Boson Universiy OpenBU Theses & Disseraions hp://openbuedu Disseraions and Theses (pre-1964) 1932 The pedagogy of Jesus Jackson Alber Woodland Boson Universiy hps://hdlhandlene/2144/18203 Boson Universiy
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BOSTON GRADUATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL Thesis The Pedagogy of Jesus by Alber Woodland Jackson \ (BRE Boson Universiy 1931) submied in parial fulfilmen of he requiremens for he degree of Maser of Ars 1932 BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS LIBRARY
3 The Pedagogy of Jesus 37 f 744* 30 An 1 1 2 Ouline Prologs Inroducion A general survey Chaper 1 The Indirec Mehods of Jesus! His Araciveness & He was of good appearance b He was a genius c# He was naural d His uerances were 1 Picuresque 2* Clear and eloquen 11* Eis Sources of Informaion His early raining was religious 111* His Aid - The Revelaion of he Characer of God a God is a Faher who cares for his children b* God s characer is refleced in he eaching of Jesus concerning he Kingdom o«god desires he fellowship of men Chaper 11 The Direc Mehods used by Jesus 1* A discussion of his mehods a* His mehods were no Socraio b His mehods were no Rabbinioal
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( 2 ) Ouline - coninued o* He used Scripure d# Jesus caked quesions and replied o hem as occasion demanded e# He used he mehod of discourse f* He made use of boh parable and allegory g* He used a variey of language forms h* He appealed o ime and ciroumsanoe i He was an affirmaive eacher j* The hearers had o do heir own hinking k* As a rule he avoided conflios 1* He used good sense du The Paernal influence 11* His mehods used in dealing wih groups a* Wih he crowd b* Wih he Scribes and Pharisees o* Wih he children d Wih he sick e* Wih he sinful 111* His mehods used in dealing wih individuals a* Wih he disoiples b* Wih he inquirers Chaper 111 The Teacher Himself Why He was a Grea Teacher a* The Teachers personaliy
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b* He idenified Himself wih His eachings o* He deal wih grea values d# He was a man of prayer Summary a# Chaper 1 - The Indirec Mehods of Jesus b Chaper 11 - The Direc Mehods used by Jesus c* Chaper 111 - The Teacher Himself
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(4 ) The Pedagogy of Jesus Bibliography Bes G E Boar o each Religion Abingdon Press New York 1928 pp 217-219 Booh Edwin Hisory of Educaion Class Noes S R E pp# 20 28 Bowie W R The Maser Charles Scribner* s Sons New York 1929 pp 20-28 131-158 $ ransoomb Harvie The Message of Jesus Cokes bury P Nashville Tenn# 1930 Burioh G# A# Jesus came Preaohing Scribner* s Sons New York 1931 pp 146-186 Case S J Jesus a New Biography Universiy of Chicago Press 1927 pp 326-441 Charles R H A Chrisian Hisory of he Docrine of a Fuure Life A and C Black London 1899 pp 314 344 Emme C W The Escaological Quesion in he Gospels T and T Clark London pp 49-65 ^Fosdick H E The Manhood of he Maser Associaion Press New York 1925 Fosdick H E Twelve Tess of Characer Associaion Press New York 1923 Gilber G H The Suden Life of Jesus Macmillan Company New York 1900 12-44 Glover T R Jesus of Hisory Associaion Press New York
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( 5 ) Bibliography - ooninued 1928 ^Graves F P Wha did Jesus Teach Macmillan Company New York 1919 Harn&ok A# Wha ie Chrisianiy 6* P# Punam* s Sons New York 1901 pp# 53-68 Headlam The Life and Teachings of Jesus Chris Oxford Universiy Press New York 1923 pp# 207-226 Hinsdale B# A# Jesus as a Teacher S# Louis Chrisian Publishing Company 1896 pp# 1-246 orne H# H«Jesus he Maser Teacher Associaion Press 1920 Lowsuer W# J# Teachings of Jesus :#ilackenzie W# D The Mehod of Jesus Aricle in he Encyclopedia of Religion and Ehics Scribner s Sons 1915 MoKoy C# F The Ar of Jesus as a Teacher The Judson Press Philadelphia 1930 Rail H F# The Teachings of Jesus Mehodis Book Concern New York 1918 pp# 25-33 Sanday W# Oulines of he Life of Chris Scribner s Sons New York 1917 pp# 65-100 #Sco E# F# The Ehical Teachings of Jesus Macmillan Company 1924 Soo E# F# The Gospel and is Tribuaries Scribner s Sons New York 1930 pp# 47-65 #Soo E# F# The Kingdom of God Soribner s Sons New York 1931
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Bibliography - coninued Sevens G B The Teachings of Jesus Macmillan Company New York 1923 pp 33-46 Sevens and Buron A Harmony of he Gospel Soribner*a Sons New York 1904 Ranscheribusch Chrisianiy and he Social Crisis Wend H H Teaohing of Jesus Vol 1 T and T Clarke Edinburgh 1892 106-151 Wend H H The Teaching of Jesus Vol 11 Soribner*s Sons New York Young R Analyical Concordance o he Bible Funk and Wagnalls Comapny New York 1903 # These books were read compleely The oher books wih no numbers appearing agains hem were referred o
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( 7 ) The Pedagogy of Jesus Prologue In order o arrive a an undersanding of he pedagogy of Jesus I imagined a eacher sanding before his pupils in a modern cha - room -while I asked myself wha would be necessary o make ha eacher a good pedagogue* I arrived a he following conolus ions ; He mus be of aracive appearance* He mus be menally aler He mus be naural He mus be well informed He mus have cerain definie aims His direc applicaion of hese aims mus be dear and well defined He mus be able o hold he aenion of his pupils He mus weloome hose who come o him privaely wih heir problems and he mus help hem o he bes of his abiliy The greaes influence ha he will exer will be ha of his own personaliy which will display iself in his words and acions and will effec he aiudes of he pupils owards him and heir ineres in he subjec augh In pursuing a sudy on he pedagogy of Jesus may we no ask he same quesions of him? The eaohing of Jesus canno be confined o four walls neiher can we imagine Jesus as a modern Rabbi The environmen was differen and he pupils were gahered ogeher in a differen manner/o hose who come now And ye he essenials have no ohanged The pupils some willing some unwilling would be here o be augh and human naure changes lile Convers o a new way of undersanding
