The Christ-Myth Theory and Its Problems

Contents......Page 7
Introduction:  The Quest of the Mythical Jesus......Page 17
Methodological Presuppositions......Page 25
The Traditional Christ-Myth Theory......Page 31
Jesus: Sender or Recipient?......Page 35
Son of Scripture......Page 36
Dying and Rising Gods......Page 44
The Mythic Hero Archetype......Page 46
Circularity and Historicity......Page 49
NOTES......Page 52
A. Introduction......Page 59
1. Introduction (1:1-3)......Page 62
2. Jesus’ Baptism (1:9-11)......Page 63
3. The Temptations (Mark 1:12-13)......Page 64
4. Commencement of the Ministry (Mark 1:14-15)......Page 65
5. Recruitment of the First Disciples (Mark 1:16-20)......Page 66
6. Exorcism at Capernaum (Mark 1:21-28)......Page 67
7. Peter’s Mother-in-Law (Mark 1:29-31)......Page 68
8. The Healing of a Leper (Mark 1:40-45)......Page 69
9. Healing the Paralytic (2 Kings 1:2-17a; Mark 2:1-12)......Page 70
10. The Withered Hand (1 Kings 13:1-6; Mark 3:1-6)......Page 73
11.  Choosing  the  Twelve;  Embassy  of  Relatives  (Exodus 18:1-27; Mark 3:13-35)......Page 74
12. The Stilling of the Storm (Mark 4:35-41)......Page 79
13. The Gerasene Demoniac (Psalms 107:4-14; Mark 5:1-20)......Page 80
14. Jairus’ Daughter and the Woman with  the Issue of Blood  (2 Kings 4:8-37; Mark 5:21-34, 35-43)......Page 83
15. Rejection at Home (1 Samuel 10:1-27; Mark 6:1-6)......Page 87
16. Mission Instructions (Mark 6:7-13)......Page 90
17. The Death of the Baptizer (Mark 6:14-29)......Page 91
18. Multiplication of Loaves and Fish (2 Kings 4:42-44; Mark 6:30-44; 8:1-10)......Page 93
19. Walking on the Sea (Psalms 107 [LXX: 106]: 23-30; Mark 6:45-52)......Page 96
20. Jesus versus the Scribes (Mark 7:1-23)......Page 98
21. The Syro-Phoenician Woman (1 Kings 17:8-16; Mark 7:24-30)......Page 99
22. Healing of the Deaf and the Blind (Mark 7:31-37; 8:22-26)......Page 101
23. The Transfiguration (Exodus 24:15-16; 34:29; Malachi 3:2; Mark 9:1-13)......Page 103
24. The Deaf-Mute Epileptic (Exodus 32; Mark 9:14-29)......Page 106
25.  Jockeying  for  Position  (Numbers  12:1-15;  16:1-35; Mark 9:33-37)......Page 110
26.  The  Independent  Exorcist,  etc.  (Numbers  11:24-30; Mark 9:38-50)......Page 113
28. The Request of James and John (2 Kings 2:1-10; Mark 10:32-45)......Page 115
29. Blind Bar-Timaeus (Isaiah 35:5a, 6a, 8a LXX); Mark 10:46-52)......Page 118
30. Preparation for the Entry to Jerusalem and the Passover Supper (1 Samuel 9:1-24; Mark 11:1-6; 14:12-16)......Page 119
31.  The  Entry  into  Jerusalem  (Zechariah  9:9;  Psalms 118:19-27; Mark 11:7-11)......Page 122
32. Cursing the Fig Tree (Psalms 37:35-36; Mark 11:12-14, 20)......Page 123
33.  Cleansing  the  Temple  (Malachi  3:1-3;  Zechariah   14:21b; Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11; Mark 11:15-18)......Page 124
34. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Isaiah 5:1-7; Mark 12:1-12)......Page 126
35. The Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:1-37)......Page 127
36. The Anointing at Bethany (Mark 14:3-9)......Page 131
37. The Last Supper (Mark 14:17-31)......Page 133
38. The Garden of Gethsemane (2 Samuel 15:30-37; 16:1-23; Mark 14:32-52)......Page 135
39. The Sanhedrin Trial (Daniel 6:4 LXX; Mark 14:53-72)......Page 140
40. The Scapegoat (Leviticus 16:7-10; Mark 15:1-15)......Page 143
41. The Crucifixion (Psalms 22:1-18; Mark 15:21-41)......Page 145
42. Joseph of Arimathea (Genesis 50:4-5; Mark 15:42-47)......Page 149
43. The Empty Tomb (Mark 16:1-8)......Page 150
