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Durham E-Theses Durham E-Theses The Ascension of Jesus Christ: A Critical and Exegetical Study of the Ascension in Luke-Acts and in the Jewish and Christian Contexts MIHOC, JUSTIN,ALEXANDRU How to cite: MIHOC, JUSTIN,ALEXANDRU (2010) The Ascension of Jesus Christ: A Critical and Exegetical Study of the Ascension in Luke-Acts and in the Jewish and Christian Contexts , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/620/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST: A CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL STUDY OF THE ASCENSION IN LUKE-ACTS AND IN THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN CONTEXTS JUSTIN ALEXANDRU MIHOC MA by Research Durham University Department of Theology and Religion 2010 ABSTRACT The aim of the present dissertation is to analyse and interpret the Ascension of Jesus as described in Luke-Acts, and to examine both the Jewish rapture traditions and the early Christian reception and interpretation of the Lukan accounts. In my research, I tried to explain how the Ascension event was shaped by Luke and the impact it had within the Christian Church of the first centuries. The first chapter tackles the history of research on the Ascension and the proposed methodology. Following this, the second section of the thesis analyses the Jewish assumption (rapture) traditions found in both canonical and pseudepigraphal writings. The common elements between these traditions and the Ascension of Christ are observed in order to establish a certain dependence of the Ascension narrative on Jewish rapture accounts. In the third chapter, I examine the two Ascension accounts in Luke-Acts (Lk 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11) and aim to explain the apparent inconsistencies between them. Certain aspects, such as redundancy and variations, are discussed in detail in the third section of this chapter. The fourth chapter focuses on the reception and interpretation of the Lukan Ascension narratives within the early Christian Church (the pre-Nicene period). Finally, a summary of the entire thesis and some final remarks are drawn in the conclusion of the present study. Two excursuses relevant to this research are included in the appendices: the first on the Jewish Hekhalot literature and Merkabah mysticism; and the second examining the Ascension in the Gospels according to Mark (16:19-20 of the ‘longer ending’) and John (20:17). This dissertation is the product of my own work, and the work of others has been properly acknowledged throughout. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations iv Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 History of Research on Ascension in Luke-Acts 2 1.2 Proposed Methodology and Research Questions 16 Chapter 2: Rapture accounts in the Old Testament and Ancient Judaism 18 2.1 Old Testament (including additional composition in the LXX) 18 2.1.1 Elijah and Elisha in 1-2 Kings 18 2.1.2 Elijah in Sirach 48:9-12 22 2.1.3 Enoch in Genesis 5 23 2.1.4 Psalm 110 (109 LXX) 24 2.2 Jewish Writings from the Hellenistic-Roman Period 26 2.2.1 The Lives of the Prophets 26 2.2.2 Fourth Ezra (Chapters 3-14 of 2 Esdras) 27 2.2.3 The First Book of Enoch 30 2.2.4 The Second Book of Enoch 33 2.2.5 The Book of Jubilees 36 2.2.6 Second Baruch 38 2.2.7 Apocalypse of Zosimus (History of the Rechabites) 40 2.2.8 The Dead Sea Scrolls 41 Chapter 3: The Ascension Narratives in Luke-Acts 45 3.1 The Ascension in the Gospel according to Luke (24:50-53) 45 3.2 The Ascension in the Book of Acts (1:9-11) 60 3.3 Comparison between the Ascension accounts in Luke and Acts 72 Chapter 4: The Reception and Interpretation of the Ascension in pre-Nicene Christianity 84 4.1 Traditions of the ascension(s) in Christian apocryphal literature 84 4.1.1 Ascension of Old Testament figures 84 ii 4.1.2 Texts which describe the Ascension of Christ 88 4.2 The Reception of the Ascension in Early Christian Writers 89 4.2.1 The Apostolic Fathers 93 4.2.2 The Ante-Nicene Fathers 97 Chapter 5: Conclusions and Final Remarks 106 Appendices: 110 1. Hekhalot Literature and Merkabah Mysticism 110 2. The Ascension in the Gospels According to Mark and John 113 2.1 The Ascension of Christ in the Gospel of Mark (16:19-20) 113 2.2 The Ascension of Christ in the Gospel of John (20:17) 119 Bibliography 125 iii ABBREVIATIONS LXX The Septuagint AB Anchor Bible ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library ACCS – NT/OT Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture – New Testament/Old Testament AnBib Analecta Biblica. Investigationes Scientificae in Res Biblicas ANCL Alexander ROBERTS and James DONALDSON (eds.), Ante-Nicene Christian Library (24 vols.) BBET Beiträge zur biblischen Exegese und Theologie BETL Bibliotheca Ephemeridum theologicarum Lovaniensium BIS Biblical Interpretation Series BZNW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche CUP Cambridge University Press EKK Evangelisch-Katholischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament Hermeneia Hermeneia. A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible ICC The International Critical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament IBMBOR Institutul Biblic şi de Misiune al Bisericii Ortodoxe Române (Biblical and Mission Institute’s Publishing Office of the Romanian Orthodox Church) JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JSHRZ Jüdische Schriften aus hellenistisch-römischer Zeit JSJSup Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTSup/LNTS Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Supplement Series/Library of New Testament Studies JSP Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha JSPSup Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha, Supplement Series KEK Kritisch-Exegetischer Kommentar über das Neue Testament NA27 Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th edition. NJBC The New Jerome Biblical Commentary NovT Novum Testamentum NovTSup Supplements to Novum Testamentum NPNF Philip Schaff’s Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (2 series: 28 vols.) NRSV Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version NTS New Testament Studies OTP Charlesworth’s Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (2 vols.) OUP Oxford University Press iv SAP Sheffield Academic Press SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature – Dissertation Seri SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature – Monograph Series SBLSS Society of Biblical Literature – Semeia Studies SNTS MS Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas – Monograph Series SP Sacra Pagina Series SVS St Vladimir’s Seminary TynNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentaries VetT Vetus Testamentum WBC Word Biblical Commentary WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament ZNW Zeitschrift für die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der Älteren Kirche v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION The Ascension of Christ to Heaven can be said to be one of the most notable and influential events within Christian doctrine. It represents both an ending (that of Christ’s earthly presence) and a beginning (the beginning of the Apostles’ ministry). The synthesis of my argument is that of the compatibility or incompatibility of canonical literature (the initial meaning of the text) and its integration within Church tradition. Luke, the ‘beloved physician’ and evangelist,1 is the only New Testament writer to record a visible Ascension of Christ.2 He presents the Ascension event twice (Luke 24:50-52 and Acts 1:9-11), as the culmination and climax of his gospel and as the element of the beginning in the introduction of his second volume, Acts of the Apostles. The Ascension was pre-signified by prophecies of the Old Testament and the tradition of rapture stories.3 In this introduction I shall present a history of the research on the Ascension in Luke and Acts, with a special emphasis on the development of doctrine and interpretation of the Lukan texts in the last century. The previous studies will be reviewed both in thematic (topic-related) and chronological order, beginning with German scholarship. Also, the proposed methodology and research questions will be introduced in the second part of the present chapter. 1 On the authorship of Luke-Acts it is argued that the two-volume book might be an edited version of some material preserved from Luke by an anonymous Christian writer towards the end of the first century. ‘It is possible that Luke, Paul’s companion, is the source for the “we” passages in Acts and perhaps for more of the material in Acts 13-28. This Luke would be a second generation Christian. (Paul must be considered a first generation Christian.) Towards the end of the first century a third generation Christian – who had not accompanied Paul – using Luke as his authority for the latter half of Acts composed Luke-Acts.’ STERLING 1992: 326. However, the majority of biblical scholars recognise Luke, a Syrian of Antioch, as the author of Luke-Acts.
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