Interpreting the Gospels and Acts: an Exegetical Handbook David L

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Interpreting the Gospels and Acts: an Exegetical Handbook David L INTERPRETING THE GOSPELS AND ACTS HANDBOOKS FOR NEW TESTAMENT EXEGESIS John D. Harvey, series editor Interpreting the Gospels and Acts: An Exegetical Handbook David L. Turner Interpreting the Pauline Letters: An Exegetical Handbook John D. Harvey Interpreting the General Letters: An Exegetical Handbook Herbert W. Bateman IV Interpreting Revelation and Other Apocalyptic Literature: An Exegetical Handbook C. Marvin Pate HANDBOOKS FOR NEW TESTAMENT EXEGESIS INTERPRETING THE GOSPELS AND ACTS An Exegetical Handbook David L. Turner AUTHOR John D. Harvey SERIES EDITOR Kregel Academic Interpreting the Gospels and Acts © 2019 by David L. Turner Published by Kregel Academic, an imprint of Kregel Publications, 2450 Oak Industrial Dr. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505-6020. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, re- cording, or otherwise—without written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews. The Greek font GraecaU and the Hebrew font New JerusalemU are both available from www.linguistsoftware.com/lgku.htm, +1-425-775-1130. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com Scripture quotations marked nasb are from the New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org Scripture quotations marked esv are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a pub- lishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-8254-2760-2 Printed in the United States of America 19 20 21 22 23 / 5 4 3 2 1 To my students at GRTS, especially my teaching assistants Todd Frederick, Jennifer McCormick- Bridgewater, Chris McKnight, Kyle Rouse, Seth Stadel, and Leta Von Klompenberg CONTENTS IN BRIEF Series Preface ....................................................................... 15 Preface ..................................................................................17 Abbreviations ....................................................................... 21 1. The Genre and Structure of the Gospels and Acts .................. 27 2. The Historical Setting of the Gospels and Acts .....................69 3. The Theology of the Gospels and Acts .............................. 105 4. Preparing to Interpret the Gospels and Acts ....................... 151 5. Interpreting Passages in the Gospels and Acts ..................... 197 6. Communicating Passages in the Gospels and Acts .............. 231 7. From Text to Sermon: Two Examples ...............................253 8. Selected Resources ...........................................................323 Glossary ............................................................................. 355 CONTENTS Series Preface ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 15 Preface ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������17 Abbreviations ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 21 1� The Genre and Structure of the Gospels and Acts ������������������� 27 New Testament Narrative Genre in General ��������������������������������� 27 Various Views of Gospel Genre �������������������������������������������������� 29 Sui Generis ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 29 Loose Collections of Oral Traditions �������������������������������� 30 Aretalogies ������������������������������������������������������������������� 30 Midrash �����������������������������������������������������������������������31 Quasi-Old Testament Narratives �������������������������������������� 32 Apostolic Recollections ���������������������������������������������������� 32 Greco-Roman Biographies ����������������������������������������������� 33 The Genre of Acts ����������������������������������������������������������� 34 Relating the Historical, Literary, and Theological Features of the Gospels and Acts ���������������������������������� 35 Embedded Genres �������������������������������������������������������������������� 36 Prosaic and Poetic Language ��������������������������������������������� 36 Intertextuality ������������������������������������������������������������������ 38 Parables ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 39 Apocalyptic ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 43 Wisdom �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 45 Speeches �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 48 Psalms ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 49 Letters ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 52 Narrative Genre and the Individual Features of the Gospels and Acts ���� 53 Mark ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 53 Matthew �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 55 Luke-Acts ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 57 John ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������61 The Fourfold Gospel Tradition ��������������������������������������������������� 63 2� The Historical Setting of the Gospels and Acts ����������������������� 69 Sources ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 69 The Bible ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 69 Second Temple Judaism ��������������������������������������������������� 70 Archaeology and the Physical World ��������������������������������� 73 The Gospels and Acts in Greco-Roman History �����������������������������74 Historical Outline of the Second Temple Era ���������������������76 Key Historical References in the Gospels and Acts ������������ 77 The Gospels and Acts and Second Temple Judaism ������������������������� 79 The Temple and the Priesthood ���������������������������������������� 80 The Synagogue ���������������������������������������������������������������� 83 Rabbis ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 84 Groups within Judaism ������������������������������������������������������������� 85 Pharisees ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 85 Scribes ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 86 Elders ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 87 Sadducees ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 88 Sanhedrin ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 90 Essenes ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 91 Politically Oriented Groups ���������������������������������������������� 92 Jewish Feasts and Festivals �������������������������������������������������������� 93 The Individual Settings of the Gospels and Acts ����������������������������� 95 The Historical Setting of Matthew ����������������������������������� 95 The Historical Setting of Mark ����������������������������������������� 97 The Historical Setting of Luke-Acts ��������������������������������� 99 The Historical Setting of John �����������������������������������������101 3� The Theology of the Gospels and Acts ����������������������������������105 Introduction ���������������������������������������������������������������������������105 Understanding the Discipline of Biblical Theology �������������������������106 Theological Disciplines ���������������������������������������������������106 Biblical and Systematic Theology �������������������������������������107 Problems with Biblical Theology �������������������������������������109 Biblical Theology and the Theological Interpretation of the Bible ������������������������������������������111 Conclusion ���������������������������������������������������������������������111 Jesus and the Spirit in the Theology of the Gospels and Acts ������������112 Overview of Key Texts ���������������������������������������������������113 Three Phases ������������������������������������������������������������������115 The Distinctive Theology of Matthew ����������������������������������������122 Matthew and the Old Testament �������������������������������������123 The Kingdom of God in Matthew �����������������������������������124 The Church and Mission to All the Nations ���������������������128 The Distinctive Theology of Mark ���������������������������������������������129 A Passion Narrative with an Extended Introduction? ��������130 Limited Recognition of Jesus�������������������������������������������131 The Failure of the Disciples and the Ending of Mark ��������133 The Distinctive Theology of Luke-Acts ��������������������������������������136 Jerusalem and Rome �������������������������������������������������������137 Evangelizing the Outcasts ������������������������������������������������140 The Distinctive Theology of John ����������������������������������������������143 Signs and Faith ���������������������������������������������������������������144
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