Jesus and Gospel

✍ Scribed by Graham N. Stanton

• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 253
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

"Gospel" initially referred to oral proclamation concerning Jesus Christ, but was later used to refer to four written accounts of the life of Jesus. How did this happen? Graham Stanton uses new evidence and fresh perspectives to tackle this controversial question. He also examines the earliest criticisms of Jesus, and early Christian addiction to the codex (book) format in place of the ubiquitous roll.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 11
Abbreviations......Page 13
CHAPTER 1 Introduction......Page 15
PART I Jesus and Gospel......Page 21
2.1 ‘GOSPEL’ IN CURRENT USAGE......Page 23
2.2 PLOTTING THE PATH......Page 25
2.3 JESUS’ USE OF THE ‘GOSPEL’ WORD GROUP......Page 27
2.4 THE EARLIEST CHRISTIAN USAGE......Page 34
2.4.1 When and where?......Page 36
2.5 THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE GOSPELS OF THE CAESARS......Page 39
2.5.1 Rivalry......Page 47
2.6 ‘GOSPEL’ IN THE GALATIAN CHURCHES......Page 49
2.7 ‘GOSPEL’ IN THESSALONICA AND PHILIPPI......Page 61
2.8 ‘GOSPEL’ AS PART OF AN EARLY CHRISTIAN SOCIOLECT......Page 63
2.9 FROM ORAL PROCLAMATION TO WRITTEN NARRATIVE......Page 66
2.10 CONCLUSIONS......Page 73
CHAPTER 3 The fourfold Gospel......Page 77
3.1 IRENAEUS......Page 78
3.2 THE MURATORIAN FRAGMENT......Page 82
3.3 EARLY FOUR-GOSPEL CODICES......Page 85
3.4 EARLIER ROOTS......Page 89
3.5 HOW AND WHEN?......Page 95
3.6 THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE......Page 100
CHAPTER 4 Jesus traditions and gospels in Justin Martyr and Irenaeus......Page 106
4.1 JUSTIN MARTYR......Page 107
4.1.1 Jesus traditions: ‘the words of the Saviour’......Page 109
4.1.2 The gospels: ‘the memoirs of the apostles’......Page 113
4.2 IRENAEUS......Page 119
CHAPTER 5 The law of Christ and the Gospel......Page 124
5.1 FULFILLING THE LAW OF CHRIST: GAL. 6.2......Page 126
5.2 SIMILAR PHRASES OUTSIDE THE PAULINE CORPUS......Page 129
5.3 SECOND-CENTURY WRITERS......Page 131
5.4 THE TEACHING OF JESUS AS ‘THE LAW OF CHRIST’......Page 133
5.6 THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS......Page 135
PART II Jesus......Page 139
CHAPTER 6 Jesus of Nazareth: a magician and a false prophet who deceived God’s people?......Page 141
6.1 JUSTIN MARTYR, RABBINIC TRADITIONS, JOSEPHUS......Page 143
6.2 MAGIC, FALSE PROPHECY, DEMONIC POSSESSION......Page 149
6.3 THE EVANGELISTS......Page 154
6.4 JESUS......Page 158
CHAPTER 7 Early objections to the resurrection of Jesus......Page 162
7.1 THE PAGAN CELSUS AND A JEW......Page 163
7.2 TRYPHO THE JEW......Page 167
7.3 GENTILE AND JEWISH RESPONSES IN ACTS......Page 169
7.4 OTHER FIRST-CENTURY OBJECTIONS......Page 173
PART III The gospels and papyri codices......Page 177
CHAPTER 8 Why were early Christians addicted to the codex?......Page 179
8.1 ‘BIG BANG’ THEORIES......Page 181
8.2 THE ORIGIN OF THE CODEX: THREE STAGES......Page 183
8.3 PREDECESSORS OF THE CODEX......Page 187
8.4 THE FIRST CODICES FOR ‘LITERARY’ WRITINGS......Page 193
8.5 EARLY CHRISTIAN NOTEBOOKS......Page 195
8.5.1 Scriptural excerpts and testimonies......Page 196
8.5.2 Drafts and copies of letters......Page 199
8.5.3 Jesus traditions?......Page 200
8.6 CONCLUSIONS......Page 203
CHAPTER 9 What are the gospels? New evidence from papyri?......Page 206
9.1 THE GOSPELS AS UTILITARIAN HANDBOOKS......Page 208
9.2 EARLY PAPYRI OF MATTHEW......Page 211
9.3 EARLY PAPYRI OF JOHN......Page 214
9.4 EARLY PAPYRI OF MARK’S AND LUKE’S GOSPELS......Page 216
9.5 EARLY PAPYRI AND THE RECEPTION OF THE GOSPELS......Page 217
JUSTIN MARTYR......Page 221
SECONDARY LITERATURE......Page 222
Index of passages cited......Page 234
General index......Page 247