1. The Nativity of Jesus (Matthew 1:18; 2:1-23)......Page 152
2. The Resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 27:62-28:20)......Page 156
1. The Nativities of Jesus and John (1 Samuel 1:1-28; 2:1-26; Luke 1:5-2:52)......Page 159
2. The Centurion’s Child and the Son of the Widow of Nain (1 Kings 17:1-24; Luke 7:1-17)......Page 170
3. The Sinful Woman (2 Kings 4:1-7; 2 Kings 4:8-37; Luke 7:36-50)......Page 173
4. Appointment in Samaria (Luke 9:51-56)......Page 175
5. Calling a Ploughman (1 Kings 19:19-21; Luke 9:59-62)......Page 176
6. The Central Section (Luke 10:1-18:14)......Page 177
a. Sending out Emissaries (Deuteronomy 1:1-46; Luke 10:1-3, 17-20)......Page 178
b. Judgment for Rejection (Deuteronomy 2-3:22; Luke 10:4-16)......Page 182
c. Praying to the Lord of Heaven and Earth (Deuteronomy  3:23-4:40; Luke 10:21-24)......Page 183
d. The Commandments and the Shema (Deuteronomy 5:1-33;  6:1-25; Luke 10:25-27)......Page 184
e. (No) Mercy to the Foreigner (Deuteronomy 7:1-26; Luke  10:29-37)......Page 188
f. Not by Bread Alone (Deuteronomy 8:1-3; Luke 10:38-42)......Page 191
g. Fatherly Provision (Deuteronomy 8:4-20; Luke 11:1-13)......Page 192
h. Vanquishing Strong Enemies (Deuteronomy 9:1-10:11; Luke 11:14-26)......Page 193
i. Impartiality and Clear Vision (Deuteronomy 10:12-11:32; Luke 11:27-36)......Page 194
j.  Clean  and  Unclean  (Deuteronomy  12:1-16;  Luke  11:37-12:12)......Page 198
k. Inheritance (Deuteronomy 12:17-32; Luke 12:13-34)......Page 202
l. Severe Punishments (Deuteronomy 13:1-11; Luke 12:35-53)......Page 204
m. Judgment on this People (Deuteronomy 13:12-18; Luke 12:54-13:5)......Page 207
n. The Third Year (Deuteronomy 14:28; Luke 13:6-9)......Page 208
o.  Release  of  the  Bondslave  (Deuteronomy  15:1-18;  Luke 13:10-21)......Page 209
p. Go to Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:1-17; 17:7; Luke 13:22-35)......Page 212
q. Righteous Judges; Remembering the Poor (Deuteronomy  16:18-20; 17:8-18; Luke 14:1-14)......Page 215
r. Excuses before Battle (Deuteronomy 20; Luke 14:15-35)......Page 217
s. Rights of the First-Born versus Wicked Sons (Deuteronomy 21:15-22:4; Luke 15)......Page 220
t. Masters, Slaves, Money, and Divorce (Deuteronomy 23:15-24:4; Luke 16:1-18)......Page 225
u. Vindication of the Poor, of Lepers; Fair Judges (Deuteronomy 24:6-25:3; Luke 16:19-18:8)......Page 228
v.  Confessing  One’s  Righteousness  (Deuteronomy  26;  Luke 18:9-14)......Page 233
7. The Ascension (2 Kings 2:11; Luke 24:49-53)......Page 235
1. Nathanael (Genesis 28:17; John 1:43-51)......Page 238
2. Water into Wine (1 Kings 17:8-24 LXX; John 2:1-11)......Page 239
3. The Samaritan Woman (Exodus 2:15-22; John 4:1-34)......Page 241
4. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene (Tobit 12:14-21; John 20:1, 11-17)......Page 244
1. Pentecost (Numbers 11:6-25; Acts 2:1-4ff)......Page 245
2. Ananias and Sapphira; the Martyrdom of Stephen (1 Kings 21:1-21; Joshua 7; Acts 5:1-11; 6:8-15)......Page 246
3. The Ethiopian Eunuch (2 Kings 5:1-14; Acts 8:26-39)......Page 252
4. Paul’s Conversion (2 Maccabees 3; Acts 9:1-21)......Page 255
5. Peter’s Vision (Acts 10:9-16)......Page 260
WORKS NOTED......Page 262
Dubious Database  Second Thoughts on the Red and Pink  Materials of the Jesus Seminar......Page 265
1. Prologue: Birth, childhood & family of Jesus......Page 266
2. John the Baptist & Jesus......Page 270
3. Jesus is baptized (Mark 1:9)......Page 272
4. Jesus is tested (Matthew 4:1-11//Luke 4:1-13)......Page 273
