Jesus

Jesus

Jesus as Good Shepherd
(stained glass at St John's Ashfield)
Born 7–2 BC/BCE[1]
Bethlehem, Judaea (traditional);
Nazareth (some scholars)[2][3]
Died 30–36 AD/CE[4][5][6][7][8]
Calvary, Judaea
(according to the New Testament, he rose on the third day after his death)
Cause of death Crucifixion
Resting place A garden tomb in Jerusalem (traditionally and temporarily)[9]
Nationality Israelite
Ethnicity Jewish
Home town Nazareth, Galilee
Religion Judaism
Parents

Mother: Mary
Father: God (Bible view)
Step father: Joseph (Bible view)
Father: Will of God (Islamic view)[10][11][12]

Father: Joseph (other views)

Jesus of Nazareth ( /ˈzəs/; 7–2 BC/BCE to 30–36 AD/CE), commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity. Most Christian denominations venerate him as God the Son incarnated and believe that he rose from the dead after being crucified.[13][14] The principal sources of information regarding Jesus are the Bible's four canonical gospels,[15] which most biblical scholars find useful for reconstructing Jesus' life and teachings.[16][17][18][19] Scholars have correlated the New Testament accounts with non-Christian historical records to arrive at an estimated chronology for the major episodes in the life of Jesus.[20][6][4][21]

Most critical historians agree that Jesus was a Galilean Jewish Rabbi who was regarded as a teacher and healer in Judaea,[22] that he was baptized by John the Baptist, and that he was crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate, on the charge of sedition against the Roman Empire.[23] Critical Biblical scholars and historians have offered competing descriptions of Jesus as a self-described Messiah, as the leader of an apocalyptic movement, as an itinerant sage, as a charismatic healer, and as the founder of an independent religious movement. Most contemporary scholars of the historical Jesus consider him to have been an independent, charismatic founder of a Jewish restoration movement, anticipating a future apocalypse.[24] Other prominent scholars, however, contend that Jesus' "Kingdom of God" meant radical personal and social transformation instead of a future apocalypse.[24]

Christians traditionally believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, performed miracles, founded the Church, died sacrificially to achieve atonement, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, from which he will return.[14] The majority of Christians worship Jesus as the incarnation of God the Son, and "the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity".[25] A few Christian groups, however, reject Trinitarianism, wholly or partly, believing it to be non-scriptural.[25][26] Most Christian scholars today present Jesus as the awaited Messiah promised in the Old Testament and as God,[27] arguing that he fulfilled many Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament.[28]

Judaism rejects the belief that Jesus was the awaited Messiah, arguing that he did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh.[29] In Islam, Jesus (in Arabic: عيسى‎ in Islamic usage, commonly transliterated as Isa) is considered one of God's important prophets,[30][31] a bringer of scripture, and the product of a virgin birth, but not the victim of crucifixion.[32] Islam and the Bahá'í Faith use the title "Messiah" for Jesus,[33][34] but do not teach that he was God incarnate.

Etymology of name

A series of articles on

"Jesus" is a transliteration, occurring in a number of languages and based on the Latin Iesus, of the Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs), itself a hellenization of the Hebrew יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yĕhōšuă‘, Joshua) or Hebrew-Aramaic יֵשׁוּעַ (Yēšûă‘), both meaning "Yahweh delivers" or "Yahweh rescues".[35][36]

The etymology of the name Jesus is generally expressed by Christians as "God's salvation" usually expressed as "Yahweh saves",[37][38][39] "Yahweh is salvation"[40][41] and at times as "Jehovah is salvation".[42] The name Jesus appears to have been in use in Judaea at the time of the birth of Jesus.[42][43] Philo's reference (Mutatione Nominum item 121) indicates that the etymology of Joshua was known outside Judaea at the time.[44]

In the New Testament, in Luke 1:26-33, the angel Gabriel tells Mary to name her child "Jesus", and in Matthew 1:21 an angel tells Joseph to name the child "Jesus". The statement in Matthew 1:21 "you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" associates salvific attributes to the name Jesus in Christian theology.[45][46]

"Christ" ( /ˈkrst/) is derived from the Greek Χριστός (Khrīstos), meaning "the anointed" or "the anointed one", a translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (Māšîaḥ), usually transliterated into English as "Messiah" ( /mɨˈs.ə/).[47][48] In the Septuagint version of the Hebrew Bible (written well over a century before the time of Jesus), the word "Christ" (Χριστός) was used to translate the Hebrew word "Messiah" (מָשִׁיחַ) into Greek.[49] In Matthew 16:16, the apostle Peter's profession "You are the Christ" identifies Jesus as the Messiah.[50] In postbiblical usage, "Christ" became viewed as a name, one part of "Jesus Christ", but originally it was a title ("Jesus the Anointed").[51]

Chronology

Although a few scholars have questioned the existence of Jesus as an actual historical figure,[52] most scholars involved with historical Jesus research believe his existence, but not the supernatural claims associated with him, can be established using documentary and other evidence.[53][54][55][56][57][58] As discussed in the sections immediately below, the estimation of the year of death of Jesus places his lifespan around the beginning of the 1st century AD/CE, in the geographic region of Roman Judaea.[59][60][61][62][63] The New Testament also refers to the Sea of Galilee which is about 75 miles north of Jerusalem.[64]

Roman involvement in Judaea began around 63 BC/BCE and by 6 AD/CE Judaea had become a Roman province.[65] From 26-37 AD/CE Pontius Pilate was the governor of Roman Judaea.[66] In this time period, although Roman Judaea was strategically positioned between Asia and Africa, it was not viewed as a critically important province by the Romans.[67][68] At the time the Romans were highly tolerant of other religions and allowed the local populations such as the Jews to practice their own faiths.[65]

Year of birth

Two independent approaches have been used to estimate the year of the birth of Jesus, one by analyzing the Nativity accounts in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew along with other historical data, the other by working backwards from the estimation of the start of the ministry of Jesus, as also discussed in the next section.[6][21]

In its Nativity account, the Gospel of Matthew associates the birth of Jesus with the reign of Herod the Great, who is generally believed to have died around 4 BC/BCE.[21][69] Matthew 2:1 states that: "Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king" and Luke 1:5 mentions the reign of Herod shortly before the birth of Jesus.[21] Matthew also suggests that Jesus may have been as much as two years old at the time of the visit of the Magi and hence even older at the time of Herod's death.[70] But the author of Luke also describes the birth as taking place during the first census of the Roman provinces of Syria and Iudaea, which is generally believed to have occurred in 6 AD/CE.[71] Most scholars generally assume a date of birth between 6 and 4 BC/BCE.[72] Other scholars assume that Jesus was born sometime between 7–2 BC/BCE.[73]

The year of birth of Jesus has also been estimated in a manner that is independent of the Nativity accounts, by using information in the Gospel of John to work backwards from the statement in Luke 3:23 that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry.[4][6] As discussed in the section below, by combining information from John 2:13 and John 2:20 with the writings of Flavius Josephus, it has been estimated that around 27-29 AD/CE, Jesus was "about thirty years of age".[74][75] Some scholars thus estimate the year 28 AD/CE to be roughly the 32nd birthday of Jesus and the birth year of Jesus to be around 6-4 BC/BCE.[4][6][76]

However, the common Gregorian calendar method for numbering years, in which the current year is 2012, is based on the decision of a monk Dionysius in the sixth century, to count the years from a point of reference (namely, Jesus’ birth) which he placed sometime between 2 BC and 1 AD.[77] Although Christian feasts related to the Nativity have had specific dates (e.g. December 25 for Christmas) there is no historical evidence for the exact day or month of the birth of Jesus.[78][79][80]

Years of ministry

There have been different approaches to estimating the date of the start of the ministry of Jesus.[4][74][75][81] One approach, based on combining information from the Gospel of Luke with historical data about Emperor Tiberius yields a date around 28-29 AD/CE, while a second independent approach based on statements in the Gospel of John along with historical information from Josephus about the Temple in Jerusalem leads to a date around 27-29 AD/CE.[6][74][75][82][83][84] A third method uses the date of the death of John the Baptist and the marriage of Herod Antipas to Herodias based on the writings of Josephus, and correlates it to Matthew 14:4.[85][86][87]

The estimation of the date based on the Gospel of Luke relies on the statement in Luke 3:1-2 that the ministry of John the Baptist which preceded that of Jesus began "in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar".[74] Given that Tiberius began his reign in 14 AD/CE, this yields a date about 28-29 AD/CE.[4][74][76][88][89]

The estimation of the date based on the Gospel of John uses the statements in John 2:13 that Jesus went to the Temple in Jerusalem around the start of his ministry and in John 2:20 that "Forty and six years was this temple in building" at that time.[6][74] According to Josephus (Ant 15.380) the temple reconstruction was started by Herod the Great in the 15th-18th year of his reign at about the time that Augustus arrived in Syria (Ant 15.354).[4][74][90][91] Temple expansion and reconstruction was ongoing, and it was in constant reconstruction until it was destroyed in 70 AD/CE by the Romans.[92] Given that it took 46 years of construction, the Temple visit in the Gospel of John has been estimated at around 27-29 AD/CE.[6][74][82][83][84][93]

Although both the gospels and Josephus refer to Herod Antipas killing John the Baptist, they differ on the details, e.g. whether this act was a consequence of the marriage of Herod Antipas and Herodias, as indicated in Matthew 14:4, or a pre-emptive measure by Herod which possibly took place before the marriage, as Josephus suggests in Ant 18.5.2.[94][95][96][97] The exact year of the marriage of Herod Antipas and Herodias is subject to debate among scholars.[86] In his analysis of Herod's life, Harold Hoehner estimates that John the Baptist's imprisonment probably occurred around AD 30-31.[98] The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia estimates the death of the Baptist to have occurred about AD 31-32.[87] The death of John the Baptist relates to the end of the major Galilean ministry of Jesus, just before the half way point in the gospel narratives, before the start of Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem through Judea.[99][100][100][101]

Luke 3:23 states that at the start of his ministry Jesus was "about 30 years of age", but the other gospels do not mention a specific age. However, in John 8:57 the Jews exclaimed to Jesus: "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" suggesting that he was much less than 50 years old during his ministry.[6] The length of the ministry is subject to debate, based on the fact that the synoptic gospels mention only one passover during Jesus' ministry, often interpreted as implying that the ministry lasted approximately one year, whereas the Gospel of John records multiple passovers, implying that his ministry may have lasted at least three years.[4][6][102][103]

Year of death

A number of approaches have been used to estimate the year of the death of Jesus, including information from the canonical gospels, the chronology of the life of Paul the Apostle in the New Testament correlated with historical events, as well as different astronomical models, as discussed below.

All four canonical gospels report that Jesus was crucified at Calvary during the prefecture of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect who governed Judaea from 26 to 36 AD/CE. The late 1st century Jewish historian Josephus,[59] writing in Antiquities of the Jews (c. 93 AD/CE), and the early 2nd century Roman historian Tacitus,[60] writing in The Annals (c. 116 AD/CE), also state that Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus, though both writers use the title "procurator" instead of "prefect".[61]

The estimation of the date of the conversion of Paul places the death of Jesus before this conversion, which is estimated at around 33-36 AD/CE.[5][104][105] (Also see the estimation of the start of Jesus' ministry as a few years before this date above). The estimation of the year of Paul's conversion relies on a series of calculations working backwards from the well established date of his trial before Gallio in Achaea Greece (Acts 18:12-17) around 51-52 AD/CE, the meeting of Priscilla and Aquila which were expelled from Rome about 49 AD/CE and the 14-year period before returning to Jerusalem in Galatians 2:1.[5][104][105] The remaining period is generally accounted for by Paul's missions (at times with Barnabas) such as those in Acts 11:25-26 and 2 Corinthians 11:23-33, resulting in the 33-36 AD/CE estimate.[5][104][105]

For centuries, astronomers and scientists have used diverse computational methods to estimate the date of crucifixion, Isaac Newton being one of the first cases.[62] Newton's method relied on the relative visibility of the crescent of the new moon and he suggested the date as Friday, April 23, 34 AD/CE.[106] In 1990 astronomer Bradley E. Schaefer computed the date as Friday, April 3, 33 AD/CE.[107] In 1991, John Pratt stated that Newton's method was sound, but included a minor error at the end. Pratt suggested the year 33 AD/CE as the answer.[62] Using the completely different approach of a lunar eclipse model, Humphreys and Waddington arrived at the conclusion that Friday, April 3, 33 AD/CE was the date of the crucifixion.[63][108][109]

Life and teachings in the New Testament

Although the four canonical gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are the main sources for the biography of Jesus’ life, other parts of the New Testament, such as the Pauline epistles which were likely written decades before them, also include references to key episodes in his life such as the Last Supper, as in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.[110][111][112] The Acts of the Apostles (10:37-38 and 19:4) refers to the early ministry of Jesus and its anticipation by John the Baptist.[113][114] And Acts 1:1-11 says more about the Ascension episode (also mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:16) than the canonical gospels.[115][116]

Canonical gospel accounts

Three of the four canonical gospels, namely Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are known as the Synoptic Gospels, from the Greek σύν (syn "together") and ὄψις (opsis "view"). These three gospels display a high degree of similarity in content, narrative arrangement, language and paragraph structures.[117] The presentation in the fourth canonical gospel, i.e. John, differs from these three in that it has more of a thematic nature rather than a narrative format.[118][119] And scholars generally agree that it is impossible to find any direct literary relationship between the synoptic gospels and the Gospel of John.[118]

However, in general, the authors of the New Testament showed little interest in an absolute chronology of Jesus or in synchronizing the episodes of his life with the secular history of the age.[120] The gospels were primarily written as theological documents in the context of early Christianity with the chronological timelines as a secondary consideration.[121] One manifestation of the gospels being theological documents rather than historical chronicles is that they devote about one third of their text to just seven days, namely the last week of the life of Jesus in Jerusalem.[122]

Although the gospels do not provide enough details to satisfy the demands of modern historians regarding exact dates, it is possible to draw from them a general picture of the life story of Jesus.[120][121][123] However, as stated in John 21:25 the gospels do not claim to provide an exhaustive list of the events in the life of Jesus.[124]

Gospel sources, similarities and differences

Scholars have debated the sources for the gospels for millennia, and have proposed various hypotheses of how the synoptic gospels were written and how they influenced each other, going back to the Augustinian hypothesis in the 5th century.[125] In the 20th and 21st centuries hypotheses such as the two-source, four-source, Farrer or the Markan priority hypothesis have been debated.[125][126][127] Each hypothesis assumes a specific order in which the gospels were written, or that other as yet unknown and hypothetical documents such as the Q source or the M source influenced various gospels in various ways. Each hypotheses has had support among some scholars, while problems with and weaknesses in it have been pointed out by opponents.[125][126][127][128]

Since the 2nd century attempts have been made to harmonize the gospel accounts into a single narrative; Tatian's Diatesseron perhaps being the first harmony and other works such as Augustine' book Harmony of the Gospels followed.[129][130] A number of different approaches to gospel harmony have been proposed in the 20th century, but no single and unique harmony can be constructed.[131] While some scholars argue that combining the four gospel stories into one story is tantamount to creating a fifth story different from each original, others see the gospels as blending together to give an overall and comprehensive picture of Jesus' teaching and ministry.[130][132][133][134] Although there are differences in specific temporal sequences, and in the parables and miracles listed in each gospel, the flow of the key events such as Baptism, Transfiguration and Crucifixion and interactions with people such as the Apostles are shared among the gospel narratives.[120][121][135][136]

Key elements and the five major milestones

The five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus are his Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension.[137][138][139] These are usually bracketed by two other episodes: his Nativity at the beginning and the sending of the Holy Spirit at the end.[137][139] The gospel accounts of the teachings of Jesus are often presented in terms of specific categories involving his "works and words", e.g. his ministry, parables and miracles.[140][141]

The gospels include a number discourses by Jesus on specific occasions, e.g. the Sermon on the Mount or the Farewell Discourse, and also include over 30 parables, spread throughout the narrative, often with themes that relate to the sermons.[142] Parables represent a major component of the teachings of Jesus in the gospels, forming approximately one third of his recorded teachings, and John 14:10 positions them as the revelations of God the Father.[143][144] The gospel episodes that include descriptions of the miracle of Jesus also often include teachings, providing an intertwining of his "words and works" in the gospels.[141][145]

Genealogy and Nativity

The accounts of the genealogy and Nativity of Jesus in the New Testament appear only in the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew. While there are documents outside of the New Testament which are more or less contemporary with Jesus and the gospels, many shed no light on the more biographical aspects of his life and these two gospel accounts remain the main sources of information on the genealogy and Nativity.[146]

Genealogy

Matthew begins his gospel in 1:1 with the genealogy of Jesus, and presents it before the account of the birth of Jesus, while Luke discusses the genealogy in chapter 3, after the Baptism of Jesus in Luke 3:22 when the voice from Heaven addresses Jesus and identifies him as the Son of God.[147] At that point Luke traces Jesus' ancestry through Adam to God.[147]

While Luke traces the genealogy upwards towards Adam and God, Matthew traces it downwards towards Jesus.[148] Both gospels state that Jesus was begotten not by Joseph, but by God.[149] Both accounts trace Joseph back to King David and from there to Abraham. These lists are identical between Abraham and David (except for one), but they differ almost completely between David and Joseph.[150][151] Matthew gives Jacob as Joseph’s father and Luke says Joseph was the son of Heli. Attempts at explaining the differences between the genealogies have varied in nature, e.g. that Luke traces the genealogy through Mary while Matthew traces it through Joseph; or that Jacob and Heli were both fathers of Joseph, one being the legal father, after the death of Joseph's actual father—but there is no scholarly agreement on a resolution for the differences.[152][153][154]

Nativity

The Nativity is a prominent element in the Gospel of Luke, comprises over 10% of the text, and is three times the length of the nativity text in Matthew.[155] Luke's account takes place mostly before the birth of Jesus and centers on Mary, while Matthew's takes place mostly after the birth of Jesus and centers on Joseph.[156][157][158] According to Luke and Matthew, Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary, his betrothed, in Bethlehem. Both support the doctrine of the Virgin Birth in which Jesus was miraculously conceived in his mother's womb by the Holy Spirit, when his mother was still a virgin.[159][160][161][162]

Luke is the only gospel to provide an account of the birth of John the Baptist, and uses it to draw parallels between the births of John and Jesus.[163] Luke relates the two births in the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth[155] and further connects the two births by stating that Mary and Elizabeth are cousins.[164] In Luke 1:31-38 Mary learns from the angel Gabriel that she will conceive and bear a child called Jesus through the action of the Holy Spirit. When Mary is due to give birth, she and Joseph travel from Nazareth to Joseph's ancestral home in Bethlehem to register in the census of Quirinius. In Luke 2:1-7. Mary gives birth to Jesus and, having found no place in the inn, places the newborn in a manger. An angel visits the shepherds and sends them to adore the child in Luke 2:22. After presenting Jesus at the Temple, Joseph and Mary return home to Nazareth.[157][165]

The nativity account in chapters 1 and 2 of the Gospel of Matthew appears to differ from Luke in implying that Jesus and his family are already living in Bethlehem.[166] However, Matthew does not state that Joseph lived in Bethlehem prior to the birth of Jesus.[167] Following his betrothal to Mary, Joseph is troubled in Matthew 1:19-20 because Mary is pregnant, but in the first of Joseph's three dreams an angel assures him not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, because her child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.[168] In Matthew 1:1-12, the Wise Men or Magi bring gifts to the young Jesus after following a star which they believe was a sign that the King of the Jews had been born. King Herod hears of Jesus' birth from the Wise Men and tries to kill him by massacring all the male children in Bethlehem under the age of two (the Massacre of the Innocents).[169] Before the massacre, Joseph is warned by an angel in his dream and the family flees to Egypt and remains there until Herod's death, after which they leave Egypt and settle in Nazareth to avoid living under the authority of Herod's son and successor Archelaus.[168][170]

Early life and profession

In the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, Jesus’ childhood home is identified as the town of Nazareth in Galilee. Joseph, husband of Mary, appears in descriptions of Jesus’ childhood and no mention is made of him thereafter.[171] The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, and Galatians mention Jesus’ brothers and sisters, but the Greek word adelphos in these verses, has also been translated as brother or kinsman.[172]

Luke 2:41–52 includes an incident in the childhood of Jesus, where he was found teaching in the temple by his parents after being lost. The Finding in the Temple is the sole event between Jesus’ infancy and baptism mentioned in any of the canonical gospels.

