Darrell L. BockRecensioni

In October 2013, seventeen pastors and scholars, most if not all Jewish Christians, came together for a conference talking about the plan of God for Israel. This book is made up of their lectures, each in a chapter, and consider Old Testament prophecy, New Testament interpretation, the relationship between Jews and the Church throughout history, and theology.

The main thrust of the book could be summed up in once sentence: God still has a plan for Israel, literally involving the Promised Land, and when Israel as a nation and as a people acknowledge Jesus as Messiah, their true restoration and end times will arrive. To support this, each chapter takes a slightly different but overlapping approach to showing why this, rather than a replacement theology, is true. The first half takes specific portions of Scripture, while the second half focuses more on general theological, historical or political attitudes. The final chapter, a survey of seminaries, probably has the least interest or application for lay readers, but may be of interest to pastors. I agree with much of what they present and found the arguments convincing, though marred somewhat by typos and in one memorable instance a chapter with 72 notes that were all off by one starting somewhere around note 25. The book was meant to be a study guide, and I did answer the questions at the end of each chapter to help myself remember the material. The QR codes, however, didn't seem to work and I skipped using them after the first couple of chapters. That being said, I probably would read the book or certain chapters over again when I was studying the applicable verses of the Bible. I'll probably add some of the books mentioned in the notes to a list of further reading as well.½

O Livro O Servo Sofredor, Darrel L. Bock e Mitch Glaser, busca uma interpretação do livro de Isaías 53 na visão cristã e judaica, detalhando a identidade de Cristo e a missão do ‘servo do Senhor’ comparando com a mensagem da salvação dos evangelhos, com uma abordagem teológica bíblica observando aspectos sobre perdão, e também na teologia prática, ao verificar a evangelização de judeus, em temas pós modernos de Isaías e na pregação do livro.

I have this book in my Logos Bible Software. It is a compendium of readings which illuminate the text of the four gospels. Organized and correlated to relevant passages in the Bible, Bock has given us cultural, political and social background through first century (and near first century, give or take) documents. Ancient Historians and politicians provide the meat of this book.

This is a shortcut to good exegesis and saves a lot of time. I use this alongside my Bible Background commentaries (IVP and Zondervan) to help fill out the background on the text.

The prophet Isaiah has long been mined by Christian interpreters of the Bible for its Christological significance. This is especially true of the ‘Suffering Servant’ passages from the latter part of Isaiah. In this multi-author volume edited by Darrell Bock and Mitch Glaser, examines Isaiah 53 in light of the gospel with an eye towards how this passage can bring Jewish people to faith in Jesus Christ. Despite Isaiah’s status as a Jewish prophet and his prominence among Christian interpreters, this passage is almost unknown among Jewish people. Written to pastors, missionaries and lay leaders, this book is intended as a resource for those who are ‘preaching and teaching this profound passage and using it to reach unbelievers with a message of redemption (28)’.

The book is organized into three parts. Part one discusses the various interpretations of Isaiah 53. Richard Averbeck surveys Christian interpretations of this chapter (focusing especially on contemporary interpreters). Having examined the competing views, Averbeck argues that the first-person language does not imply the personification of the nation of Israel but one person acting on behalf of the nation. Michael L. Brown discusses the history of Jewish interpretations of this chapter (showing how the corporate interpretation has often been posited to obscure the messianic implications and how this chapter points to Jesus).

In part two, Isaiah 53 is placed within a biblical-theological framework. Walter Kaiser argues that the Servant language in Isaiah 53 should be read as a messianic designation and that Jesus understood his ministry in this context. Michael Wilkins examines the gospel accounts, concluding that Jesus saw himself as the Servant, and the gospel writers also made this identification. Darrell Bock examines Acts 8 (Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch) and how Isaiah 53 in that context, illuminates Jesus’ death. Craig Evans discusses allusions to Isaiah 53 in the New Testament material from Peter, Paul, John and the book of Hebrews. David Allen’s chapter sets Isaiah 53 within a cultic context and argues for the significance of substiutionary atonement in understanding the passage. Robert Chisholm rounds out part two by discussing salvation and forgiveness in this chapter and arguing that according to this passage, the beneficiaries of the Servant’s suffering are both Israel and the nations, that the ‘illness’ described in the chapter imply Jerusalem’s destruction, exile, injustice, death and war, that the breach of the covenant is the fundamental sin for which the blameless Servant suffers, and that the Servant’s suffering and death provide the means toward divine forgiveness.

Part three addresses how to communicate this passage evangelistically. John Feinberg discusses how Isaiah 53 can be used to articulate the gospel message to ‘postmoderns.’ Mitch Glasser focuses his chapter on how Isaiah 53 can be used effectively in Jewish evangelism (his point is not to debate, or beat Jews over the head with a proof text, but using this chapter to open up a fruitful dialogue). Lastly, Donald Sunukjian gives practical advice to preachers for preaching an expository message based on this chapter (with an eye towards it’s structure). Each of the chapters of the book are summarized in Darrell Bock’s conclusion (and quoted extensively) and the book also includes in the appendices two sermons from Donald Sunukjian which illustrate a couple of different homiletic approaches to the text.

