Jesus according to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels
ìIn this book Darrell Bock has accomplished for Evangelical theology what the late Raymond Brown achieved for its Catholic counterpart: a judicious synthesis of the scholarship of his colleagues with the concerns of a canonical reading of Scripture. The result is a readable textbook that respects the exegetical diversity of the Gospels while emphasizing the unity of their underlying witness.î óBruce Chilton, Bard College   ìDarrell Bock is a well-known expert in the Gospels, and in Jesus according to Scripture he provides a detailed analysis of the portrait of Jesus from each Gospel as well as a theological synthesis of Jesusí message and import as the Gospels portray him. Here we have a much more fulsome and helpful portrait of Jesus than is offered in many recent treatments of the historical Jesus. Highly recommended.î óBen Witherington III, Asbury Theological Seminary  ìThis book is a wonderful illustration of the value of canonical criticism. The authorís great knowledge of historical criticism is here employed in a study that takes the final form of the biblical texts as a literary unity. Bockís work has a wonderful balance between a respect for the uniqueness of each Gospel and an appreciation of the overall unity in the portrait of Jesus provided for the church.î óC. Stephen Evans, Baylor University   ìThis book drives students to the texts of the four canonical Gospels; defends their historical reliability; interpretively distinguishes the Synoptics from John in the main, but somewhat from each other as well; and harmonizes all of them as much as possible. Teachers of courses on the life of Jesus who want a textbook that blends these approaches are likely to find here just what theyíre looking for.î óRobert Gundry, Westmont College    Inside Flaps Copy (294 words) ìNeither a contribution to historical-Jesus research nor a conventional textbook on the Gospels, this is a common-sense yet academically informed commentaryófirst on a synopsis of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and then on John. Laypersons, theological students, and pastors needing a review course will greatly benefit from it. In many ways, Jesus according to Scripture is a successor to Dwight Pentecostís Words and Works of Jesus, and a worthy one indeed!î óCraig L. Blomberg, Denver Seminary  ìRooted in outstanding scholarship and written with exceptional clarity, Bockís presentation of Jesusí life and teaching will be of great help to pastors, Christian leaders, and students of Scripture. Our students have already benefited from a pre-published version of this volume and speak with enthusiasm about it.î óClinton E. Arnold, Talbot School of Theology  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 with a brief overview of each Gospel, surveying its structure, themes, authorship, setting, and date. He then offers a detailed, unit-by-unit examination of Jesus as portrayed in the Synoptic Gospels, followed by an analysis of Jesusí portrayal in John. He finishes with a summary of the themes found throughout the Gospels, thus unifying them into a cohesive portrait.  Darrell L. Bock (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of more than ten books, including the two-volume BECNT commentary on Luke, Blasphemy and Exaltation in Judaism, and Studying the Historical Jesus.