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(8 ) would be sough in eaoh case Jesus would if anyhing require o be he beer pedagogue because his hearers could come and go wihou resrain I have herefore sudied he reoords of Jesus from he above poins of view ha I migh beer undersand boh his direc and indirec mehods of eaching
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The Pedagogy of Jesus Inroducion Our reoords of he eachings of Jesus are in fragmens and hey represen no more han one hundred days of his minisry He augh hrough all Judea from Galilee o Jerusalem -wherever opporuniy offered Men came o him in large numbers They sough him in his places of rerea and in he public places They crossed he sea in boas and spen whole days in deser places wih him They sood on he mounain side o hear his words They waied by he sea-shore while he augh hem ou of a boa They enered he emple o hear him They heard him in he synagogue "and wondered a he gracious words ha proceded ou of his mouh (Lk 4:22) Men asked "From whence hah his man hese hings?" and "Wha wisdom is ha which is given uno him?" The common people heard him gladly Even he despised Samarians besough him o say wih hem Individuals received privae insrucion from Jesus Nicodemus he ruler came o him by nigh The Syro- Fhoenecian woman sough him and he conversed wih he woman of Samaria concerning spiriual realiies In his dealings wih all hese ypes of people Jesus consciously or unconsciously used pedagogical eaching ha is worhy of more deailed examinaion Firs of all we know ha Jesus augh orally He had no reporer bu his eachings were so clear ha hey
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remained in he hears of hose who heard his message so ha hey were able o reproduce personal remarks and lenghy discources acouraely many years The grea aferwards* idea Jesus waned o give o manking was he characer of God* This idea affooed vially boh his message and his mehods for i came ou of his grea personal experience wih God* Therefore he augh as one having auhoriy and no as he scribes* (Mk 1:22) His mehods were many according o he circumsances in which he was placed* They were no ends bu means o an end* He had o overcome remendous obsacles bu he was able o win o himself a number of disciples who laer were enrused wih he coninuaion of his work
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Chaper 1 The Indirec Mehods of Jesus 1* His araciveness a* He was of good appearance One of he mehods ha should be followed by a good pedagogue is ha of personal araciveness* His clohes should be clean and nealy worn Physical energy adds o his araciveness* Many eachers are grea in spie of handicaps for hey have o rise above hem* Bu handicaps are sill misforunes hough some have made hem sepping sones o success* We learn of no handicap in he life of Jesus* He was a man of he hills and he open spaces and he followed he rade of a carpener These facors would give him an abundance of physieal energy* Then he would ake a pride in his personal appearance if he followed he idea of ceremonial cleanness o be found in Jewish households Again he would carry himself well The people in Nazareh o his day show hemselves o be of pleasing depormen Jesus araced people o him May we no say ha his personal appearance helped in his direcion as well as his words and works? We learn of Jesus living ou of doors and sleeping on he ground Sof men do no sleep on he ground He had an inimae acquainance wih naure (M 6:23 M 8:20; M 10:29) He knew he quieness of he hills and in imes of sress he
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( 12 ) would make his esoape here o commune wih he Faher (Lk 9:28)* Wihou considerable vialiy and srengh of manhood Jesus could scaroely have endured he grea physical and menal srain required in his minisry and in he las week of his passion Tha vialiy would become an unconscious mehod in his eaching and would end o se up a corresponding vialiy in his hearers b He was a genius We mus oonsider Jesus no only a man of grea energy and aracive appearance bu also a genius a religious genius essenially His minisry occupied a very shor period of no more han hree years and ye ou of ha period have come he greaes eaching he world has ever known Jesus was a man of his own age bu he ranaoended i He belongs o he ages now He had a genius for lifing ruhs ou of heir lowly surroundings and maling hem shine wih a new ligh (M 22:37; Deu 6:5) In daily life his self-oonrol and nauralness in every inciden were he bes evidence of his sound characer and his genius in coping wih he siuaions ha confroned him (Lk 9:54-53; Jn 8 : 7 ; M 22: 17-21) He appealed o he inellec We noice his especially in his conroversies wih he Pharisees He did no however leave any sysem of heology He presened a few basic ruhs in such away ha men migh see hem whole and feel heir drawing power
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Jesus was ha manner of eaoher whose sayings aced upon he consciences of men in such a way ha hey could no le hose sayings go (Jn 8:2)* He did no repea wha he Rabbi had old him hough he was well acquained wih he Scripure (M 15: Si) He had hough many hings ou for himself He had done some long hinking adjusing said readjusing and relaing (M 4: l-ll) He sudied siuaions He worked his grea runk line principles ou of his own experience in grappling wih realiy**" There wa3 somehing else in he life of Jesus besides anecedens oherwise how could a lile-favored son of his day and age have had suoh influence on he succeeding generaions? He had a perfecion of characer ha no oher has ever claimed He asked ohers o aain perfecion (M 5:48) There was no consciousness of sin in his own life He made developmen according o his undersanding of he will and characer of God and when he came o somehing which he fel o be in conflic wih he mind of God he rejeced i (M 4:7-10) This necessiaed consan hough and coninual menal alerness To live religiously mean for Jesus a life on coninual pressure A one ime he was inspired by a joyous rus in he love and power of God (Lk 12:22-32) and a anoher he burs ou in flaming indignaion agains sinners (M 23:13-33) His whole energies were consecraed o he ask of revealing he characer of God o men He had quie a 1 Class noes Teachings of Jesus Dr Lows uer
