Digital Logos Edition
This volume is an original and important contribution to the study of the earliest Palestinian Jewish Christianity. For the first time all the evidence for the role which relatives of Jesus played in the early church is assembled and assessed. Dr. Bauckham discusses a wide range of evidence, not only from the New Testament but also from the Church Fathers, the New Testament Apocrypha, rabbinic literature and Palestinian archaeology. The letter of Jude, in particular, proves to have much to teach us about the theology of the brothers of Jesus and their circle. It illuminates their exegetical methods and their Christology and shows both to have been influential contributions to the development of early Christianity.
This study shows that this neglected New Testament book is far more important for the study of early Christianity than has hitherto been recognized. By setting the letter of Jude within the context of the evidence for the role of relatives of Jesus in the early church, new light is thrown on the letter and on early Jewish Christianity.
“The conclusion which took me most by surprise during my work on this book was the discovery that the genealogy of Jesus recorded in Luke’s Gospel can be shown to derive from the same circle as Jude. Properly understood, it is a sophisticated theological document, a precious relic of the messianic-apocalyptic Christology which the brothers of Jesus preached on their missionary travels throughout Palestine.” (Pages 3–4)
“Mark 6:3 names four brothers of Jesus: James, Joses, Judas and Simon. In the Matthean parallel (13:55) the names are: James, Joseph, Simon and Judas.” (Page 6)
“We conclude that it is unlikely that any of the twelve were related to Jesus.” (Page 18)
“Of the three views the Hieronymian is the least plausible.” (Page 20)
“the Clopas of John 19:25 is likely to be the same person as the Cleopas of Luke 24:18.41” (Page 17)
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Charles C.G. Miller
11/15/2020
Glenn Crouch
5/15/2017
David Sloan
8/26/2014
Gordon Jones
10/23/2013