In Mark 6:3 Jesus is called a tekton (τέκτων in Greek), usually understood to mean carpenter. Matthew 13:55 says he was the son of a tekton.[48]:170 Tekton has been traditionally translated into English as "carpenter", but it is a rather general word (from the same root that leads to "technical" and "technology") that could cover makers of objects in various materials, even builders.[173][174]

Beyond the New Testament accounts, the specific association of the profession of Jesus with woodworking is a constant in the traditions of the 1st and 2nd centuries and Justin Martyr (d. ca. 165) wrote that Jesus made yokes and ploughs.[175]

Baptism and temptation

In the gospels, the accounts of the Baptism of Jesus are always preceded by information about John the Baptist and his ministry.[135][177][178] In these accounts, John was preaching for penance and repentance for the remission of sins and encouraged the giving of alms to the poor (as in Luke 3:11) as he baptized people in the area of the River Jordan around Perea about the time of the commencement of the ministry of Jesus. The Gospel of John (1:28) specifies "Bethany beyond the Jordan", i.e. Bethabara in Perea, when it initially refers to it and later John 3:23 refers to further baptisms in Ænon "because there was much water there".[179][180]

The four gospels are not the only references to John's ministry around the River Jordan. In Acts 10:37-38, Peter refers to how the ministry of Jesus followed "the baptism which John preached".[114] In the Antiquities of the Jews (18.5.2) 1st century historian Josephus also wrote about John the Baptist and his eventual death in Perea.[181][182]

In the gospels, John had been foretelling (as in Luke 3:16) of the arrival of a someone "mightier than I".[183][184] Apostle Paul also refers to this anticipation by John in Acts 19:4.[113] In Matthew 3:14, upon meeting Jesus, the Baptist states: "I need to be baptized by you." However, Jesus persuades John to baptize him nonetheless.[185] In the baptismal scene, after Jesus emerges from the water, the sky opens and a voice from Heaven states: "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased". The Holy Spirit then descends upon Jesus as a dove in Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-23.[183][184][185] In John 1:29-33 rather than a direct narrative, the Baptist bears witness to the episode.[184][186] This is one of two cases in the gospels where a voice from Heaven calls Jesus "Son", the other being in the Transfiguration of Jesus episode.[187][188]

After the baptism, the synoptic gospels proceed to describe the Temptation of Jesus, but John 1:35-37 narrates the first encounter between Jesus and two of his future disciples, who were then disciples of John the Baptist.[189][190] In this narrative, the next day the Baptist sees Jesus again and calls him the Lamb of God and the "two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus".[191][192][193] One of the disciples is named Andrew, but the other remains unnamed, and Raymond E. Brown raises the question of his being the author of the Gospel of John himself.[186][194] In the Gospel of John, the disciples follow Jesus thereafter, and bring other disciples to him, and Acts 18:24-19:6 portrays the disciples of John as eventually merging with the followers of Jesus.[186][189]

The Temptation of Jesus is narrated in the three synoptic gospels after his baptism.[190][195] In these accounts, as in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13, Jesus goes to the desert for forty days to fast. While there, Satan appears to him and tempts him in various ways, e.g. asking Jesus to show signs that he is the Son of God by turning stone to bread, or offering Jesus worldly rewards in exchange for worship.[190][196] Jesus rejects every temptation and when Satan leaves, angels appear and minister to Jesus.[190][195][196]

Ministry

Luke 3:23 states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry.[4][6] The date of the start of his ministry has been estimated at around 27-29 AD/CE, based on independent approaches which combine separate gospel accounts with other historical data.[4][6][74][75][82][83][84] The end of his ministry is estimated to be in the range 30-36 AD/CE.[4][5][6][7]

The three synoptic gospels refer to just one passover during his ministry, while the Gospel of John refers to three passovers, suggesting a period of about three years.[177][197] However, the synoptic gospels do not require a ministry that lasted only one year, and scholars such as Köstenberger state that the Gospel of John simply provides a more detailed account.[135][177][198]

The gospel accounts place the beginning of Jesus' ministry in the countryside of Judaea, near the River Jordan.[178] Jesus' ministry begins with his Baptism by John the Baptist (Matthew 3, Luke 3), and ends with the Last Supper with his disciples (Matthew 26, Luke 22) in Jerusalem.[177][178] The gospels present John the Baptist's ministry as the pre-cursor to that of Jesus and the Baptism as marking the beginning of Jesus' ministry, after which Jesus travels, preaches and performs miracles.[135][177][178]

The Early Galilean ministry begins when Jesus goes back to Galilee from the Judaean desert after rebuffing the temptation of Satan.[199] In this early period Jesus preaches around Galilee and in Matthew 4:18-20 his first disciples encounter him, begin to travel with him and eventually form the core of the early Church.[178][200] This period includes the Sermon on the Mount, one of the major discourses of Jesus.[200][201]

The Major Galilean ministry which begins in Matthew 8 refers to activities up to the death of John the Baptist. It includes the Calming the storm and a number of other miracles and parables, as well as the Mission Discourse in which Jesus instructs the twelve apostles who are named in Matthew 10:2-3 to carry no belongings as they travel from city to city and preach.[202][203]

The Final Galilean ministry includes the Feeding the 5000 and Walking on water episodes, both in Matthew 14.[204][205] The end of this period (as Matthew 16 and Mark 8 end) marks a turning point is the ministry of Jesus with the dual episodes of Confession of Peter and the Transfiguration - which begins his Later Judaean ministry as he starts his final journey to Jerusalem through Judaea.[206][207][208][209]

As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, in the Later Perean ministry, about one third the way down from the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan, he returns to the area where he was baptized, and in John 10:40-42 "many people believed in him beyond the Jordan", saying "all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true".[210][211][212] This period of ministry includes the Discourse on the Church in which Jesus anticipates a future community of followers, and explains the role of his apostles in leading it.[213][214] At the end of this period, the Gospel of John includes the Raising of Lazarus episode.[215]

The Final ministry in Jerusalem is sometimes called the Passion Week and begins with the Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.[215] In that week Jesus drives the money changers from the Temple, and Judas bargains to betray him. This period includes the Olivet Discourse and the Second Coming Prophecy and culminates in the Last Supper, at the end of which Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure in the Farewell discourse. The accounts of the ministry of Jesus generally end with the Last Supper.[135][215][216] However, some authors also consider the period between the Resurrection and the Ascension part of the ministry of Jesus.[217]

Teachings and preachings

In the New Testament the teachings of Jesus are presented in terms of his "words and works".[140][141] The words of Jesus include a number of sermons, as well as parables that appear throughout the narrative of the synoptic gospels (the Gospel of John includes no parables). The works include the miracles and other acts performed during his ministry.[141] Although the canonical gospels are the major source of the teachings of Jesus, the Pauline epistles, which were likely written decades before the gospels, provide some of the earliest written accounts of the teachings of Jesus.[110]

The New Testament does not present the teachings of Jesus as merely his own preachings, but equates the words of Jesus with divine revelation, with John the Baptist stating in John 3:34: "he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God" and Jesus stating in John 7:16: "My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me" and again re-asserting that in John 14:10: "the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works."[144][218] In Matthew 11:27 Jesus claims divine knowledge, stating: "No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son", asserting the mutual knowledge he has with the Father.[219][220]

The gospels include a number of discourses by Jesus on specific occasions, such as the Farewell discourse delivered after the Last Supper, the night before his crucifixion.[221] Although some of the teachings of Jesus are reported as taking place within the formal atmosphere of a synagogue (e.g. in Matthew 4:23) many of the discourses are more like conversations than formal lectures.[222]

The Gospel of Matthew has a structured set of sermons, often grouped as the Five Discourses of Matthew which present many of the key teachings of Jesus.[223][224] Each of the five discourses has some parallel passages in the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of Luke.[225] The five discourses in Matthew begin with the Sermon on the Mount, which encapsulates many of the moral teaching of Jesus and which is one of the best known and most quoted elements of the New Testament.[201][222] The Sermon on the Mount includes the Beatitudes which describe the character of the people of the Kingdom of God, expressed as "blessings".[226] The Beatitudes focus on love and humility rather than force and exaction and echo the key ideals of Jesus' teachings on spirituality and compassion.[227][228][229] The other discourses in Matthew include the Missionary Discourse in Matthew 10 and the Discourse on the Church in Matthew 18, providing instructions to the disciples and laying the foundation of the codes of conduct for the anticipated community of followers.[214][230][231]

Parables represent a major component of the teachings of Jesus in the gospels, the approximately thirty parables forming about one third of his recorded teachings.[142][143] The parables may appear within longer sermons, as well as other places within the narrative.[222] Jesus' parables are seemingly simple and memorable stories, often with imagery, and each conveys a teaching which usually relates the physical world to the spiritual world.[232][233]

The gospel episodes that include descriptions of the miracle of Jesus also often include teachings, providing an intertwining of his "words and works" in the gospels.[141][145] Many of the miracles in the gospels teach the importance of faith, for instance in Cleansing ten lepers and Daughter of Jairus the beneficiaries are told that they were healed due to their faith.[234][235]

Proclamation as Christ and Transfiguration

At about the middle of each of the three synoptic gospels, two related episodes mark a turning point in the narrative: the Confession of Peter and the Transfiguration of Jesus.[206][207] These episodes begin in Caesarea Philippi just north of the Sea of Galilee at the beginning of the final journey to Jerusalem which ends in the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus.[236] These episodes mark the beginnings of the gradual disclosure of the identity of Jesus to his disciples; and his prediction of his own suffering and death.[187][188][206][207][236]

Peter's Confession begins as a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples in Matthew 16:13, Mark 8:27 and Luke 9:18. Jesus asks his disciples: But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answers him: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.[236][237][238] In Matthew 16:17 Jesus blesses Peter for his answer, and states: "flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven." In blessing Peter, Jesus not only accepts the titles Christ and Son of God which Peter attributes to him, but declares the proclamation a divine revelation by stating that his Father in Heaven had revealed it to Peter.[239] In this assertion, by endorsing both titles as divine revelation, Jesus unequivocally declares himself to be both Christ and the Son of God.[239][240]

The account of the Transfiguration of Jesus appears in Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36.[187][188][188][207] Jesus takes Peter and two other apostles with him and goes up to a mountain, which is not named. Once on the mountain, Matthew (17:2) states that Jesus "was transfigured before them; his face shining as the sun, and his garments became white as the light." At that point the prophets Elijah and Moses appear and Jesus begins to talk to them.[187] Luke is specific in describing Jesus in a state of glory, with Luke 9:32 referring to "they saw his glory".[241] A bright cloud appears around them, and a voice from the cloud states: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him".[187]

The Transfiguration not only supports the identity of Jesus as the Son of God (as in his Baptism), but the statement "listen to him", identifies him as the messenger and mouth-piece of God.[242] The significance is enhanced by the presence of Elijah and Moses, for it indicates to the apostles that Jesus is the voice of God, and instead of Elijah or Moses, he should be listened to, by virtue of his filial relationship with God.[242] 2 Peter 1:16-18, echoes the same message: at the Transfiguration God assigns to Jesus a special "honor and glory" and it is the turning point at which God exalts Jesus above all other powers in creation.[243]

At the end of both episodes, as in some other pericopes in the New Testament such as miracles, Jesus tells his disciples not to repeat to others, what they had seen - the command at times interpreted in the context of the theory of the Messianic Secret.[244] At the end of the Transfiguration episode, Jesus commands the disciples to silence about it "until the Son of man be risen from the dead", relating the Transfiguration to the Resurrection episode.[245][246][247]

Final week: betrayal, arrest, trial, and death

The description of the last week of the life of Jesus (often called the Passion week) occupies about one third of the narrative in the canonical gospels.[122] The narrative for that week starts by a description of the final entry into Jerusalem, and ends with his crucifixion.[135][215]

The last week in Jerusalem is the conclusion of the journey which Jesus had started in Galilee through Perea and Judea.[215] Just before the account of the final entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the Gospel of John includes the Raising of Lazarus episode, which builds the tension between Jesus and the authorities. At the beginning of the week as Jesus enters Jerusalem, he is greeted by the cheering crowds, adding to that tension.[215]

During the week of his "final ministry in Jerusalem", Jesus visits the Temple, and has a conflict with the money changers about their use of the Temple for commercial purposes. This is followed by a debate with the priests and the elder in which his authority is questioned. One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, decides to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.[249]

Towards the end of the week, Jesus has the Last Supper with his disciples, during which he institutes the Eucharist, and prepares them for his departure in the Farewell Discourse. After the supper, Jesus is betrayed with a kiss while he is in agony in the garden, and is arrested. After his arrest, Jesus is abandoned by most of his disciples, and Peter denies him three times, as Jesus had predicted during the Last Supper.[250][251]

Jesus is first questioned by the Sanhedrin, and is then tried by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. During these trials Jesus says very little, and is mostly silent. After the scourging of Jesus, and his mocking as the King of the Jews Pilate orders the crucifixion.[252][253]

Thus the final week that begins with his entry into Jerusalem, concludes with his crucifixion and burial on that Friday, as described in the next 5 sub-sections. The New Testament accounts then describe the resurrection of Jesus three days later, on the Sunday following his death.

Final entry into Jerusalem

In the four canonical gospels, Jesus' Triumphal entry into Jerusalem takes place at the beginning of the last week of his life, a few days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of the Passion narrative.[254][257][258][259][260] While at Bethany Jesus sent two disciples to retrieve a donkey that had been tied up but never ridden and rode it into Jerusalem, with Mark and John stating Sunday, Matthew Monday, and Luke not specifying the day.[254][257][258] As Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people there lay down their cloaks in front of him, and also lay down small branches of trees and sang part of Psalm 118: 25-26.[254][256][257][258]

In the three synoptic gospels, entry into Jerusalem is followed by the Cleansing of the Temple episode, in which Jesus expels the money changers from the Temple, accusing them of turning the Temple to a den of thieves through their commercial activities. This is the only account of Jesus using physical force in any of the gospels.[219][261][262] John 2:13-16 includes a similar narrative much earlier, and scholars debate if these refer to the same episode.[219][261][262] The synoptics include a number of well known parables and sermons such as the Widow's mite and the Second Coming Prophecy during the week that follows.[257][258]

In that week, the synoptics also narrate conflicts between Jesus and the elders of the Jews, in episodes such as the Authority of Jesus Questioned and the Woes of the Pharisees in which Jesus criticizes their hypocrisy.[257][258] Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles approaches the Jewish elders and performs the "Bargain of Judas" in which he accepts to betray Jesus and hand him over to the elders.[263][249][264] Matthew specifies the price as thirty silver coins.[249]

Last Supper

In the New Testament, the Last Supper is the final meal that Jesus shares with his twelve apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper is mentioned in all four canonical gospels, and Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians (11:23-26), which was likely written before the gospels, also refers to it.[111][112][265][266]

In all four gospels, during the meal, Jesus predicts that one of his Apostles will betray him.[267] Jesus is described as reiterating, despite each Apostle's assertion that he would not betray Jesus, that the betrayer would be one of those who were present. In Matthew 26:23-25 and John 13:26-27 Judas is specifically singled out as the traitor.[111][112][267]

In Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20 Jesus takes bread, breaks it and gives it to the disciples, saying: "This is my body which is given for you". In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Apostle Paul provides the theological underpinnings for the use of the Eucharist, stating: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."[111][268] Although the Gospel of John does not include a description of the bread and wine ritual during the Last Supper, most scholars agree that John 6:58-59 (the Bread of Life Discourse) has a Eucharistic nature and resonates with the "words of institution" used in the synoptic gospels and the Pauline writings on the Last Supper.[269]

In all four gospels Jesus predicts that Peter will deny knowledge of him, stating that Peter will disown him three times before the rooster crows the next morning. The synoptics mention that after the arrest of Jesus Peter denied knowing him three times, but after the third denial, heard the rooster crow and recalled the prediction as Jesus turned to look at him. Peter then began to cry bitterly.[270][271]

The Gospel of John provides the only account of Jesus washing his disciples' feet before the meal.[272] John's Gospel also includes a long sermon by Jesus, preparing his disciples (now without Judas) for his departure. Chapters 14-17 of the Gospel of John are known as the Farewell discourse given by Jesus, and are a rich source of Christological content.[221][273]

Agony in the Garden, betrayal and arrest

In Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46 and John 18:1, immediately after the Last Supper, Jesus takes a walk to pray, Matthew and Mark identifying this place of prayer as Garden of Gethsemane.[274][275]

Jesus is accompanied by Peter, John and James the Greater, whom he asks to "remain here and keep watch with me." He moves "a stone's throw away" from them, where he feels overwhelming sadness and says "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it."[275] Only the Gospel of Luke mentions the details of the sweat of blood of Jesus and the visitation of the angel who comforts Jesus as he accepts the will of the Father. Returning to the disciples after prayer, he finds them asleep and in Matthew 26:40 he asks Peter: "So, could you men not keep watch with me for an hour?"[275]

While in the Garden, Judas appears, accompanied by a crowd that includes the Jewish priests and elders and people with weapons. Judas gives Jesus a kiss to identify him to the crowd who then arrests Jesus.[275][276] One of Jesus' disciples tries to stop them and uses a sword to cut off the ear of one of the men in the crowd.[275][276] Luke states that Jesus miraculously healed the wound and John and Matthew state that Jesus criticized the violent act, insisting that his disciples should not resist his arrest. In Matthew 26:52 Jesus makes the well known statement: all who live by the sword, shall die by the sword.[275][276]

Prior to the arrest, in Matthew 26:31 Jesus tells the disciples: "All ye shall be offended in me this night" and in 32 that: "But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee." After his arrest, Jesus' disciples go into hiding.[275]