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difficul ask hers for boh he disciples and he people were slow o undersand his eachings I akes a man of genius o make he ruhs so simple ha even men wihou leers can undersand His reoorded uerances in he form of discourse parable and allegory show he marks of a genius who speaks wih simple language ye uers words ha have no been fully comprehended even o he presen day "Never man spoke like his man (Jn 7:46) o He was naural a He was no academic Jesus did no choose as his life*s work he profession of eaching He was neiher echnically nor professionally academic He did no become a scribe or professional eacher neiher did he ake any raining in preparaion for ha office The people who followed him were impressed ha he augh in quie a differen manner from ha of he scribes (Mk 1:22) and ha he had no proper auhoriy according o he scribes hemselves He was a prophe of he Kingdom of God no a eacher expounding a hesis His eaching was naural no formal* He never read from a prepared address 2 His words were mosly exempore The occasion arose and he spoke wha was in his mind (li 2:2) Some of his eaching was he resul of a meal ime (Lk 7:36-50) ^Bransoomb H The Message of Jesus p 128 2 Sevens G B Teaohings of Jesus p 35
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( 15 ) Many ohers were answers o quesions When he augh he crowd he was sill informal and inimae He used opposiion for driving home his houghs (M 22:34-46) Jesus had no sysem of logical presenaion no definiion of erms used of premises laid down or deducions drawn His words simply fied in wih he occasion on which hey were uered Ye who can say ha he was no W9ll prepared? Was no his nauralness he resul of much preparaion? d His uerances were picuresque His eachings were full of figures illusraions sriking expressions He used he orienal imagery of his day He spoke o he disciples before hey wen forh o work for him in hese words "I send you forh as sheep among wolves be ye wise as serpens and harmless as doves Qi 10:16) Here naural life was given as an illusraion of he ype of life he disciples would be required o follow The language was vividly picuresque o hose who lived in a land where hese ypes of animals were o be found Again he disciples would have been able o picure he oour of Solomon whose magnif ioanoe was a by-word among he Jews and he flowers of he field when Jesus said Consider he likies of he field how hey grow hey oil no neiher do hey spin: And ye I say uno you ha even Solomon in all his glory was no arrayed like one of hese" (M 6:29) e Hia ueranoes were clear and eloquen He did no oonvey one meaning o his hearers while
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( 16 ) he aoually reserved for himself or his disciples moher meaning One of his mehods wih regard o syle was o make hia meaning clear His eachings were srong and fearless (Lk 12:4) sweeping away all obsacles and winning heir way direoly o he hears of many of his hearers His meaning was ofen misaken by he disciples and ohers no for wan of dearness bu beoause he eaching iself was no in keeping wih heir preoonoeived ideas For example Peer said uno Jesus "Thou shal never wash my fee Jesus answered him If I wash hee no hou has no par wih me Simon Peer said uno him Lord no my fee only bu also my hands and my head Jesus saih o him He ha is washed needeh no sav9 o wash his fee bu is clean every whi (Jn 13:8-10) Peer had misaken his meaning because his ideas were differen from hose of Jesus Again we read ha orowds of ordinary people would say all day lisening o Jesus They would no do so if his meaning were no clear "The oommon people heard him gladly" (Mk 12:37) Jesus* eachings were dear beoause he knew his subjec His eachings had passed hrough he crucible of his own experience and suffering so he was doing much more han imparing informaion even hough he adaped his words o he ideas and experiences of his hearers^ ^Bransoomb H The Message of Jesus p 30
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( 17 ) His ieaohings "were mainly shor and energeic They abounded in axioms and maxims They were so oharged wih meaning ha hey mus have been delivered wih a considerable degree of eloquence "Blessed are hey ha are persecued for righeousness sake for heirs is he Kingdom of Heaven (M 6:10) These words mus have beer)6poken wih deep feeling by one who no only suffered much in his own soul bu also saw ha hia disoiples would have much o suffer for he sake of he Kingdom Ye Jesus made his eloquence he servan and no he maser of he religious houghs o whose announcemen he devoed his life^ 11 His Sources of Informaion In he parlance of he modern class room he souroes of informaion would be represened in he eacher s noe books ino which he had gahered he bes of all he had sudied on his subjec and from which he would deliver his eaching Jesus was wihou noe book bu his own experience wih God would be a living reservoir ou of whioh he would pour his bes houghs a His early raining was religious The firs source of informaion for Jesus as for mos boys would naurally come from his home life The household of Joseph and Mary belonged o ha small circle of Jews %end H H The eachings of Jesus Vol 1 p 151
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( 18 ) who mainained he spiriual glow of religion* Joseph was a righeous man (M 1:19) and he wa3 obedien o he will of God as he was able o undersand i (M 1:24) Like Joseph Jesus became a carpener in his home The developmen of he inner life of Jesus would have been a normal expaaon from childhood onwards under he direc influence of his home and social life and he environmen of naure and of he hills We may believe ha Jesus* moher knew muoh of he eaching of he Old Tesamen for her deepes feelings expressed hemselves in he language of he Scripures She aended he emple when no required by law o do so This fac indicaed ha she enjoyed and found spiriual help in he services held here (Lk 2:22 41) This ineres of he moher in religious observances would imply ha Jesus received a deep religious raining in his own home We mus include hese facs in Jesus souroes of informaion o be delivered o his pupils Again Jesus grew in saure and in wisdom As a Jewish boy he would have commenced o learn he law as soon as he could speak (Deu 6:6 7) I was likely ha Joseph and Mary augh heir ohildren verses ou of he law long before hey oould read* The educaion of he Jewish child began wih he moher Her household duies gave her ohildren a religious *Hinsdale B A Jesus as a Teacher p
