Jesus according to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels - Hardcover

Bock, Darrell L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 080102370X ISBN 13: 9780801023705

Publisher: Baker Academic, 2002

Synopsis

In recent years, historians and biblical scholars have been in active pursuit of the Jesus of history. The Jesus Seminar and similar efforts to place Jesus within his historical context have relied heavily on extrabiblical documents, since many historians consider the Bible to be propagandistic and biased. Darrell Bock, however, believes that the Gospels' account of Jesus deserves further examination. Bock argues that when read together, the Gospels provide a clear picture of Jesus and his unique claims to authority. To demonstrate this claim, he offers Jesus according to Scripture. While noting how details of the canonical presentation of Jesus relate to first- century Palestinian culture, Jesus according to Scripture is not a historical study of Jesus. Instead, it seeks to show the coherent portrait of Jesus that emerges from the Gospels, a portrait that is rooted in history and yet has produced its own historical and cultural impact. Bock begins his work with a brief overview of each Gospel, surveying its structure, themes, authorship, setting, and date. He then offers an examination of Jesus as portrayed in the Synoptic Gospels presented together. Bock, however, does not attempt to harmonize them but leaves their narrative lines intact, allowing events to be repeated. In this way readers are invited to appreciate the contribution of each event internally to that Gospel as well as to its parallels. Next, Bock provides a detailed analysis of the Fourth Gospel's portrayal of Jesus. He finishes with a summary of the main theological themes found throughout the Gospels, thus unifying them into a cohesive portrait of Jesus. Jesus according to Scripture is an excellent textbook for courses on the life of Jesus at both the advanced college and seminary levels. Additionally, pastors, teachers, and all those interested in Jesus and the Gospels will enjoy this scholarly yet accessible book.

About this title

About the Author

Darrell L. Bock (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is research professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of more than ten books, including the two-volume BECNT commentary on Luke and Studying the Historical Jesus. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Part 1 The Four Gospels: Distinctive Voices 1. Overviews of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Part 2 Jesus according to the Synoptists 2. The Birth and Childhood of Jesus: The Hope of Promise 3. The Backdrop to Jesus' Ministry: John the Baptist, Jesus' Baptism and Temptations 4. The Initial Portrait of Jesus' Galilean Ministry: Teaching, Healing and Controversy 5. Jesus' Teaching on Relating to God and Others: The Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain 6. More Galilean Ministry: Miracles, Mission to the Outcasts, and Discipleship in the Face of Opposition 7. From Kingdom Teaching to Confession: How the Disciples Began to Understand Jesus 8. Confession and Prediction: The New Reality, Part 1 9. Toward Jerusalem: The New Reality, Part 2 10. Toward Jerusalem: Ministry in Judea and Final Lessons 11. The Passion Week: Controversy, Prediction of Judgment and Return, Trial, Death, and Resurrection Part 3 Jesus according to John 12. Introducing Jesus in John's Gospel: The Word Incarnate and the First Witnesses: John the Baptist and the Disciples 13. John's Book of Signs: Before the Hour 14. The Book of Glory: The Farewell Discourse and the Johannine Passion Account- The Hour Has Come Part 4 A Theological Portrait of Jesus 15. Major Themes in the Evangelists' Portrait of Jesus' Theology: The Kingdom and the Uniquely Authoritative One in Act and Word

From the Back Cover

ìIn this book Darrell Bock has accomplished for Evangelical theology what the late Raymond Brown achieved for its Catholic counterpart: a judicious synthesis of the scholarship of his colleagues with the concerns of a canonical reading of Scripture. The result is a readable textbook that respects the exegetical diversity of the Gospels while emphasizing the unity of their underlying witness.î óBruce Chilton, Bard College ìDarrell Bock is a well-known expert in the Gospels, and in Jesus according to Scripture he provides a detailed analysis of the portrait of Jesus from each Gospel as well as a theological synthesis of Jesusí message and import as the Gospels portray him. Here we have a much more fulsome and helpful portrait of Jesus than is offered in many recent treatments of the historical Jesus. Highly recommended.î óBen Witherington III, Asbury Theological Seminary ìThis book is a wonderful illustration of the value of canonical criticism. The authorís great knowledge of historical criticism is here employed in a study that takes the final form of the biblical texts as a literary unity. Bockís work has a wonderful balance between a respect for the uniqueness of each Gospel and an appreciation of the overall unity in the portrait of Jesus provided for the church.î óC. Stephen Evans, Baylor University ìThis book drives students to the texts of the four canonical Gospels; defends their historical reliability; interpretively distinguishes the Synoptics from John in the main, but somewhat from each other as well; and harmonizes all of them as much as possible. Teachers of courses on the life of Jesus who want a textbook that blends these approaches are likely to find here just what theyíre looking for.î óRobert Gundry, Westmont College Inside Flaps Copy (294 words) ìNeither a contribution to historical-Jesus research nor a conventional textbook on the Gospels, this is a common-sense yet academically informed commentaryófirst on a synopsis of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and then on John. Laypersons, theological students, and pastors needing a review course will greatly benefit from it. In many ways, Jesus according to Scripture is a successor to Dwight Pentecostís Words and Works of Jesus, and a worthy one indeed!î óCraig L. Blomberg, Denver Seminary ìRooted in outstanding scholarship and written with exceptional clarity, Bockís presentation of Jesusí life and teaching will be of great help to pastors, Christian leaders, and students of Scripture. Our students have already benefited from a pre-published version of this volume and speak with enthusiasm about it.î óClinton E. Arnold, Talbot School of Theology While noting how details of the canonical presentation of Jesus relate to first-century Palestinian culture, Jesus according to Scripture is not a historical study of Jesus. Instead, it seeks to show the coherent portrait of Jesus that emerges from the Gospels, a portrait that is rooted in history and yet has produced its own historical and cultural impact.

Bock begins with a brief overview of each Gospel, surveying its structure, themes, authorship, setting, and date. He then offers a detailed, unit-by-unit examination of Jesus as portrayed in the Synoptic Gospels, followed by an analysis of Jesusí portrayal in John. He finishes with a summary of the themes found throughout the Gospels, thus unifying them into a cohesive portrait. Darrell L. Bock (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of more than ten books, including the two-volume BECNT commentary on Luke, Blasphemy and Exaltation in Judaism, and Studying the Historical Jesus.

Edition details

• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 080102370X
• ISBN 13: 9780801023705
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 704