Trials by the Sanhedrin, Herod and Pilate

In the narrative of the four canonical gospels after the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, he is taken to the Sanhedrin, a Jewish judicial body.[277] Jesus is tried by the Sanhedrin, mocked and beaten and is condemned for making claims of being the Son of God.[276][278][279] He is then taken to Pontius Pilate and the Jewish elders ask Pilate to judge and condemn Jesus—accusing him of claiming to be the King of the Jews.[279] After questioning, with few replies provided by Jesus, Pilate publicly declares that he finds Jesus innocent, but the crowd insists on punishment. Pilate then orders Jesus' crucifixion.[276][278][279][280] Although the gospel accounts vary with respect to various details, they agree on the general character and overall structure of the trials of Jesus.[280]

In, Matthew 26:57, Mark 14:53 and Luke 22:54 Jesus was taken to the high priest's house where he was mocked and beaten that night. The next day, early in the morning, the chief priests and scribes gathered together and lead Jesus away into their council.[276][278][279][282] In John 18:12-14, however, Jesus is first taken to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, and then to Caiaphas.[276][278][279] In all four gospel accounts the trial of Jesus is interleaved with the Denial of Peter narrative, where Peter who has followed Jesus denies knowing him three times, at which point the rooster crows as predicted by Jesus during the Last Supper.[278][283]

In the gospel accounts Jesus speaks very little, mounts no defense and gives very infrequent and indirect answers to the questions of the priests, prompting an officer to slap him. In Matthew 26:62 the lack of response from Jesus prompts the high priest to ask him: "Answerest thou nothing?"[276][278][279][284] Mark 14:55-59 states that the chief priests had arranged false witness against Jesus, but the witnesses did not agree together. In Mark 14:61 the high priest then asked Jesus: "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" And Jesus said, "I am" — at which point the high priest tore his own robe in anger and accused Jesus of blasphemy. In Luke 22:70 when asked: "Are you then the Son of God?" Jesus answers: "You say that I am" affirming the title Son of God.[285] At that point the priests say: "What further need have we of witness? for we ourselves have heard from his own mouth" and decide to condemn Jesus.[276][278][279] In Matthew 27:3-5 Judas, who has watched the trial from a distance, is distraught by his betrayal of Jesus, and attempts to return the thirty pieces of silver he had received for betraying Jesus. The priests tell him that his guilt is of his own account. Judas throws the money into the temple, and then leaves and hangs himself.[275][276]

Taking Jesus to Pilate's Court, the Jewish elders ask Pontius Pilate to judge and condemn Jesus—accusing him of claiming to be the King of the Jews.[279] In Luke 23:7-15 (the only gospel account of this episode), Pilate realizes that Jesus is a Galilean, and is thus under the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.[286][287][288][289][290] Pilate sends Jesus to Herod to be tried.[291] However, Jesus says almost nothing in response to Herod's questions, or the continuing accusations of the chief priests and the scribes. Herod and his soldiers mock Jesus, put a gorgeous robe on him, as the King of the Jews, and sent him back to Pilate.[286] Pilate then calls together the Jewish elders, and says that he has "found no fault in this man."[291]

The use of the term king is central in the discussion between Jesus and Pilate. In John 18:36 Jesus states: "My kingdom is not of this world", but does not directly deny being the King of the Jews.[292][293] And when in John 19:12 Pilate seeks to release Jesus, the priests object and say: "Every one that makes himself a king speaks against Caesar . . . We have no king but Caesar."[294] Pilate then writes "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" as a sign (abbreviated as INRI in depictions) to be affixed to the cross of Jesus.[295]

In Matthew 27:19 Pilate's wife, tormented by a dream, urges Pilate not to have anything to do with Jesus, and Pilate publicly washes his hands of responsibility, yet orders the crucifixion in response to the demands of the crowd. The trial by Pilate is followed by the flagellation episode, the soldiers mock Jesus as the King of Jews by putting a purple robe (that signifies royal status) on him, place a Crown of Thorns on his head, and beat and mistreat him in Matthew 27:29-30, Mark 15:17-19 and John 19:2-3.[253] Jesus is then sent to Calvary for crucifixion.[276][278][279]

Crucifixion and burial

Jesus' crucifixion is described in all four canonical gospels, and is attested to by other sources of that age (e.g. Josephus and Tacitus), and is regarded as an historical event.[296][297][298]

After the trials, Jesus made his way to Calvary (the path is traditionally called via Dolorosa) and the three synoptic gospels indicate that he was assisted by Simon of Cyrene, the Romans compelling him to do so.[299][300] In Luke 23:27-28 Jesus tells the women in multitude of people following him not to cry for him but for themselves and their children.[299] Once at Calvary (Golgotha), Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall to drink — usually offered as a form of painkiller. Matthew's and Mark's gospels state that he refused this.[299][300]

The soldiers then crucified Jesus and cast lots for his clothes. Above Jesus' head on the cross was the inscription King of the Jews, and the soldiers and those passing by mocked him about the title. Jesus was crucified between two convicted thieves, one of whom rebuked Jesus, while the other defended him.[299][301] Each gospel has its own account of Jesus' last words, comprising the seven last sayings on the cross.[302][303][304] In John 19:26-27 Jesus entrusts his mother to the disciple he loved and in Luke 23:34 he states: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do", usually interpreted as his forgiveness of the Roman soldiers and the others involved.[302][305][306][307]

In the three synoptic gospels, various supernatural events accompany the crucifixion, including darkness of the sky, an earthquake, and (in Matthew) the resurrection of saints.[300] The tearing of the temple veil, upon the death of Jesus, is referenced in the synoptic.[300] The Roman soldiers did not break Jesus' legs, as they did to the other two men crucified (breaking the legs hastened the crucifixion process), as Jesus was dead already. One of the soldiers pierced the side of Jesus with a lance and water flowed out.[301] In Mark 13:59, impressed by the events the Roman centurion calls Jesus the Son of God.[299][300][308][309]

Following Jesus' death on Friday, Joseph of Arimathea asked the permission of Pilate to remove the body. The body was removed from the cross, was wrapped in a clean cloth and buried in a new rock-hewn tomb, with the assistance of Nicodemus.[299] In Matthew 27:62-66 the Jews go to Pilate the day after the crucifixion and ask for guards for the tomb and also seal the tomb with a stone as well as the guard, to be sure the body remains there.[299][310][311]

Resurrection and ascension

The New Testament accounts of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, state that the first day of the week after the crucifixion (typically interpreted as a Sunday), his followers encounter him risen from the dead, after his tomb is discovered to be empty.[115][116][312][313] The resurrected Jesus appears to them that day and a number of times thereafter, delivers sermons and commissions them, before ascending to Heaven. Two of the canonical gospels (Luke and Mark) include a brief mention of the Ascension, but the main references to it are elsewhere in the New Testament.[115][116][313]

In the four canonical gospels, when the tomb of Jesus is discovered empty, in Matthew 28:5, Mark 16:5, Luke 24:4 and John 20:12 his resurrection is announced and explained to the followers who arrive there early in the morning by either one or two beings (either men or angels) dressed in bright robes who appear in or near the tomb.[115][116][313] The gospel accounts vary as to who arrived at the tomb first, but they are women and are instructed by the risen Jesus to inform the other disciples. All four accounts include Mary Magdalene and three include Mary the mother of Jesus. The accounts of Mark 16:9, John 20:15 indicate that Jesus appeared to the Magdalene first, and Luke 16:9 states that she was among the Myrrhbearers who informed the disciples about the resurrection.[115][116][313] In Matthew 28:11-15, to explain the empty tomb, the Jewish elders bribe the soldiers who had guarded the tomb to spread the rumor that Jesus' disciples took his body.[116]

After the discovery of the empty tomb, the gospels indicate that Jesus made a series of appearances to the disciples.[115][116] These include the well known Doubting Thomas episode, where Thomas did not believe the resurrection until he was invited to put his finger into the holes made by the wounds in Jesus' hands and side; and the Road to Emmaus appearance where Jesus meets two disciples. The catch of 153 fish appearance includes a miracle at the Sea of Galilee, and thereafter Jesus encourages Peter to serve his followers.[115][116][313]

The final post-resurrection appearance in the gospel accounts is when Jesus ascends to Heaven where he remains with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.[115][116] The canonical gospels include only brief mentions of the Ascension of Jesus, Luke 24:51 states that Jesus "was carried up into heaven". The ascension account is further elaborated in Acts 1:1-11 and mentioned 1 Timothy 3:16. In Acts 1:1-9, forty days after the resurrection, as the disciples look on, "he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." 1 Peter 3:22 describes Jesus as being on "the right hand of God, having gone into heaven".[115][116]

The Acts of the Apostles also contain "post-ascension" appearances by Jesus. These include the vision by Stephen just before his death in Acts 7:55,[314] and the road to Damascus episode in which Apostle Paul is converted to Christianity.[315][316] The instruction given to Ananias in Damascus in Acts 9:10-18 to heal Paul is the last reported conversation with Jesus in the Bible until the Book of Revelation was written.[315][316]

Title attributions

The New Testament attributes a wide range of titles to Jesus by the authors of the gospels, by Jesus himself, a voice from Heaven (often assumed to be God) during the Baptism and Transfiguration, as well as various groups of people such as the disciples, and even demons throughout the narrative.[253][317] The emphasis on the titles used in each of the four canonical gospels gives a different emphasis to the portrayal of Jesus in that gospel.[132][318][319]

Two of the key titles used for Jesus in the New Testament are Christ and Son of God.[51][320] The opening words in Mark 1:1 attribute both Christ and Son of God as titles, reaffirming the second title again in Mark 1:11.[321] The Gospel of Matthew also begins in 1:1 with the Christ title and reaffirms it in Matthew 1:16.[321] Beyond the declarations by the Gospel writers, titles are attributed in the narrative. The statement by Peter in Matthew 16:16 ("you are the Christ, the Son of the living God") is a key turning point in the Gospel narrative, where Jesus is proclaimed as both Christ and Son of God by his followers and he accepts both titles.[237] The immediate declaration by Jesus that the titles were revealed to Peter by "my Father who is in Heaven" not only endorses both titles as divine revelation but includes a separate assertion of sonship by Jesus within the same statement.[239]

In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to himself as the Son of God far more frequently than in the synoptic gospels.[322] In a number of other episodes Jesus claims sonship by referring to the Father, e.g. in Luke 2:49 when he is found in the temple a young Jesus calls the temple "my Father's house", just as he does later in John 2:16 in the Cleansing of the Temple episode.[219] However, scholars still debate if Jesus was making a claim to divinity in these statements.[323][324][325] In John 11:27 Martha tells Jesus "you are the Christ, the Son of God", signifying that both titles were later used (yet considered distinct) in the narrative.[326] While the Gospel of John frequently uses the Son of God title, the Gospel of Luke emphasizes Jesus as a prophet.[327]

One of the most frequent titles for Jesus in the New Testament is the Greek word Kyrios (κύριος) which can mean God, Lord or master and is used to refers to him over 700 times.[328][329] In everyday Aramaic, Mari was a very respectful form of polite address, well above "Teacher" and similar to Rabbi. In Greek this has at times been translated as Kyrios.[330] The Rabbi title is used in several New Testament episodes to refer to Jesus, but more often in the Gospel of John than elsewhere and does not appear in the Gospel of Luke at all.[331] Although Jesus accepts this title in the narrative, in Matthew 23:1-8 he rejected the title of Rabbi for his disciples, saying: "But be not ye called Rabbi".[331][332][333]

Some New Testament scholars argue that Jesus claimed to be God through his frequent use of "I am" (Ego eimi in Greek and Qui est in Latin). This term is used by Jesus in the Gospel of John on several occasions to refer to himself, seven times with specific titles.[334][335] It is used in the Gospel of John both with or without a predicate.[335] The seven uses with a predicate that have resulted in titles for Jesus are: Bread of Life, Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection of Life, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Vine.[334] It is also used without a predicate, which is very unusual in Greek and Christologists usually interpret it as God's own self-declaration.[335] In John 8:24 Jesus states: "unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins" and in John 8:59 the crowd attempts to stone Jesus in response to his statement that "Before Abraham was, I am".[335] However, many modern scholars believe that Jesus never made a claim to divinity.[336][337] John Hick says that this "is a point of broad agreement among New Testament scholars".[338]

The Gospel of John opens by identifying Jesus as the divine Logos in John 1:1-18. The Greek term Logos (λόγος) is often translated as "the Word" in English.[339] The identification of Jesus as the Logos which became Incarnate appears only at the beginning of the Gospel of John and the term Logos is used only in two other Johannine passages: 1 John 1:1 and Revelation 19:13.[340][341][342][343] John's Logos statements build on each other: the statement that the Logos existed "at the beginning" asserts that as Logos Jesus was an eternal being like God; that the Logos was "with God" asserts the distinction of Jesus from God; and Logos "was God" states the unity of Jesus with God.[272][341][344][345]

Some authors have suggested that other titles applied to Jesus in the New Testament had meanings in the 1st century quite different from those meanings ascribed today, e.g. "messiah" and “Son of David” is found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible and other Jewish texts to refer to the heir to the throne; "son of God" to refer to a righteous person; and "son of man" to signify the third person in the subjective case and a polite way to refer to one's self.[346]

Historical views

Existence

The Christian gospels were written primarily as theological documents rather than historical chronicles.[121][122] However, the question of the existence of Jesus as a historical figure should be distinguished from discussions about the historicity of specific episodes in the gospels, the chronology they present, or theological issues regarding his divinity.[349] A number of historical non-Christian documents, such as Jewish and Greco-Roman sources, have been used in historical analyses of the existence of Jesus.[347] Most critical historians agree that Jesus existed and regard events such as his baptism and his crucifixion as historical.[350][351][352][353]

Robert E. Van Voorst states that the idea of the non-historicity of the existence of Jesus has always been controversial, and has consistently failed to convince scholars of many disciplines, and that classical historians, as well as biblical scholars now regard it as effectively refuted.[354] Walter P. Weaver, among others, states that the denial of Jesus’ existence has never convinced any large number of people, in or out of technical circles.[352][353][355]

Separate non-Christian sources used to establish the historical existence of Jesus include the works of 1st century Roman historians Josephus and Tacitus.[347][356] Josephus scholar Louis H. Feldman has stated that few have doubted the genuineness of Josephus' reference.[348][357] Bart D. Ehrman states that the existence of Jesus and his crucifixion by the Romans is attested to by a wide range of sources, including Josephus and Tacitus.[358]

In antiquity, the existence of Jesus was never denied, even by those who opposed Christianity.[120] Although a very small number of modern scholars argue that Jesus never existed, that view is a distinct minority and most scholars consider theories that Jesus' existence was a Christian invention as implausible.[349][359][360]

Language, race and appearance

Jesus grew up in Galilee and much of his ministry took place there.[361] The languages spoken in Galilee and Judea during the 1st century AD/CE include Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek, with Aramaic being the predominant language.[362][363] Most scholars agree that during the early part of 1st century AD/CE Aramaic was the mother tongue of virtually all women in Galilee and Judae.[364] Most scholars support the theory that Jesus spoke Aramaic and that he may have also spoken Hebrew and Greek.[362][363][365][366]

The New Testament includes no description of the physical appearance of Jesus before his death and its narrative is generally indifferent to racial appearances and does not refer to the features of the people it discusses.[369][370][371] The synoptic gospels include the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus during which he was glorified with "his face shining as the sun" but do not provide details of his everyday appearance.[188][207] The Book of Revelation describes the features of a glorified Jesus in a vision (1:13-16), but the vision refers to Jesus in heavenly form, after his death.[372][373] Old Testament references about the coming Messiah have been projected forward to form conjectures about the appearance of Jesus on theological, rather than historical grounds; e.g. Isaiah 53:2 which refers to the coming Messiah as "no beauty that we should desire him" and Psalm 45:2-3 which describes him as "fairer than the children of men", often interpreted as a description of his physical appearance.[374][375][376][377]

Despite the lack of direct biblical or historical references, from the 2nd century, various theories about the race of Jesus were advanced, e.g. by Justin Martyr based on arguments on the genealogy of Jesus.[378] These arguments have been subject to debate for centuries among modern scholars.[378] Another suggestion by anti-Christian pagan author Celsus (who was likely aware of the gospel texts, and mocked them) that Jesus' father was a Roman soldier named Pantera drew responses from Origen who considered it a fabricated story, and scholars continue to view it as having no historical basis.[379][380][381][382][383][384]

By the Middle Ages a number of documents, generally of unknown origin, were circulating with details of the appearance of Jesus, e.g. a forged letter by Publius Lentulus, the Governor of Judea, to the Roman Senate, which according to most scholars dates to around the year 1300 and was composed to compensate for the lack of any physical description of Jesus in the Bible.[370] Other spurious references include the Archko Volume and the letter of Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar, the descriptions in which were most likely composed in the Middle Ages.[385][386][387]

By the 19th century theories that Jesus was of Aryan descent, in particular European, were developed and later appealed to those who wanted nothing Jewish about Jesus, e.g. Nazi theologians.[371][388] These theories usually also include the reasoning that Jesus was Aryan because Galilee was an Aryan region, but have not gained scholarly acceptance.[371][389] By the 20th century, theories had also been proposed that Jesus was of black African descent, e.g. based on the argument that Mary his mother was a descendant of black Jews.[390] By the 21st century the race of Jesus was being addressed on television, e.g. a 2001 BBC program that suggested specific physical characteristics for him.[391][392] In the 21st century, the race of Jesus also had a cultural component in cinematic portrayals, e.g. actor James Caviezel was made-up to look semitic as he portrayed Jesus.[393][394]

Depictions

Despite the lack of biblical references or historical records, for two millennia a wide range of depictions of Jesus have appeared, often influenced by cultural settings, political circumstances and theological contexts.[367][368][370] As in other Christian art, the earliest depictions date to the late 2nd or early 3rd century, and survivors are primarily found in the Catacombs of Rome.[395] In these early depictions, which use popular rather than elite Graeco-Roman styles, Jesus is usually shown as a youthful figure without a beard and with curly hair, often with different features from the other men in the scenes, such as his disciples or the Romans.[369]

Although some images exist at the synagogue at Dura-Europos, Judaism forbade images, and there is no record of its influence on the depictions of Jesus.[367] Christian depictions of the 3rd and 4th centuries typically focused on New Testament scenes of healings and other miracles.[395] Following the conversion of Constantine in the 4th century, Christian art found many wealthy donors and flourished.[395] In this period Jesus began to have more mature features, and was shown with a beard.[369] A new development at this time was the depiction of Jesus without a narrative context, but just as a figure by himself.[369]

By the 5th century depictions of the Passion began to appear, perhaps reflecting a change in the theological focus of the early Church.[395] The 6th century Rabbula Gospels includes some of the earliest surviving images of the crucifixion and resurrection.[395] By the 6th century the bearded depiction of Jesus had become standard in the East, though the West, especially in northern Europe, continued to mix bearded and unbearded depictions for several centuries. The depiction with a longish face, long straight brown hair parted in the middle, and almond shaped eyes shows consistency from the 6th century to the present. Various legends developed which were believed to authenticate the historical accuracy of the standard depiction, such as the image of Edessa and later the Veil of Veronica.[369] Partly to aid recognition of the scenes, narrative depictions of the Life of Christ focused increasingly on the events celebrated in the major feasts of the church calendar, and the events of the Passion, neglecting the miracles and other events of Jesus's public ministry, except for the raising of Lazarus, where the mummy-like wrapped body was shown standing upright, giving an unmistakable visual signature. A cruciform halo was worn only by Jesus (and the other persons of the Trinity), while plain halos distinguished Mary, the Apostles and other saints, helping the viewer to read increasingly populated scenes.