As is the case with other multi-author studies, there is some overlap in chapter content; however the authors are remarkably united in purpose and theological commitments. These are some of the best and brightest of conservative Biblical scholars and they thoroughly examine this passage in light of historical interpretation, biblical theology, literary structure, and linguistically. You need not agree with the authors on every point (I’m not sure that I do) to appreciate the care and attention in which they craft their argument. I think they make a good case that a individual, substitutionary, Suffering Servant reading of the text, is faithful understanding of the text, and that this passage does point to the significance of Jesus’ work.

But what I appreciate most about this book is the compelling case made here, that Jesus understood his life, ministry and death in light of the Suffering Servant passages in Isaiah. Scot McKnight, in the King Jesus Gospel made the provocative claim that many evangelistic presentations by evangelicals completely ignore the Old Testament in their articulation of the gospel. In The Gospel According to Isaiah 53, the authors prove that for these scholars at least, this is not the case. The gospel of Jesus Christ includes the way Jesus fulfills the hopes of Israel. By seeing the significance of this passage for Jewish people, we gentiles also come to a fuller appreciation of the gospel story and Christ’s work.

So I recommend this book to pastors and teachers who want to communicate the truths of this passage. I certainly plan to refer back to this book in my preaching and teaching from this passage.

I received this book from Kregel Academic in exchange for this review.

Balanced look at divisive, hot-button cultural and political issues. Seeks to discover biblical perspectives and encourages discussion to reach biblical solutions. Provides tentative solutions / possibilities in some areas, but its goal is more to start and encourage discussion rather than reach definite conclusions.

I was very impressed with this book. Not only does it provide a thorough investigation of PD, but it does so in a scholarly yet approachable way. I was especially impressed with the logical progression of the "argument", but also the excellent use of Scripture to make the finer points, including very important references to Greek issues.
I would like to have seen the authors address, not only PD in the context of mainstream dispensationalism, but also within the wider world of hermeneutics, including especially the Catholic tradition. I was amazed at how closely the two methods parallel one another. I think it reveals a point of possible dialogue to return to a greater unity of the Body of Christ. I do think the author hints at the need to pursue greater Christian unity in ch. 9, but stops short of outright making the point and unfortunately limits it to unity within Evangelical Protestantism.

Over all, this is a great read, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in emerging hermeneutics issues that are sure to change the interpretational understanding of many.

Of the books on PD, this is my favorite. I especially like Part 2 on Hermeneutics - a must read for every person interested in dispensationalism vs covenentalism.

This clearly-organized, contemporary analysis gives scholars, ministers, and teachers valuable perspective on Luke--from Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, through the Last Supper, to the resurrection.

The People, the land, and the future of Israel is a collection of essays on those topics by various people including Michael Rydelnik, John Feinberg and Walter Kaiser Jr. The Essays are Divided into several groupings, in sections like Practical Theology, Hebrew Scriptures, New Testament..etc. All of these men are defending the Biblical view that God is not done with the Jews as a people, that they have a future in the land of Israel, a future in which as believers in Jesus as the Messiah, and as the Atonement for their sins, they will live in peace in the land under their Messiah's rule(The Millennial Kingdom).

At first I liked the idea of having multiple people contributing in one book, but when I read it, or rather as I was reading it, I changed my mind. It just wasn't a smooth flow, once you got used to one person's style of writing you ended up with another one. And then some of the essays were interesting, some weren't so interesting. That, of course, is mostly a matter of my preference, some may not have a problem with the styles. But the worst thing for me was that some writers I had to be more wary of some of the writers than others. I don't love reading books in which you have to critically analyze every other sentence out of doubt of the truth/accuracy of what the writer is saying. Of course, it wasn't every other sentence, but enough to make me uncomfortable. For instance, one of the writers said things like, "Only one thing stopped God from exercising his parental care: the people did not wish him to do so. As a result, the gathering and its protection could not take place. The same risk applies now to Jesus offer…" and a similar statement by someone else, "Every effort of Jesus to turn the hearts of the Jewish people was thwarted by the Jewish leaders throughout His earthly ministry who rejected His person and message. Finally, the Savior comes to the heartbreaking conclusion that He sis going to be a rejected by his own people…" Umm….He knew that before(Lk 17:25;8:9-10;Mt 13:10-17) , He did the will of the Father knowing that would happen, He didn't have to "conclude it". another writer writes that "When a prophecy is fulfilled essentially the main point of the prophecy (its primary intention) is realized with a degree of literality, but some of the accompanying details may not materialize. An examination of fulfilled prophecies in 1-2 Kings suggests that Old Testament prophets understood that their predictions might be realized essentially without every detail materializing. In each case, God makes room for human freedom, which gives the prophecy a degree of contingency, or conditionality." I'm not sure where he's getting that… isn't there only conditionality when God gives conditions in the prophecy itself? I mean, if one believes that way then, applying it to Christ, the Messiah would not have had to have met the requirements for Messiahship. For instance, if Mary had chosen to reject God's choice of her as the earthly mother of Christ, would He not have been born of a virgin? Or what about the prophesied crucifixion of Christ? What if the religious leaders hadn't hated Him and didn't want Him to be killed? Christ would not then have been the Atoning sacrifice for sin. I know that these things are not what that writer said but that's what his statements imply to me. Sometimes it wasn't what they said but what they didn't say. One of the writers, Barry Leventhal quoted sources that seemed to accuse God of injustice for allowing the holocaust, but didn't offer a rebuttal to those accusations, instead he seemed to sort of assent to them, as in his introduction of one quotation: "it was Eliezer Berkovits who admitted that while we cannot exonerate God for His responsibility in all the suffering of history, one can nevertheless rest in His recompense beyond history" I think that that was a bad choice of words. Another thing I didn't like was that a lot of the authors used transliterated Hebrew terms instead of English terms, "Yeshua", "Moshiach", "Shalom," etc. Solely using them or randomly interchanging them with the English term. I don't understand why they don't just use English terms. I don't see how Hebrew transliterations add anything to their argument, and don't think that Replacement theologians, Jews or any others they are trying to reach will be more convinced by the terms.

