AND HOW DID IT COME ABOUT?

Transcription

1 Contents Illustrations and Boxes Timeline Preface xv xxiii xxxiii Part I WHAT IS THE BIBLE, AND HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? 1. The Bible: A Gradually Emerging Collection 3 The Bible: A Collection 4 The Emergence of the Canon 4 The Canon of the Hebrew Bible 5 The Christian Canon 10 Conclusion From Then to Now: The Transmission of the Bible 19 Textual Criticism 20 Translations 25 Conclusion 31 ix

2 x Contents 3. Inspiration: The Claim That God Speaks in a Text 33 Two Translations of 2 Timothy 3: The History of the Concept 35 Two Other Theories about Inspiration 42 Conclusion 43 Part II WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE HEBREW BIBLE? 4. The Pentateuch, Part 1: Genesis 49 Authorship 49 Varieties of Genres 52 The Narratives of Genesis Two Creation Stories 56 The Fall 59 After the Fall 62 The Flood 63 Origins and Babel 66 Israel s Ancestors 67 Conclusion The Pentateuch, Part 2: Exodus through Deuteronomy 79 Exodus: Deliverance and the Beginning of the Nation 80 Leviticus: Ritual Purity and the Holiness Code 88 Numbers: In the Wilderness 93 Deuteronomy: Restating the Law 97 Conclusion 99

3 Contents xi 6. The Israelites Tell Their Story: Interpretations of National Disasters 103 The Scope and Purpose of the Deuteronomistic History 104 Joshua: The Invasion 104 Judges: The Quest for Continuing Dominance 110 Ruth: A Tale of Loyalty and Love Samuel: The Monarchy Begins Kings: The Story of Two Kingdoms Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah: A Priestly Outlook on the Kingdoms and Return from Exile 131 Conclusion Thus Says the Lord : Israel s Prophetic Tradition 137 The Classical Prophets 138 Amos: Justice and Judgment 139 Hosea: The Faithfulness of God 141 Micah: What the LORD Requires 143 Isaiah: Justice, Judgment, and Restoration 144 Jeremiah: Looming Judgment and Future Restoration 149 Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Obadiah 152 Ezekiel: God Is Present 154 Postexilic Prophets 159 Daniel: Persecution and Radical Newness 164 Conclusion An Alternative Worldview: Israel s Wisdom Literature and Esther 171 The Literary Type 171 Job: A Problem without Resolution 173

4 xii Contents Proverbs: Advice for the Good Life 176 Ecclesiastes: All Is Vanity 178 Esther: Veiled Providence and the Origin of a Feast 179 Conclusion Israel s Response to God: The Psalms and the Song of Solomon 187 The Psalms: Poetry of Praise and Lament 188 Song of Solomon: Love Is Stronger than Death 193 Conclusion Between the Testaments: From Alexander the Great to the Time of Jesus 197 Alexander the Great and Hellenization 198 The Move toward Jewish Independence 204 Roman Domination of Palestine 206 Parties within First-Century Judaism 212 Conclusion 222 Part III WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT? 11. The Gospels: Their Composition and Nature 227 The Origin and Nature of the Gospels 228 The Search for a Historical Jesus 231 The Synoptic Gospels and John 234 Analysis and Faith 236 Conclusion 237

5 Contents xiii 12. Four Views of One Jesus: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John 241 Mark: The Coming Reign of God 242 Matthew: Messiah and Interpreter of the Law 250 Luke: Compassion and Justice 259 John: Incarnational Christology 270 Conclusion The Story Continues: The Acts of the Apostles 281 The Church s Beginning and Mission 281 The Growth of the Church and the Admission of Gentiles 285 Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles 287 Conclusion The Pauline Letters: Apostolic Advice to Early Churches 297 Letters: A Context-Specific Genre Thessalonians Corinthians Corinthians 313 Galatians 315 Philippians 319 Philemon 323 Romans 324 Conclusion The Disputed Pauline Letters: Continuing Advice in Paul s Name Thessalonians 336 Colossians 339 Ephesians 341