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( 19 ) oulook on life* The sabah meal he kindling of he sabbah lamps and he seing apar of a porion of he dough from he bread of he household would give he ohild an early sar in he direcion of religion Again a parohmen was fasened o he doorpose on which he name of he Mos High was wrien* This parohmen was reverenly ouched by hose who came and wen wih fingers ha were hen borne o he lips Then before saring for school or synagogue prayers would be engaged in* There -were also domesio ries for weekly sabbah and fesive seasons which would indelibly impress hemselves upon he mind of he youh of he land* In mid-winer here were also fesive illuminaions in each home wihheir symbolic meanings Then here was he cycle of public feass and fass mos of whioh lay wihin he observaion of he ohild: he Feas of Esher; he Passover; he Feas of Weeks; he Feas of he New Tear; he Day of Aonemen; and he Feas of Tabernacles^ A he sohool of his moher* s knee Jesus would have learned sories of pariarchs and prophes saesmen and warriors poes and sages kings and judges wise men and of ha oherishad leader Moses himself* These sories would have been old and reold unil hem became par of he mind iself ^Hinsdale B* A* Jesus as a Teacher p 28ff
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The faher was bound by law o eaoh he eon* He would be augh f ira he veraes of Scripure from he Shema or creed hen shor prayers seleced sayings and psalms* The child was sen o school a five or six Up o en years of age he Bible was he only ex book* The eaohing began wih he Book of Leviicus hen came pars of he Penaeuoh nex he prophes and finally he Hagiographa* The Jews paid grea aenion o he culivaion of memory* Home school and synagogue reinforced one anoher The Scripures were found in eaoh school synagogue* Even he mechanical arrangemen of he synagogue was oaloulaed o impress he mind of he Orienal* The rabbi was much revered* I is likely ha Jesus wen o school* As a resul he would have been able o read and wrie* His allusions o he forms of Hebrew leers and he wriing wih his finger on he ground (Jn 8:6) poin in his direcion He would have spoken he Aramaic dialeo and have read and undersood he Scripures in he original Hebrew* Thus did Jesus secure he early raining ha mus have become par of his life and his eaching mehods in laer years* For example his eaching concerning he Kingdom of God was based on he home life wih is faher and sons and daughers* This concepion would have oome o him naurally our of his own home life in Nazareh* Again muoh of his B A Jesus as a Teacher p* 37f
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( 21 ) parabolio eaching was delivered in erns of he environmen of his early life lived in he norhen pars of Palesine I is possible he knew previously some of he disoiples whom he laer called a Capernaum for his own was wihin easy communicaion of Nazareh His laer approach o hem would have been effeced by his earlier oonac wih hem I believe he deliberaely chose his men and did no jus happen o come ino oonac wih hem 111 His Aim: The Revelaion of he Characer of God There again we believe ha aim may well be included under he heading of indirec mehods for wihou an aim no direo mehods could be enirely successful The grea eaching Jesus waned o leave wih he people was he characer of God ^ His minisry was oonseoraed o he oarrying ou of he Faher* s will ha ohers migh see he reflecion of ha characer in his own life "My mea is o do he will of him ha sen me and o accomplish his work" He desired o win disciples and rain hem as winesses of hie ruh (M 6:16) He called many and chose from hose who responded he bes (M 20:16) and sen hem forh wo by wo o be his winesses The proclamaion of Jesus concerning he characer of God was hreefold Firs he augh: He was a Faher ho oared for men; second He was a King who wished o esablish ^Lowsuer W J Class noes Teachings of Jesus
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( 22 ) His Kingdom; hird He required as admission ino ha Kingdom he ype of righeousness ha came as a resul of a personal relaionship wih Himself Each of hese proclamaions revealed some phase of he characer of God His Faherhood His rule and His righeousness a God is a Faher who cares for His children Jesus* concepion cf God as Faher was ypical of he whole conen of his insrucion^ For he Jews he Faherhood of God belonged o Israel alone bu Jesus included all men as children of God The Old Tesamen made only an occasional reference o ha Faherhood Jesus made i he cenral and supreme idea of his eaching He enjoined loyaly hrough righeousness Sympaheic friendship wih he Faher was o be obained no hrough he service of riual bu by accomplishing he divine purpose in he world Jesus emphasized God s care for men (M 10:30 31) He saw hem in secre and rewarded hem openly (M 6:6) There was nohing he could no and would no do for his ohildren (M 21s2 2) He would no refuse his child good hings (M 7:11) To him who regarded he fall of he sparrow his ohildren mus be of grea worh The knowledge of his sympahy refleced iself in all his mehods He in urn cared for he people and rejoiced in he resoraion of he sinner Luke 7:42 is a pleasing sory of friendship and forgiveness a rue picure of God s forgiveness ^Graves Y P Wha did Jesus Teaoh
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^ ( 23 ) and he response i makes in men God oared for he individual far beyond anyhing he could possibly hink Again Jesus emphasized he generosiy of God v/ho made he sun o rise on he good and he bad and sen hie rain on he jus and he unjus (M 5:45) All men a*»e were sons of God even hough unfaihful o he relaionship In anoher sense sonship was held o be a moral relaionship wih God and hey were ruly sons of God who lived he life of fellowship wih him "To as many as received him o hem gave he power o become he sons of God 11 (Jn 1:12) Jesus was in a special sense he eon of God because he gave he idea of God a new meaning and ha meaning he incorporaed in his own life In his respec Jesus said "Everyhing has been commied o me of my Faher nor does anyone fully know he Faher excep he Son and hose o whom he Son may choose o reveal him" (li 11:27) Jesus spoke much of he Heavenly Faher as One who was he embodimen of mercy soliciude and redeeming love for his children (M 7) b God *s Characer is refleced in he eaching of Jesus concerning he Kingdom Only one specific reference o he Kingship of God in he gospels has been found I is ha of M 25 There ^Soo E Y Ehical Teachings of Jesus p 18
