Oktaba, Piotr (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2011)
There are two variants of the text of Mk 9:2, which relate that the Transfiguration of Jesus occurred during prayer. One of these versions, which is attested to by papyrus P 45 among others, adds three disciples, witnesses to the Transfiguration, to this prayer. Another version, however, states that only Jesus himself was praying at that time (which concurs with the Lucan account of the Transfiguration, Lk 9:28-29). The version of Mk 9:2 which recounts of the prayer of the disciples with Jesus is hard to reconcile with the parallel account in Luke. This fact casts doubt upon the veracity of the generally-accepted view, which holds that both versions of Mk 9:2 are in accord with the text of the Gospel of Luke. This article looks at how the process of harmonization itself may have led to the removal of words from Mark’s account that describe the prayer of the disciples.
