In this new critical commentary for the New Testament Library series, R. Alan Culpepper sets the Gospel of Matthew in the context of the competing Jewish and early Christian voices of the first century, bringing greater clarity to Matthew's own proclamation of the gospel and inviting readers to give up perhaps long-held assumptions about the book.

In Culpepper's treatment, Matthew emerges as a Gospel for a Jewish community, distinguishing itself from the Pharisees on one side and other early Christian traditions and leaders, especially Paul and his followers, on the other side. In this framework, Matthew calls his community to faithful observance of the law, a law-observant mission to both Jews and Gentiles, and repentance and the practice of forgiving in preparation for the coming judgment. Accordingly, Matthew takes readers back to an early period, before the separation of Jewish Christians from the synagogues. By taking seriously Matthew's Jewishness, this volume also enables readers to hear the historical Jesus more clearly. Excursuses on Matthew's social setting include Jesus as healer, Sabbath observance, Roman taxation, the Pharisees, the tithes, ancient weddings, and the Sanhedrin, as well as many shorter units on Second Temple Judaism, synagogues, and first-century Galilean society.

The New Testament Library series offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, providing fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, careful attention to their literary design, and a theologically perceptive exposition of the biblical text. The contributors are scholars of international standing. The editorial board consists of C. Clifton Black, Princeton Theological Seminary; John T. Carroll, Union Presbyterian Seminary; and Susan E. Hylen, Candler School of Theology, Emory University.

Drawing from Greco-Roman history, Second-Temple Jewish studies, archaeology, the social world of the New Testament, parable studies, and the burgeoning literature on Galilee, The People of the Parables describes life in first-century Galilee as it was experienced by the characters in Jesus' parables. R. Alan Culpepper assesses both primary literature and recent research on Galilee--including important archaeological discoveries--and fashions a new and insightful social history of Galilee, the people of the parables, and the historical context of Jesus' ministry.

Culpepper builds this history by elucidating the lives of first-century Galileans featured in Jesus' parables: children, women, daughters, mothers, widows, fathers, sons, landowners, tenants, day laborers, debtors, farmers, fishermen, shepherds, merchants, travelers, innkeepers, masters, slaves, tax collectors, judges, Pharisees, priests, Levites, Samaritans, bandits, and, finally, Jesus. Who these people were--their place in Galilean society, how they lived, socialized, worshiped, and conducted business; how they were educated--is described in straightforward, nontechnical language. Culpepper brings new meanings to the parables for today's readers by shedding light on the people of Galilee in the time of Jesus.

In this new critical commentary for the New Testament Library series, R. Alan Culpepper sets the Gospel of Matthew in the context of the competing Jewish and early Christian voices of the first century, bringing greater clarity to Matthew's own proclamation of the gospel and inviting readers to give up perhaps long-held assumptions about the book.

In Culpepper's treatment, Matthew emerges as a Gospel for a Jewish community, distinguishing itself from the Pharisees on one side and other early Christian traditions and leaders, especially Paul and his followers, on the other side. In this framework, Matthew calls his community to faithful observance of the law, a law-observant mission to both Jews and Gentiles, and repentance and the practice of forgiving in preparation for the coming judgment. Accordingly, Matthew takes readers back to an early period, before the separation of Jewish Christians from the synagogues. By taking seriously Matthew's Jewishness, this volume also enables readers to hear the historical Jesus more clearly. Excursuses on Matthew's social setting include Jesus as healer, Sabbath observance, Roman taxation, the Pharisees, the tithes, ancient weddings, and the Sanhedrin, as well as many shorter units on Second Temple Judaism, synagogues, and first-century Galilean society.

The New Testament Library series offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, providing fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, careful attention to their literary design, and a theologically perceptive exposition of the biblical text. The contributors are scholars of international standing. The editorial board consists of C. Clifton Black, Princeton Theological Seminary; John T. Carroll, Union Presbyterian Seminary; and Susan E. Hylen, Candler School of Theology, Emory University.

