JESUS AND SCRIPTURE

STEVE MOYISE

First published in Great Britain in 2010

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

36 Causton Street

London SW1P 4ST

www.spckpublishing.co.uk

Copyright © Steve Moyise 2010

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

SPCK does not necessarily endorse the individual views contained in its publications.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-0-281-06217-1

Contents

Abbreviations

Introduction

New English Translation of the lxx (nets)

The evidence of the Gospels

The Synoptic problem

Plan of the book

The question of Q

1 Jesus and Scripture according to Mark’s Gospel

Introduction

Jesus and the law

Jesus and the prophets

The Pharisees

Jesus and the writings

The criterion of embarrassment

Conclusion

2 Jesus and Scripture according to Matthew’s Gospel

Introduction

Jesus and the law

The criterion of dissimilarity

Jesus and the prophets

Jesus and Isaiah

The text of the lxx known to Matthew

Jesus and Zechariah

Jesus and Jonah and Micah

Jesus and the writings

Conclusion

3 Jesus and Scripture according to Luke’s Gospel

Introduction

Jesus and the law

Critical editions of Q

Jesus and the prophets

The criterion of multiple attestation

Jesus and the writings

Conclusion

4 Jesus and Scripture according to John’s Gospel

Introduction

Were the Gospels written by eyewitnesses?

The four explicit quotations

John 6:25–59

John 10:31–39

John 13:18–20

John 15:25

Allusions

Jesus as shepherd

King of the Jews

References to Scripture

Conclusion

5 Jesus and Scripture—minimalist views

Introduction

Geza Vermes

John Dominic Crossan

Gospel of Thomas

Marcus Borg

Conclusion

6 Jesus and Scripture—moderate views

Introduction

Studies

Jesus the eschatological prophet

Jesus the rejected son/stone

Jesus the smitten shepherd

Jesus the vindicated ‘son of man’

Jesus the interpreter of the law

James Dunn

Complex solutions to the Synoptic problem

Tom Wright

Conclusion

7 Jesus and Scripture—maximalist views

Introduction

Charles Kimball

Hillel’s seven exegetical rules

Richard France

Conclusion

Conclusion

Appendix 1: Index of Jesus’ quotations in the Gospels

Appendix 2: Jewish legal texts

Select bibliography

Index of biblical references

Index of authors and subjects