Discipleship In The Ancient World And Matthew S Gospel Second Edition

With a comprehensive sweep of the relevant literature--including classical and Hellenistic sources, the Septuagint, and the New Testament--the author defines disciple and related terms as they were used in the ancient world. Pertinent Semitic words from the Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic literature, and Qumran documents provide additional background for the term. A special emphasis is Matthew's use of mathetes and the role of Simon Peter as a model disciple. The study first appeared in 1988 in the prestigious Novum Testamentum Supplements under the title The Concept of Disciple in Matthew's Gospel: As Reflected in the Use of the Term Mathetes. In this second edition, the author includes a new chapter outlining advances in the field since the book was first published.

With a comprehensive sweep of the relevant literature--including classical and Hellenistic sources, the Septuagint, and the New Testament--the author defines disciple and related terms as they were used in the ancient world. Pertinent Semitic words from the Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic literature, and Qumran documents provide additional background for the term. A special emphasis is Matthew's use of mathetes and the role of Simon Peter as a model disciple. The study first appeared in 1988 in the prestigious Novum Testamentum Supplements under the title The Concept of Disciple in Matthew's Gospel: As Reflected in the Use of the Term Mathetes. In this second edition, the author includes a new chapter outlining advances in the field since the book was first published.

In the search for Matthean theology, scholars overwhelmingly approach the Gospel of Matthew as the "the most Jewish Gospel." Studies of its Sitz im Leben focus on its relationship to Judaism, whether arguing from the perspective that Matthew wrote from a cloistered Jewish community or as the leader of a Gentile rebellion against such a Jewish community. While this is undoubtedly an important and necessary discussion for understanding the Gospel, it often assumes too much about the relationship between Judaism and Hellenism (via Martin Hengel). Robert S. Kinney argues for a hybridized perspective in which Matthew's attention to Jewish sources and ideas is not denied, but in which echoes of Greek and Roman sources can be observed, focusing on identifying Matthew's use of rhetoric and its possible echoes of Greco-Roman philosophical disciple-gathering teachers.

In the aftermath of the waves of discipleship programs that have swept over the church in the last 30 years, clergy, and laypersons alike are more confused than ever about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. What should a disciple of Jesus look and act like today? What is the relationship between discipleship and salvation, between discipleship and sanctification, between discipleship and ministry? How were disciples of Jesus different from other disciples in the ancient world? How did the early church carry out Jesus' agenda in "making disciples of all the nations"? In Following the Master, Michael J. Wilkins addresses these and many other questions that perplex the church today- not by offering another discipleship program or manual but by presenting a comprehensive biblical theology of discipleship. Following the Master compares other forms of master-disciple relationships in existence in the ancient Judaism and Greco-Roman world, traces Jesus' steps as he called and developed disciples, and Mediterranean world as it followed Jesus' command to make disciples. Following the Master lays the groundwork necessary for developing biblical discipleship ministries in the church, on the mission field, and in parachurch ministries. It is essential reading for all pastors, students, and Christian workers.

Most experts who seek to understand the historical Jesus focus only on the Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. However, the contributors of this volume come to an important consensus: that the Gospel of John preserves traditions that are independent of the Synoptics, and which are often as reliable as any known traditions for understanding the historical Jesus. As such, the contributors argue for the use of John's Gospel in Jesus research. The volume contains various critical approaches to historical inquiry in the Gospel of John, including new evaluations of the relationship between John and the Synoptics, literary and rhetorical approaches, comparative analysis of other early traditions, the judicious use of archaeological data, and historical interpretation of John's theological tendencies. Contributing scholars include Dale C. Allison, Jr., Paul N. Anderson, Harold W. Attridge, James H. Charlesworth, R. Alan Culpepper, Michael A. Daise, Craig S. Keener, George L. Parsenios, Petr Pokorný, Jan Roskovec, and Urban C. von Wahlde, who help to reassess fully the historical study of John's gospel, particularly with respect to the person of Jesus.

Biblical texts create worlds of meaning and invite readers to enter them. When readers enter such textual worlds, which are often strange and complex, they are confronted with theological claims. With this in mind, the purpose of the Interpreting Biblical Texts series is to help dedicated students in their experience of reading and interpreting by providing guides for their journeys into textual worlds. The controlling perspective is expressed in the operative word of the title: interpreting. The primary focus of the series is not so much on the world behind the texts or out of which the texts have arisen as on the worlds created by the texts in their engagement with readers. In this volume, Donald Senior provides an up-to-date introduction to the Gospel of Matthew. The seven chapters of Part One focus on modern biblical scholarship and the interpretation of Matthew, discussing the sources and structure of the Gospel, its use of the Old Testament, its understanding of Jewish Law, its setting as a part of the mission of Christianity to the Gentiles, its Christology, its understanding of the nature of discipleship, and the community from which the Gospel originated. The six chapters of Part Two provide a structured guide to reading and interpreting Matthew's Gospel.

This volume offers the collective insight of eleven scholars who represent the spectrum of New Testament studies. Their expert commentaries make this book an invaluable resource for both the seasoned researcher and the beginning student.

Annotation. Arguing that crowds in the Gospel of Matthew serve as a theological entity that represent the people of Israel (as opposed to their leaders), Cousland (classical, Near Eastern, and religious studies, U. of British Columbia, Canada) explores how this representation sheds light on Matthew's relationship to Judaism. Although Matthew had broken with Jewish leadership, he still had hopes of converting the Jewish people to Christianity and this tension was displayed in the ambivalent manner in which crowds were portrayed in the gospel. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.