The Byzantine Iconoclasm acted as a barrier to developments in the East, but by the 9th century art was permitted again.[367] The Transfiguration of Jesus was a major theme in the East and every Eastern Orthodox monk who had trained in icon painting had to prove his craft by painting an icon of the Transfiguration.[396] However, while Western depictions aim for proportion, in the Eastern icons the abolition of perspective and alterations in the size and proportion of an image aim to reaches beyond man's earthly dwellings.[397]

The 13th century witnessed a turning point in the portrayal of the powerful Kyrios image of Jesus as a wonder worker in the West, as the Franciscans began to emphasize the humility of Jesus both at his birth and his death via the nativity scene as well as the crucifixion.[398][399][400] The Franciscans approached both ends of this spectrum of emotions and as the joys of the Nativity of were added to the agony of crucifixion a whole new range of emotions were ushered in, with wide ranging cultural impact on the image of Jesus for centuries thereafter.[398][400][401][402]

The Renaissance brought forth a number of artists who focused on the depictions of Jesus and after Giotto, Fra Angelico and others systematically developed uncluttered images that focused on the depiction of Jesus with an ideal human beauty.[367] Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper which is considered the first work of High Renaissance art due to its high level of harmony became well known for depicting Jesus surrounded by varying emotions of the individual apostles at the announcement of the betrayal.[403][404] Meanwhile, the Protestant Reformation, especially in its first decades, violently objected to almost all public religious images as idolaterous, and vast numbers were destroyed.

By the end of the 19th century, new reports of miraculous images of Jesus had appeared and continue to receive significant attention, e.g. Secondo Pia's 1898 photograph of the Shroud of Turin, one of the most controversial artifacts in history, which during its May 2010 exposition it was visited by over 2 million people.[405][406][407] Another 20th century depiction of Jesus, namely the Divine Mercy image based on Faustina Kowalska's reported vision has over 100 million followers.[408][409] The first cinematic portrayal of Jesus was in the 1897 film La Passion du Christ produced in Paris, which lasted 5 minutes.[410][411] Thereafter cinematic portrayals have continued to show Jesus with a beard in the standard western depiction that resembles traditional images.[412]

Analysis of the gospels

The historical-critical method (or higher criticism) is used to examine the Bible for clues about the historical Jesus, whereby sayings and events that are more likely to be genuine in the opinion of scholars are used to construct their portraits of Jesus. Standard historical methods are used to discern the authorship of each book, and its likely date of composition.[413]

The earliest extant texts which refer to Jesus are Paul's letters (mid-1st century), which affirm Jesus' crucifixion. Keulman and Gregory hold that the Gospel of Thomas, a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus, predates the four orthodox gospels, and believe it may have been composed around mid-1st century.[414][415]

Biblical scholars hold that the works describing Jesus were initially communicated by oral tradition, and were not committed to writing until several decades after Jesus' crucifixion. After the original oral stories were written down in Greek, they were transcribed, and later translated into other languages. The books of the New Testament had mostly been written by 100 AD/CE, making them, at least the synoptic gospels, historically relevant.[416] The Gospel tradition certainly preserves several fragments of Jesus' teaching.[417] The Markan priority hypothesis holds that the Gospel of Mark was written first c. 70 AD/CE.[418][419][420] Matthew is placed at being sometime after this date and Luke is thought to have been written between 70 and 100 AD/CE.[421][422] According to the Q source hypothesis supported by a majority of modern scholars, the gospels were written not by the four evangelists themselves but derived from other sources.[413] A minority of prominent scholars, such as J. A. T. Robinson, have maintained that the writers of the gospels of Matthew, Mark and John were either apostles and eyewitness to Jesus' ministry and death, or were close to those who had been.[423][424][425][425]

Critical scholars consider scriptural accounts more likely when they are attested in multiple texts, plausible in Jesus' historical environment, and potentially embarrassing to the author's Christian community. The "criterion of embarrassment" holds that stories about events with aspects embarrassing to Christians (such as the denial of Jesus by Peter, or the fleeing of Jesus' followers after his arrest) would likely not have been included if those accounts were fictional.[426] Sayings attributed to Jesus are deemed more likely to reflect his character when they are distinctive, vivid, paradoxical, surprising, and contrary to social and religious expectations, such as "Blessed are the poor".[427] Short, memorable parables and aphorisms capable of being transmitted orally are also thought more likely to be authentic.[427]

Scholars use textual criticism to determine which variants among manuscripts is original and how much they may have changed. Contemporary textual critic Bart D. Ehrman cites numerous places where he maintains that the gospels, and other New Testament books, were apparently altered by Christian scribes.[132] Craig Blomberg, F. F. Bruce and Gregory Boyd view the evidence as conclusive that very few alterations were made by Christian scribes, while none of them (three or four in total) were important.[423][424][425] According to Normal Geisler and William Nix, "The New Testament, then, has not only survived in more manuscripts than any other book from antiquity, but it has survived in a purer form than any other great book─a form that is 99.5% pure"[425]:p.367

Historical analysis

The impact of Jesus on the course of human history has been significant, affecting Christians, as well as others.[428][429] This impact continues to date on the global culture, and continues to be studied by historians.[430]

In the ancient historical context, the historical method is used to develop plausible reconstructions of Jesus' life.[431][432][433] Since the 19th century, these scholars have constructed a Jesus different in ways from the image found in the gospels.[434] Scholars of the “historical Jesus” distinguish their concept from the “Jesus Christ” of Christianity.[435][436]

The principal sources of information regarding Jesus’ life and teachings are the three synoptic gospels.[437] The Pauline epistles and the Acts of the Apostles have also been used to gain a better understanding of the historical Jesus.[438] Historians of Christianity generally describe Jesus as a healer who preached the restoration of God's kingdom.[439][440][441][442][443][444][445]

The English title of Albert Schweitzer’s 1906 book, The Quest of the Historical Jesus, is a label for the post-Enlightenment effort to describe Jesus using critical historical methods.[446] Since the end of the 18th century, scholars have examined the gospels and tried to formulate historical biographies of Jesus.[431] Contemporary efforts benefit from a better understanding of 1st-century Judaism, renewed Roman Catholic biblical scholarship, broad acceptance of critical historical methods, sociological insights, and literary analysis of Jesus' sayings.[446]

The historical outlook on Jesus relies on critical analysis of the Bible, especially the gospels. Many Biblical scholars have sought to reconstruct Jesus’ life in terms of the political, cultural, and religious crises and movements in late 2nd Temple Judaism and in Roman-occupied Palestine, including differences between Galilee and Judaea, and between different sects such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots,[447][448] and in terms of conflicts among Jews in the context of Roman occupation.

Most scholars hold that the movement Jesus led (and his eschatology) were apocalyptic, as were the preachings of John the Baptist, but some scholars makes a distinction between John's apocalyptic ministry and Jesus' ethical teachings.[449][450] Some historians argue that Jewish and Roman authorities in Jerusalem were wary of Galilean patriots, many of whom advocated violent resistance to Roman rule.[17] These arguments contend that as a charismatic leader Jesus was regarded as a potential troublemaker, and was hence executed on political charges.[17] Jesus' criticism of the Temple, the disturbance he caused there, and his refusal to renounce claims of kingship convinced the Jewish high priest to allow Jesus to be transferred into Roman custody.[451][452]

First century Jewish religious movements

Scholars refer to the religious background of the early 1st century to better reconstruct Jesus' life. Some scholars identify him with one or another group.

Pharisees were a powerful force in 1st-century Judaea. Early Christians shared several beliefs of the Pharisees, such as resurrection, retribution in the next world, angels, human freedom, and Divine Providence.[453] After the fall of the Temple, the Pharisaic outlook was established in Rabbinic Judaism. Some scholars speculate that Jesus was himself a Pharisee.[454] In Jesus' day, the two main schools of thought among the Pharisees were the House of Hillel, which had been founded by the eminent Tanna, Hillel the Elder, and the House of Shammai. Jesus' assertion of hypocrisy may have been directed against the stricter members of the House of Shammai, although he also agreed with their teachings on divorce.[Mk 10:1–12][455] Jesus also commented on the House of Hillel's teachings (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a) concerning the greatest commandment[Mk 12:28–34] and the Golden Rule.[Mt 7:12] Historians do not know whether there were Pharisees in Galilee during Jesus' life, or what they would have been like.[456]

Sadducees were particularly powerful in Jerusalem. They accepted the written Law only, rejecting the traditional interpretations accepted by the Pharisees, such as belief in retribution in an afterlife, resurrection of the body, angels, and spirits. After Jesus caused a disturbance at the Temple, it was to have been the Sadducees who had him arrested and turned over to the Romans for execution. After the fall of Jerusalem, they disappeared from history.[457]

Essenes were apocalyptic ascetics, one of the three (or four) major Jewish schools of the time, though they were not mentioned in the New Testament.[458] Some scholars theorize that Jesus was an Essene, or close to them. Among these scholars is Pope Benedict XVI, who supposes in his book on Jesus that "it appears that not only John the Baptist, but possibly Jesus and his family as well, were close to the Qumran community."[459]

Zealots were a revolutionary party opposed to Roman rule, one of those parties that, according to Josephus inspired the fanatical stand in Jerusalem that led to its destruction in the year 70 AD/CE.[460] Luke identifies Simon, a disciple, as a "zealot", which might mean a member of the Zealot party (which would therefore have been already in existence in the lifetime of Jesus) or a zealous person.[460] The notion that Jesus himself was a Zealot does not do justice to the earliest Synoptic material describing him.[461]

Mythical view

The term "Jesus myth theory" is an umbrella term that applies to a range of arguments that in one way or another question the authenticity of the existence of Jesus or the essential elements of his life as described in the Christian gospels.[462][463][464][465] One viewpoint is that there was no real historical figure Jesus and that the he was invented by Christians. Another viewpoint is that there was a person called Jesus, but much of the teachings and miracles attributed to him were either invented or symbolic references. Yet another view holds that the Jesus portrayed in the gospels is a composite character constructed from multiple people over a period of time.[462][463][464][465]

Supporters of the various Jesus myth theories point to the lack of any known written references to Jesus during his lifetime and the relative scarcity and disputed veracity of non-Christian references to him in the 1st century.

Among the variants of the Jesus myth theory, the notion that Jesus never existed has minimal scholarly support, and although some modern scholars adhere to it, they remain a distinct minority; most scholars involved with historical Jesus research believe that his existence can be established using documentary and other evidence.[53][54][55][56][57][58]

In the context of historical theories, the hypothesis that Jesus never existed is a rather recent topic, and in antiquity his existence was never doubted, even by those who were critical of Christian teachings.[120] In the early 18th century, friction between the church establishment and some theologians, coupled with the growing emphasis on rationalism, resulted in discord between the English deists and the church, and John Toland, Anthony Collins and Thomas Woolston planted the seeds of discontent.[466][467]

The beginnings of the formal denial of the existence of Jesus can be traced to late 18th century France, and the works of Constantin-Volney and Charles Dupuis.[468] The more methodical writings of David Friedrich Strauss caused an uproar in Europe in 1835, and Strauss became known as the founder of Jesus myth theory; his approach having been influenced by the epistemological views of Leibnitz and Spinoza.[466][469] Strauss did not deny the existence of Jesus, but believed that very few facts could be known about him and characterized the miraculous accounts in the gospels as "mythical".[470][469][471] At about the same time in Berlin, Bruno Bauer supported somewhat similar ideas.[468][472] Although both Strauss and Bauer drew on Hegel, their views did not coincide, and often conflicted.[473][474] Karl Marx, a student and at the time a close friend of Bauer, was significantly influenced by him, as well as Hegel and Strauss, setting the stage for the denial of Jesus within communism.[472][475][476]

By the beginning of the 20th century, Arthur Drews, William B. Smith and John M. Robertson became the most recognized proponents of the Jesus myth theory.[468][477] However, these authors were not performing purely atheist attacks on Christianity, e.g. Drew did not consider religion as outdated, but argued for a different form of religious consciousness.[468] W. B. Smith argued for a symbolic interpretation of gospel episodes and contended that in a parable such as Jesus and the rich young man the rich young man never existed and symbolically referred to the land of Israel.[478] Smith also argued that Jesus never healed anyone physically, but only spiritually cured them of their paganism.[478] J. M. Robertson on the other hand viewed the gospel accounts as a collection of myths gathered by a large number of anonymous authors, over time.[478]

When atheism became part of the state ideals in communist Russia in 1922, the theories of Arthur Drew gained prominence there.[479] The communist state not only supported the Jesus myth theory but embellished it with scientific colloquialisms, and school textbooks began to teach that Jesus never existed, making Russia a bastion of Jesus denial.[479][480][481] These ideas were rebuffed in Russia by Sergei Bulgakov and Alexander Men, copies of whose book began to circulate underground via typewriters in the 1970s to reintroduce Christianity to Russia.[479][482]

In the 20th century scholars such as G.A. Wells, Alvar Ellegård, and Robert M. Price produced a number of arguments to support the Jesus myth theory. Non-scholarly works on the Jesus myth theory have since been published by mass-media authors such as Doherty, Freke and Gandy. In parallel, a number of historians and biblical scholars such as Paula Fredriksen, Geza Vermes, E.P. Sanders and others involved in the quest for the historical Jesus performed detailed analyses of historical and biblical documents. Almost all of these scholars accept the existence of Jesus, but differ on the accuracy of the details of his life within the biblical narratives.[483] Robert Van Voorst stated that among "New Testament scholars and historians the theory of the non-existence of Jesus remains effectively dead as a scholarly question".[484][485]

The Jesus myth theory is still being debated in the 21st century, with Graham Stanton stating in 2002 that the most thorough analysis of the theory had been by G. A. Wells.[486] But Wells' book Did Jesus Exist? was criticized by James D.G. Dunn in his book The Evidence for Jesus.[487] And the debates continue, e.g. Wells changed his views over time and while he used to argue that there was no historical evidence supporting the existence of Jesus, he later modified his position, and in his later book The Jesus Myth accepted the possible existence of Jesus based on historical sources, although still disputing the gospel portrayals of his life.[484][488][485][489]

Religious perspectives

By and large, the Jews of Jesus' day rejected his claim to be the Messiah, as do Jews today. For their part, Christian Church Fathers, Ecumenical Councils, Reformers, and others have written extensively about Jesus over the centuries. Christian sects and schisms have often been defined or characterized by competing descriptions of Jesus. Meanwhile, Gnostics, Mandaeans, Manichaeans, Muslims, Baha'is, and others have found prominent places for Jesus in their own religious accounts.

Christian views

Although Christian views of Jesus vary, it is possible to summarize key elements of the shared beliefs among major denominations such as Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant groups, based on their catechetical or confessional texts.[490][491][492]

Almost all Christian groups regard Jesus as the "Savior and Redeemer", as the Messiah (Greek: Christos; English: Christ) prophesied in the Old Testament,[493] who, through his life, death, and resurrection, restored humanity's communion with God in the blood of the New Covenant. His death on a cross is understood as the redemptive sacrifice: the source of humanity's salvation and the atonement for sin,[494] which had entered human history through the sin of Adam.[495] Christians profess that Jesus suffered death by crucifixion,[496] and rose bodily from the dead in the definitive miracle that foreshadows the resurrection of humanity at the end of time,[497] when Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead,[498] resulting in either entrance into heaven or damnation.[499]

Christians profess Jesus to be the only Son of God, the Lord,[500] and the eternal Word (a translation of the Greek word Logos),[501] who became man in the incarnation,[502] so that those who believe in him might have eternal life.[503] They further hold that he was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit in an event described as the miraculous virgin birth or incarnation.[504] Christians believe that Christ is the true head of the one holy universal and apostolic church.

Most Christian denominations believe in some form of the doctrine of the Trinity, i.e. that Jesus, as the second person of the Trinity, is fully God. As the 6th-century Athanasian Creed says, the Trinity is "one God" and "three persons... and yet they are not three Gods, but one God." This belief is not shared by non-Trinitarian denominations.

Christians consider the Gospel and other New Testament accounts of Jesus to be divinely inspired. Christian writers, such as Benedict XVI, proclaim the Jesus of the Gospels, discounting the historical reconstruction of Jesus as entirely inadequate.[505]

Jewish views

Judaism rejects the idea of Jesus being God, or a person of a Trinity, or a mediator to God. Judaism also holds that Jesus is not the Messiah, arguing that he had not fulfilled the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh nor embodied the personal qualifications of the Messiah. According to Jewish tradition, there were no prophets after Malachi, who delivered his prophesies about 420 BC/BCE.[506]

The Talmud includes stories which some consider accounts of Jesus in the Talmud, although there is a spectrum[507] from scholars, such as Maier (1978), who considers that only the accounts with the name Yeshu יֵשׁוּ refer to the Christian Jesus, and that these are late redactions, to scholars such as Klausner (1925), who suggested that accounts related to Jesus in the Talmud may contain traces of the historical Jesus. However the majority of contemporary historians disregard this material as providing information on the historical Jesus.[435] Many contemporary Talmud scholars view these as comments on the relationship between Judaism and Christians or other sectarians, rather than comments on the historical Jesus.[508][509]

The Mishneh Torah, an authoritative work of Jewish law, provides the last established consensus view of the Jewish community, in Hilkhot Melakhim 11:10–12 that Jesus is a "stumbling block" who makes "the majority of the world err to serve a divinity besides God".

Even Jesus the Nazarene who imagined that he would be Messiah and was killed by the court, was already prophesied by Daniel. So that it was said, "And the members of the outlaws of your nation would be carried to make a (prophetic) vision stand. And they stumbled."[Dan. 11:14] Because, is there a greater stumbling-block than this one? So that all of the prophets spoke that the Messiah redeems Israel, and saves them, and gathers their banished ones, and strengthens their commandments. And this one caused (nations) to destroy Israel by sword, and to scatter their remnant, and to humiliate them, and to exchange the Torah, and to make the majority of the world err to serve a divinity besides God. However, the thoughts of the Creator of the world — there is no force in a human to attain them because our ways are not God's ways, and our thoughts not God's thoughts. And all these things of Jesus the Nazarene, and of (Muhammad) the Ishmaelite who stood after him — there is no (purpose) but to straighten out the way for the King Messiah, and to restore all the world to serve God together. So that it is said, "Because then I will turn toward the nations (giving them) a clear lip, to call all of them in the name of God and to serve God (shoulder to shoulder as) one shoulder."[Zeph. 3:9] Look how all the world already becomes full of the things of the Messiah, and the things of the Torah, and the things of the commandments! And these things spread among the far islands and among the many nations uncircumcised of heart.[510]

According to Conservative Judaism, Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah have "crossed the line out of the Jewish community".[511] Reform Judaism, the modern progressive movement, states "For us in the Jewish community anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an apostate".[512]

Islamic views

In Islam, Jesus (Arabic: عيسىʿĪsā) is considered to be a Messenger of God and the Masih (Messiah) who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl) with a new scripture, the Injīl or Gospel.[513] The belief in Jesus (and all other messengers of God) is required in Islam, and a requirement of being a Muslim. The Qur'an mentions Jesus twenty-five times, more often, by name, than Muhammad.[514][515]

There is no mention of Joseph in the Quran, but it includes the annunciation to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) by an angel that she is to give birth to Jesus while remaining a virgin, a miraculous event which occurred by the will of God (Arabic: Allah).[11][10][516] The details of the Mary's conception are not discussed during the angelic visit, but elsewhere the Quran states (21:91 and 66:12) that God breathed "His Spirit" into Mary while she was chaste.[10][516][11][517] In Islam, Jesus is called the "Spirit of God" because he was born through the action of the spirit, but that belief does not include the doctrine of his pre-existence, as it does in Christianity.[11]

Numerous other titles are given to Jesus in Islamic literature, the most common being al-Masīḥ ("the messiah). Jesus is also, at times, called "Seal of the Israelite Prophets", because, in general Muslim belief, Jesus was the last prophet sent by God to guide the Children of Israel. Jesus is seen in Islam as a precursor to Muhammad, and is believed by Muslims to have foretold the latter's coming.[518][519] To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles, all by the permission of God rather than of his own power.

