Jesus the Sage
The Pilgrimage of Wisdom
FORTRESS PRESS | MINNEAPOLIS |
The Pilgrimage of Wisdom
First paperback edition 2000. Copyright © 1994 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write to: Permissions, Augsburg Fortress, 426 S. Fifth St., Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440.
Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible are copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA and are used by permission.
Cover design: James F. Brisson
Cover art: The Wise Men on Mount Athos by Sir John Mandeville. Copyright © The British Library. Used by permission.
ISBN 0-8006-3241-9
The Library of Congress cataloged the hardcover edition of this volume as follows:
Witherington, Ben. 1951–
Jesus the sage: the pilgrimage of wisdom/Ben Witherington III
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 0-8006-2711-3
1. Wisdom literature—Criticism, Interpretation, etc. 2. Jesus Christ—History of doctrines—Early church. ca. 30–600. 3. Bible. N.T.—Relation to the Old Testament. 4. Wisdom (Biblical personification) I. Title
BS 1455.W57 1994
223′.06—dc20
93-28174
CIP
AF-1-3241
Beginning of the teaching for life,
The instructions for well-being …
Give your ears, hear the sayings,
Give your heart to understand them;
It profits to put them in your heart,
Woe to him who neglects them!
Let them rest in the casket of your belly,
May they be bolted in your heart;
When there arises a whirlwind of words,
They’ll be a mooring post for your tongue,
If you make your life with these in your heart,
You will find it a success;
You will find my words a storehouse for life,
Your being will prosper upon earth.
—The Instruction of Amenemope, Prologue and Chapter One, (excerpts)*
PART ONE: FROM SOLOMON TO JESUS
1. Beginning the Journey: Drinking from the Fount
The Book of Meshalim: The Fountainhead
Ecclesiastes: A Public Malaise
2. Wisdom at a Turning Point: From Ben Sira to the Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom Gains a Name: The Contributions of Ben Sira
Spirit of Wisdom/Wisdom as Spirit: The Wisdom of Solomon
Table 1: The Profile and Pilgrimage of Wisdom
3. Hokmah Meets Sophia: Jesus the Cynic?
The Legacy of Alexander in the Holy Land
4. Wisdom in Person: Jesus the Sage
The Narrative Meshalim and a Theory of Language
Figures of Speech: Jesus’ Parables and Aphorisms
PART TWO: FROM JESUS TO THE CHURCH
5. Wisdom’s Legacy: From Q to James
Table 2: The Sapiential Agenda of Q
The Servant Song: Philippians 2:6–11
Ode to the Cosmic Christ: Colossians 1:15–20
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About Jesus the Sage: The Pilgrimage of WisdomIn the early Jesus movement, wisdom in the person of Jesus was believed to have returned to heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, and to reign from there. But Jesus as wisdom had left both his legacy and his influence behind. The sayings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels reflect not only the influence of the Israelite wisdom traditions, but also the tradition of the personification of wisdom. In this provocative volume, Ben Witherington provides both an introduction to Israel’s wisdom traditions and insight into how Jesus and his sayings fit in that tradition. Beyond this, he demonstrates the ongoing significance and influence of these traditions on other New Testament writings. He concludes that Jesus may be viewed primarily as a prophetic sage emphasizing instruction, insight, and humor in a vein counter to the dominant culture. |
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