There was one thing I was rather impressed with, but it was technological rather than theological: At the end of each chapter is a bar code you can scan with your smartphone to watch the actual delivery of the messages by the authors at the conference this book originated from. All in all, though there were good essays, Rydelnik's being one of them, I just wasn't thrilled enough to recommend it, or really enjoy it. I could recommend different books by certain of the essay writers that are better than this eclectic defense.

Many thanks to Kregel Academic for sending me a free copy of this book to review!

In this excerpt from A Theology of Luke and Acts, Dr. Darrell Bock describes how believers are to live in light of God's goodness. Generosity is a key characteristic of life. Life is not defined by excessive attachment to material things

The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology is edited by New Testament scholar Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser the president of Chosen People Ministries and is a great resource for the studying and further understanding of the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 53. This academic page turner is volume of collections of short essays written by a variety of contributors (Darrell Bock, Walter Kaiser, Richard Averbeck, Michael L. Brown, Michael J. Wilkins, Craig Evans, David L. Allen, Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., John S. Feinberg, Mitch Glaser, and Donald Sunukjian) that explore Christian and Jewish interpretations of the text while bringing a theological apologetic of the Jesus Christ identity as the suffering servant in Isaiah 53.

Having actually attended the lecture series “The Gospel According to Isaiah 53” in March 2009 at Irving Bible Church in Texas, where theses papers were submitted I have been eagerly anticipating the publication of this volume for some time. The published work’s aim and clear intent is to equip Christians to evangelize and give a theological apologetic for the use of Isaiah 53 for witnessing to Jewish people. The book contains 11 chapters each written by a prominent scholar in each of their own respective fields discussing a particular theme in Isaiah 53. The volume is divided into three major parts: Interpretation of Isaiah 53, Isaiah 53 in Biblical Theology, and Isaiah 53 in Practical Theology.

The chapter I found most enjoyable was Mitch Glaser’s on “Using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism”. Glaser addresses how to practically communicate this passage evangelistically and not as a proof text necessarily but as a persuasive starter to fruitful dialogue about Christ. He shares his own conversion experience and how Isaiah 53 was instrumental and how it has impacted Jewish evangelism in the past. Mitch Glaser set out to offer a series of scholarly evangelical essays on Isaiah 53 that would be humbly apologetic yet evangelistic at the core. I believe they have succeeded in this very enjoyable volume.

I find this book as a necessary addition to one’s collection of resources and I find it accessible to all Christians from laymen to pastors. No other work can offer the unique help in interpretative analysis on such a crucial chapter to the development of Jewish and Christian theology.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Kregel book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Perhaps no chapter in the Old Testament is more foundational to the cause of Jewish evangelism than Isaiah 53. In "The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology" editors Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser bring together an impressive group of scholars to discuss this text in full detail. The result is an academic work that aims to equip church leaders for effectively using this pivotal chapter in Jewish evangelism.

The book is divided into three sections. Part 1 coves Christian and Jewish interpretations of Isaiah 53. These first two chapters were most informative and really are worth the price of the book. Richard Averbeck surveys a wide variety of Christian interpretations, and Michael Brown masterfully gives a thorough treatment of Jewish opinions on this passage.

Part 2 is a collection of various essays on Isaiah 53 and is the weakest part of the book in my opinion. The essays themselves are fine, but there is repetition and disparity between them. Most of them spend some time discussing whether the Suffering Servant is collectively understood as Israel or should be viewed as an individual Messianic figure. These essays are written independently and not situated in the flow of the book well, so we cover the same ground over and over again. That being said, the articles do make some important points and cover different points of emphases when it comes to Isaiah 53′s development in the New Testament.