6 xiv Contents 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus (the Pastoral Epistles) 343 Conclusion Hebrews and the General Epistles: Messages for Broader Audiences 351 Hebrews 352 James Peter Peter 360 Jude John John John 367 Conclusion Revelation: John s Apocalyptic Vision 371 The Apocalyptic Genre 371 The Book of Revelation 379 Conclusion 391 The Bible Today Epilogue 395 Photo Credits 399 Glossary 401 Index 423

7 Illustrations and Boxes Maps 1.1 Locating the Biblical World The World of the Bible Ancient Babylonian Empire Ancient Persian Kingdom The Ancient Near East and Key Locations in Genesis Exodus and Sinai Wilderness Wanderings The Twelve Tribes of Israel United Kingdom of Israel The Monarchies of Israel and Judah Judah after the Fall of Israel Ancient Assyrian Empire The Greek Empire Palestine in the Time of the Maccabees Palestine in Jesus Time City of Jerusalem in Jesus Time The Roman Empire Paul s Missionary Journeys According to Acts The Seven Churches of Revelation 384 xv

8 xvi Illustrations and Boxes Charts 1.1 The Canons of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament The Deuterocanonical Books of the Roman Catholic Canon (the Apocrypha) Scale of Translation Theory Used in Various Translations The Documentary Hypothesis The Twelve Sons of Jacob Kings of the United and Divided Monarchies Israelite Prophets The Maccabean Leaders How the Gospels Were Composed according to the Two Source Hypothesis 238 Figures 1.1 The Western Wall of the Temple Section of a Scroll from Qumran Torah Scroll Gospel of John Fragment Codex Vaticanus Ancient Egyptian Scribes at Work Matthew and the Angel Origen (c c.e.) John Chrysostom ( c.e.) Luther Preaching John Calvin ( c.e.) The Greenwich Observatory Genesis Cosmos Adam, Eve The Great Ziggurat of Ur St. Catherine s Monastery, Mount Sinai Oasis at Kadesh Barnea, Sinai Peninsula The Fertile Crescent Ruins of Ancient Jericho A Wall of Ancient Jericho 106

9 Illustrations and Boxes xvii 6.3 Region of Jericho Today Image of Baal, Ras Shamra, Syria Ark of the Covenant Altar ( High Place ) at Megiddo Ruins of Samaria Ruins of Jerusalem Ishtar Gate Cyrus Cylinder Bas Relief of King Darius I ( b.c.e.) Job Psalms in the Gutenberg Bible An Expression of Sexuality Alexander the Great General Lysimachus Serapis Antiochus IV Remains of Herod s Palace Tower of Phasael Herod s Palace at Masada The Mishnah Caves above the Qumran Settlement The Old City of Jerusalem Today The Mediterranean Jesus Jesus Casting Out Demons Sermon on the Mount and Healing of Lepers The Four Evangelists Eastern Shore of the Sea of Galilee Model of a Reconstruction of Herod s Temple Shop Floors, Sepphoris Israelite Tomb, First Century The Good Samaritan Caesar on a Coin from Corinth Inscription for Nero Base of Statue of Trajan Present-Day Samaritans, Mount Gerizim Pentecost Jesus Recruiting Peter The Areopagus, Seen from the Acropolis The Parthenon on the Acropolis, Athens Paul in Prison Wealthy First-Century Woman Reconstructed Stoa (Porch) of Attalos, Athens The Arch of Galerius, Thessaloniki Ancient Corinth, Ruins along a Main Road Gallio Inscription, Delphi 308

10 xviii Illustrations and Boxes 14.6 The Last Supper Remains of Workshop, Corinth Isthmus of Corinth Cappadocia A Couple on a Dining Couch, Sparta Model of the Ancient City of Rome Bronze Coin, Thessalonica Paul at Ephesus Library of Celsus in Ephesus The Palace of Minos on Crete Youth Service Project Crucifixion of Peter Image of Caesar on a Coin Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Heaven The Last Judgment Parthian Coin Sanctuary of Asclepius, Pergamum Dining Rooms The Great Altar at Pergamum 389 Boxes 1.1 Locating material in the Bible Second Temple Judaism Designations of centuries The Hebrew Bible at Qumran Interpretations of Jesus Apostolicity The codex The danger of more interpretive translating A translation for the Jewish community A critical introduction The name of God The term myth Everyone was a polytheist God at work behind the scenes The name of the sea Different lists of the Ten Commandments The lex talionis The intermarriage of the ancestors Philo using allegory Origen on reading the Bible Concubine The god Baal 124

