The Preexistent Son: Recovering the Christologies of Matthew, Mark, and LukeIn this challenging book, rising New Testament scholar Simon Gathercole contradicts a commonly held view among biblical scholars -- that the Gospel of John is the only Gospel to give evidence for Jesus' heavenly identity and preexistence. The Preexistent Son demonstrates that Matthew, Mark, and Luke were also well aware that the Son of God existed with the Father prior to his earthly ministry. Gathercole supports his argument by considering the "I have come" sayings of Jesus and strikingly similar angelic sayings discovered in Second Temple and Rabbinic literature. Further, he considers related topics such as Wisdom Christology and the titles applied to Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels. Gathercole's carefully researched work should spark debate among Synoptic scholars and extend the understanding of anyone interested in this New Testament question. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Preexistence in Earliest Christianity | 23 |
The Transcendence of Christ in Matthew Mark and Luke | 46 |
The I Have Come + Purpose Formula | 83 |
False Perspectives on the I Have Come Sayings | 92 |
Use of the I Have Come + Purpose Formula by Angels | 113 |
A New Reading of the Synoptic I Have Come Sayings | 148 |
A Critique of the Wisdom Christology Hypothesis | 193 |
An Incipient Logos Christology in LukeActs? 210 | 210 |
Messiah and Anatol3 Luke 1 78 | 231 |
Son of Man | 253 |
Son of God | 272 |
Common terms and phrases
Acts of Thomas angel Aramaic Arens argued argument Bauckham Bühner Bultmann Cambridge chapter Christian clearly Commentary context Dead Sea Scrolls demons disciples discussion divine earth earthly Eerdmans Elijah Enoch eschatological Evangelium evidence example exegesis Ezra fact Father Feuillet figure Gathercole God’s Gospel according Gospel of Luke Gospel of Mark Gottes Göttingen Grand Rapids Greek Hamerton-Kelly heavenly identity Hebrews Hofius holy human Hurtado idem incarnation interpretation Israel Jerusalem Jewish Judaism Jude Kuschel London Lord Lukan Luke Luke’s Mark Markus Markusevangelium Matt Matthew Matthew's Gospel Messiah Midrash ministry Mohr Moses motif Neuen Testament noted parable parallels particular passage Paul preexistence christology preexistence of Christ prophetic Psalm purpose formula Qumran R. T. France reference to Jesus sayings Schenke scholars sending sense simply Soteriology statement Synoptic Gospels Targum Theology tion Torah transcendence Tübingen University Press Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht verb Wisdom christology words WUNT Yahweh