Jesus

and the Gospels

2nd Edition

An Introduction and Survey

Craig L. Blomberg

Nashville, Tennessee

Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey, 2nd Edition

Copyright © 2009

by Craig L. Blomberg

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8054-4482-7

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 225.7

Subject Heading: BIBLE. N. T.—STUDY\JESUS CHRIST—HUMANITY\JESUS CHRIST—DIVINITY

Following the Colorado Springs Guidelines, all Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from Today’s New International Version. © Copyright 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible. © The Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NJB are from The New Jerusalem Bible. Copyright © 1990 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1946, 1952, © 1971, 1973.

for Elizabeth

and Rachel

Contents

List of Abbreviations

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One Historical Background for Studying the Gospels

Chapter 1 Political Background

Chapter 2 Religious Background

Chapter 3 Socioeconomic Background

Part Two Critical Methods for Studying the Gospels

Chapter 4 Historical Criticism of the Gospels

Chapter 5 Literary Criticism of the Gospels

Part Three Introduction to the Four Gospels

Chapter 6 The Gospel of Mark

Chapter 7 The Gospel of Matthew

Chapter 8 The Gospel of Luke

Chapter 9 The Gospel of John

Part Four A Survey of the Life of Christ

Chapter 10 The Historical Jesus

Chapter 11 The Birth and Childhood of Jesus

Chapter 12 The Beginnings of Jesus’ Ministry

Chapter 13 Jesus’ Galilean Ministry—Earlier Stages

Chapter 14 Jesus’ Galilean Ministry—Later Stages

Chapter 15 Additional Teachings of Jesus in Matthew, Luke, and John

Chapter 16 Jesus’ Judean Ministry

Chapter 17 Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection

Part Five Historical and Theological Syntheses

Chapter 18 The Historical Trustworthiness of the Gospels

Chapter 19 The Theology of Jesus

Name Index

Subject Index

Scripture Index