Jesus the Sage: The Pilgrimage of WisdomThe path of wisdom from Solomon to Jesus and from Jesus to the churchIn the early Jesus movement, wisdom in the person of Jesus was believed to have returned to heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, and to reign from there. But Jesus as wisdom had left both his legacy and his influence behind. The sayings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels reflect not only the influence of the Israelite wisdom traditions, but also the tradition of the personification of wisdom.In this provocative volume newly available in paperback, Ben Witherington provides both an introduction to Israel's wisdom traditions and insight into how Jesus and his sayings fit in that tradition. Beyond this, he demonstrates the on-going significance and influence of these traditions on other New Testament writings. He concludes that Jesus may be viewed primarily as a prophetic sage emphasizing instruction, insight, and humor in a vein counter to the dominant culture. |
Contents
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 19 | |
A Public Malaise | 52 |
Wisdom at a Turning Point From Ben Sira to the Wisdom of Solomon | 75 |
The Contributions of Ben Sira | 76 |
The Wisdom of Solomon | 99 |
Conclusions | 111 |
Colossians 11520 | 266 |
1 Timothy 316 | 272 |
Hebrews 12b4 | 275 |
John 1 | 282 |
Conclusions and Further Implications | 289 |
Paul the Apostle Sage or Sophist? | 295 |
Eschatological Wisdom | 296 |
1 Corinthians 14 | 299 |
The Profile and Pilgrimage of Wisdom | 114 |
Hokmah Meets Sophia Jesus the Cynic? | 117 |
A The Legacy of Alexander in the Holy Land | 118 |
Noncynical Conclusions | 141 |
Wisdom in Person Jesus the Sage | 147 |
Jesus Parables and Aphorisms | 155 |
The Wisdom of God | 201 |
Wisdoms Legacy From Q to James | 211 |
The Sapiential Agenda of Q | 219 |
James and Traditional Wisdom | 236 |
Singing Wisdoms Praise | 249 |
Philippians 2611 | 257 |
1 Corinthians 810 and 2 Corinthians 34 | 314 |
Romans 12 911 | 320 |
Conclusions and Conjectures | 330 |
The Gospels of Wisdom Matthew and John | 335 |
Different Sons of the Same Mother | 336 |
A Word to the Wise | 341 |
The First and Last Word | 368 |
Final Reflections on Wisdoms Journey | 381 |
Bibliography | 389 |
Scripture Index | 410 |
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Common terms and phrases
aphorisms apocalyptic argue beatitudes Ben Sira biblical Book of Proverbs Christ christological hymns Christology Christology of Jesus conclusion context Corinthians counter order creation creation theology Crenshaw Crossan Cynic disciples discussion divine Early Christianity early Jewish early Judaism Ecclesiastes Epictetus Epistle of James eschatological especially Evangelist evidence example Fourth Gospel Greek Hebrew Hellenism Hellenistic historical human idea influence interpretation Israel Israelite James Jesus tradition Jewish Christian Jewish Wisdom Jews John Judaism Kloppenborg later least Logos Luke Ma'at mashal Matt Matthew means narrative meshalim Old Testament one's parable parallels Paul Paul's perhaps person personification prophetic Prov Qoheleth reflect revealed righteous sage sapiential material saying scribes seems seen Sira Sira's Sirach Sophia sort speaking Spirit story stress suggests teacher teaching theology things Torah verse Wisdom Christology Wisdom literature Wisdom material Wisdom of Solomon Wisdom tradition Witherington Woman Wisdom words Yahweh
Popular passages
Page 143 - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Page 143 - You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.
Page 285 - For while gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, thy all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior carrying the sharp sword of thy authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death, and touched heaven while standing on the earth.
Page 144 - I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
Page 251 - Although she is but one, she can do all things, and while remaining in herself, she renews all things; in every generation she passes into holy souls and makes them friends of God and prophets; for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom.
Page 15 - Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Page 376 - Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.