Part 3 covers Isaiah 53 in practical theology and is quite good. Mitch Glaser's piece on using Isaiah 53 in Jewish Evangelism is excellent. His explanation of orthodox Jewish objections to Isaiah 53′s use by Christians as opposed to the average Jewish person's more secular outlook to the passage is priceless. Too often, we assume that Jews think like Christians when it comes to God's holiness and personal sin, blood atonement and the like, and Glaser assures us this is not the case.

The book ends with an odd concluding chapter, in which Darrell Bock excerpts several paragraphs from each of the chapters in the book. It seems a strange way to conclude a book, but I wonder if it is an attempt to forge a greater unity between disparate pieces? An appendix then includes two sample sermons on Isaiah 53.

The book points us to numerous additional resources throughout, and really does cover Isaiah 53 well. It definitely accomplishes the task it sets out to achieve. Yet the book is clearly directed toward a more scholarly audience and I believe this will limit its effectiveness. There are no transliterations of Hebrew and Greek terms provided, and sometimes there are not even short lexical definitions of them included either. The interaction with scholarly literature, too, is much more than the average lay leader is equipped to handle. Still there is a lot of value to be had in the book, and I was thankful to be reminded of how important this single chapter is for Jewish evangelism.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Kregel Academic. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

If our spiritual values reflect a commitment to our "American Dream", result is an anemic attempt at living life on our own terms with a little bit of God thrown in.

A group of progressive scholars is mapping out a dispensational theology for a new ear.

(kader studie boek Handelingen sept t/m nov 2011)

Darrell Bock (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the NT)

Introduction:
In Hellenistische geschriften wordt het genre 'acts' gebruikt voor het vertellen van de daden van een enkele grote bekendheid als bijv. Alexander de Grote of Augustus, soms is het de vertelling van de daden van een groep mensen, koningen uit een bepaalde periode.
wsl is de titel: 'handelingen van de apostelen' meegegeven om te laten zien dat de karakters door God gebruikt, gezien moeten worden als gestuurd door God. Het boek gaat ook niet over personen, maar het is een beweging die God van plek naar plek stuurt, startend in Jeruzalem uitlopend op Rome.
Hellenistische geschiedenis voldeden aan twee kenmerken, begrip van politiek en kracht om zich uit te drukken.
Hoewel de titel doet vermoeden dat de centrale karakters de apostelen zijn, draait het boek om Gods handelen. 'Acts narrates God's work in establishing the church htrough Jesus' activity.' Bovendien komen van de twaalf alleen Petrus en Johannes in beeld.
Is de Heilige geest dan niet de Hoofdrolspeler, maar het werk van Gods Geest staat onder Gods soevereiniteit en Jezus stuurt het werk van Gods Geest, Hand 2,32-36.

Overview over Handelingen:
-langste boek NT
-1003 verzen (1151 Lucas / 1071 Mattheus)
-tweede deel van Lucas tweeluik
-net als in Lucas: hoe de God van Israel verlossing geeft, ook aan de heidenen - die vraag wordt beantwoord in 2-11 / hoe kan de ontstane beweging beweren de belofte van God te zijn, terwijl het Joodse volk nauwelijks reageert? / Jezus' rol en functie is dat Hij als Opgestane heer actief blijft / tenslotte hebben hoofdrolspelers de rol van voorbeeldfiguren.
-het boek draait om God. Hij stelt in staat, stuurt bij en dirigeert, dat zie je vooral in de geschiedenis van Paulus, die tot geloof komt door Jezus' eigen interventie en beschermd wordt tijdens zijn reis naar Rome.
Jezus stuurt de Geest, die op zijn beurt in staat stelt als 'Geest van omhoog.
-1,8: groot deel van Handelingen is verteld vanuit het perspectief van plaatsen, het evangelie zal zich verspreiden Jeruz, Judea, Samaria en einde vd wereld.
-hfdst'en 1-5: hoofdpersoon Petrus, theologische boodschap wordt verwoord in toespraken
-verspreiding vh evangelie ten gevolg van verdrukking, 7-8
-9: God bereidt een andere man voor
-10-11,18: petrus mag evangelie naar heidenen in Ceasarea brengen
-11,19-30, gemeente in Antiochie
-12: druk op Jeruzalem wordt groot, Jakobus gedood, petrus gevangen
-13-14: Antiochie, gemeente lanceert dienst van Paulus en Barnabbas
-15: alle hoofdrolspelers naar Jeruzam voor overleg
-16,1-18,23: missionaire reizen van Paulus
--18,23-21,36: 3e reis richt zich op Efeze, terugkeer naar Jeruzalem waar Paulus een gelofte aflegt
-22-28: Paulus' bediening heeft grote impact ondanks forse tegenwerking

Handelingen wil onderwijzen en overtuigen, ook door het gebruik van krachtige voorbeelden - dat gebeurt door een selectieve keuze van gebeurtenissen of een samenvattende terugblik van iets dat eerder gebeurde.
Op die manier wil Handelingen informeren en instrueren over de uitkomst en effecten van Jezus' komst op aarde. Lucas heeft dat zo gedaan dat 'ie het verband zag tussen de geschiedenis van de vroege gemeente en wat de Here Jezus gedaan had.

