Jesus According to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels Book

In recent years, historians and biblical scholars have been in active pursuit of the Jesus of history. The Jesus Seminar and similar efforts to place Jesus within his historical context have relied heavily on extrabiblical documents, since many historians consider the Bible to be propagandistic and biased. Darrell Bock, however, believes that the Gospels' account of Jesus deserves further examination. Bock argues that when read together, the Gospels provide a clear picture of Jesus and his unique claims to authority. To demonstrate this claim, he offers Jesus according to Scripture. While noting how details of the canonical presentation of Jesus relate to first- century Palestinian culture, Jesus according to Scripture is not a historical study of Jesus. Instead, it seeks to show the coherent portrait of Jesus that emerges from the Gospels, a portrait that is rooted in history and yet has produced its own historical and cultural impact. Bock begins his work with a brief overview of each Gospel, surveying its structure, themes, authorship, setting, and date. He then offers an examination of Jesus as portrayed in the Synoptic Gospels presented together. Bock, however, does not attempt to harmonize them but leaves their narrative lines intact, allowing events to be repeated. In this way readers are invited to appreciate the contribution of each event internally to that Gospel as well as to its parallels. Next, Bock provides a detailed analysis of the Fourth Gospel's portrayal of Jesus. He finishes with a summary of the main theological themes found throughout the Gospels, thus unifying them into a cohesive portrait of Jesus. Jesus according to Scripture is an excellent textbook for courses on the life of Jesus at both the advanced college and seminary levels. Additionally, pastors, teachers, and all those interested in Jesus and the Gospels will enjoy this scholarly yet accessible book.Read More