find out the causes behind the mysteries. We try to unfold the mysteries but still human being is too small to unfold the divine mysteries. It is further the will of God that some phenomena should be mysterious. Jesus instructs them to keep the incident secret until the Son of Man was raised from the dead. The disciples could not understand the meaning of the expression. Though Jesus has transfigured himself before his disciples, his death was destined. By saying the expression “raise from the dead”, He predicted His death. He was a prophet and knew what was going to happen with him in near future. He was going to Jerusalem to die for the salvation of mankind.
The disciples had many questions to ask to Jesus. They wanted to know about the first arrival of Elijah. The disciples had seen everything. They have seen the transfiguration and glory of Jesus Christ. They had also seen the heavenly figures in the form of Moses and Elijah. They were instructed by Jesus not to reveal this fact to anyone till his death. Jesus told them, “Elijah comes and will restore all things.” He was talking about future. Then Jesus further said that Elijah has already come and they could not recognize Him. Christ reveals that John has come to for fulfilling Elijah's prophecy. At first, they did not understand about whom Christ was talking but then they came to know that he was no one but John Baptist. Jesus was trying to tell indirectly about His death that is going to happen in near future. There will be no crown before the cross. It means that first of all he would have to be crucified and then only the crown can be attained. Thus He wants to tell the disciples that there is no happiness without pains. For ultimate happiness, firstly you have to endure immense miseries in your life, and then only you come close to the Lord.
References:
Davis Christopher A. Revelation. College Press. Copy-write. 200. Print.
Ducker Christopher A Literary Analysis of Matthew 17:1-13 (The Transfiguration) http://www.theduckers.org/media/the%20transfiguration%20in %20matthew%2017.pdf
Green Michael, The Message of Matthew: A Literary and Theological. Commentary on the First Gospel, London: SPCK, 1993
Holy Bible, New International Version. N.p.: NIV, 1973, 1978. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew %2016&version=NIV>.
Keener Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Intervarsity Press. 1993. Print.
Kharlamov Vladimir Theosis: Deification in Christian Theology, Volume 2. Casemate Publishing Copyright. 2012. Print.
Slick Matt. What is Redaction Criticism? Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry carm.org/redaction-criticism
https://bible.org/seriespage/transfiguration-matthew-171-13
