54 Hughson T. Ong assembly. The use of the emphatic first-person ἐγώ εἰμί and its equation with υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου at v. 62 indicate a clear depiction of his social identity; nevertheless, this similar thematic utterance in each episode ap- pears to evoke a low affective content. 5. Conclusion My analysis of these three chronological episodes reveals that Jesus probably would have used Greek as a “contact” language in his daily public encounters with people, and Aramaic as an “internal” language with his own disciples and the Father. While this cannot be conclusive due to the brevity of the passage analyzed, one can continue to use this code-switching theory throughout the Gospel narratives to arrive at a more assured conclusion. By examining this particular nature of lan- guage in a multilingual society, I am extending the argument that Jesus could and should have been productively fluent in both Aramaic and Greek, in order to perform and fulfill his earthly mission. I believe that these kinds of sociolinguistic studies can serve as an auxiliary criterion in the authentication of Jesus’ sayings (and actions). If the sociolinguistic situation in a particular or a series of Gospel episode(s) would necessitate a code-switch on the part of an individual who lived in that multilingual environment, it is very likely that Jesus would have used Greek and Ara- maic in different social situations and contexts. As such, any sayings (or actions) of Jesus that do not show Aramaic features should not be at once adjudicated as inauthentic. It is very plausible that some of the Jesus’ say- ing traditions in the Gospels may have been preserved in Greek, if Jesus himself spoke Greek. Appendix A Possible instances of code-switching in Mark 14,32-65 MARK 14,32-42 PARTICIPANTS SOCIAL SETTING PURPOSE/TOPIC INSTANCES OF & REASON(S) FOR CODE-SWITCHING V. 32 The Eleven and Place 1: Gethse- Instruction to stay # of participants in decreas- Jesus mane/Mt. of Olives put ing order; three proximate places from a more general Vv. 33-34 (cf. The Three and Place 2: A specific Instruction to stay to specific description; a Luke 22,39-40) Jesus place in Gethsemane put and to stay vague topic to an explicit not far from and awake; Jesus express- one visible to where the es his deep sorrow others disciples were