Doel van Handelingen
Doel is Theophilus te verzekeren over wat hij al geleerd had, Hand 1,1-5.
Wat God heeft gedaan en doet vanuit de hemel door Jezus, door Gods Geest, is de kern van dat onderwijs.
Verder is heel belangrijk dat steeds getoond wordt dat de nieuwe beweging geworteld is in het OT. In die tijd was iets wat nieuw was niet noodzakelijk beter, maar iets wat goed was gebleken, dat was goed. Dat wil Lucas laten zien. Lucas wil de nieuwe beweging legitimeren.

Datum
Aangezien er geen expliciete verwijzing naar de val van Jeruzalem (70) te vinden is, is datering wsl vlak voor 70 nChr.

Belangrijke data:
-14-37 keizer Tiberius
-36 Pilatus' regering eindigt
-41-54 keizer Claudius
-44 dood Herodus Agrippa
-49 Claudius' edict dat Joden verbannen zijn uit Rome
-54-68 keizer Nero

Theologie van Handelingen
-plan en machtig werk van God, redes in hfdst 2 / 10 / 15 - Gods werk wordt gezien als voorteld, beloofd: God handelt in ieder hfdst. Als Redder. Maar ook in ervaren van leiding, 8,26-40.
-missie, tegenwerking en toetreden van heidenen, bijna al Gods werk heeft als doel, verzoening van mensen met Hem. nadruk ligt op Heer-zijn van Jezus, oordelen van levenden en doden, hoe God redt, is iets wat Paulus meer uitwerkt in zijn brieven ? het toetreden van heidenen is volgens Gods belofte
-Jezus, de Heer over alles en voor iedereen, hij bereidt zijn volgelingen op hun werk voor, is de Messias, Levengever
-de Heilige Geest, de aanwezigheid van de HG was een teken dat het koninkrijk van de Here Jezus aangebroken was
-de afgezonderde identiteit van de nieuwe gemeenschap, met name de Joodse identiteit speelt een belangrijke rol in het toetreden van de heidenen
-triomf van het evangelie, het evangelie knalt de wereld in van Jeruzalem naar Rome, de gemeenschap ontleent z'n kracht deels aan z'n trouw en vastbeslotenheid om volgens Gods eer te leven. Evangelisatie en heilig leven, gaan samen!!!
de geografische verspreiding van het evangelie vanuit Jeruzalem (1-7), via Samaria (8-11) en dan vanuit Jeruzalem en Israel naar Rome (12-28). Het boek toont de beweging van Gods Woord de wereld in, Jes 49,6. Rome is het doel omdat Rome gezien werd als centrum vd wereld. Petrus brengt (10-11) het evangelie naar de heidenen en Paulus brengt het buiten Israel (13-28).

indeling Handelingen:
-1,1-11: Jezus gaat naar de Vader en geeft mission-statement
-1,12-6,7: eerste gemeente in Jeruzalem
-6,8-9,31: vervolging in Jeruzalem beweegt het evangelie naar Judea en Samaria
-9,32-12,25: het evangelie naar de heidenen, meer vervolging in Jeruzalem
-13,1-15,35: Antiochie en incorporatie van heidenen
-15,36-21,16: 2e en 3e missionaire reis, verbreiding naar Griekenland en consolidatie temidden van weerstand
-21,17-28,31: evangelie komt aan in Rome, Paulus gearresteerd

(voor zo. 25 sept. 2011) preek over 9,31 (tweede samenvattingstekst):
Eigen vraag: wat is de rol van vervolging in Handelingen?
-8,1 stapsgewijs groeit de weerstand, van een waarschuwing in 4,21, naar een geseling in 5,40, naar een moord in 7.58-70, naar vervolging in hfdst 8 en verder.
-de gemeente wordt uit elkaar geslagen, naar Judea, Samaria en verder. Werkwoord is 'diesparesan'. (Merkwaardig is dat de apostelen genoemd worden en dat ze achterblijven.)

Dit grotere gedeelte, 6,8-9,31 is zo ingedeeld:
>arrest, speech en dood van Stefanus, 6,8-8,1a
>Saul de vervolger verspreidt de gemeente, 8,1b-4
>Filippus in Samaria en ontmoeting met eunuch, 8,5-40
>bekering van Saulus, zijn prediking in Damascus en Jeruzalem, 9,1-30
>voortgangsrapportage, 9,31

NO OF PAGES: 285 SUB CAT I: New Testament Study SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: Why Jesus was put to death remains a pivotal issue in NT scholarship. The Marcan account of the Jewish examination of Jesus lies at the heart of the debate. The author defends the historical-cultural veracity of Mark's portrayal through a careful study.NOTES: SUBTITLE: The Charge against Jesus in Mark 14:53-65

A book of this kind ought to have been unnecessary, but the fact is, many in the general public fell for Dan Brown's self- serving fraud by taking Da Vinci Code for a work of non-fiction.