5.a. Children in God’s domain (Mark 10:13-16)......Page 274
5.b. Kingdom banquet (Luke 14:16-24)......Page 275
5.d. Leaven (Luke 13:20-21//Matthew 13:33//Thomas 96)......Page 277
6.a. First disciples  Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John (Mark 1:16-20)......Page 278
6.b. Levi (Mark 2:14)......Page 279
6.c. Women companions of Jesus (Luke 8:1-3)......Page 280
7. Teaching with authority  In the synagogue at Capernaum (Mark 1:21-22)......Page 282
8. Vineyard laborers (Matthew 20:1-15)......Page 283
9. Demons by the finger of God  Jesus tours Galilee (Mark 1:35-39)......Page 284
10.  Unclean demon (Mark 1:23-28)......Page 285
11.  Beelzebul controversy (Luke 11:15-19) Demons by the finger of God (Luke 11:20) Powerful Man (Mark 3:27)......Page 286
12.  Greek woman’s daughter (Mark 7:24-30)......Page 287
13.  Herod beheads John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29)......Page 288
14.  Love & forgiveness  The first stone (John 8:3-11)......Page 290
16.  Question of fasting (Mark 2:18-19)......Page 291
17. Aged wine (Thomas 47//Luke 5:37-39//Mark 2:22//Matthew 9:17)......Page 292
18.  Celebration  Children in the marketplace (Luke 7:31-35//Matthew 11:16-19)......Page 294
19. The lost sheep (Luke 15:4-6//Matthew 18:12-13//Thomas 107)......Page 295
20.  Prodigal (Luke 15:11-32)......Page 296
21.b.  Man with crippled hand (Mark 3:1-5)......Page 297
22.b.  Hating father and mother (Luke 14:25-26//Matthew 10:37//Thomas 55, 101)......Page 299
22.c.  No respect at home (Mark 6:1-6)......Page 300
23.b.  Corrupt judge (Luke 18:1-8)......Page 301
23.c.  Leased vineyard (Thomas 65//Mark 12:1-8)......Page 302
25.a.  Eating with defiled hands (Mark 7:1-5)......Page 304
26.a.  Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31)......Page 305
26.b.  Paralytic and four (Mark 213-12)......Page 306
26.c. Woman with a vaginal hemorrhage (Mark 5:24-34)......Page 307
26.d. Blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-24)......Page 308
28.  Sight & light  Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)......Page 309
29.a.  Temple incident (Mark 11:15, 17)......Page 310
29.b.  Paralytic by the pool (John 5:2-3, 5-9)......Page 311
30.  Somebody Said Them: Vote Red......Page 312
31.  Dead End Doorway......Page 313
NOTES......Page 314
Out of Nothing Something Comes......Page 319
Kid Stuff......Page 321
The (Growing) Beard of the Prophet......Page 324
From Muhammad to Nag Hammadi......Page 329
You Don’t Mess Around With Jim......Page 333
Image of the Invisible God......Page 336
Big Brother Is Watching You......Page 343
Grafted into the Family Tree......Page 347
Josephus and James......Page 350
Stranger in Paradigm......Page 351
Epistles versus Gospels......Page 353
Yesteryear and Beyond......Page 362
Mythology versus Methodology......Page 367
Myths versus Legends......Page 373
Marcion and the Gospel Story......Page 379
Conclusion......Page 385
The “Pre-Christian Jesus” Revisited......Page 387
Ancient Israel not Monotheistic......Page 388
Apocalyptic Son of Man......Page 391
Wisdom......Page 396
Gnostic Primal Man......Page 400
Dying and Rising Savior Joshua......Page 401
Yahweh himself!......Page 414
The Peril of Historicizing Jesus......Page 418
The Sum of the Matter......Page 420
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus, Opponents of the Cross!......Page 421
There is no God, and Jesus is his Prophet......Page 423
Do You “No” Jesus?......Page 425
Et Tu, Brute?......Page 426