In this volume, R. Alan Culpepper considers both the Gospel and the Letters of John. The book begins with a close look at the relationship between John and the Synoptics and a summary of John's distinctive thought and language. The second chapter addresses the fascinating issues regarding the origins of the Gospel and the letters: authorship, sources, and composition. The history of the Johannine community is reviewed in chapter three. Chapter four interprets the plot of the Gospel and prepares the student to read John as literature by providing a brief orientation to narrative criticism. The fifth chapter turns to more traditional concerns: John as theology. This chapter provides a digest of the Christology, theology, and eschatology of John. The sixth through the eighth chapters, the heart of the book, guide the student through a reading of the Gospel. The ninth chapter serves as an introduction to the Letters, noting especially their relationship to the Gospel. Each letter is treated in turn. The final chapter examines the challenges and potential of the Johannine literature as documents of faith. In previous writings Alan Culpepper has shown himself to be one of the best Johannine scholars of our time. He not only conveniently draws together his research but also shows himself to be an excellent teacher. --Raymond E. Brown

This book is an attempt to make some initial tracing of what the gospel looks like through the lens of secular literary criticism. As an interdisciplinary study, the work is an effort to contribute to that dialogue by studying the narrative elements of the Fourth Gospel while interacting occasionally with current Johannine research. It is intended not as a challenge to historical criticism or the results of previous research but as an alternative by means of which new data may be collected and readers may be helped to read the gospel more perceptively by looking at certain features of the gospel. This process is to be distinguished from reading the gospel looking for particular kinds of historical evidence.

Our aim is to contribute to understanding the gospel as a narrative text, what it is, and how it works. The emphasis will be upon the construction of hypotheses or critique of methods. The gospel as it stands rather than its sources, historical background, or themes is the subject of this study.

A collection of essays on John 6 illustrating various current approaches to biblical interpretation. To understand this chapter, one must deal with most of the issues that confront serious readers of the Fourth Gospel. Historical issues and questions regarding the composition of the Gospel, the nature of the Johannine community, the literary design of the Gospel and its theology all come to focus in a unique way in John 6. The essays in this volume are written by ten of the leading Johannine scholars in America, Australia, Europe and Scandinavia. The collection, therefore, provides an overview of current Johannine scholarship and a showcase for the various methodologies now being used in Gospel studies.

Beginning with New Testament reports of John as fisherman and extending through the most recent Johannine scholarship, Culpepper gathers stories from church fathers, the apocryphal acts of John, medieval sources, Victorian poets, and nineteenth-and twentieth-century historians of earliest Christianity about the exploits and the death of this apostle. Culpepper's sweeping study examines a multitude of sources, many of which are widely dispersed and not previously available in English.

Culpepper reveals images of John that suggest the power of historical tradition and legend. The resulting study is one of the most important sources of information about the development of Johannine legends, as well as one of the most successful efforts to overcome barriers that have traditionally separated New Testament exegesis from the study of the history of Christianity.

In Exploring the Gospel of John, scholars of international standing gather to honor D. Moody Smith by examining the trails he has blazed in Johannine scholarship. Every aspect of the study of John is represented in this book, including the historical origins of the Johannine community, the religious traditions in the gospel within and beyond early Christianity, the Fourth Gospel's literary dimensions and theological concerns, and the distinctive challenges presented by the Gospel's interpretation. This book is indispensable for all interested in the Fourth Gospel. For researchers, it summarizes the modern history of Johannine scholarship as it points the way for its advancement in the next century. For pastors and students, it offers a comprehensive, up-to-date, and reliable guide to this important New Testament book.

Written during the period of the emergence of Christianity and its separation from Judaism, the Gospel of John bears witness to their contested relationship. This volume contains cutting-edge essays written by an international group of scholars who interpret for students and general readers what John tells us about first-century Judaism, the separation of the church from Judaism, and how John's anti-Jewish references are interpreted today.

Written during the period of the emergence of Christianity and its separation from Judaism, the Gospel of John bears witness to their contested relationship. This volume contains cutting-edge essays written by an international group of scholars who interpret for students and general readers what John tells us about first-century Judaism, the separation of the church from Judaism, and how John's anti-Jewish references are interpreted today.

