Q, the First Writing about Jesus

This book shows readers the formation of Q by exploring how the texts were subjected to redaction four times. As author Yoseop Ra demonstrates, the first redaction of Q conveys the words and deeds of the historical Jesus and then the rest of redactors imposed their own theological interpretation to the words and deeds of Jesus. His argument will provide readers with a fresh look on how the earliest "Jesus movement" was formed in the thirties of the first century CE. Q is a hypothetical document extracted from the common source between Matthew and Luke. Thus, it is not easy to distinguish the different layers of redaction embedded in Q. However, form critical, redaction critical, composition critical, and socio-historical approaches to it makes readers separate the four layers of redaction from Q. Each layer will show how the disciples of Jesus moved from the countryside to Jerusalem via some rural cities expanding their boundary.

Yoseop Ra is the pastor of the Clear Water Church. He was Assistant Professor of New Testament at Youngnam Theological University and Seminary. He earned his PhD from the Joint Program of University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology in 1997. He is the author of Matthew: A Scribe for the Kingdom of Heaven (2001), Q: The First Writing about Jesus (2002), and Paul: The Founder of Christianity (2011) in Korean.