Was the Birth of Jesus According to Scripture? - Softcover

Moyise, Steve

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0281071063 ISBN 13: 9780281071067

Publisher: SPCK Publishing

Synopsis

Each Christmas, the birth of Jesus is celebrated through carols, Bible readings, and nativity plays. The angelic announcements to Mary and Elizabeth, Jesus' birth in a manger, and the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh are some of the best-known stories in the Bible. But did they really happen? And were they predicted by Israel's prophets, as the Bible claims? Steve Moyise suggests that the clue to answering these questions is to understand how Israel's Scriptures were being interpreted in Jesus' day. Was Isaiah thinking of a virgin birth when he uttered his famous prophecy (Isa 7:14), or is that a later Christian interpretation? Was there a star that led the magi to Bethlehem or should the story be taken symbolically? These and other questions are fully explored and the results are sometimes surprising.

About this title

About the Author

Steve Moyise is Professor of New Testament at the University of Chichester. His most recent publications include Evoking Scripture: Seeing the Old Testament in the New (T&T Clark 2008) Paul and Scripture (SPCK 2009) and Jesus and Scripture (SPCK 2010).

Review

Bringing to bear his well-known expertise on the New Testament's use of the Old Testament, Steve Moyise tackles the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke. The result is a clear and accessible guide to how the Jewish Scriptures function in these stories. . . . In this excellent resource Moyise judiciously surveys and interacts with the main interpretive options, equipping students to make their own informed judgments.
--Andrew T. Lincoln, Professor of New Testament, University of Gloucestershire

All who take seriously the birth of Jesus and the details surrounding it will read with pleasure and great interest Steve Moyise's Was the Birth of Jesus According to Scripture? How such an important topic can be investigated so thoroughly and so fairly in a one-hundred-page book is beyond me. But Moyise has done just that. I recommend this superbly researched and clearly written monograph with enthusiasm.
--Craig A. Evans, Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College

The accounts of Jesus' birth in Matthew and Luke raise more questions regarding their historicity and meaning than any others in the Gospels. Since fulfillment is a strong feature of the accounts, Steve Moyise, a specialist in the New Testament's use of the Old Testament, is more than well suited to discuss these questions. His masterful handling of the texts and sensitive handling of problematic issues result in a book many will find both insightful and liberating.
--James Dunn, Emeritus Professor of Divinity, Durham University --Wipf and Stock Publishers

Edition details

• Publisher: SPCK Publishing
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0281071063
• ISBN 13: 9780281071067
• Binding: Paperback