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( 24 ) God is represened as a Judge "Then shall he King say uno hem upon his righ hand" The majesy and awe of God are porrayed more dearly in he Old Tesamen (Ps 47:7; Isa 6:6; Jer 10:10) This concepion Jesus would have received from he Scripures Bu his idea of he Kingship of God was hough of in he relaionship of Faher and son more han King and subjec The kingship of God is implied in he kind of kingdom Jesus ried o esablish among men This kingdom was for Jesus he communiy in which he Divine Will was o be realized for he common good of men^ The kingdom was a spiriual order affecing he inner life of is members during he presen life (M 7:16 20) I involved a new righeousness which was realized in an inward fellowship wih God This kingdom implied a communiy of people who were doing he will of God and hus i conained a social as well as a spiriual and moral ideal Jesus following John he Bapis preached he 2 immediacy of he Kingdom bu no in he apocalypic sense of his forerunner John he Bapis We have no righ o assume ha Chris s apocalupio language was o be aken lierally The ehics of Jesus are sane and applicable o ddly living They are independen of abnormal circumsances When Jesus spoke abou Faherhood and sonship abou God s gif of love and mans duy in his connecion ^Serday W Oulines of he Life of Chris p 40 ^Harnack A Wha is Chrisianiy? p 53
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abou forgiveness from God and salvaion abou service and humiliy he spoke in a way ha has been found applicable o a world ha has lased for cenuries Jesus* purpose was o each he coming of he kingdom no o enlighen men as o he ime of is ooming bu in seme real way o make i possible To have he will in harmony wih Gods will o ener ino felloship wih God was o possess he Kingdom Jesus had himself impared he living power by which men could aain o a new life The firs recorded words of Jesus in his minisry o men were "Repen for he Kingdom of Heaven is a hand" (M 3:2) His objecives were in erms of persons and groups» raher han a complee and sysemaic represenaion of houghs The urning back of ones life o God would lead o membership in His kingdom All men were poenially sons of God bu o olaim heir birhrigh hey should srive afer he divine characerisics required of hem hey should be brohers one o anoher A sense of his filial relaionship and fraerniy should according o Jesus animae a mans dealings even wih his adversaries and enemies The ideal of he Kingdom is he love of God and of all men and his love involves service o boh Jesus rained his disciples augh he people and confued he argumens of he Pharisees wih he objec of bringing in he Kingdom of God
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( 26 ) o* God desires he fellowship of men Jesus exhored men o forsake heir sins o oleanse heir hears and purify heir moives They should aim a a life of genuine fellowship wih God He issued a call o repenanoe and sough imnediae resuls in real life (Jn 5:14) Thus his mission was reformaory To impel his hearers o higher aainmens in righeousness was his dominaing ambiion Membership in he Kingdom could be insured only on he basis of individual righeousness For Jesus sin was he ruin of a man*s real self he sacrificing of he sonship of God in i6 rues sense and he excluding of self from he divine communiy Habiual sinning mean loss of spiriual vision a disorion of he sigh resuling ulimaely in an inabiliy o see (M 6:2223) Every final soluion came o Jesus in is relaion o God He himself was he supreme example of a man who lived normally in fellowship wih he Faher We now urn o he direc mehods used by Jesus
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Chaper 11 The Direc Mehods used by Jesus 1# A discussion of his mehods a His mehoda were no Socraic Socraes used he quesioning more han he elling mehod of insrucion The Socraic mehod had a real personal ouch wih he suden I was no quesions and answers ha made his mehod so noeworhy bu he kind of quesions asked and answered In his mehod here is a deep searching and prying ou of he hear of he suden so ha he suden became ashaned of his educaion and desired more Socraes led his sudens ou of unoonscious ignorance ino conscious ignorance He buil no schools followed no rules had no sysem He spen his life simply in eaching Socraes believed ha moral ideals lay slumbering beneah individual prejudices This covering should be removed by educeion He waged a life-long war agains vagueness of hough and laxiy of speech As Socraes moher was a midwife who assised wih he birh of children so Socraes assised wih he birh of ideals His sudens were living figures who gave birh o noble houghs Self knowledge was he basis of characer Virue as such could no be augh i was an aiude requiring adjusmen in all phases of life A man should be judged in he ligh of he siuaion in which he found himself Socraes* mehod amouned o salvaion by educaion he desire
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( 28 ) for which is implaned in he hear hrough a process of selfexaminaion*^ Like Socraes Jesus in his eaching mehods buil on wha was already known# Like Socraes he se forh no sysem He was ineresed in life no heory# He cared for men and ideas only as hey were of value o men# He saw ruh in common hings ha surrounded him# Bu he grea difference beween Jesus and Socraes lay in he spiriual dynamic ha was a he formers disposal# Socraes sough afer ruh ogeher wih his sudens; Jesus revealed i o his followers ruh ha he had worked ou in hie own experience and ha he had become conscious of as a resul of communion wih he Faher The ruhs of Jesus were spiriually discerned; hose of Socraes lacked undersanding conac wih he divine# b# His mehods were no Rabbinioal The scribe was he eacher in Jesus day The eacher was required o mase he law from is incepion down o his own day# He would be required o know wha he Rabbis said on subjecs of imporance Every synagogue had one or more scribes There were schools for he raining of hese scribal leaders# Memorial work was he leading feaure of hese sohools The sudens were required o memorise he oode and secions were repeaed day afer day unil hey oould repea Edwin Hisory of Educaion class noes S# R E