The essays in this volume provide significant insights into both the Gospel and current Johannine scholarship. The beginning of John's narrative presents interpreters with tantalizing issues. The elusive narrator introduces the witness of the Baptist, then leaves the scene. What is the function of the Isaianic quotation? What is the role of purification in John, the identity of the unnamed disciple, the meaning of the title, the lamb of God, the greater things Jesus promises the disciples will see, the role of the ascending and descending angels, or Jesus' curt response to his mother? These essays also illustrate how, while the Gospel creatively develops and recasts traditional material, it also calls for its readers to actively engage in dialogue with the text. Contributors: R. Alan Culpepper, Jorg Frey, Christos Karakolis, Craig R. Koester, William Loader, Marianne Meye Thompson, George L. Parsenios, Adele Reinhartz, Udo Schnelle, Michael Theobald, Jan G. van der Watt, Catrin H. Williams, Ruben Zimmermann, Jean Zumstein

The essays in this volume from the 2017 session of the Colloquium Ioanneum in Jerusalem treat aspects of John 2:23-5:18, employing a variety of methods. These early chapters present interpreters with a challenging series of issues, including the strategy of revelation in John 3-4, the characterization of Nicodemus, the only references to the kingdom of God in John, Jesus' role as Son of Man, the erga concept in the Fourth Gospel and the references to John's baptism and Jesus' baptism, the background and universal program of the narrative of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the universal program in John 4, and the harvest proverbs in John 4:35-38. The last two essays explore the characterization of the royal official in John 4:46-54 and the evidence for associating the Pool of Bethzatha with healing. The essays demonstrate the astuteness of an observation made by Adele Reinhartz: the closer we look at a text the more it pixilates and the more open to interpretation it becomes. Contributors: R. Alan Culpepper, Jorg Frey, William R. G. Loader, Christos Karakolis, Craig R. Koester, Adele Reinhartz, Udo Schnelle, Michael Theobald, Francois Tolmie, Jan G. van der Watt, Catrin H. Williams, Ruben Zimmermann, Jean Zumstein

The essays in this volume, which span four decades, represent sustained reflection on the historical setting, narrative devices, and theology of the Gospel of John. Methodologically, the essays develop a narrative-critical approach to the Gospel, producing insights that have implications for historical and theological issues. Thematically, many of the essays explore the Gospel's ecclesiology, especially its vision for the church and its mission. As a collection, this volume provides an introduction to the Fourth Gospel, analyses of major issues (including John's anti-Judaism, relationship to 1 John, irony, imagery, creation ethics, evil, and eschatology), and in-depth exploration of key texts, especially John 1:1-18, 2:20; 4:35-38; 5:1-18; 5:21-30; 10:1-18; 12:12-15; 13:1-20; 19:16-30; 20:19-23; and chapter 21.

The highly popular Sheffield New Testament Guides are being reissued in a new format, grouped together and prefaced by one of the best known of contemporary Johannine scholars. This new format is designed to ensure that these authoritative introductions remain up to date and accessible to seminary and university students of the New Testament while offering a broader theological and literary context for their study. Alan Culpepper introduces the Johannine Writings as a whole, illuminating their distinctive historical and theological features and their importance within the New Testament canon.

The contributions in this volume from the Colloquium Ioanneum 2023 in Vienna present historical, literary, and theological issues related to John 7 and 8. These two chapters play a pivotal role in John: Jesus appears at the festival of Booths in Jerusalem and is rejected, fulfilling the rejection of Wisdom in some early Jewish wisdom literature. The themes discussed include the role of these two chapters in the structure and plot of the Gospel, the relevance of the festival of Booths, the characterization of Jesus and his opponents, ethical interpretation and the reception history of these chapters. The topics stand at the center of current debates about the interpretation of Johannine theology and ethics, and their role in scholarship, culture, and the church today.

A collection of essays on John 6 illustrating various current approaches to biblical interpretation. To understand this chapter, one must deal with most of the issues that confront serious readers of the Fourth Gospel. Historical issues and questions regarding the composition of the Gospel, the nature of the Johannine community, the literary design of the Gospel and its theology all come to focus in a unique way in John 6. The essays in this volume are written by ten of the leading Johannine scholars in America, Australia, Europe and Scandinavia. The collection, therefore, provides an overview of current Johannine scholarship and a showcase for the various methodologies now being used in Gospel studies.