The Qur'an emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human being who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. Islamic texts forbid the association of partners with God (shirk), emphasizing a strict notion of monotheism (tawhīd). Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered to have been a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of God), as he preached that his followers should adopt the "straight path" as commanded by God. [520][518]

Islam rejects the Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected, or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind. The Qur'an says that Jesus himself never claimed any of these things, and it furthermore indicates that Jesus will deny having ever claimed divinity at the Last Judgment, and God will vindicate him.[521] According to Muslim traditions, Jesus was not crucified but instead, he was raised up by God unto the heavens. This "raising" is understood to mean through bodily ascension. Muslims believe that Jesus will return to earth near the day of judgment to restore justice.[520][518]

Ahmadiyya views

The Ahmadiyya Movement considers Jesus a mortal man who died a natural death. According to the early 20th century writings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement),[522] Jesus survived his ordeal on the cross, and after his apparent death and resurrection, he fled Palestine and migrated eastwards to further teach the gospels. Jesus eventually died a natural death of old age in Kashmir, India and is believed to be buried at Roza Bal.[523]

Although the view of Jesus having migrated to India has also been researched in the publications of independent historians with no affiliation to the movement,[524] the Ahmadiyya Movement are the only religious organization to adopt these views as a characteristic of their faith. The general notion of Jesus in India is older than the foundation of the movement,[525] and is discussed at length by Grönbold[526] and Klatt.[527]

The movement also interprets the second coming of Christ prophesied in various religious texts would be that of a person "similar to Jesus" (mathīl-i ʿIsā). Thus, Ahmadi's consider that the founder of the movement and his prophetical character and teachings were representative of Jesus and subsequently a fulfillment of this prophecy.[528]

Bahá'í views

The Bahá'í Faith, founded in 19th-century Persia, considers Jesus, along with Muhammad, the Buddha, Krishna, and Zoroaster, and other messengers of the great religions of the world to be Manifestations of God (or prophets), with both human and divine stations.[529] Bahá'ís refer to this concept as Progressive Revelation, which means that God's will is revealed to mankind progressively as mankind matures and is better able to comprehend the purpose of God in creating humanity. In this view, God's word is revealed through a series of messengers: Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Bahá'u'lláh (the founder of the Bahá'í Faith) among them. In the Book of Certitude, Bahá'u'lláh claims that these messengers have two natures: divine and human. Examining their divine nature, they are more or less the same being. However, when examining their human nature, they are individual, with distinct personalities. For example, when Jesus says "I and my Father are one",[John 10:30] Bahá'ís take this quite literally, but specifically with respect to his nature as a Manifestation. When Jesus conversely stated "...And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me",[John 5:36-37] Bahá'ís see this as a simple reference to the individuality of Jesus. This divine nature, according to Bahá'u'lláh, means that any Manifestation of God can be said to be the return of a previous Manifestation, though Bahá'ís also believe that some Manifestations with specific missions return with a "new name",[Rev 3:12] and a different, or expanded purpose. Bahá'ís believe that Bahá'u'lláh is, in both respects, the return of Jesus.

Other views

Buddhists' views of Jesus differ. Some Buddhist views on Jesus including Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama[530] regard Jesus as a bodhisattva who dedicated his life to the welfare of human beings. It was recorded in 101 Zen Stories that the 14th century Zen master Gasan Jōseki, on hearing some of the sayings of Jesus in the Gospels, remarked that he was "an enlightened man", and "not far from Buddhahood".[531]

In a letter to his daughter Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote, "All over Central Asia, in Kashmir and Ladakh and Tibet and even farther north, there is a strong belief that Jesus or Isa travelled about there."[532]

Mandaeanism, a very small Mideastern, Gnostic sect that reveres John the Baptist as God's greatest prophet, regards Jesus as a false prophet of the false Jewish god of the Old Testament, Adonai,[533] and likewise rejects Abraham, Moses, and Muhammad.

Manichaeism accepted Jesus as a prophet, along with Gautama Buddha and Zoroaster.[534]

The New Age movement entertains a wide variety of views on Jesus. The creators of A Course In Miracles claim to trance-channel his spirit. However, the New Age movement generally teaches that Christhood is something that all may attain. Theosophists, from whom many New Age teachings originated, refer to Jesus of Nazareth as the Master Jesus and believe the Christ, after various incarnations occupied the body of Jesus.[535]