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hem from memory Jesus gave no rules He augh no code of laws He raher poured ou his own life upon his disciples hrough his eachings Insead of giving rules he e sabliahed principles in acoord wih his own experience The eaching of he law did no give libery o hough I did no free he suden from sin Paul a grea Jewish scholar was forced o cry ou wih reference o he law he had sudied so long "Who shall deliver me from he body of his deah" (Rom 7:24) The eaching of Jesus gave men libery beoause i asked a man o oonform his life o ha of he Faher (Ron 12:1) Jesus had consciousness of ruh in himself The ruh/ was no he resul of argumen wih ohers bu of deep hinking and spiriual inuiion He has given us his personal aiude owards God c He used Scripure Jesus added o his sore of knowledge and o he comprehensiveness of his mehods a deep undersanding of he meaning of Scripure He based his eachings upon he Hebrew Scripures (Lk 16:16 17) He appealed o heir auhoriy (li 21:42) He said o he Jewish leaders who opposed him "Did ye never read in he Soripures" (M 21:42) implying ha he himself had read he reference He mus have known much of he Scripure by hear judging by his direc quoaions and numerous allusions o he Law Hagiographa
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^ (30 ) many of he Prophes and above all he Psalms* He used many direc quoaions from he Old Tesamen* The following are some of he parallel passages: M* 4:4; Deu* 8:3; M* 4:7; Deu 6:16; M* 4:10; Deu* 6:13; Lk 23:46; Ps 31:5; Lk* 4:18; Isa* 61:1 2; Jn* 10:34; Ps 82:6* Some of hese passages may have been insered by Mahew who desired o prove o he Jews ou of he Scripures ha Jesus was he Messiah and hus win heir allegiance o he new faih Bu even so here is lile doub ha Jesus used Scripure repeaedly o prove he poin of his eaching or o overoome he opposiion of he Jewish leaders (M 21:42)* He appealed o Scripure in self defence Jesus allied himself wih he moral inerpreaion of he prophes raher han wih he legalisic endencies of he scribes (M 23:23)* For him he Hebrew wriings ore no a body of rules bu a revelaion of God*s purpose* He ook he bes ou of he Leviical Code and made i all imporan (Deu* 6:6) (Mk* 12:30)* He ook hose eachings which corresponded wih his own experience and made hem live* Jesus exercised grea freedom wih he leer of he law He inimaed ha jos and iles would pass away while he moral and ideal would remain (M 5:18) He ohose o sancify and elevae wha already exised raher han creae new forms for himself* He buil upon he old foundaions and ^Gilber G* H The Suden Life of Jesus
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(31 ) eo his mehods were consrucive raher han desrucive He found wo eachings in he Old Tesamen ha he considered fundamenal o his eaching concerning he characer of God The firs was he love of God and he second he love of our neighbors @ne followed upon he oher If we love Cod i follows ha we will do our bes o please him How Jesus said "This is ray commandmen ha ye love one anoher as I have loved you So his love for God should lead us o a love for our fellow men Again Jesus found his own deah foreshadowed in he Old Tesamen (Lk 9:30 31) Had no he prophes been pu o deah in Jerusalem! Jesus owed a deb o Jewish law in he sense ha i had insised on obedience o God as he chief duy of roan He fell heir o Jewish monoheism and he belief ha God was righeous^ Jesus spoke of he Scripures wih respec and 2 reverence" He said "I am come no o desroy bu o fulfill (M 5:17) He recognised he value of he law and is inegriy Bu for him is fulfillmen was o be found in he developmen of is spiri ino anoher sysem Jesus declared his auhoriy o be greaer han ha of he Scripures when he said "Ye have heard how i was said by hem of old imebu I say uno ^Sevens J* B Teachings of Jesus p 47 ^Hinsdale B A Jesus as a Teacher p 71
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you* He was never saisfied wih he auhoriy of he pas For him he new was more imporan han he old In conras wih he Jewish adherence o preceden and auhoriy Jesus "Thou shal no lcill The Rabbis said "Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of he judgmen" Bu Jesus said "I say uno you whosoever is angry wih his broher wihou a causa shall be in danger of he judgmen" His insigh was deeper han ha of he law Jesus was familiar wih he commenaries of he elders whioh according o him desroyed he spiri of he law Bu he lore he sudied was no he law of Rabbinism where o find one noble hough we mus wade hrough masses of fancy and folly; bu he Book of God wihou him in Scripure in naure and in life and he life of God wihin him wrien on fleshly ables 2 of he hear Jesus probably knew somehing of he mehods of he Rabbis in he eaching of he Soripures in his own day bu we have no knowledge ha he acually learned definie mehods of using he Soripures He seemed o use Scripure as i was recalled o his mind when he needed i o help him agains hose who sough o rap him The Life and Teachings of Jesus p 225
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Jesus had no sysem of logical presenaion no definiion of erms used of premesia laid down or deducions drawn He appealed o he inellec Especially has his been noioed in hia conroversies wih he Pharisees He did no however leave any form of sysemaized heology He presened a few cenral and basic ruhs in such a way ha men migh see hem whole and feel heir drawing power d Jesus asked quesions and replied o hem as oooaaion demanded Jesus had many purposes in asking quesions He waned his hearers o hink Thi3 facor was implied in every quesion he asked He used quesions as a means of securing informaion for himself (M 22:20) Then here were imes when he used a quesion o express an emoion (Jn 6:67) He also asked quesions o keep his hearers ineresed in wha he had o say (Lk 7:25 26) Again he used he quesion mehod o awaken oonsoienoe (Jn 10:32) He asked quesions o elici faih (M 9:23) o clarify a siuaion (M 16:15) o rebuke criicism (M 12:3 4) and o pu one in a dilemma (Jn 6:70) Jesus always honored quesions asked him He never laughed a hem or aemped o avoid hem Vial quesions received a direc reply His answers depended upon he moive of he quesioners He never answered a quesion jus o saisfy ouriosiy On one aooasion he answered one quesion by asking anoher and refused o reply o he quesioners when hey were
