JEWS AND

ANTI-JUDAISM IN

THE NEW TESTAMENT

Decision points and divergent

interpretations

TERENCE L. DONALDSON

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY PRESS

First published in Great Britain in 2010 by

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

36 Causton Street

London SW1P 4ST

and in the United States of America in 2010 by

Baylor University Press, Waco, Texas 76798-7363

Copyright © Terence L. Donaldson 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.

The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the external website and email addresses included in this book are correct and up to date at the time of going to press. The author and publisher are not responsible for the content, quality or continuing accessibility of the sites.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are the author’s own translation. Scripture quotations marked nrsv 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

SPCK ISBN 978-0-281-05883-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Baylor ISBN 978-1-60258-263-7

To my colleagues in the Canadian Society

of Biblical Studies,

especially Peter Richardson and Steve Wilson

Contents

Preface

1 Introduction

Antisemitism and the New Testament: The question raised

The question examined

Setting directions

2 Matthew

Self-definition in Matthew

Social location of Matthew and his intended readers

Rhetorical function of Matthew’s treatment of Jews and Judaism

Concluding observations

3 Luke-Acts

Self-definition in Luke-Acts

Social location of Luke and his intended readers

Rhetorical function of Luke’s treatment of Jews and Judaism

Concluding observations

4 John

Self-definition in John

Social location of John and his intended readers

Rhetorical function of John’s treatment of Jews and Judaism

Concluding observations

5 Paul

Self-definition in Paul

Social location of Paul and his intended readers

Rhetorical function of Paul’s treatment of Jews and Judaism

Concluding observations

6 The New Testament: Then and now

The remaining writings of the New Testament

The emergence of the New Testament as a canonical whole

Interpreting the New Testament today

Bibliography

Index of ancient sources

Index of modern authors