U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, a deist, created the Jefferson Bible, an early (but not complete gospel harmony) that included only Jesus' ethical teachings because he did not believe in Jesus' divinity or any of the other supernatural aspects of the Bible.[536][537]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Rahner (page 731) states that the consensus among historians is c. 4 BC/BCE. Sanders supports c. 4 BC/BCE. Vermes supports c. 6/5 BC/BCE. Finegan supports c. 3/2 BC/BCE. Sanders refers to the general consensus, Vermes a common 'early' date, Finegan defends comprehensively the date according to early Christian traditions.
  2. ^ Theissen (1998) p. 165 "Our conclusion must be that Jesus came from Nazareth."
  3. ^ Brown (1999) p. 513
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 ISBN 9780805443653 page 114
  5. ^ a b c d e Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times by Paul Barnett 2002 ISBN 0830826998 pages 19-21
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Paul L. Maier "The Date of the Nativity and Chronology of Jesus" in Chronos, kairos, Christos: nativity and chronological studies by Jerry Vardaman, Edwin M. Yamauchi 1989 ISBN 0931464501 pages 113-129
  7. ^ a b Sanders (1993) pp. 11, 249
  8. ^ Vermes (2004)
  9. ^ Eusebius, (trans. Cameron, Averil; Hall, Stuart G.) (1999). Life of Constantine. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198149170
  10. ^ a b c Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians by F. E. Peters 2005 Princeton University Press ISBN 0691122334 page 23
  11. ^ a b c d Christianity, Islam, and the West by Robert A. Burns, 2011, ISBN 0761855599 page 32
  12. ^ Sura 19:20 She said: How can I have a son when no mortal hath touched me, neither have I been unchaste? 19:21 He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. And (it will be) that We may make of him a revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained. 19:22 And she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place.
  13. ^ Newbigin (1989) p. 66 "the whole of Christian teaching would fall to the ground if it were the case that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus were not events in real history but stories told to illustrate truths which are valid apart from these happenings."
  14. ^ a b Grudem (1994) pp. 568–603
  15. ^ Funk, Robert W.; Seminar, Jesus (1998). Introduction. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco. pp. 1–40. ISBN 9780060629786. 
  16. ^ Funk, Robert W.; Hoover, Roy W.; Jesus Seminar (1993). Introduction. New York: Maxwell Macmillan. pp. 1–30. ISBN 9780025419490. 
  17. ^ a b c Harris, Stephen L. (1985). Understanding the Bible: a reader's introduction. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield. pp. 255–60. ISBN 9780874846966. 
  18. ^ Crossan, John Dominic (1998). The essential Jesus: original sayings and earliest images. Edison, NJ: Castle Books. ISBN 9780785809012. 
  19. ^ Examples of authors who argue the Jesus myth theory:
  20. ^ Van Voorst (2000) pp. 39–42
  21. ^ a b c d New Testament History by Richard L. Niswonger 1992 ISBN 0310312019 pages 121-124
  22. ^ Ehrman, Bart D. (2003). Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew. Oxford University Press. p. 96. ISBN 0195141830. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=v1Nmt3zlqUwC&lpg=PT115&dq=Rabbi%20%22Most%20scholars%20today%22%20%22Jesus%20was%20a%20Jew%22%20%22Jewish%20rabbi%22%20%22Jewish%20Palestine%22&pg=PT115#v=onepage&q=Rabbi%20%22Most%20scholars%20today%22%20%22Jesus%20was%20a%20Jew%22%20%22Jewish%20rabbi%22%20%22Jewish%20Palestine%22&f=false. Retrieved 2011-11-04. 
  23. ^ Brown (1994) p. 964
    Carson (1992) et al., pp. 50–56.
    Cohen (1987), pp. 78, 93, 105, 108.
    Crossan (1993), pp. xi–xiii.
    Grant (1977), pp. 34–35, 78, 166, 200.
    Fredriksen (1999), pp. 6–7, 105–10, 232–34, 266.
    Meier (1991), pp. 68, 146, 199, 278, 386.
    Meier (1994), pp. 12–13.
    Vermes (1973), p. 37.
    Maier, Paul L. (1991). Kregel. pp. 1, 99, 121, 171. 
    Wright, N. T. (1998). HarperCollins. pp. 32, 83, 100–102, 222. 
    Witherington III, Ben. pp. 12–20. 
  24. ^ a b Theissen (1998) pp. 1–16
  25. ^ a b Kevin Knight, ed. "The dogma of the Trinity". Catholic Encyclopedia. New Advent. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15047a.htm. 
  26. ^ Friedmann, Robert (1953). "Antitrinitarianism". Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/A597.html. Retrieved 2008-06-08. 
  27. ^ For instance Brown, Raymond E. (1979). The Birth of the Messiah. Garden City, NY: Image Books. p. 9. ISBN 9780385054058. 
  28. ^ Strobel, Lee (2007). The case for the real Jesus: a journalist investigates current attacks on the identity of Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. p. 200. ISBN 9780310240617. 
  29. ^ Norman, Asher (2007). Twenty-six reasons why Jews don't believe in Jesus. Nanuet, NY: Feldheim Publishers. pp. 16–18, 89–96. ISBN 9780977193707. http://books.google.com/?id=tx5qrKz6dRMC&pg=PR17&dq=Judaism+rejects+assertions+that+Jesus+was+the+awaited+Messiah,+arguing+that+he+did+not+fulfill+the&q. Retrieved 2010-07-05. 
  30. ^ Houlden, James L. (2005). Jesus: The Complete Guide. London: Continuum. ISBN 9780826480118. 
  31. ^ Şaban Ali Düzgün (2004). Uncovering Islam: Questions and Answers about Islamic Beliefs and Teachings. The Presidency of Religious Affairs. Ankara: Diyanet Isleri Baskanligi. ISBN 9789751936363. http://www.diyanet.gov.tr/English/web_kitap.asp?yid=30. 
  32. ^ "Compendium of Muslim Texts". http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/004.qmt.html#004.157. 
  33. ^ "Comparison Chart: Baha'i, Islam, Christianity, Judaism". ReligionFacts. http://www.religionfacts.com/bahai/comparison_chart.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
  34. ^ "Baha'i Beliefs". Contenderministries.org. http://www.contenderministries.org/bahai/beliefs.php. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
  35. ^ Briggs, Brown Driver (1996). Hebrew and English Lexicon. Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 1565632060. 
  36. ^ Liddell; Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. p. 824. 
  37. ^ Larry W. Hurtado, 2005 Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity ISBN 9780802831675 page 392
  38. ^ The Gospel of Luke by Joel B. Green 1997 ISBN 0802823157 page 88
  39. ^ Reading Matthew: a literary and theological commentary by David E. Garland 1999 ISBN 1573122742 page 23
  40. ^ The Gospel of Matthew by R. T. France 2007 ISBN 080282501X page 78
  41. ^ Matthew 1-7 by William David Davies, Dale C. Allison 2004 ISBN 0567083551 page 155
  42. ^ a b "Catholic encyclopedia: Origin of the name Jesus Christ". Newadvent.org. 1910-10-01. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08374x.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-10. 
  43. ^ Matthew by Douglas Hare 2009 ISBN 066423433X page 11
  44. ^ Matthew 1-7 by William David Davies, Dale C. Allison 2004 ISBN 0567083551 page 209
  45. ^ Bible explorer's guide by John Phillips 2002 ISBN 0825434831 page 147
  46. ^ All the Doctrines of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer 1988 ISBN 0310280516 page 159
  47. ^  "Origin of the Name of Jesus Christ". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 
  48. ^ a b Vine, WE (1940). Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company.  pp 274-275
  49. ^ Jesus of history, Christ of faith by Thomas Zanzig 2000 ISBN 0884895300 page 314
  50. ^ Christianity by Donald W. Ekstrand 2008 ISBN 1604779292 pages 147-150
  51. ^ a b Jesus God and Man by Wolfhart Pannenberg 1968 ISBN 0664244688 pages 30-31
  52. ^ Durant 1944:553–7.
  53. ^ a b The Cambridge companion to Jesus by Markus N. A. Bockmuehl 2001 Cambridge Univ Press ISBN 9780521796781 pages 123-124. Page 124 state that the "farfetched theories that Jesus' existence was a Christian invention are highly implausible."
  54. ^ a b Powell, Mark Allan (1998). Jesus as a figure in history: how modern historians view the man from Galilee. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-664-25703-3. http://books.google.com/?id=IJP4DRCVaUMC&pg=PA168. 
  55. ^ a b Weaver, Walter P (1999). The historical Jesus in the twentieth century. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-56338-280-2. http://books.google.com/?id=1CZbuFBdAMUC&pg=PA71&q=. 
  56. ^ a b Van Voorst (2000) p. 16
  57. ^ a b Dunn, James G (January 20, 2009). "James Dunn profile". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/james-g-dunn. Retrieved 2010-05-06. 
  58. ^ a b "Professor James Dunn — British Academy". Britac.ac.uk. http://www.britac.ac.uk/fellowship/elections/2006/dunn_j.cfm. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
  59. ^ a b Theissen (1998) pp. 64–72
  60. ^ a b Theissen (1998) pp. 81-83
  61. ^ a b Green, Joel B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke : new international commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.. p. 168. ISBN 0802823157. http://books.google.com/?id=koYlW6IoOjMC&pg=PR85&dq=Joel+B.+Green,+The+Gospel+of+Luke,+(Eerdmans,+1997),+page+168. 
  62. ^ a b c Pratt, J. P. (1991). "Newton's Date for the Crucifixion". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 32 (3): 301–304. Bibcode 1991QJRAS..32..301P. 
  63. ^ a b Colin Humphreys and W. G. Waddington, "Dating the Crucifixion ," Nature 306 (December 22/29, 1983), pp. 743-46. [1]
  64. ^ Bible explorer's guide by John Phillips 2002 ISBN 0825434831 page 19
  65. ^ a b Western Civilization: A Brief History by Jackson J. Spielvogel 2010 ISBN 0495571474 pages 123-124
  66. ^ Pontius Pilate in history and interpretation by Helen Katharine Bond 1999 ISBN 0521631149 pages 1-2
  67. ^ Between Rome and Jerusalem: 300 years of Roman-Judaean relations by Martin Sicker 2001 ISBN 0275971406 pages ix-xii
  68. ^ The Jews under Roman rule by E. Mary Smallwood 2001 ISBN 039104155X page 144
  69. ^ Encyclopedia of theology: a concise Sacramentum mundi by Karl Rahner 2004 ISBN 0860120066 page 731
  70. ^ Freed, Edwin D (2004). Stories of Jesus' Birth. Continuum International. p. 119. 
  71. ^ Vermes (2006) p. 22
  72. ^ Dunn, James DG (2003). Jesus Remembered. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 324. 
  73. ^ Some of the historians and Biblical scholars who place the birth and death of Jesus within this range include Carson et. al. (1992) pp. 54, 56
    Grant (1977) p. 71.
    Meier (1991) p. 214.
    Sanders (1993), pp. 10–11
    Witherington (1998) No. 3:12–20.
  74. ^ a b c d e f g h i Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible 2000 Amsterdam University Press ISBN 9053565035 page 249
  75. ^ a b c d Jack V. Scarola, "A Chronology of the nativity Era" in Chronos, kairos, Christos 2 by Ray Summers, Jerry Vardaman 1998 ISBN 0865545820 pages 61-81
  76. ^ a b Christianity and the Roman Empire: background texts by Ralph Martin Novak 2001 ISBN 1563383470 pages 302-303
  77. ^ Blackburn, Bonnie; Holford-Strevens, Leofranc. The Oxford companion to the Year: An exploration of calendar customs and time-reckoning. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
  78. ^ Aspects of the liturgical year in Cappadocia (325-430) by Jill Burnett Comings 2005 ISBN 0820474649 pages 61-71
  79. ^ Faith & philosophy of Christianity by Maya George 2009 ISBN 8178357208 page 287
  80. ^ Stories of Jesus' Birth by Edwin D. Freed 2004 ISBN 0567080463 pages 136-137
  81. ^ Luke 1-5: New Testament Commentary by John MacArthur, Jr. 2009 ISBN 9780802408716 page 201
  82. ^ a b c The Riddles of the Fourth Gospel: An Introduction to John by Paul N. Anderson 2011 ISBN 080060427X page 200
  83. ^ a b c Herod the Great by Jerry Knoblet 2005 ISBN 0761830871 page 184
  84. ^ a b c Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible states that Jesus began his ministry "ca 28 AD" at "ca age 31". In Chronos, kairos, Christos: Paul L. Maier specifically states that he considers the Temple visit date in John at "around 29 AD/CE", using various factors that he summarizes in a chronology table. Maier's table considers 28 AD/CE to be roughly the 32nd birthday of Jesus, and at http://www.mtio.com/articles/aissar30.htm Paul Meir clearly states that 5 BC/BCE was the year of birth of Jesus. Paul N. Anderson dates the temple incident at "around 26-27 AD/CE" Jerry Knoblet estimates the date as around AD 27 AD/CE. In their book, Robert Fortna & Thatcher estimate the date at around AD/CE 28. Köstenberger & Kellum (page 140) make the same statement as Maier, namely that the 32nd birthday of Jesus was around 28 AD/CE when his ministry began.
  85. ^ Craig Evans, 2006 "Josephus on John the Baptist" in The Historical Jesus in Context edited by Amy-Jill Levine et al. Princeton Univ Press ISBN 9780691009926 pages 55-58
  86. ^ a b Herodias: at home in that fox's den by Florence Morgan Gillman 2003 ISBN 0814651089 pages 25-30
  87. ^ a b International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: E-J by Geoffrey W. Bromiley 1982 ISBN 0802837824 pages 694-695
  88. ^ Hoehner, Harold W (1978). Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. Zondervan. pp. 29–37. ISBN 0310262119. http://books.google.com/?id=6z-NcR7fVSIC&dq=CHronological+Aspects+of+the+Life+of+Christ. 
  89. ^ Luke states that John's ministry began in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.
  90. ^ Encyclopedia of the historical Jesus by Craig A. Evans 2008 ISBN 0415975697 page 115
  91. ^ As stated by Köstenberger & Kellum (page 114) there is some uncertainty about how Josephus referred to and computed dates, hence various scholars arrive at slightly different dates for the exact date of the start of the Temple construction, varying by a few years in their final estimation of the date of the Temple visit.
  92. ^ Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, page 246 states that Temple construction never completed, and that the Temple was in constant reconstruction until it was destroyed in 70 AD/CE by the Romans, and states that the 46 years should refers to the actual number of year from the start of the construction.
  93. ^ Jesus in Johannine tradition by Robert Tomson Fortna, Tom Thatcher 2001 ISBN 9780664222192 page 77
  94. ^ Jesus in history, thought, and culture: an encyclopedia, Volume 1 by James Leslie Houlden 2003 ISBN 1576078566 pages 508-509
  95. ^ Women in scripture by Carol Meyers, Toni Craven and Ross Shepard Kraemer 2001 ISBN 0802849628 pages 92-93
  96. ^ Herod Antipas in Galilee: The Literary and Archaeological Sources by Morten H. Jensen 2010 ISBN 978-3-16-150362-7 pages 42-43
  97. ^ The Emergence of Christianity: Classical Traditions in Contemporary Perspective by Cynthia White 2010 ISBN 0800697472 page 48
  98. ^ Herod Antipas by Harold W. Hoehner 1983 ISBN 0310422515 page 131
  99. ^ The Gospel of Matthew by Rudolf Schnackenburg 2002 ISBN 0802844383 page 104
  100. ^ a b Mercer dictionary of the Bible by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard 1998 ISBN 0865543739 page 459
  101. ^ The Cambridge companion to the Gospels by Stephen C. Barton ISBN 0521002613 pages 132-133
  102. ^ Newsom, Carol A; Ringe, Sharon H (1998). The Women's Bible Commentary. Westminster: John Knox Press. p. 381. ISBN 9780664257811. http://books.google.com/?id=ymp4S2qZJ4cC&pg=PA381&vq=three-year&dq=The+Women%27s+Bible+Commentary. 
  103. ^ Graham Stanton, 2002, The Gospels and Jesus ISBN 0199246165 page 185
  104. ^ a b c The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 ISBN 9780805443653 pages 77-79
  105. ^ a b c Paul's early period: chronology, mission strategy, theology by Rainer Riesner 1997 ISBN 9780802841667 page 19-27 (page 27 has a table of various scholarly estimates)
  106. ^ Newton, Isaac (1733). "Of the Times of the Birth and Passion of Christ", in Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John
  107. ^ Schaefer, B. E. (1990). "Lunar Visibility and the Crucifixion". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 31 (1): 53–67. Bibcode 1990QJRAS..31...53S. 
  108. ^ Colin J. Humphreys and W. G. Waddington, The Date of the Crucifixion Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 37 (March 1985)[2]
  109. ^ Colin Humphreys, The Mystery of the Last Supper Cambridge University Press 2011 ISBN 9780521732000, p. 193 (However note that Humphreys places the Last Supper on a Wednesday)
  110. ^ a b Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 ISBN 0805444823 pages 441-442
  111. ^ a b c d The encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 4 by Erwin Fahlbusch, 2005 ISBn 9780802824165 pages 52-56
  112. ^ a b c The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary by Craig A. Evans 2003 ISBN 0781438683 pages 465-477
  113. ^ a b The Book of the Acts by Frederick Fyvie Bruce 1988 ISBN 0802825052 page 362
  114. ^ a b Who is Jesus?: an introduction to Christology by Thomas P. Rausch 2003 ISBN 9780814650783 page
  115. ^ a b c d e f g h i The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke, Volume 1 by Craig A. Evans 2003 ISBN 0781438683 pages 521-530
  116. ^ a b c d e f g h i j The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament edited by John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck 1983 ISBN 9780882078120 page 91
  117. ^ "synoptic". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989.
  118. ^ a b The Gospel of John by Francis J. Moloney, Daniel J. Harrington 1998 ISBN 0814658067 page 3
  119. ^ Durant, Will. Caesar and Christ. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1972
  120. ^ a b c d e Encyclopedia of theology: a concise Sacramentum mundi by Karl Rahner 2004 ISBN 0860120066 pages 730-731
  121. ^ a b c d Interpreting Gospel Narratives: Scenes, People, and Theology by Timothy Wiarda 2010 ISBN 0805448438 pages 75-78
  122. ^ a b c Matthew by David L. Turner 2008 ISBN 0801026849 page 613
  123. ^ Sanders (1993) p. 3
  124. ^ Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus by Gerald O'Collins 2009 ISBN 019955787X pages 1-3
  125. ^ a b c Handbook of biblical criticism by Richard N. Soulen, R. Kendall Soulen ISBN 0664223141 page 185
  126. ^ a b Three views on the origins of the Synoptic Gospels by Robert L. Thomas 2002 ISBN 0825438381 pages 61-65
  127. ^ a b The Blackwell companion to the New Testament by David E. Aune 2010 ISBN 9781405108256 page 312
  128. ^ Carlson, Stephen C. "The Two Source Hypothesis." Aug. 20, 2009.
  129. ^ Augustine through the ages: an encyclopedia by John C. Cavadini 1999 ISBN 080283843X page 132
  130. ^ a b Cox (2007) p. 3
  131. ^ Cox (2007) pp. 7-8
  132. ^ a b c Ehrman, Bart D. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 978-0-06-073817-4.
  133. ^ Kurt Aland, 1982 Synopsis of the Four Gospels ISBN 0-8267-0500-6 pages 1-10
  134. ^ John Bernard Orchard, 1983 Synopsis of the Four Gospels ISBN 0-567-09331-X pages 2-7
  135. ^ a b c d e f Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 ISBN 0805444823 page 224-229
  136. ^ Cox (2007) pp. 18-20
  137. ^ a b Essays in New Testament interpretation by Charles Francis Digby Moule 1982 ISBN 0521237831 page 63
  138. ^ The Melody of Faith: Theology in an Orthodox Key by Vigen Guroian 2010 ISBN 0802864961 page 28
  139. ^ a b Scripture in tradition by John Breck 2001 ISBN 0881412260 page 12
  140. ^ a b The Bible Knowledge Commentary by John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck 1983 ISBN 0882078127 page 100
  141. ^ a b c d e The words and works of Jesus Christ by J. Dwight Pentecost 2000 ISBN 9780310309406 page 212
  142. ^ a b All the Parables of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer 1988 ISBN 9780310281115 page 174
  143. ^ a b J. Dwight Pentecost, 1998 The parables of Jesus: lessons in life from the Master Teacher ISBN 0-8254-3458-0 page 10
  144. ^ a b Eric Francis Osborn, 1993 The emergence of Christian theology ISBN 0-521-43078-X page 98
  145. ^ a b Graham H. Twelftree, Jesus the miracle worker: a historical & theological study ISBN 0-8308-1596-1 page 95
  146. ^ Sanders (1993) p. 3
  147. ^ a b Mary in the New Testament by Raymond Edward Brown 1978 ISBN 0809121689 page 163
  148. ^ Where Christology began: essays on Philippians 2 by Ralph P. Martin, Brian J. Dodd 1998 ISBN 0664256198 page 28
  149. ^ The purpose of the Biblical genealogies by Marshall D. Johnson 1989 ISBN 052135644X pages 229-233
  150. ^ Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I–IX. Anchor Bible. Garden City: Doubleday, 1981, pp. 499–500.
  151. ^ I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978, p. 158.
  152. ^ The Gospel of Luke by William Barclay 2001 ISBN 0664224873 pages 49-50
  153. ^ Luke: an introduction and commentary by Leon Morris 1988 ISBN 0802804195 page 110
  154. ^ Cox (2007) pp. 285-286
  155. ^ a b Boring, M. Eugene; Craddock, Fred B. (2004). The people's New Testament commentary. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press. p. 177. ISBN 9780664227548. 
  156. ^ Mills, Watson E.; Bullard, Roger Aubrey (1998). Mercer dictionary of the Bible. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press. p. 556. ISBN 9780865543737.
  157. ^ a b Marsh, Clive; Moyise, Steve (2006). Jesus and the Gospels. New York: Clark International. p. 37. ISBN 9780567040732. 
  158. ^ Morris, Leon (2000) [1992]. The Gospel according to Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. p. 26. ISBN 9780802836960. 
  159. ^ Jeffrey, David L. (1992). A Dictionary of biblical tradition in English literature. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 538–540. ISBN 9780852442241. 
  160. ^ Cox (2007) pp. 30–37
  161. ^ Brownrigg, Ronald (2002). Who's Who in the New Testament. London: Taylor & Francis. pp. 96–100. ISBN 9780415260367. 
  162. ^ Kelly, Joseph F. (2008). The Birth of Jesus According to the Gospels. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. pp. 41–49. ISBN 9780814629482. 
  163. ^ An Introduction to the Bible by Robert Kugler, Patrick Hartin ISBN 080284636X page 394
  164. ^ Recovering Jesus Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld 2007 ISBN 1587432021 pages 113-114
  165. ^ A Dictionary of biblical tradition by David L. Jeffrey 1993 ISBN 0802836348 pages 538-540
  166. ^ William David Davies, Dale C. Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, Volume I (T & T Clark, 1988), page 226.
  167. ^ Virgin Birth of Christ by J Gresham Machen 1987 ISBN 0227676300 page 193
  168. ^ a b Matthew by Charles H. Talbert 2010 ISBN 0801031923 page 29-30
  169. ^ Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "Matthew" pp. 272–85.
  170. ^ The Gospel of Matthew by Rudolf Schnackenburg 2002 ISBN 0802844383 pages 9-11
  171. ^ Saint Joseph: His Life and His Role in the Church Today by Louise Bourassa Perrotta 2000 ISBN 0879735732 pages 21 and 110-112
  172. ^ International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: A-D by Geoffrey W. Bromiley 1979 ISBN 0802837816 page 551
  173. ^ An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: The Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 797. 
  174. ^ Dickson, John Jesus: A Short Life, Lion Hudson , 2008, ISBN 0825478022 pages 68-69
  175. ^ Fiensy, David Jesus the Galilean Gorgias Press, 2007, ISBN 1593333137 page 74
  176. ^ Medieval art: a topical dictionary by Leslie Ross 1996 ISBN 9780313293290 page 30
  177. ^ a b c d e The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 ISBN 9780805443653 page 141-143
  178. ^ a b c d e Christianity: an introduction by Alister E. McGrath 2006 ISBN 9781405109017 pages 16-22
  179. ^ Big Picture of the Bible - New Testament by Lorna Daniels Nichols 2009 ISBN 1579219284 page 12
  180. ^ John by Gerard Stephen Sloyan 1987 ISBN 0804231257 page 11
  181. ^ Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible 2000 ISBN 9053565035 page 583
  182. ^ Behold the Man: The Real Life of the Historical Jesus by Kirk Kimball 2002 ISBN 9781581126334 page 654
  183. ^ a b Eerdmans commentary on the Bible by James D. G. Dunn, John William Rogerson 2003 ISBN 0802837115 page 1010
  184. ^ a b c Jesus of history, Christ of faith by Thomas Zanzig 2000 ISBN 0884895300 page 118
  185. ^ a b The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 ISBN 1931018316 pages 27-31
  186. ^ a b c The Gospel and Epistles of John: A Concise Commentary by Raymond Edward Brown 1988 ISBN 9780814612835 pages 25-27
  187. ^ a b c d e Transfiguration by Dorothy A. Lee 2005 ISBN 9780826475954 pages 21-30
  188. ^ a b c d e The Content and the Setting of the Gospel Tradition by Mark Harding, Alanna Nobbs 2010 ISBN 9780802833181 pages 281-282
  189. ^ a b The people's New Testament commentary by M. Eugene Boring, Fred B. Craddock 2004 ISBN 0664227546 pages 292-293
  190. ^ a b c d New Testament History by Richard L. Niswonger 1992 ISBN 0310312019 pages 143-146
  191. ^ Jesus of Nazareth by Duane S. Crowther 1999 ISBN 0882906569 page 77
  192. ^ The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN 0784719004 page 92
  193. ^ A Summary of Christian History by Robert A. Baker, John M. Landers 2005 ISBN 0805432884 pages 6-7
  194. ^ The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved by J. Phillips 2004 ISBN 0970268718 pages 121-123
  195. ^ a b Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 ISBN 0805444823 pages 259-261
  196. ^ a b The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN 0784719004 pages 95-99
  197. ^ An introduction to the New Testament by Albertus Frederik Johannes Klijn 1997 ISBN 9004062637 pages 45-46
  198. ^ New Testament History by Richard L. Niswonger 1992 ISBN 0310312019 pages 132-136
  199. ^ The Gospel according to Matthew by Leon Morris ISBN 0851113389 page 71
  200. ^ a b The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN 0784719004 pages 117-130
  201. ^ a b The Sermon on the mount: a theological investigation by Carl G. Vaught 2001 ISBN 9780918954763 pages xi-xiv
  202. ^ A theology of the New Testament by George Eldon Ladd 1993ISBN page 324
  203. ^ The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN 0784719004 pages 143-160
  204. ^ Cox (2007) pp. 97-110
  205. ^ The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN 0784719004 pages 165-180
  206. ^ a b c The Christology of Mark's Gospel by Jack Dean Kingsbury 1983 ISBN 0800623371 pages 91-95
  207. ^ a b c d e The Cambridge companion to the Gospels by Stephen C. Barton ISBN 0521002613 pages 132-133
  208. ^ Cox (2007) pp. 121-135
  209. ^ The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN 0784719004 pages 189-207
  210. ^ Cox (2007) pp. 137
  211. ^ The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN 0784719004 pages 211-229
  212. ^ Mercer dictionary of the Bible by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard 1998 ISBN 0865543739 page 929
  213. ^ Preaching Matthew's Gospel by Richard A. Jensen 1998 ISBN 9780788012211 pages 25 & 158
  214. ^ a b Behold the King: A Study of Matthew by Stanley D. Toussaint 2005 ISBN 0825438454 pages 215-216
  215. ^ a b c d e f Cox (2007) pp. 155-170
  216. ^ The Life and Ministry of Jesus: The Gospels by Douglas Redford 2007 ISBN 0784719004 pages 257-274
  217. ^ New Testament History by Richard L. Niswonger 1992 ISBN 0310312019 page 154
  218. ^ The missions of Jesus and the disciples according to the Fourth Gospel by Andreas J. Köstenberger 1998 ISBN 0802842550 pages 108-109
  219. ^ a b c d The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia by Geoffrey W. Bromiley 1988 ISBN 0802837859 page 571-572
  220. ^ Matthew by Charles H. Talbert 2010 ISBN 0801031923 page 149
  221. ^ a b John by Gail R. O'Day, Susan Hylen 2006 ISBN 9780664252601, Chapter 15: The Farewell Discourse, pages 142-168
  222. ^ a b c The Sermons of Jesus the Messiah by E. Keith Howick 2003 ISBN 9781886249028 pages 7-9
  223. ^ The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 ISBN 9780805443653 pages 194-196
  224. ^ The Gospel of Matthew by Craig S. Keener 2009 ISBN 9780802864987 pages 37-38
  225. ^ The Gospel of Matthew by R. T. France 2007 ISBN 9780802825018 page 9
  226. ^ "Beatitudes." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
  227. ^ A Dictionary Of The Bible by James Hastings 2004 ISBN 1410217302 page 15-19
  228. ^ Jesus the Peacemaker by Carol Frances Jegen 1986 ISBN 0934134367 pages 68-71
  229. ^ The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 ISBN 1931018316, pages 63-68
  230. ^ Preaching Matthew's Gospel by Richard A. Jensen 1998 ISBN 9780788012211 pages 25 & 158
  231. ^ Matthew by Larry Chouinard 1997 ISBN 0899006280 page 321
  232. ^ Friedrich Gustav Lisco 1850 The Parables of Jesus Daniels and Smith Publishers, Philadelphia pages 9-11
  233. ^ Ashton Oxenden, 1864 The parables of our Lord? William Macintosh Publishers, London, page 6
  234. ^ John R. Donahue, Daniel J. Harrington. The Gospel of Mark. Zondervan 1981. ISBN 0-8146-5965-9 p.182
  235. ^ Lockyer, Herbert, 1988 All the Miracles of the Bible ISBN 0-310-28101-6 page 235
  236. ^ a b c The Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament by Robert J. Karris 1992 ISBN 0814622119 pages 885-886
  237. ^ a b Who do you say that I am? Essays on Christology by Jack Dean Kingsbury, Mark Allan Powell, David R. Bauer 1999 ISBN 0664257526 page xvi
  238. ^ The Gospel of Mark, Volume 2 by John R. Donahue, Daniel J. Harrington 2002 ISBN 0814659659 page 336
  239. ^ a b c One teacher: Jesus' teaching role in Matthew's gospel by John Yueh-Han Yieh 2004 ISBN 3110181517 pages 240-241
  240. ^ Jesus God and Man by Wolfhart Pannenberg 1968 ISBN 0664244688 pages 53-54
  241. ^ Transfiguration by Dorothy A. Lee 2005 ISBN 9780826475954 pages 72-76
  242. ^ a b Metamorphosis: the Transfiguration in Byzantine theology and iconography by Andreas Andreopoulos 2005 ISBN 0881412953 pages 47-49
  243. ^ The Bible knowledge background commentary: John's Gospel, Hebrews-Revelation by Craig A. Evans ISBN 0781442281 pages 319-320
  244. ^ The Christology of Mark's Gospel by Jack Dean Kingsbury 1983 ISBN 0800623371 pages 2-11
  245. ^ Metamorphosis: the Transfiguration in Byzantine theology and iconography by Andreas Andreopoulos 2005 ISBN 0881412953 pages 60-65
  246. ^ The Gospel according to Mark by James R. Edwards 2002 ISBN 0851117783 pages 272-274
  247. ^ Reading Matthew: a literary and theological commentary by David E. Garland 1999 ISBN 1573122742 pages 182-184
  248. ^ Gospel figures in art by Stefano Zuffi 2003 ISBN 9780892367276 pages 254-259
  249. ^ a b c All the Apostles of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer 1988 ISBN 0310280117 page 106-111
  250. ^ Cox (2007) p. 182
  251. ^ Craig A. Evans 2005 The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John's Gospel, Hebrews-Revelation ISBN 0781442281 page 122
  252. ^ Introduction to the New Testament Christology by Raymond E. Brown, 1994 ISBN 0826471900 pages 78-79
  253. ^ a b c The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew by Donald Senior 1985 ISBN 0894534602 page 124
  254. ^ a b c d The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 ISBN 1931018316 pages 133-134
  255. ^ Matthew 19-28 by William David Davies, Dale C. Allison 2004 ISBN 0567083756 page 120
  256. ^ a b John 12-21 by John MacArthur 2008 ISBN 9780802408242 pages 17-18
  257. ^ a b c d e The people's New Testament commentary by M. Eugene Boring, Fred B. Craddock 2004 ISBN 0664227546 pages 256-258
  258. ^ a b c d e The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke, Volume 1 by Craig A. Evans 2003 ISBN 0781438683 page 381-395
  259. ^ The Bible knowledge background commentary: John's Gospel, Hebrews-Revelation by Craig A. Evans ISBN 0781442281 pages 114-118
  260. ^ Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44 John 12:12-19
  261. ^ a b The Bible knowledge background commentary by Craig A. Evans 2005 ISBN 0781442281 page 49
  262. ^ a b The Fourth Gospel And the Quest for Jesus by Paul N. Anderson 2006 ISBN 0567043940 page 158
  263. ^ Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10-11, Luke 22:1-6
  264. ^ The Synoptic Gospels and the Book of Acts by Doremus Almy Hayes 2009 ISBN 1115877313 page 88
  265. ^ Matthew 26:20, Mark 14:17, Luke 22:21-23 John 13:1
  266. ^ Cox (2007) pp. 180-191
  267. ^ a b Cox (2007) p. 182
  268. ^ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church / editors, F. L. Cross & E. A. Livingstone 2005 ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3, article Eucharist
  269. ^ Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible 2000 ISBN 9053565035 page 792
  270. ^ Peter: apostle for the whole church by Pheme Perkins 2000 ISBN 0567087433 page 85
  271. ^ The Gospel according to Matthew, Volume 1 by Johann Peter Lange 1865 Published by Charles Scribner Co, NY page 499
  272. ^ a b Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "Matthew" pp. 272–85.
  273. ^ The Gospel according to John by Herman Ridderbos 1997 ISBN 9780802804532 The Farewell Prayer: pages 546-576
  274. ^ The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 ISBN 1931018316 page 169
  275. ^ a b c d e f g h The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament edited by John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck 1983 ISBN 9780882078120 pages 83-85
  276. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke, Volume 1 by Craig A. Evans 2003 ISBN 0781438683 page 487-500
  277. ^ Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament Doubleday 1997 ISBN 0-385-24767-2, p. 146.
  278. ^ a b c d e f g h Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 ISBN 0805444823 pages 396-400