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unable o reply o his quesion (M 21:23-27) He answered oher quesions by a call o noion* Some answers were given in he form of a picure as in he sory of he Good Samarian old in response o he quesion Who is my neighbor?" Jesus asked some quesions and hen proce%ed o answer hem himself Foy^xampie when he was old his moher and brehren were waiing o speak o him he said Who is my moher and who are my brehren? He immediaely proceeded o answer he quesion by saying as he sreched forh his hand oward his disoiples Behold my moher and my brehren For whosoever shall do he will of my Faher which is in heaven he same is my broher and siser and moher (M 12:48-50) And ye Jesus came no o answer quesions bu o ask hem no o sele men s souls bu o provoke hem no o save men from problems bu o save hem from indolence and o culivae he divine disoonen He did no do all he hinking for he inquirer bu allowed him o work owards his own conclusions^ e He used he mehod of discourse The discourse was he s imple declaraion or preaching of he gospel conaining suoh faos as he naure of he Kingdom of God he forgiveness of sin and he call o disoipleship all reflecing he characer of God as i was Lowsuer W J Teachings of Jesus Class noes
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( 35 ) undersood by Jesus himself This preaching mehod was used by him a when he was addressing large congrgaions of people he ime He was no an exposior of Hebrew Soripures in he sense ha hose Scripures were his final auhoriy He used Scripure o prove his case because he had here a common meeing ground wih he Jewish leaders who opposed him or wih he people who were likely well acquained wih hie references from he Old Tesamen Again he recognized ha new ideas can be undersood only hrough hose already in consciousness Jesus did no use an argued or reasoned address in he sense ha he had his noes before him Bu is i no possible ha he dwel on cerain subjecs for suoh a lengh of ime ha noes were quie unnecessary? He was so well acquained wih his heme ha he was able o apply his eaching inelligenly under all ciroumsanoes The grea empaion experience of fory days in he wilderness would have clarified his hough concerning he characer of God and his own relaionship o he Faher and have given him he guiding pr inoiples ha he needed Consequenly we need no look for convenional consrucion or formal uniy in his mehods of preaching Jesus desired his discourses o be undersood and so he seleced his illusraions from he everyday occurrences and he familiar surroundings of he people who sood before him He was neiher absrac nor vague bu spoke o he people in language and erms ha hey could undersand (M 6:2; 6:12)
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Principles which Jesus sough o impress upon his hearers he usually made clear hy speoifio examples He augh ha hose who wan mercy ough o pracice i in he parable of he Unforgiving Servan (M 18:23ff); persisence in he Judge Sory (Lk 18:1-10) and he righful aiude owards hings los in he hree parables of Lie 15 f He made use of boh parable and allegory Wha is he difference beween hese wo modes of expression? I is his In he parable here is one cenral poin ^ and o find he meaning ha Jesus inended he parable has o be sudied for his one cenral eaching Concerning he oher pars of he sory he suden may do as he pleases providing he does inerpre his oher houghs apar from he cenral hough as he mind of Chris On he oher hand he eachings in he allegory are like links in a chain every par being essenially valuable o he whole sory The allegory is an exended meaphor (M 21:33-46) "A simile is a simple direc saemen of a comparison or resemblance e g he Kingdom of Heaven is like uno leaven* * A simple meaphor implies wihou expressly saing i a comparison or resemblano e g devour widows houses* (Lk 20:47) A parable is in srucure and use properly an exended simile hough in some insances he resemblance m2 or comparison is no saed (M 13:45; Lk 15) ^Rall H F The Teachings of Jesus p 29 2 Lowsuer w J The Teachings of Jesus Class noes
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( 37 ) The simile and parable are similar and buil on a single uni of comparison* The meaphor and allegory have no uni of comparison; hey mus be indicaed; he allegory is a succession of meaphors or poins of resemblance whioh mus have connecion one wih en oher In boh parable and allegory he movemen is from a known or familiar experience* picure ec o somehing similar in a differen field as he illusraion of spiriual or ehical ruh by appeal o similar facs in naure daily life and so forh Allegory needs a key an explanaion; he parable is so consruced ha is very use should give i 2 significance* I may ofen happen ha besides he one poin of comparison or conac here may also occur grea in a parable lesser poins; his may oonfuse by giving he appearanoe of an allegory; bu in inerpreing hese lesser poins mus all be kep subordinae o one oenral hough Jesus used he various forms as occasion dicaed He employed he one bes adaped o bring home his word of ruh He is no be be regarded as a lierary puris; i is o be expeced ha he would even mix his forms for effeciveness Wih him wha he had o say was he 3 imporan fao raher han lierary usage ^Lowsuer W J The Teachings of Jesus Class noes 2 Ibid 3 Ibid