Darrell Bock seeks to refute the wild claims and suppositions of Brown's lightweight novel by considering such issues as the identity of Mary Magdalene, the marital status of Jesus, the significance of the gnostic gospels, and the history of the New Testament. Bock draws primarily on work by theologians, and his arguments are therefore based on religious ideology and dubious assumptions that the biblical accounts are true, despite their many contradictions. Nevertheless, he offers an interesting, if ill-informed, counterweight to such scholars as Elaine Pagels in putting gnostic works into context.

A credible historian would have written a very different work, albeit one no less critical of the Da Vinci Code. This book is likely to be well regarded by Christians seeking reassurance that they need not question their own religious beliefs. Others will look to works of a more scholarly nature for dispassionate, objective evaluations of the historical evidence.½

Not Bad.

INTRODUCTION

Darrel Bock writes “Breaking The Da Vinci Code: Answering the Questions Everyone’s Asking” in response to Dan Brown’s historical fiction, “The Da Vinci Code,” which has sold over 4 million copies. Bock notes that Brown’s final sentence in his book ends with, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” The goal of Bock’s book is to clarify truth from fiction, which he does by examining biblical and extrabiblical material on the 325 years following Christ’s birth, thereby breaking seven codes found in Brown’s book. Darrell Bock is a research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. It should be noted that he approaches this evidence from this perspective as compared to Dan Brown’s perspective of a writing a historical fiction novel.

CODE 1: WHO WAS MARY MAGDALENE?

The key woman investigated in this book is Mary of Magdala. The Da Vinci Code identifies her as the “wife of Jesus and the mother of His children.” Bock begins refuting Brown’s statement by first examining the references to any Mary mentioned in the New Testament. It should be noted that most of the women are identified in conjunction in relation to some male except for Mary Magdalene and another unknown Mary. Only eleven passages in the New Testament mention Mary Magdalene and Bock addresses each of these passages noting that she was a disciple of Christ, was present at the cross during crucifixion and as Jesus was laid to rest, and a witness to the resurrection.

Key texts are examined outside the Bible noting that one of the church Father’s Hippolytus identifies her as an apostle to the apostles, which Bock clarifies as being the first witness to the resurrection. A key Gnostic text, the Gospel of Philip, identifies Jesus kissing Mary, which Bock clarifies as a kiss of fellowship. A section in the Gospel of Mary Magdala identifies her as possibly having a special relationship with Jesus but no familial connotation is noted. “There is no clear text outside the Bible indicating that Jesus was married or that Mary Magdalene was His wife.” Bock concludes by noting that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute but was a “faithful disciple and a witness to the cross, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

CODE 2: WAS JESUS MARRIED?

The Da Vinci code describes a group called the Opus Dei, whose goal was to “cover up the ‘fact’ that Jesus had a family and children.” Bock notes that there is no evidence indicating the marriage of Jesus and there is overwhelming evidence that conservative and liberal scholars agree that Jesus was not married. However, no text declares that He was single but there were many opportunities for gospel writers to include information about Jesus’ marriage if it was true. Jesus’ divinity would not be in question even if he had been married. Luke 8:1-3 indicates that Jesus traveled with Mary but she cannot be linked exclusively to Jesus.

Other texts outside the Bible indicate that Mary had a special relationship with Jesus but none indicate marriage. The argument that a good Jew would be married can be countered by the fact that Jesus was not a rabbi in the technical sense and Jesus' own words indicate in Matthew 19:10-12 that he modeled what he taught, which was to be a eunuch for the kingdom. It should also be noted that in the Qumran community that some Jewish men and women lived single together in the wilderness.

Noting information about Jesus not being married, Bock presents the case for Jesus’ singleness. There was never a male counterpart tied to Mary Magdalene when she was named. In 1 Corinthians 9:4-6 Paul does not indicate a reference to Jesus in a minister’s right to marry. The only Mary that Jesus showed concern for at the cross was his own mother.

CODE 3: WOULD BEING SINGLE MAKE JESUS UN-JEWISH?

The Da Vinci code claims that Jesus, a Jew, must be married because Jews condemned celibacy. Bock notes a text by Josephus in Antiquities 18, where practices of celibate Essenes are described. Also noted by Josephus in Jewish War 2.8.2.121-22 is the Essenes’ concern about marriage and fidelity to such an extent that celibacy seems to be encouraged. One has to admit that Jesus was different. He challenged some traditions, affirmed others, and added to others. Jesus involved women in his ministry, which was not typical in those days. It is apparently clear that being single was a practice among some respected Jews and that this would not diminish his Jewishness.

CODE 4: DO THE SO-CALLED SECRET, GNOSTIC GOSPELS
HELP US UNDERSTAND JESUS?