  279. ^ a b c d e f g h i Holman Concise Bible Dictionary 2011 ISBN 0805495487 pages 608-609
  280. ^ a b The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia by Geoffrey W. Bromiley 1982 ISBN 0802837824 pages 1050-1052
  281. ^ The Biblical Rembrandt by John I. Durham 2004 ISBN 0865548862 163
  282. ^ Matthew 27:1, Mark 15:1, 22:66
  283. ^ Theological dictionary of the New Testament by Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey William Bromiley, Gerhard Friedrich 1980 ISBN 0802822487 page 105
  284. ^ Matthew 26:67 Mark 14:65 Luke 22:63-65 John 18:22
  285. ^ Luke's presentation of Jesus: a christology by Robert F. O'Toole 2004 ISBN 8876536256 page 166
  286. ^ a b New Testament History by Richard L. Niswonger 1992 ISBN 0310312019 page 172
  287. ^ The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa 2005 ISBN 1931018316 page 181
  288. ^ The Gospel according to Luke by Michael Patella 2005 ISBN 0814628621 page 16
  289. ^ Luke: The Gospel of Amazement by Michael Card 2011 ISBN 9780830838356 page 251
  290. ^ "Bible Study Workshop - Lesson 228" (PDF). http://www.biblestudyworkshop.com/data/Lesson228.pdf. Retrieved 2011-06-30. 
  291. ^ a b Pontius Pilate: portraits of a Roman governor by Warren Carter 2003 ISBN 9780814651131 pages 120-121
  292. ^ The Names of Jesus by Stephen J. Binz 2004 ISBN 1585953156 pages 81-82
  293. ^ John by H. A. Ironside 2006 ISBN 0825429153 page 454
  294. ^ Studies in Early Christology by Martin Hengel 2004 ISBN 0567042804 page 46
  295. ^ The Gospel and Epistles of John by Raymond Edward Brown 1988 ISBN 0814612830 page 93
  296. ^ Funk, Robert W.; Jesus Seminar (1998). The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. San Francisco: Harper. 
  297. ^ John Dominic Crossan, (1995) Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography HarperOne ISBN 0060616628 page 145. J. D. Crossan, page 145 states: "that he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be."
  298. ^ The Word in this world by Paul William Meyer, John T. Carroll 2004 ISBN 0664227015 page 112
  299. ^ a b c d e f g The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke, Volume 1 by Craig A. Evans 2003 ISBN 0781438683 page 509-520
  300. ^ a b c d e The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 ISBN 9780805443653 pages 211-214
  301. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of world religions by Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1999 ISBN 9780877790440 page 271
  302. ^ a b Geoffrey W. Bromiley, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Eerdmans Press 1995, ISBN 0802837840 page 426
  303. ^ Joseph F. Kelly, An Introduction to the New Testament 2006 ISBN 978-0-8146-5216-9 page 153
  304. ^ Jesus: the complete guide by Leslie Houlden 2006 ISBN 082648011X page 627
  305. ^ Vernon K. Robbins in Literary studies in Luke-Acts by Richard P. Thompson (editor) 1998 ISBN 0865545634 pages 200-201
  306. ^ Mercer dictionary of the Bible by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard 1998 ISBN 0865543739 page 648
  307. ^ Reading Luke-Acts: dynamics of Biblical narrative by William S. Kurz 1993 ISBN 0664254411 page 201
  308. ^ The Gospel according to Mark by George Martin 2o05 ISBN 0829419705 page 440
  309. ^ Mark by Allen Black 1995 ISBN 0899006299 page 280
  310. ^ The Gospel of Matthew by Daniel J. Harrington 1991 ISBN 0814658032 page 404
  311. ^ The Gospel according to Matthew by Leon Morris ISBN 0851113389 page 727
  312. ^ Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:9, Luke 24:1 and John 20:1
  313. ^ a b c d e Cox (2007) pp. 216-226
  314. ^ The Acts of the Apostles by Frederick Fyvie Bruce ISBN 9780802809667 page 210
  315. ^ a b The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament by Warren W. Wiersbe 2007 ISBN 9780781445399 pages 350-352
  316. ^ a b The Acts of the Apostles by Luke Timothy Johnson, Daniel J. Harrington 1992 ISBN 9780814658079 pages 164-167
  317. ^ The Titles of Jesus in Christology: Their History in Early Christianity by Ferdinand Hahn, Harold Knight, George Ogg 2002 ISBN 0227170857 pages 11-12
  318. ^ Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.
  319. ^ Thompson, Frank Charles, ed. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids. 1983. p. 1563.
  320. ^ Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 978-0-19-280290-3), article Messiah
  321. ^ a b Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity by Larry W. Hurtado 2005 ISBN 0802831672 page 288
  322. ^ Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity by Larry W. Hurtado 2005 ISBN 0802831672 pages 363-363
  323. ^ Dunn, James (1980). Christology in the Making. SCM Press. p. xiii. "There is no question in my mind that the doctrine of incarnation comes to clear expression within the NT...John 1:14 ranks as a classic formulation of the Christian belief in Jesus as incarnate God" .
  324. ^ Hebblethwaite, Brian (1987). The Incarnation. Cambridge University Press. p. 74. "it is no longer possible to defend the divinity of Jesus by reference to the claims of Jesus" 
  325. ^ Robinson, John AT (1963). Honest to God. Westminster Press. p. 47. "It is, indeed, an open question whether Jesus ever claimed to be the Son of God, let alone God." 
  326. ^ Christianity by Donald W. Ekstrand 2008 ISBN 1604779292 page 81
  327. ^ Themes of St. Luke by John Navone 1970 ISBN 8876523588 page 132
  328. ^ Mercer dictionary of the Bible by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard 1998 ISBN 0865543739 pages 520-525
  329. ^ The Christology of the New Testament by Oscar Cullmann 1959 ISBN 0664243517 pages 234-237
  330. ^ The Christology of the New Testament by Oscar Cullmann 1959 ISBN 0664243517 page 202
  331. ^ a b Great Themes of the Bible, Volume 2 by Sarah S. Henrich 2007 ISBN 0664230644 page 18
  332. ^ Prophet and teacher: an introduction to the historical Jesus by William R. Herzog 2005 ISBN 0664225284 page 15
  333. ^ God with us by Mark Allan Powell 1995 ISBN 0800628810 pages 80-82
  334. ^ a b Encyclopedia of theology: a concise Sacramentum mundi by Karl Rahner 2004 ISBN 0860120066 page 1082
  335. ^ a b c d Hurtado, Larry W. (June 2003). Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans. ISBN 0-8028-6070-2 pages 370-371
  336. ^ Ramsey, Michael (1980). Jesus and the Living Past. Oxford University Press. p. 39. "Jesus did not claim deity for himself" 
  337. ^ Dunn, James (1980). Christology in the Making. SCM Press. p. 254. "We cannot claim that Jesus believed himself to be the incarnate Son of God" 
  338. ^ John Hick, The Metaphor of God Incarnate, (Westminster John Knox Press, 2006) page 27.
  339. ^ Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: logos, 1889.
  340. ^ The Christology of the New Testament by Oscar Cullmann 1959 ISBN 0664243517 page 258
  341. ^ a b The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia by Geoffrey W. Bromiley 1988 ISBN 0802837859 page 106
  342. ^ Mercer dictionary of the Bible by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard 1998 ISBN 0865543739 page 520
  343. ^ Introduction to theology by Owen C. Thomas, Ellen K. Wondra 2002 ISBN 0819218979 page 173
  344. ^ A Complete Introduction to the Bible by Christopher Gilbert 2009 ISBN 0809145529 page 216
  345. ^ Stagg, Frank (1962). New Testament Theology. Broadman Press. p. 78. ISBN 978-0805416138. 
  346. ^ Vermes (1981).
  347. ^ a b c Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey' by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 ISBN 0805444823 pages 431-436
  348. ^ a b The new complete works of Josephus by Flavius Josephus, William Whiston, Paul L. Maier ISBN 0825429242 pages 662-663
  349. ^ a b Jesus as a Figure in History: How Modern Historians View the Man from Galilee by Mark Allan Powell 1998 ISBN 0664257038 pages 168-173
  350. ^ Brown (1994) p. 964
  351. ^ Dunn, JG (2003). Jesus Remembered. Eerdmans. p. 142. "about once every generation someone reruns the thesis that Jesus never existed and that the Jesus tradition is a wholesale invention" 
  352. ^ a b Ramm, Bernard L (1993). An Evangelical Christology: Ecumenic and Historic. Regent College Publishing. p. 19. "There is almost Universal agreement that Jesus lived" 
  353. ^ a b Wright, Marcus J (1999). "A Vision of the Christian Life". The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions. HarperCollins. p. 236. "some judgements are so probable as to be certain; for example, Jesus really existed" 
  354. ^ Van Voorst (2000) p. 16
  355. ^ Walter P. Weaver, The Historical Jesus in the Twentieth Century, Continuum International, 1999 page 71
  356. ^ Van Voorst (2000) pp. 39-53
  357. ^ Josephus XX by Louis H. Feldman ISBN 0674995023 1965 page 496
  358. ^ The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings by Bart D. Ehrman 1999 ISBN 0195126394 page 248
  359. ^ Graham Stanton, The Gospels and Jesus 2002 ISBN 0199246165 Oxford University Press page 145
  360. ^ Cambridge companion to Jesus by Markus N. A. Bockmuehl 2001 Cambridge Univ Press ISBN 9780521796781 pages 123-124
  361. ^ Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (InterVarsity Press, 1992), page 442
  362. ^ a b James Barr, Which language did Jesus speak, Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, 1970; 53(1) pages 9-29 [3]
  363. ^ a b Handbook to exegesis of the New Testament by Stanley E. Porter 1997 ISBN 9004099212 pages 110-112
  364. ^ Discovering the language of Jesus by Douglas Hamp 2005 ISBN 1597510173 page 3-4
  365. ^ Jesus in history and myth by R. Joseph Hoffmann 1986 ISBN 0879753323 page 98
  366. ^ James Barr's review article Which language did Jesus speak (referenced above) states that Aramaic has the widest support among scholars.
  367. ^ a b c d e Jesus: the complete guide by Leslie Houlden 2006 082648011X pages 63-99
  368. ^ a b Teaching Christianity: a world religions approach by Clive Erricker 1987 ISBN 0718826345 page 44
  369. ^ a b c d e Robin M. Jensen "Jesus in Christian art", Chapter 29 of The Blackwell Companion to Jesus edited by Delbert Burkett 2010 ISBN 140519362X page 477-502
  370. ^ a b c The likeness of the king: a prehistory of portraiture in late medieval France by Stephen Perkinson 2009 ISBN 0226658791 page 30
  371. ^ a b c The forging of races: race and scripture in the Protestant Atlantic world by Colin Kidd 2006 ISBN 0521793246 pages 48-51
  372. ^ Revelation by William C. Pender 1998 ISBN 0664228585 pages 14-16
  373. ^ Revelation 1-11 by John MacArthur, Jr. ISBN pages 37-39
  374. ^ The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott, Alister McGrath 2006 ISBN 083083320X page 145
  375. ^ Christianity, art, and transformation by John W. De Gruchy 2001 ISBN 0521772052 page 122
  376. ^ Brother Jesus: the Nazarene through Jewish eyes by Schalom Ben-Chorin 2001 ISBN 0820322563 page 111
  377. ^ Understanding early Christian art by Robin Margaret Jensen 2000 ISBN 0415204542 page 127
  378. ^ a b The Life of Jesus, Critically Examined by David Friedrich Strauss 2010 ISBN 1616403098 pages 114-116
  379. ^ The legacy of John: second-century reception of the Fourth Gospel by Tuomas Rasimus 2009 ISBN 9004176330 page 251
  380. ^ The written gospel by Markus N. A. Bockmuehl, Donald Alfred Hagner 2005 ISBN 0521832853 page 233
  381. ^ Contra Celsum by Origen, Henry Chadwick 1980 ISBN 0521295769 page 32
  382. ^ Patrick, John The Apology of Origen in Reply to Celsus 2009 ISBN 111013388X pages 22–24
  383. ^ Mary in the New Testament by Raymond Edward Brown, et al. 1978 ISBN 0809121689 page 262
  384. ^ Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan (2007). The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Birth. HarperOne. p. 104. ISBN 0061430706.
  385. ^ The Oxford companion to the Bible 1993 ISBN 0195046455 page 41
  386. ^ Making Sense of the New Testament by Craig L. Blomberg 2004 ISBN 0801027470 pages 3-4
  387. ^ Pontius Pilate: portraits of a Roman governor by Warren Carter 2003 ISBN 0814651135 pages 6-9
  388. ^ The Aryan Jesus: Christian theologians and the Bible in Nazi Germany by Susannah Heschel 2008 ISBN 0691125317 page 32
  389. ^ Jesus and the origins of Christianity by Maurice Goguel, New York, Harper, 1960 page 255
  390. ^ "The Black Christ" Chapter 25 of The Blackwell Companion to Jesus edited by Delbert Burkett 2010 ISBN 140519362X pages 410-420
  391. ^ Wells, Matt (March 27, 2001). "Is this the real face of Jesus Christ?". The Guardian (London: Guardian). ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2001/mar/27/broadcasting.uknews2. Retrieved 2011-05-12. 
  392. ^ Wilson, Giles (October 27, 2004). "So what color was Jesus?". London: BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3958241.stm. Retrieved 2011-05-12. 
  393. ^ Politics and film: the political culture of film in the United States by Daniel P. Franklin 2006 ISBN 0742538095 page 112-114
  394. ^ Cinéma divinité: religion, theology and the Bible in film by Eric S. Christianson 2011 ISBN 0334029880 page 327
  395. ^ a b c d e The New Westminster Dictionary of Church History by Robert Benedetto 2006 ISBN 082648011X pages 51-53
  396. ^ The image of God the Father in Orthodox theology and iconography by Steven Bigham 1995 ISBN 1879038153 pages 226-227
  397. ^ Archimandrite Vasileios of Stavronikita, "Icons as Liturgical Analogies" in Hymn of entry: liturgy and life in the Orthodox church 1997 ISBN 9780881410266 pages 81-90
  398. ^ a b The image of St Francis by Rosalind B. Brooke 2006 ISBN 0521782910 pages 183-184
  399. ^ The tradition of Catholic prayer by Christian Raab, Harry Hagan, St. Meinrad Archabbey 2007 ISBN 0814631843 pages 86-87
  400. ^ a b The vitality of the Christian tradition by George Finger Thomas 1944 ISBN 0836923782 page 110-112
  401. ^ La vida sacra: contemporary Hispanic sacramental theology by James L. Empereur, Eduardo Fernández 2006 ISBN 0742551571 pages 3-5
  402. ^ Philippines by Lily Rose R. Tope, Detch P. Nonan-Mercado 2005 ISBN 0761414754 page 109
  403. ^ Experiencing Art Around Us by Thomas Buser 2005 ISBN 9780534641146 pages 382-383
  404. ^ Leonardo da Vinci, the Last Supper: a Cosmic Drama and an Act of Redemption by Michael Ladwein 2006 pages 27 and 60
  405. ^ Arthur Barnes, 2003 Holy Shroud of Turin Kessinger Press ISBN 0766134253 pages 2-9
  406. ^ William Meacham, The Authentication of the Turin Shroud:An Issue in Archaeological Epistemology, Current Anthropology, Volume 24, No 3, June 1983
  407. ^ "Zenit, May 5, 2010". Zenit.org. 2010-05-05. http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-29146. Retrieved 2011-11-04. 
  408. ^ Catherine M. Odell, 1998, Faustina: Apostle of Divine Mercy OSV Press ISBN 9780879739232 page 165
  409. ^ Am With You Always by Benedict Groeschel 2010 ISBN 9781586172572 page 548
  410. ^ The Challenge of the Silver Screen (Studies in Religion and the Arts) ISBN By Freek L. Bakker 2009 ISBN 9004168613 page 1
  411. ^ Encyclopedia of early cinema by Richard Abel2005 ISBN 0415234409 page 518
  412. ^ The Blackwell Companion to Jesus edited by Delbert Burkett 2010 ISBN 140519362X page 526
  413. ^ a b Ehrman, Bart D.. Jesus, Interrupted, HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 0061173932
  414. ^ Kenneth Keulman, Critical Moments in Religious History, Mercer University Press, p. 56
  415. ^ Andrew F. Gregory, Christopher Mark Tuckett, The Reception of the New Testament in the Apostolic Fathers, Oxford University Press, p. 178
  416. ^ "The New Testament was complete, or substantially complete, about AD 100, the majority of the writings being in existence twenty to forty years before this...the situation is encouraging from the historian's point of view, for the first three gospels were written at a time when many were alive who could remember the things that Jesus said and did... At any rate, the time elapsing between the evangelic events and the writing of most of the New Testament books was, from the standpoint of historical research, satisfactorily short." Bruce, F. F.: The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, pp. 12–14, InterVarsity Press, USA, 1997.
  417. ^ "There is no reason to doubt that we have in the Gospel tradition several authentic fragments of His [Jesus Christ's] teaching (albeit in Greek translation)." "Jesus Christ". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
  418. ^ Peter, Kirby (2001–2007). "Early Christian Writings: Gospel of Mark". http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/mark.html. Retrieved 2008-01-15. 
  419. ^ Achtemeier, Paul J. (1991–). "The Gospel of Mark". The Anchor Bible Dictonary. 4. New York, New York: Doubleday. p. 545. ISBN 0385193629. 
  420. ^ Meier, John P. (1991). A Marginal Jew. New York, New York: Doubleday. pp. v.2 955–6. ISBN 0385469934. 
  421. ^ Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. "The Gospels" p. 266-268
  422. ^ "Matthew, Gospel acc. to St." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
  423. ^ a b Boyd, Gregory. "The Jesus Legend: The Case for the Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition". P 370-380. 2007. Baker Academic. ISBN 0-8010-3114-1
  424. ^ a b Strobel, Lee. ”The Case for Christ”. 1998.
  425. ^ a b c d Bruce, F.F. (1981). The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?. InterVarsity Press.
  426. ^ Meier, John P., A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Doubleday: 1991. vol 1: pp. 168–171.
  427. ^ a b Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar. The five gospels. HarperSanFrancisco. 1993. Introduction, pp. 1–38
  428. ^ The Blackwell Companion to Jesus edited by Delbert Burkett 2010 ISBN 140519362X page 1
  429. ^ The historical Christ and the Jesus of faith by C. Stephen Evans 1996, Oxford Univ Press ISBN 019826397X page v
  430. ^ The Cambridge companion to Jesus edited by Markus N. A. Bockmuehl 2001 ISBN 0521796784 pages 156-157
  431. ^ a b Schaeffer, Francis A (1968). The God Who is There. Downers Grove, Il.: InterVarsity Press. pp. 72–73. ISBN 0-8308-1947-9. 
  432. ^ D. G.Dunn, Jesus Remembered, Volume 1 of Christianity in the Making, Eerdmans Publishing, 2003 pp. 125-27.
  433. ^ William Edward Arnal, Whose historical Jesus? Volume 7, Studies in Christianity and Judaism, Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 1997
  434. ^ Borg, Marcus J. in Borg, Marcus J. and N. T. Wright. The Meaning of Jesus: Two visions. New York: HarperCollins. 2007.
  435. ^ a b Theissen (1998)
  436. ^ Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar. The five gospels. HarperSanFrancisco. 1993. "Introduction," pp. 1–30
  437. ^ Sanders (1993) p. 57 "The Gospel of John is quite different from the other three gospels, and it is primarily in the latter that we must seek information about Jesus."
  438. ^ Ancient Christian gospels: their history and development by Helmut Köster 1992 ISBN 0334024501 pages 7-10
  439. ^ Cohen (1987) pp. 78, 93, 105, 108
  440. ^ Crossan (1993) pp. xi—xiii
  441. ^ Grant (1977) pp. 34–35, 78, 166, 200
  442. ^ Fredriksen (2000) pp. 6–7, 105–110, 232–234, 266
  443. ^ Meier, vol. 1 (1991) pp.68, 146, 199, 278, 386, vol. 2 (1994) p. 726
  444. ^ Sanders (1993) pp. 12–13
  445. ^ Vermes (1973) p. 37.
  446. ^ a b Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005—article "Historical Jesus, Quest of the"
  447. ^ For a comparison of the Jesus movement to the Zealots, see S. G. F. Brandon, Jesus and the Zealots: a study of the political factor in primitive Christianity, Manchester University Press (1967) ISBN 0-684-31010-4
  448. ^ For a general comparison of Jesus' teachings to other schools of first century Judaism, see John P. Meier, Companions and Competitors (A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume 3) Anchor Bible, 2001. ISBN 0385469934.
  449. ^ Crossan, John Dominic. The essential Jesus. Edison: Castle Books. 1998. p. 146
  450. ^ See Schwietzer, Albert The Quest of the Historical Jesus: A Critical Study of its Progress from Reimarus to Wrede, pp. 370–371, 402. Scribner (1968), ISBN 0-02-089240-3; Ehrman, Bart Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium, Oxford University Press USA, 1999. ISBN 019512474X. Also see Crossan, John Dominic, The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus, pp. 305–344. Harper Collins, 1998. ISBN 0-06-061659-8
  451. ^ Theissen (1998) p. 569–572
  452. ^ Haim Cohn, The Trial and Death of Jesus, Ktav Publishing House, 1977:129,133-134.
  453. ^ "Pharisees", Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
  454. ^ Based on a comparison of the gospels with the Talmud and other Jewish literature. Maccoby, Hyam Jesus the Pharisee, Scm Press, 2003. ISBN 0-334-02914-7; Falk, Harvey Jesus the Pharisee: A New Look at the Jewishness of Jesus, Wipf & Stock Publishers (2003). ISBN 1-59244-313-3.
  455. ^ Neusner, Jacob (2000). A Rabbi Talks With Jesus. Montreal; Ithaca: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-2046-2. Rabbi Neusner contends that Jesus' teachings were closer to the House of Shammai than the House of Hillel.
  456. ^ Funk, Robert W. and the Jesus Seminar. The acts of Jesus: the search for the authentic deeds of Jesus. HarperSanFrancisco. 1998.
  457. ^ "Sadducees". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
  458. ^ Based on a comparison of the gospels with the Dead Sea Scrolls, especially the Teacher of Righteousness and Pierced Messiah. Eisenman, Robert James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Penguin (Non-Classics), 1998. ISBN 0-14-025773-X; Stegemann, Hartmut The Library of Qumran: On the Essenes, Qumran, John the Baptist, and Jesus. Grand Rapids MI, 1998. See also Broshi, Magen, "What Jesus Learned from the Essenes", Biblical Archaeology Review, 30:1, pg. 32–37, 64. Magen notes similarities between Jesus' teachings on the virtue of poverty and divorce, and Essene teachings as related in Josephus' The Jewish Wars and in the Damascus Document of the Dead Sea Scrolls, respectively. See also Akers, Keith The Lost Religion of Jesus. Lantern, 2000. ISBN 1-930051-26-3
  459. ^ Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, p. 14
  460. ^ a b "Zealots". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
  461. ^ "Jesus Christ". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005
  462. ^ a b A theory of primitive Christian religion by Gerd Theissen 2003 ISBN 0334029139 pages 23-27
  463. ^ a b The historical Jesus: ancient evidence for the life of Christ by Gary Habermas 1996 ISBN 0899007325 pages 27-31
  464. ^ a b Van Voorst (2000) pp. 7-8
  465. ^ a b The historical Jesus: ancient evidence for the life of Christ by Gary Habermas 1996 ISBN 0899007325 pages 47-51
  466. ^ a b c The Cambridge companion to Jesus by Markus N. A. Bockmuehl 2001 Cambridge Univ Press ISBN 9780521796781 pages 141-144
  467. ^ Dictionary of biblical criticism and interpretation by Stanley E. Porter 2009 ISBN 0415201004 page 94
  468. ^ a b c d The historical Jesus in the twentieth century, 1900-1950 by Walter P. Weaver 1999 ISBN 1563382806 page 45-50
  469. ^ a b The historical Jesus question by Gregory W. Dawes 2001 ISBN 066422458X pages 77-79
  470. ^ The Life of Jesus, Critically Examined by David Friedrich Strauss 2010 ISBN 1616403098 pages 39-43 and 87-91
  471. ^ The making of the new spirituality by James A. Herrick 2003 ISBN 0830823980 pages 58-65
  472. ^ a b The Blackwell Guide to Continental Philosophy edited by Robert Solomon, David Sherman 2008 ISBN 978-1-4051-4304-2 page 64
  473. ^ Biographical dictionary of literary influences: the nineteenth century by John Powell 2000 ISBN 031330422X page 37
  474. ^ The philosophy and politics of Bruno Bauer by Douglas Moggach 2003 ISBN 0521819776 page 62
  475. ^ Bruno Bauer and Karl Marx: the influence of Bruno Bauer on Marx's thought by Zvi Rosen 1977 ISBN 9024719488 pages 127-129
  476. ^ The logic of religion by Jude P. Dougherty 2003 ISBN 0813213088 pages 95-96
  477. ^ Van Voorst (2000) pp. 11-15
  478. ^ a b c The historical Jesus in the twentieth century, 1900-1950 by Walter P. Weaver 1999 ISBN 1563382806 pages 55-59
  479. ^ a b c Jesus: the complete guide by Leslie Houlden page 729
  480. ^ Russia after Lenin: politics, culture and society, 1921-1929 by Vladimir N. Brovkin 1998 ISBN 0415179912 pages 96-98
  481. ^ Culture and customs of Russia by Sydney Schultze 2000 ISBN 0313311013 page 28
  482. ^ The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Volume 1 by John Anthony McGuckin 2011 ISBN 1405185392 pages 383-384
  483. ^ Stanton, Graham. The Gospels and Jesus. Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 145 (first published 1989).
    • Wells, G. A. "Jesus, Historicity of" Tom Flynn (ed.) The New Encyclopedia of Disbelief. Prometheus, 2007, p. 446.
    • For a summary of the mainstream position, see Eddy, Paul R. and Boyd, Gregory A. The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition. Baker Academic, 2007, pp. 24–27.
    • Also see Dickson, March 21, 2008.
  484. ^ a b Jesus in history, thought, and culture: an encyclopedia, Volume 1 by James Leslie Houlden 2003 ISBN 1576078566 page 660
  485. ^ a b Van Voorst (2000) p. 14
  486. ^ Stanton, Graham. The Gospels and Jesus. Oxford University Press, 2002; first published 1989, p. 143.
  487. ^ James D.G. Dunn, 1985 The Evidence for Jesus ISBN 0664246982 page 29
  488. ^ Familiar stranger: an introduction to Jesus of Nazareth by Michael James McClymond 2004 ISBN 0802826806 page 163
  489. ^ For Well's views see: G.A. Wells, The Jesus Myth, Open Court 1999, ISBN 0812693922
  490. ^ Jackson, Gregory Lee, Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant: a doctrinal comparison 1993 ISBN 9780615166353 Part One: "Areas of Agreement", pages 11-17
  491. ^ The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Its History, Doctrine by John Anthony McGuckin 2010 pages 6-7
  492. ^ Basic Christian doctrine by John H. Leith 1993 ISBN 0664251927 pages 1-2
  493. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §436–40; Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, article 2; Irenaeus Adversus Haereses in Patrologia Graeca ed. J. P. Migne (Paris, 1857–1866) 7/1, 93; Luke 2:1; Matthew 16:16
  494. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §606–618; Council of Trent (1547) in Denzinger-Schönmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum (1965) §1529;John 14:2–3
  495. ^ Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, article 9; Augsburg Confession, article 2; Second Helvetic Confession, chapter 8; Romans 5:12–21; ;&version=; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22
  496. ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed;Luther's Small Catechism commentary on Apostles' Creed; Second Helvetic Confession, chapter 9
  497. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §638–655; Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion of Easter; Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, article 4 and 17; Augsburg Confession, article 3; Second Helvetic Confession, chapter 9.
  498. ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed; Catechism of the Catholic Church §668–675, 678–679; Luther's Small Catechism commentary on Apostles' Creed; Matthew 25:32–46
  499. ^ "Catechism of the Catholic Church §1021–1022". Vatican.va. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2L.HTM. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
  500. ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed; Catechism of the Catholic Church §441–451; Augsburg Confession, article 3; Luther's Small Catechism, commentary on Apostles' Creed; Matthew 16:16–17; ;&version=; 1 Corinthians 2:8
  501. ^ Augsburg Confession, article 3; John 1:1
  502. ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed; Catechism of the Catholic Church §461–463;Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, article 2; Luther's Small Catechism commentary on Apostles' Creed; ;&version=; John 1:14, 16; Hebrews 10:5–7
  503. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church §456–460; Gregory of Nyssa, Orat. catech. 15 in Patrologia Graeca ed. J. P. Migne (Paris, 1857–1866) 45, 48B; St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses 3.19.1 in ibid. 7/1, 939; St. Athanasius, De inc., 54.3 in ibid. 25, 192B. St. Thomas Aquinas, Opusc. in ibid. 57: 1–4; Galatians 4:4–5
  504. ^ Apostles' Creed; Nicene Creed; Catechism of the Catholic Church §484–489, 494–507; Luther's Small Catechism commentary on Apostles' Creed
  505. ^ "Pope's Book: A Lifetime of Learning". Newsweek. 21 May 2007. http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.2942/pub_detail.asp. Retrieved 2009-10-30. 
  506. ^ Simmons, Shraga, "Why Jews Do not Believe in Jesus", Retrieved 2007-04-15; "Why Jews Do not Believe in Jesus", Ohr Samayach — Ask the Rabbi, Retrieved 2007-04-15; "Why do not Jews believe that Jesus was the Messiah?", AskMoses.com, Retrieved 2007-04-15
  507. ^ Van Voorst (2000)
  508. ^ Daniel Boyarin, Dying for God: Martyrdom and the Making of Christianity and Judaism Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1999
  509. ^ Jeffrey Rubenstein Rabbinic Stories (The Classics of Western Spirituality) New York: The Paulist Press, 2002
  510. ^ Hilchot Malachim (laws concerning kings) (Hebrew)", MechonMamre.org, Retrieved 2007-04-15
  511. ^ Waxman, Jonathan (2006). "Messianic Jews Are Not Jews". United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. http://web.archive.org/web/20080109024012/http://uscj.org/Messianic_Jews_Not_J5480.html. Retrieved 2008-01-15. "Judaism has held that the Mashiach will come and usher in a new era; not that he will proclaim his arrival, die and wait centuries to finish his task. To continue to assert that Jesus was the Mashiach goes against the belief that the Mashiach will transform the world when he does come, not merely hint at a future transformation at some undefined time to come... Judaism rejects the claim that a new covenant was created with Jesus and asserts instead that the chain of Tradition reaching back to Moshe continues to make valid claims on our lives, and serve as more than mere window dressing." 
  512. ^ Contemporary American Reform Responsa, #68, "Question 18.3.4: Reform's Position On...What is unacceptable practice?", faqs.org. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  513. ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, p.158
  514. ^ "Jesus, Son of Mary" in Oxford Islamic Studies Online
  515. ^ "Jesus in the Quran". islam101.com. http://www.islam101.com/history/people/prophets/jesus/christ_in_islam2.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-08. 
  516. ^ a b Holy people of the world: a cross-cultural encyclopedia, Volume 1 by Phyllis G. Jestice 2004 ISBN 1576073556 pages 558-559
  517. ^ Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. VI, pg. 629
  518. ^ a b c "Isa", Encyclopedia of Islam
  519. ^ Fasching, deChant (2001) p. 241
  520. ^ a b Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, Jesus
  521. ^ Qur'an, 5th Surah, vs. 116.
  522. ^ "Jesus in India". Alislam.org. http://www.alislam.org/library/books/jesus-in-india/index.html. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
  523. ^ Rice, Edward (1978). Eastern Definitions: A Short Encyclopedia of Religions of the Orient. New York. p. 7. ISBN 038508563X. 
  524. ^ http://reluctant-messenger.com/issa.htm The Life of Saint Issa, Nicolas Notovitch
  525. ^ Schäfer, Peter; Cohen, Mark R. (1998). Toward the Millennium: Messianic Expectations from the Bible to Waco. Leiden/Princeton: Brill/Princeton UP. p. 306. ISBN 90-04-11037-2. 
  526. ^ Günter Grönbold, Jesus In Indien, München: Kösel 1985, ISBN 3-466-20270-1.
  527. ^ Norbert Klatt, Lebte Jesus in Indien?, Göttingen: Wallstein 1988.
  528. ^ Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1996). The Four Questions Answered (PDF). Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam Lahore Inc. U.S.A.. p. ix. ISBN 0-913321-52-4. http://www.muslim.org/bookspdf/fourques.pdf. 
  529. ^ Stockman, Robert (1992). "Jesus Christ in the Baha'i Writings". Bahá'í Studies Review (1). OCLC 30061083. http://bahai-library.com/stockman_jesus_bahai_writings. 
  530. ^ Beverley, James A., Hollywood's Idol, Christianity Today, "Jesus Christ also lived previous lives", he said. "So, you see, he reached a high state, either as a Bodhisattva, or an enlightened person, through Buddhist practice or something like that". Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  531. ^ Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps, ed (1998). "Story 16: Not far from Buddhahood". Zen Flesh Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings. Tuttle Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 978-0804831864. http://www.101zenstories.com/index.php?story=16. Retrieved 2011-12-09. 
  532. ^ Jawarharlal Nehru (1942). Glimpses of World History. New York: John Day Co.. p. 84. 
  533. ^ "Mandaean Scriptures and Fragments: The Haran Gawaitha". http://www.gnosis.org/library/haran.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-20. 
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  535. ^ Bailey, Alice; Khul, Djwhal (2005) [1932]. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire. Lucis Publishing Company. p. 1193. ISBN 9780853301172. 
  536. ^ Reece, Erik (Dec 2005). "Jesus Without The Miracles - Thomas Jefferson's Bible and the Gospel of Thomas". Harper's Magazine 311 (1867): 33-41. Archived from the original on 2011-12-09. http://www.webcitation.org/63nm56xLe. 
  537. ^ Tradition and incarnation: foundations of Christian theology by William L. Portier 1993 ISBN 0809134675 page 218