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(38 ) Why did Jesus eaoh in parables? Marie and Luke say "in order ha people migh no undersand; Mahew says "beoause he people had no undersood*" We would say ha he seoond is righ* He expeced o be undersood and manifesed surprise perhaps disappoinmen a his disciples failure o undersand (Mk* 7:18; 8:21; 4:13; 8:17; Lk* 19:11; M* 15:16)* His enemies undersood alhough hey were he ones "who hearing hear no" (Lk* 16:14; Mk* 12:28; M* 15:12 21:45)* Jesus oould have had no poin in rejoioing ha he people had he Gospel preached uno hem if he so pu he gospel as o blind hem* Evidenly many "oommon epople heard him gladly" (Mk* 12:37) and "harlos and publioans were orowding ino he kingdom (M 21:23) Maiy of his parables are so simple so direc of such eviden meaning ha i does no seem possible he oould have had any oher purpose han o make his ruh more aocessible* If he did no wan hem o undersand why did he no remain silen and say nohing?^ Jesus had no esoerio secres; he only condiion by whioh he parables were o be undersood was recepiviy on he par of he hearers Mark 4:10 saes ha he so-called inner meaning was no oonfined o he welve aposles* We read in Mark 4:34 he words "When hey were alone he expounded uno hem;" here is no raoe here of an inner meaning; naurally when hey were alone he would elaborae and discuss wha had ^Lowsuer W J The Teachings of Jesus Class noes
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(39 ) previously been said jus as any eaoher would do wih his followers Several parables are explained and heir inerpreaions conain nohing whaever ha he ordinary people oould no have undersood jus as well as he disciples* The parables have long been considered he mos effecive eaching found in he New Tesamen* This soryelling mehod was Jesus* cenral way of conveying o he people he new eaching concerning he Kingdom of Heaven Some were based on organic life such as "he Bread of Life" (Jn 6:51) and "he Ligh of he World" (M 5:14) and ohers on social ousoms as for example he manner of seaing a he feas or wedding according o social saus and in anoher case he dress suiable for a cerain occasion (M 22:11-14) Again he made reference o he surrounding agriculural life in he case of he sower and he ares ha sprang up wih he whea (M 13:26) he musard seed and so forh He referred o indusry in he securing of pearls (M 3:45) he caching of fish (Lie 5:6) he need of he siok for a docor (M 9:12) and he corner-sone for a foundaion (Lk 20:17) We see here ha Jesus ook up everyday evens and used hem as illusraions o explain he naure of he Kingdom *Lowsuer W J Teachings of Jesus Class noes
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Jesus used naure parables The sory of he seed sown in differen kinds of ground is a parable* Mahew did some allegorising and brough in he sory abou he end of he world The explanaion of his parable o he disoiples is very inferior o he sory iself Jesus poin was ha he presence of obsacles has o be coninually recognized In he parable of he ares ha follows immediaely afer he parable of he sower Jesus gave he advice ha in he presence of he ares a man should go on farming The sory of he grain of musard seed is a parable eaching ha he Kingdom of God is growing like a musard seed Again in he parable of he leaven Jesus ells us how he Kingdom will grow Jesus used acion parables Examples of his mehod of eaching are found in he inciden where he child was placed in he mids of he disciples Here Jesus augh ha he child life wih all is possibiliies for developmen was am illusraion of he real naure of his Kingdom and is growh The disoiples should be like he lile child before hey sough he places of auhoriy Anoher example of he parable of acion is found in he inciden where Jesus enered ino Jerusalem riding on an ass Here he desired o show he people wha kind of a Messiah he was He showed his meaning by personal illusraion Jesus used parables dealing wih life siuaions Luke 15 conains hree priceless parables showing he righful
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( 41 ) aiude owards hings los Familiar evens were used for he seing of hese parables The people were quie familiar wih he soene of he man seeking he los sheep and he woman sweeping for he los ooin In seleoing his examples in hese and oher oases Jesus ohose hose illusraions ha brough ino he mos vivid relief he eaohing o be emphasized Here i3 a parable of consecraion In anoher parable Jesus used he illusraion of he gif made a he alar Gifs were coninually being brough o he Temple in hose days of Jewish ceremonial and he Jews would be well acquained wih he picure presened The giver should oherish a forgiving spiri owards one wih whom he was no friendly and firs of all seek a reconciliaion before he wen o he alar wih his gif (M 5:23 24) Jesus used many oher parables as vehicles for his eachings He augh ha if a man somehing beer han anyhing else he should sell everyhing he had o obain he reasure He oonveyed his eaohing hrough he parable of he reasure hidden in he field When a main found his reasure he wen and sold all ha he had and bough he field Ifany fields held hidden reasure buried in a hurry by people who were fleeing from he enemy eo he illusraion was sriking o he people who considered hemselves forunae when hey found such reasure The parable of he merchanman seeking goodly pearls is of a similar naure
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( 42 ) Jesus se forh he new message of he Kingdom of God in parable form because he Orienal mind undersood picure language beer han any oher The people needed he concree illusraion in order o undersand he spiriual ruh The eachings were clear u he people had o do heir own hinking concerning hem and make heir applicaions o heir own lives The parables showed ha Jesus had a wide circle of ineress leading him beyond he precincs of his lile home own of Nazareh even in hie use of illusraions A warning mus be given agains allegorizing parables; for his was no he mehod of Jesus There is no limi o he fanciful resuls which have been drawn from he parables in an effor o make every characer represen some paricular person in he applicaion and each iem represen some paricular ruh The parable was inended o each one single ruh An example of allegorizing a parable is found in he explanaion of he sory of he en virgins as i is someimes given We are old who he five wise and who he five foolish virgins?/ere why hey slep wha heir lamps and he oil in he vessels wih he lamps represened he naure of he door and is meaning and so forh I is quie legiimae o do his allegorizing for he purposes of eaching ruhs bu in doing so we mus no say ha we are inerpreing he mind of Chris Hie one desire here was o eaoh he lesson of preparedness He did no expec he deails o be applied as