Biblical Interpretation in Early Christian Gospels


Book Description

The second title in a proposed five-volume work; volume two, following on from the volume on Mark's Gospel, concentrates on Matthew's Gospel. Contributors consider the function of embedded scripture texts in the context of the Gospels written and read/heard in their early Christian settings. The project is wide ranging, with essays on the function of scripture in the compositional history of the gospels and the collection is broad in scope as a result of current interest in the integration of methods (especially historical and narrative ones). Advancements over the last 20 years in the study of genre and narrative criticism have left a void in the study of the function of embedded biblical texts in the Gospels. This collection of essays will move the study of scripture within scripture forwards.




The Book of Zechariah and its Influence


Book Description

This title was first published in 2003. The book bearing the title of 'Zechariah' is, in its present form, an amalgam of oracles and prophecies stemming from Zechariah himself as well as others. It became part of Jewish scripture, was revered and valued, and was a partiuclar favourite of a number of early Christian writers. Often cited by New Testament writers, this book of one of the most important of the 'minor prophets' is itself deeply indebted to earlier Jewish prophetic texts and has been an important resource for later writers, Jewish and Christian, as they sought to tap their own 'Biblical' material. The amalgam of oracles and prophecies presented in the book of Zechariah offers an ideal thematic focus for the leading scholars in this volume who explore areas of the Hebrew Bible, post-Biblical Jewish literature, and early Christian literature and history (in the New Testament and beyond). The essays examine the book of Zechariah itself as well as its subsequent interpretation by a number of other writers, Jewish and Christian. The essays raise important issues in relation to the influence of biblical texts in subsequent literature and also the broad area of 'intertextuality'' and the way in which later texts relate to and use earlier texts in their sacred tradition.




The Zechariah Tradition and the Gospel of Matthew


Book Description

The Zechariah Tradition and the Gospel of Matthew is a comprehensive study of the ways Matthew utilizes Zechariah texts and traditions. Against the background of materials from Qumran, and apocryphal and deuterocanonical writings Matthew’s explicit citations of Zechariah are examined; the influence of Zechariah elsewhere in the First Gospel is identified; and the extent to which Matthew alludes to characteristic Zechariah themes, alone or in combination with other prophetic traditions, is explored. Zechariah traditions appear in Matthew’s distinctive materials, as well as in texts Matthew has transmitted, or altered, from Mark and Q. The impact of Zech 9-14 is not limited to the Passion Narrative but extends through Matthew’s Infancy and Galilean healing narratives, as well; important concepts from Zech 1-8 are also discerned in the Infancy and Passion Narratives. Moss works through the canonical order of Matthew; this enables readers to appreciate the cumulative effect of Zechariah’s influence at each stage of the Gospel story. Two appendices, one arranged according to Zechariah and the other to Matthew, list possible references to Zechariah in Matthew. This monograph is useful for Matthean studies and it is an insightful investigation of how one set of Old Testamental traditions are appropriated in one canonical Gospel and in the New Testament.




Biblical Theology


Book Description

A Clear, Careful Textbook to Help Bible Students Interpret Scripture Pastors, thoughtful Christians, and students of Scripture must learn how to carefully read and understand the Bible, but it can be difficult to know where to start. In this clear, logical guide, Andreas J. Köstenberger and Gregory Goswell explain how to interpret Scripture from three effective viewpoints: canonical, thematic, and ethical. Biblical Theology is arranged book by book from the Old Testament (using the Hebrew order) through the New Testament. For each text, Köstenberger and Goswell analyze key biblical-theological themes, discussing the book's place in the overall storyline of Scripture. Next, they focus on the ethical component, showing how God seeks to transform the lives of his people through the inspired text. Following this technique, readers will better understand the theology of each book and its author. A Clearly Written Guide on Biblical Theology: Analyzes all 66 books of the Bible, with emphasis on the coherent, unified framework of Scripture Helps Readers Thoughtfully Interpret Scripture: Provides an essential foundation for a valid theological understanding of Scripture that informs Christian doctrine and ethics Ideal for Pastors, Academics, and Other Serious Students of Scripture: This clear, thoroughly researched guide can be used as a textbook in seminary classes studying biblical theology or the Old and New Testaments




The Suffering Son of David in Matthew's Passion Narrative


Book Description

Drawing on David texts, Matthew makes the narrative case for an unexpected messiah--one who does not kill but is instead killed by the Romans.




Matthew’s Presentation of the Son of David


Book Description

H. Daniel Zacharias presents a literary-critical analysis of the Gospel of Matthew and its interaction with Davidic tradition and use of Davidic typology. Throughout the narrative, the evangelist makes pervasive use of Davidic tradition from the Old Testament in his portrayal of Jesus. This begins from the first verse and the declaration that Jesus is the Son of David, and culminates in Jesus' usage of Psalm 22's Davidic lament on the cross. Davidic material is present throughout Matthew, in allusion, in specific citations, in thematic material. In addition, Matthew makes use of Davidic typology numerous times, with David as type and Jesus as anti-type. Zacharias shows how the use of Davidic material presents to the reader a scripturally-grounded redefinition of what it means for Jesus to be the Son of David: not as a violent militant leader, as some expected, but as a physical descendant of David, a healing shepherd, and a humble king. Within the Gospel, Matthew utilizes Davidic typology to show how the Son of David even has similar experiences as his royal predecessor. Even David's own words from the psalms are utilized as testimony to the legitimacy of Jesus as the Davidic Messiah.










Jesus and the Suffering Servant


Book Description

Did Jesus of Nazareth live and die without the teaching about the righteous Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 53 having exerted any significant influence on his ministry? Did the use of Isaiah 53 to interpret his mission actually begin with Jesus?




The Minor Prophets in the New Testament


Book Description

The Minor Prophets in the New Testament brings together a set of specially commissioned studies by authors who are experts in the field. After an introductory chapter on the use of the Minor Prophets in the second temple literature, each of the New Testament books that contain quotations from the Minor Prophets are discussed: Mark, Matthew, Luke-Acts, John, Paul, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, and Revelation. Readers are given an overview of the status, role and function of the Minor Prophets in the first century. The text considers the Greek and Hebrew manuscript traditions and offers insights into the various hermeneutical stances of the New Testament authors and the development of New Testament theology.