References

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  • Brown, Raymond E. (1994). The Death of the Messiah: from Gethsemane to the Grave: A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels. New York: Doubleday, Anchor Bible Reference Library. ISBN 9780385193979. 
    • Brown, Raymond E. (1999). The birth of the Messiah. ISBN 0385494475. 
  • D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo and Leon Morris. An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992.
  • Cohen, Shaye J.D.. From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0-664-21911-6
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    • The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. ISBN 0-06-061629-6
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    • V. 1, The Roots of the Problem and the Person, 1991. ISBN 0-385-26425-9
    • V. 2, Mentor, Message, and Miracles, 1994. ISBN 0-385-46992-6
    • V. 3, Companions and Competitors, 2001. ISBN 0-385-46993-4
    • Newbigin, J.E.L. The Gospel In a Pluralist Society. London: SPCK, 1989.
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  • Sanders, E.P. The Historical Figure of Jesus. London: Allen Lane Penguin Press, 1993. ISBN 978-0-7139-9059-1
  • Sanders, E.P. Jesus and Judaism. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1987. ISBN 0-8006-2061-5
  • Theissen, Gerd; Merz, Annette (1998). The historical Jesus : a comprehensive guide. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. ISBN 0800631226. 
  • Van Voorst, Robert E (2000). Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 0802843689. 
  • Vermes, Géza.
    • Jesus the Jew Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973.
    • Jesus in his Jewish Context. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2003. ISBN 0-8006-3623-6
    • Jesus the Jew: A Historian's Reading of the Gospels. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1981. ISBN 0-8006-1443-7
    • The Religion of Jesus the Jew. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1993. ISBN 0-8006-2797-0
    • Vermes, Geza (2004). The authentic gospel of Jesus. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780141003603. 
    • Vermes, Géza (2006). The Nativity: History and Legend. London: Penguin. 
  • Wilson, A.N. Jesus. London: Pimlico, 2003. ISBN 0-7126-0697-1
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  • Wright, N.T.
    • Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1997. ISBN 0-8006-2682-6
    • The Resurrection of the Son of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2003. ISBN 0-8006-2679-6

External links