The Gospels and Jesus

by Stanton, Graham N.

• ISBN13: 9780199246168
• ISBN10: 0199246165
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-05-16
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Jesus of Nazareth and the four New Testament gospels continue to fascinate people from many cultural and religious backgrounds. Here, Stanton assesses the reliability of the evangelist's portraits of Jesus, and explores his teaching, intentions, and the reasons for his downfall. A leadingspecialist on the gospels, Stanton sheds new light on the topic.

Table of Contents

PART I: THE FOUR GOSPELS
From the Gospels to Jesus	3	(10)
Story and significance	4	(2)
The Lord's Prayer	6	(7)
What Is a Gospel?	13	(24)
The gospels as biographies	14	(4)
The gospels as history: source criticism	18	(9)
Marcan priority	20	(3)
The Q hypothesis	23	(4)
The gospels as proclamation: form criticism	27	(2)
The evangelists as authors: redaction criticism	29	(3)
The gospels as stories: literary criticism	32	(5)
Mark's Gospel: The Way of Jesus	37	(21)
Tradition and redaction	38	(2)
A dramatic story	40	(1)
The Prologue: Jesus Christ, the Son of God: 1:1-13	41	(3)
The disciples and discipleship	44	(4)
The way of Jesus	48	(2)
Confrontation with Jewish leaders	50	(3)
The final outcome	53	(1)
The origin and purpose of Mark	54	(4)
Matthew's Gospel: The Way of Righteousness	58	(21)
The structure of Matthew's gospel	59	(3)
Sources and methods	62	(2)
Infancy narratives	64	(3)
The way of righteousness: the Beatitudes 5:3-11	67	(3)
Use of the Old Testament	70	(3)
The commissioning of the disciples: 28:18-20	73	(1)
The setting and purpose of the gospel	74	(3)
The origin of Matthew's gospel	77	(2)
Luke's Gospel: God's Way Triumphs	79	(18)
Luke's Prologue: 1:1-4	81	(2)
Luke and his sources	83	(3)
Lucan theology and artistry: 4:16-30	86	(4)
Luke's central section: 9:51-19:27	90	(2)
Salvation history	92	(2)
The date and authorship of Luke-Acts	94	(3)
John's Gospel: 'I Am the Way'	97	(25)
John and the synoptic gospels	99	(4)
The composition of the fourth gospel	103	(4)
The Prologue: 1:1-18	107	(3)
Johannine themes: 12:44-50	110	(3)
The opening of the passion narrative: John 18	113	(3)
Purpose and setting	116	(4)
Date and authorship	120	(2)
Why Four Gospels?	122	(21)
The Gospel of Thomas	123	(7)
The Gospel of Peter	130	(2)
The Egerton Gospel	132	(1)
Fragmentary `gospels' and isolated sayings of Jesus	133	(1)
Infancy gospels	134	(1)
The fourfold gospel	135	(5)
PART II: JESUS IN GOSPEL TRADITION
Map of Palestine from AD 6 to AD 44	140	(3)
What Do We Know About Jesus of Nazareth?	143	(21)
Did Jesus exist?	143	(2)
Literary evidence from outside the gospels	145	(7)
Josephus	148	(2)
Further Jewish evidence	150	(2)
The Dead Sea Scrolls	152	(2)
Archaeological evidence	154	(10)
Galilee	155	(3)
Jerusalem	158	(6)
Assessing the Evidence	164	(14)
The evangelists' redaction	167	(3)
Between the gospels and Jesus	170	(4)
Embarrassment, historical plausibility, and aftermath	174	(4)
John the Baptist	178	(12)
John `the witness' in the fourth gospel	178	(3)
John the Baptist in Mark, Matthew, and Luke	181	(3)
What do we know about John the Baptist?	184	(3)
John's baptism	186	(1)
John and Jesus: similarities and differences	187	(3)
Prophet and Teacher	190	(13)
According to the evangelists	190	(4)
Jesus as prophet and teacher	194	(2)
Prophetic sayings and actions	196	(3)
Disciples and discipleship	199	(4)
The Kingdom of God	203	(15)
Jesus and the kingdom	204	(3)
Is the kingdom temporal or spatial?	207	(3)
The kingdom of God is among you: Luke 17:20-1	210	(1)
The kingdom under attack? Matthew 11:12-13 = Luke 16:16	211	(2)
What did Jesus mean?	213	(1)
The kingdom of God is yours	214	(4)
Parables and Aphorisms	218	(14)
The evangelists and the parables	219	(3)
Similitudes, narrative parables, and allegories	222	(3)
Modern interpretation of the parables	225	(3)
Aphorisms	228	(4)
Miracles and Exorcisms	232	(8)
The evangelists and the miracle traditions	232	(3)
Did Jesus perform miracles?	235	(2)
Why did Jesus perform miracles and exorcisms?	237	(3)
Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man	240	(15)
Messiah-Christ	241	(4)
Son of God	245	(2)
Son of Man	247	(8)
Son of Man in Old Testament and later Jewish writings	248	(2)
Three explanations	250	(5)
Conflict	255	(14)
The evangelists	255	(2)
Essenes, Sadducees, `zealots', and scribes	257	(3)
The Pharisees	260	(3)
Sabbath, purity, and divorce	263	(6)
The Last Days	269	(23)
Passion narratives in the four gospels	269	(5)
The Last Supper	274	(5)
Why was Jesus put to death?	279	(2)
The accusations against Jesus	281	(5)
A crucified Messiah-King	286	(2)
`On the third day'	288	(4)
Who Was Jesus of Nazareth?	292	(8)
Bibliography	300	(15)
Index of Passages Cited	315	(8)
General Index	323