Jesus' Attitude Towards the Law: A Study of the Gospels

by William Loader

Overview

This book provides a critical reassessment and fresh analysis of Jesus' attitude towards the Law as portrayed in each of the canonical Gospels, Q, Thomas, and the apocryphal Gospels. Representing William Loader's definitive work on the subject, this comprehensive study presents a clearer picture of Jesus and his message.
A special feature of this book is its textually sequential analysis of the theme of the Law. By taking this unique approach, Loader lets Jesus' stance towards the Law emerge directly out of the Gospel narratives themselves, at the same time highlighting important similarities and differences between the texts. Comparing the canonical Gospels with each other and with crucial noncanonical sources allows Loader to probe behind the tradition in the search for Jesus' true relationship with the Judaism of his day.

Despite its focused theme, this is not a book about "the historical Jesus." Instead, it works with the ancient materials we actually have before us and so offers a more secure basis for the less certain task of reconstructing the history behind the texts. In treating each Gospel, Loader begins with a substantial engagement of current and previous research before presenting his own perspectives. As a result, Jesus' Attitude towards the Law will be valued both as an original scholarly contribution and as an unrivaled sourcebook for studying Jesus, Second Temple Judaism, and the origins of Christianity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802849038
Publisher:	Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Publication date:	12/28/2005
Pages:	580
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.29(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	v
	Introduction	1
Chapter 1	Jesus' Attitude Towards the Law according to Mark	9
1.1	Recent Research	9
1.2	Mark 1:1 - 3:6 in Review	14
1.2.1	Mark 1:1-45	14
1.2.2	Mark 2:1 - 3:6	26
1.2.2.1	Excursus: Behind Mark 2:1 - 3:6. Tradition and the Historical Jesus	39
1.2.2.1.1.	Tradition	39
1.2.2.1.2.	The Historical Jesus	47
1.2.3	Conclusion	55
1.3	Mark 3:7 - 6:6 in Review	56
1.3.1	Mark 3:7 - 6:6	56
1.3.2	Conclusion	64
1.4	Mark 6:7 - 8:26 in Review	65
1.4.1	Mark 6:7 - 8:26 - structural overview	65
1.4.2	Mark 6:7 - 6:56	69
1.4.3	Mark 7:1-23	71
1.4.4	Mark 7:24 - 8:26	79
1.4.5	Conclusions	84
1.5	Mark 8:27 - 10:52 in Review	86
1.5.1	Mark 8:27 - 10:52	86
1.5.2	Conclusion	94
1.6	Mark 11:1 - 13:37 in Review	95
1.6.1	Mark 11:1 - 13:37	95
1.6.2	Mark 11:15-17 in the context of 11:1 - 13:37	105
1.6.2.1	Excursus: Behind Mark 11:15-17 and John 2:14-16	108
1.6.3	Conclusion	116
1.7	Mark 14:1 - 16:8 in Review	117
1.7.1	Mark 14:1 - 16:8	117
1.7.2	Conclusion	122
1.8	Jesus' Attitude towards the Law in Mark - Conclusions	122
1.8.1	Jesus' attitude towards the Law according to Mark	122
1.8.2	Continuity	124
1.8.3	Discontinuity	125
1.8.4	The Commandments	129
1.8.5	Loose ends	132
1.8.6	Conclusion	134
Chapter 2	Jesus' Attitude Towards the Law according to Matthew	136
2.1	Recent Research	137
2.2	Matthew 1 - 7 in Review	154
2.2.1	Matthew 1:1 - 4:22	154
2.2.2	Matthew 4:23 - 5:16	161
2.2.3	Matthew 5:17-48	165
2.2.4	Matthew 6-7	182
2.3	Matthew 8 - 20 in Review	187
2.3.1	Matthew 8:1 - 9:35	187
2.3.2	Matthew 9:36 - 13:52	195
2.3.3	Matthew 13:53 - 16:20	210
2.3.4	Matthew 16:21 - 20:34	221
2.4	Matthew 21 - 28 in Review	229
2.4.1	Matthew 21:1 - 22:46	229
2.4.2	Matthew 23:1 - 39	237
2.4.3	Matthew 24:1 - 25:46	245
2.4.4	Matthew 26:1 - 28:20	249
2.5	Jesus' Attitude towards the Law in Matthew - Conclusions	254
2.5.1	Jesus, judgement, and the Law	254
2.5.2	Jesus' positive attitude towards the Law	260
2.5.3	How Jesus interprets the Law	264
2.5.4	The Authority of Jesus and the Authority of Torah	266
2.5.5	Matthew's Jesus and the Law in new Perspective	270
Chapter 3	Jesus' Attitude Towards the Law according to Luke	273
3.1	Recent Research	273
3.2	Luke 1:1 - 9:50 in Review	300
3.2.1	Luke 1:1 - 4:13	300
3.2.2	Luke 4:14 - 6:49	305
3.2.3	Luke 7:1 - 9:50	316
3.2.4	Conclusion	323
3.3	Luke 9:51 - 19:27 in Review	324
3.3.1	Luke 9:51 - 11:13	324
3.3.2	Luke 11:14 - 16:31	329
3.3.3	Luke 17:1 - 19:27	340
3.3.4	Conclusion	344
3.4	Luke 19:28 - 24:53 in Review	347
3.4.1	Luke 19:28 - 21:38	347
3.4.2	Luke 22:1 - 24:53	352
3.4.3	Conclusion	358
3.5	Perspectives from Acts	360
3.6	Jesus' Attitude towards the Law in Luke - Conclusions	379
3.6.1	Torah faithfulness	379
3.6.2	The old and the new	382
Chapter 4	Jesus' Attitude Towards the Law according to Q	390
4.1	Recent Research	391
4.2	The Reconstructed Q Text	399
4.2.1	John, Jesus and the Temptations	399
4.2.2	The "Sermon" to the Disciples	404
4.2.3	Jesus' Ministry and John's Questions	406
4.2.4	The Mission of the Disciples and the Mission of Jesus	409
4.2.5	Jesus and "this generation"	413
4.2.6	Jesus and the Pharisees	414
4.2.7	Instructions for the Disciples	419
4.2.8	Inclusion and Exclusion	420
4.2.9	Jesus and the Law	424
4.3	Jesus' Attitude towards the Law in Q - Conclusions	427
Chapter 5	Jesus' Attitude Towards the Law according to John	432
5.1	Recent Research	433
5.2	John 1-4 in Review	447
5.3	John 5-12 in Review	461
5.4	John 13-21 in Review	476
5.5	Jesus' Attitude towards the Law in John - Conclusions	483
Chapter 6	Jesus' Attitude Towards the Law according to Thomas and other non-canonical Gospels	492
6.1	The Gospel of Thomas	492
6.1.1	The Gospel of Thomas in Review	492
6.1.2	Jesus' Attitude towards the Law in Thomas - Conclusions	501
6.2	Other Gospels and alleged Sayings of Jesus	503
6.2.1	POx 840	503
6.2.2	The D text of Luke 6:5	504
6.2.3	Papyrus Egerton 2	505
6.2.4	P. Ox. 1224	506
6.2.5	The Gospel of the Nazareans	506
6.2.6	The Gospel of the Ebionites	507
6.2.7	The Gospel of Philip	507
6.2.8	The Gospel of Peter	507
6.2.9	John 7:53 - 8:11	507
Chapter 7	Conclusion	509
7.1	Jesus' Attitude towards the Law in the Gospels	509
7.2	Jesus' Attitude towards the Law behind the Gospels - an Approach	518
	Bibliography of Works Cited	525
	Indices	547
	References	547
	Authors	557
	Subjects	562