One of the characters in The Da Vinci Code, Teabing, indicates as fact that there are more gospels than one finds in the Bible. The gospels he is referring to entail what is known as the Gnostic gospels. The Gnostic gospels viewed “that some Christians had access to mysteries or advanced, exclusive teaching that other Christians did not possess.” This knowledge, gnosis, was received by special revelation. Bock shares a portion of the Gnostic text the Apocalypse of Peter 82:17-83:15 that demonstrates Gnostic-like view of deity as “the Pleroma, the pure, heavenly, immaterial fullness that is truly and completely divine.” They also made a distinction “between the Savior’s physical (corporeal) body that suffered on the cross and the true, incorporeal body that is pure light, which saw the Savior suffer.” Thirdly, all these teachings were mysteries.

There was also a dualism in Gnostic literature were there was “the eternal, supreme, transcendent Father who is utterly spiritual and had no contact with anything material.” The opposite of Him was “the Creator of the physical world, a fallen, wicked, arrogant being often called the Demiurge, or ‘maker,’ who falsely believes himself to be the only god.” Gnosticism also believed in a divine feminine.

Another significant view of Gnosticism was their view of the work of Jesus. They identified a “living Lord and Savior Jesus and the human substitute Jesus. One was spiritual the other was material. The true Jesus did not suffer on the cross. “The picture of a Jesus who lacked genuine humanity and did not know suffering is distinct from that of other Christians.” Relating to views of spirituality one was “rooted in Jesus (that of John’s gospel) and one rooted in the divine potential in each one of us (Thomas’s gospel).”
It is clear through this brief survey of literature that the Gnostic gospels and the gospels of the New Testament were quite different. Not only is that evident in today’s time, but it was also clearly evident in their time. Bock spends some significant time with this issue because of the undercurrents of some individuals trying to rewrite the Christian story.

CODE 5: HOW WERE THE NEW TESTAMENT GOSPELS ASSEMBLED?

Teabing makes another claim in The Da Vinci Code that Constantine financed the writing of a Bible that excluded some pertinent works in establishing the Council at Nicea. Bock affirms that Constantine was a key player in Christian history and that Nicea was instrumental in affirming certain Christian beliefs, which eventually formed the Canon of Scripture. Two key texts written between A.D. 50-68 by Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 and Philippians 2:9-11 affirmed Jesus as Christ and Lord. The Gospel of John in chapter one gives evidence of Jesus’ divinity. Biblical authors, not Nicea, affirmed that Jesus was God. The establishment of the Canon of Scripture is vital to a firm belief in the Bible.

The clarification and affirmation of what constituted the Canon has been a source of contention for some. Bock claims that the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have always been viewed as authentic because of their widespread use in the centuries prior to Nicea as well as their affirmation as the threat of false teaching arose. Some key texts emphasizing these issues were the Muratorian Canon and Against Heresies, a writing of Irenaeus. Other church fathers affirming the gospels were Justin Martyr, Tatian, and Origen. The clarification of certain writings of early Christians to be burned by order of Emperor Diocletian also gives evidence to those documents, which Christians deemed authentic. It is clear that the gospels were affirmed and accepted as true Christian documents long before the Council at Nicea.

CODE 6: DOES MARY’S HONORED ROLE AS APOSTLE
MATCH THE CLAIMS OF THE NEW SCHOOL?

The Da Vinci Code “claims a special leadership role in the church for Mary Magdalene that was later suppressed” is a claim presented that distorts reality. One of the issues surrounding Mary Magdalene is the lack of solid evidence, which gives rise to much speculation and a wide array of unsubstantiated interpretations. Bock identifies an underlying theme of Dan Brown and other Neo-Gnostic scholars who claim that “Christianity needs a new story because the old one was bad history in which the suppressed losers were denied a hearing. Injustice needs correcting. We need to look at the evidence from a fresh historical angle to save those who have not been able to speak for themselves through the centuries.” “In effect, the ancient church is called a liar.” Neo-Gnostic and Classical Christian views cannot both be right.

Biblical materials do elevate the view of women in their particular cultural situation. Bock notes the role of Philip’s daughters as prophets in Acts 21:9 and Anna’s role as prophet in Luke 2:36-38. Jesus apparently affirmed women be allowing them to be disciples such as Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42, Mary Magdalene, Susanna, and Joanna in Luke 8:1-3, Priscilla in Acts 18:26, and the likelihood of women deaconesses in 1 Timothy 3:11.
However, there are some limitations to the role of women found in the Bible. Jesus had twelve male disciples. Matthias, a male, replaced Judas in Acts 1:15-26. Generally speaking, the Bible did elevate the role of women, especially in comparison to their surrounding culture. Some claim that there was a specific move to suppress women in the early church, especially the role of Mary Magdalene. One should note, however, how the Roman Catholic Church has venerated Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Mary Magdalene has been identified as the apostle to the apostles. Mary Magdalene was with a group of women when she arrived at the tomb and her and the other women were apostles in the sense that they bore the message of the resurrection to the other apostles. The issue about Mary in the Gospel of Mary arguing with Peter really appears to be about whom can receive revelation. It does not appear to be about gender. Mary Magdalene was affirmed as one of the first persons along with other women to witness the resurrection “although she was not given an office in the church for that role.”