11 Illustrations and Boxes xix 6.3 The goddess Asherah The Chronicler A warrior God The names of Hosea s children The Servant Songs The poetry of Lamentations Ezekiel s astonishing visions Edict of Cyrus The Diadochoi (Successors) of Alexander the Great Egyptian wisdom traditions Akkadian wisdom traditions Feast of Purim Greek additions Tatian s Diatessaron The search for the historical Jesus The composition of John The Q source Kingdom of God Other exorcists Virgin in Isaiah and Matthew Multiple meanings Predictions and the gods Luke and world events The Word and Wisdom traditions Textual criticism and the story of the adulterous woman The Birkat ha-minim Superscriptions for Psalms Other types of psalms Sources that tell of the Maccabean Revolt Hannukah The Wicked Priest Herod and the birth of Jesus The tradition about the Oral Torah Dead Sea Scrolls reference system The Teacher of Righteousness The temple tax Gospel Pilgrimage feasts Dual names Personal information about Paul Pharisees Two accounts of the Jerusalem Conference Luke s tendencies Critical introduction reminder The powers today Hades Glossolalia The super-apostles Two Galatias The term Judaizer The circumcision controversy 319

12 xx Illustrations and Boxes 14.9 Paul uses previously known material in his letters Romans is not a systematic theology text Edict of Claudius Metaphors for salvation Paul is not a supersessionist Pseudonymity Partially realized eschatology Identical phrases The office of widow The term catholic The Bible of the author of Hebrews The imagery of Hebrews James, the brother of Jesus Ethical exhortation Sources used by the author of 2 Peter Shifting eschatological expectations The importance of apostolicity The office of elder Apocalyptic as genre and worldview Theodicy The letters of Revelation Sexual infidelity as a metaphor 389 Readings Kings 22:8, Nehemiah 8:1, Jude Mark 16: Galatians 4: Deuteronomy 34: Exodus 20: Genesis 1: Genesis 3: Genesis 6: Genesis 9: Genesis 12: Genesis 28: Genesis 37: Exodus 3: Exodus 20: Leviticus 19: Leviticus 18:2-5 92

13 Illustrations and Boxes xxi 5.5 Deuteronomy 6: Deuteronomy 30: Joshua 10: Joshua 24: Judges 3: Judges 21:25; 1 Samuel 8:10-18; 1 Samuel 12: Kings17: Kings 12:19-20; 2 Chronicles 24:17-18, Amos 7: Amos 5: Hosea 1:8b Isaiah 6: Isaiah 45: Jeremiah 32:9-10, Jeremiah 31: Ezekiel 1:4-5, 15, 22, Ezekiel 8: Job 31:5-6, Job 38: Proverbs 13: Ecclesiastes 4: Esther 4: Esther 9:24, Song of Solomon 8: Maccabees 1: Maccabees 10:5-6, Maccabees 16: Matthew 2: Mark 7:18-20; Matthew 15: Matthew 12: Luke 24: Luke 1: Daniel 7: Mark 15: Mark 4: Matthew 5: Matthew 5: Matthew 6: Hosea 11: Luke 1: John 1: Acts 2: Acts 3:1; Acts 5: Acts 7:54 8: Acts 15:1, Acts 26: Psalm Psalm Psalm 47: Psalm 51: Thessalonians 2: Thessalonians 2: Thessalonians 4: Corinthians 12:

14 xxii Illustrations and Boxes Corinthians 1: Corinthians14:5, Corinthians 1: Corinthians 11: Corinthians 11:16, 21b Galatians 3: Philippians 1:18c-19; 2:17c-18, 4:4, 10a Philippians 4: Philippians 2: Philemon 15-16a Romans 3:25b Romans 5: Romans 6: Thessalonians 2: Colossians 2: Colossians 1: Ephesians 4: Timothy 1: Timothy 3: Timothy 3:10, Titus 1: Hebrews 1: James 2: Peter 4: Peter 2: Peter 3:15b John 2: John 1: John 2:3-5a John Esdras 3:30-31a; 4: Revelation 6:9-10; 15: Revelation 2: Revelation 5: Revelation 11: Revelation 17: