Links to two recent pieces that appeared on TheTorah.com.
Two Recent Pieces at TheTorah.com
Matthias Henze on Second Temple Literature and Messianism
I recently listened to the May 18th episode of The Bible for Normal People which featured an interview with Matthias Henze (PhD, Harvard University) on the subjects of Second Temple Judaism and the concept of the Messiah. This period of Jewish history is, unfortunately, often ignored by conservative readers of the Bible. And because the lens through which they view the... Continue Reading →
"Through the identification with Bartimaeus and subsequent minor characters, the reader is encouraged to move beyond faith in Jesus and his power toward a more faithful acceptance of the demands and values of Jesus." - Joel F. Williams1 MARK 10:46-522 46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples... Continue Reading →
Paula Fredriksen, Jesus of Nazareth: King of the Jews (Vintage Books, 1999), 142. The theme of Jesus' messianic identity appears in Mark in complex ways. Mark shapes his narrative around his project of redefining "messiah" to conform to his convictions about Jesus of Nazareth, whom he knew had been crucified and whom he expected to return.... Continue Reading →
Musings on Mark: A Closer Look at Mark 6:45-52, part 2
In the last "Musings on Mark" we began taking a closer look at Mark 6:45-52. Today we finish up looking at that passage. "He Intended to Pass Them By" We left off in the last post with Jesus seeing the struggle of the disciples as they tried to row "against an adverse wind" (Mark 6:48).... Continue Reading →
Bart D. Ehrman: How is Jesus “the Messiah”?
Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, sixth edition (OUP, 2016), 104. Jews in the first century could have meant a range of things by the title messiah, as scholars have come to realize....Many of these meanings, however, can be subsumed under two major rubrics (which are not necessarily... Continue Reading →
Musings on Mark: The Baptism of Jesus (2) – Baptized in the Spirit
"You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." Mark 1:11b, NRSV In my first post covering Jesus' baptism I argued that the baptism Jesus underwent implied that he too needed to repent of his sins (Mark 1:4). Not only is that the express purpose of the baptism that John performed but... Continue Reading →
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