CODE 7: WHAT IS THE REMAINING RELEVANCE OF “THE DA VINCI CODE?”

The Da Vinci Code as critiqued by Bock through historical material has found the novel deficient in its claims. Two claims in the novel, related to women, are valid. Mary Magdalene was not historically found to be a prostitute and Jesus did elevate the view of women. The danger of a book like this novel is that people in general embrace what they read without critically considering the evidence or the agenda behind the books or authors they read. The Christian faith has been rooted in factual recorded historical events that provide objective verifiable proof of its claims. This book by Bock has provided ample evidence for the traditional view and ample proof to contradict the claims of liberal scholars and the claims found in The Da Vinci Code.

CODE 8: THE REAL JESUS CODE.

This book has centered on some key figures and some key texts. The key text was the Bible and the key figures were Jesus and Mary Magdalene. One would do the biblical text injustice to miss how Mary Magdalene was influenced by Jesus and believed in Him as her Lord and Savior and was an actual witness to his death, burial, and resurrection. Just as the life of Mary Magdalene was transformed by an encounter with Jesus Christ the reader of this book can also embrace, believe and receive the eternal life that can only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus.

Bock is a respected, conservative New Testament scholar. In Studying the Historical Jesus, he offers one of the most accessible introductions to the study of the "Historical" Jesus. If you have simply read your New Testament your entire life and are now curious about its background, origins, and the history behind it. Or if you have had little exposure to the New Testament and wonder what it is all about, historically speaking. This book delivers.

The Introduction opens with brief discussions of sources relevant to the study of the historical Jesus, including the Old Testament, the Apocrypha, the Pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, and Josephus. Each is only a few paragraphs long but explains well the source and its relevance to studying Jesus. The main event of the Introduction, however, is his run down on each of the Canonical Gospels. Bock delivers solid discussions of each, including their structure, unique emphasis, authorship, and date. Not surprisingly, Bock's conclusions are traditional.

Bock also delivers a chapter on the Nonbiblical evidence for Jesus, ably covering the "usual suspects" of Josephus, Thallus, Tacitus, and company. Next there is an informative discussion about the chronology of Jesus' life. Bock nondogmatically discusses the various alternatives about when Jesus was born, how long his ministry was, and the date of his death. Thereafter, Bock delivers a helpful general history of the Greek and Roman empires, and then a more focused discussion on the geography, population, and culture of first century Palestine.

In Part 2 of his book, Bock moves into a more argumentative tone as he discusses and criticizes the search for the "historical Jesus." There is a helpful history highlighting the key players and their theories in the three "quests" for the historical Jesus. Bock then summarizes five systemic problems in historical Jesus research, including an undue skepticism of narratives or sayings that are similar to Old Testament narratives and sayings, and inadequate historical attention being given to Luke's special material, Matthew's special material, and the Gospel of John. The criticisms are well taken and receive insufficient consideration in most New Testament research.

Next Bock devotes chapters to several methods of historical inquiry as applied to the New Testament: Historical Criticism, Source Criticism, Form Criticism, Redaction Criticism, Tradition Criticism, and Narrative Criticism and Gospel Genre. The discussions are well done, defining each as well as emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses inherent to each disciple. Bock is no reactionary. He sees a role for each in researching and understanding the New Testament and Jesus, but appropriately chides much modern "historical Jesus" studies as overly skeptical.

In sum, Bock has delivered an excellent resource for those interested in looking into the unfamiliar ground of New Testament criticism or studying the "historical" Jesus. Indeed, this would be one of the first books I would recommend to any such person.½

anyone interested in beginning a study of the historical jesus, this is a great book. although brief and an easy read, i found this book exceedingly insightful for my first study of the historical jesus. recommended.

An great resource that expounds on key words or phrases in the Gospels. This is valuable to have on your side as you're going through a passage. It's like having a scholar sitting right next to you.

This book should be read by all people wishing to pursue Gospel study. The historical information leading up to the time of Jesus and the surveys of the culture, geography, and key sects will give you understanding that will open up texts beyond what you ever dreamed. This book along with Bailey's book are the first 2 books I would recommend anybody before they start gospel study. I haven't read many other works on it, but these are indispensible. I loved this book, but it is very educations and informational. I ended up taking notes on it just so I could review b/c he gives you so much information. I loved this book!

Though very technical at times, this is a very good commentary on the gospel of Luke. Bock is an outstanding scholar and gives good information. Some information is a bit superflous such as Jesus Seminar information, but I'm sure it is interesting to some. Bock is a dispensationalist so every passage that could be eschatological is according to Bock, which is a bit of a mistake in my mind, so I disagree with some of his theological correlations. Also, Bock's exegesis doesn't compare to Kenneth Bailey's on pericopes such as "The Good Samaritan" or "The Sinful Woman Forgiven" or "The Two Lost Sons", but nevertheless the scholarly information Bock provides, such as things pertaining to language or background material or historicity, can be most useful for the student wishing to go deeper in Luke's gospel.

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