Four Portraits of Jesus: Studies in the Gospels and Their Old Testament Background

by Elizabeth E. Platt

Overview

A guidebook for Bible study groups that explores the background, literary construct, and meanings found in each of the four gospels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616438388
Publisher:	Paulist Press
Publication date:	11/14/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	835 KB

Table of Contents

	Preface	xi
	Acknowledgments	xiv
Part 1	Introduction	1
	Reading About Jesus in the Bible	3
A.	Why Read the Bible?	3
B.	What Is the Bible About, Basically?	3
C.	Where Is Key Information about Jesus?	4
D.	How Did the Gospels Come to Be Written?	5
E.	What Books about Jesus Were Already in the New Testament before the Gospels?	7
F.	What Is the "Canon" and How Does It Function?	8
G.	Where Do the Four-Gospel Lenses Come from in This Bible Study?	8
H.	Where Is the "Best" Starting Place for Gospel Bible Study?	9
I.	Is This an Agreed-Upon Way to Begin the Four Gospels?	10
J.	Why Read the Bible at This Particular Time with Emphasis on Jesus and the Old Testament?	12
K.	Goal Summary of the Four Portraits of Jesus	12
L.	Notes for Teaching	13
	A Five Session Outline for Use in a Church Adult Education Bible Study	15
	Publicity and Announcements	15
	The Setting for Meeting	16
	A Few Notes on Time	17
	The Teacher's Twenty-Five Minutes	17
Session I	Matthew	19
Session II	Mark	22
Session III	Luke	26
Session IV	John	29
Session V	Conclusion	33
	A Workshop on the Role of the Apostle Peter in the Four Gospels	34
Part 2	The Four Gospels	37
	Matthew	39
	Introduction	39
	Who Is Jesus in Matthew?	45
	To what does Jesus call us?	45
	How does Jesus teach?	46
	What does Jesus teach?	46
	What is the second definition of the "law" in Matthew?	48
	How does the life of Jesus show God loving Israel?	48
	For the first case in point, who were the ancestors of Jesus?	49
	And who were Jesus' foremothers?	49
	Who is Jesus from Joseph's point of view?	51
	Who is Jesus to the wise men?	52
	Who is Jesus to King Herod?	53
	Who then is Jesus in light of the Old Testament Exodus?	53
	Who is Jesus to John the Baptist?	54
	Who is Jesus in the wilderness?	54
	Who is Jesus to the Twelve?	54
	Who is Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount?	55
	Who is Jesus in his daily pastoral ministry?	56
	What are the parables?	56
	Who is Jesus to the Pharisees?	59
	Do the issues with the Pharisees hint when Matthew's Gospel was written?	60
	Who is Jesus at the crucifixion?	60
	Can we learn about the Pharisees from another source?	61
	What is Jesus' mission according to Matthew?	62
	Why must Matthew write a biographical "gospel" (and not a treatise on the Old Testament commandments or a collection of the sayings of Jesus)?	62
	How do the apocalyptic themes so important to Mark play a part in Matthew's Gospel?	63
	How does the crucifixion of Jesus carry out an extensive theme of lawbreaking in Jesus' ministry?	63
	How is Matthew's account of the empty tomb different from Mark's? And how do the differences draw out Matthew's themes?	64
	How is the "Great Commission" a climactic development of what Matthew reports as Jesus' greatest concerns?	65
	A View of Matthew's Church and Authorship of This Gospel	66
	Summary	70
	Daily Prayer Reflections for a Week with Matthew's Jesus	74
	Mark	76
	Introduction	76
	Who Is Jesus in Mark? Part 1	81
	Are you the King of the Jews?	81
	Who is Jesus in the words from the cross?	82
	Who is Jesus in David's ancient words?	83
	Who is Jesus in relation to the Twenty-Third Psalm?	84
	Who is Jesus in light of Elijah?	84
	Who is Jesus in relation to the Temple?	85
	Who is Jesus to the Roman government?	87
	Who is Jesus in God's words?	87
	Who is Jesus to John the Baptist?	88
	Who is Jesus at the transfiguration?	88
	Who is Jesus at the beginning of Mark's Gospel?	89
	Who is Jesus to people in desperate need?	90
	First Summary	91
	Who Is Jesus in Mark? Part 2	95
	Who is Jesus in his own words?	95
	Who is Jesus from the book of Daniel?	96
	When does Jesus use the title from Daniel for himself?	97
	How does Jesus speak of himself in the apocalyptic chapter of Mark 13?	97
	Who is Jesus to Mark's church?	99
	Who is Jesus for the eschaton? Or who is Jesus to Satan?	101
	Who are Jesus' disciples in the apocalyptic setting?	102
	A View of Mark's Church and Authorship of This Gospel	105
	Concluding Summary	111
	Daily Prayer Reflections for a Week with Mark's Jesus	114
	Luke	116
	Introduction	116
	Who Is Jesus in Luke?	119
	Where do we begin with Luke?	119
	Where is the mission of Jesus to be spread?	119
	Who are the actors in Acts?	120
	Where can we see the characteristics of successful mission?	120
	Who must have been in the first congregation at Philippi?	122
	Who is Jesus to the Philippians?	122
	Who is Jesus to the apostles in Acts and to later missionaries?	123
	Why did Jesus appoint seventy missionaries?	123
	What about the Twelve?	124
	Why are missionaries sent out in pairs?	124
	Do other Gospels have pairs of testimony?	124
	If pairing is so important, is Jesus paired with anyone?	125
	What other pairs are there in Luke's work?	126
	Are missionaries always "successful"?	126
	How is John the Baptist's mission like Jesus' ministry?	127
	What are the Old Testament passages that provide background for Luke's mission concern?	128
	How do the deaths of missionaries compare to Jesus' death?	129
	Who is Jesus on the road to Emmaus?	130
	A View of Luke's Church and Authorship of This Gospel	131
	Summary	137
	Daily Prayer Reflections for a Week with Luke's Jesus	142
	John	144
	Introduction	144
	Who Is Jesus in John?	148
	How is Judas a key figure in John's Gospel?	148
	Why is the garden important?	149
	How is Passover a theme in John's Gospel?	150
	How is the cross associated with Passover in John's Gospel?	152
	Who is Jesus to John the Baptist?	153
	Who is Jesus to Caiaphas?	153
	Who is Jesus in his own Passover language?	154
	What do the "miracles" reveal?	155
	Who is it who knows so much about Jesus at the Last Supper?	156
	Why are the specific words so important?	157
	What does this disciple know?	158
	Who is Judas really?	158
	What is the greatest secret the Beloved Disciple learns?	159
	Why is the foot washing significant?	159
	Who is Jesus to others not at the Last Supper?	161
	What is the name of the Beloved Disciple?	161
	Who is Jesus to Mary Magdalene?	162
	Who is Jesus' family?	162
	A View of John's Church and Authorship of This Gospel	165
	Summary	171
	Daily Prayer Reflections for a Week with John's Jesus	174
Part 3	Supplementary Materials	177
	Chart of Gospel Topics Compared	178
	Passages to Read Especially	182
	Timeline: Summarizing the Bible	183
	Selected Bibliography for Continuing Study of the Four Gospels	186
Part 4	Appendix	189
	On the History of Biblical Interpretation	191
	Catholic Biblical Scholarship: A Selection from the 1980s and the 1990s Relating to the Four Gospels	203
	Exegesis Methodologies	211
	Index	215