Introduction
List of Abbreviations

1. The Stage Set: The Jews of the First Century
1.1 The First-Century Jewish Context
1.1.1 The Commonly Accepted Image
1.1.2 More Sources, a Less-Focused Image
1.2 The Various Jewish Groups
1.2.1 Pharisees
1.2.2 Sinners
1.2.3 Zealots
1.2.4 Tax Collectors
1.2.5 Teachers of the Law
1.2.6 Herodians
1.2.7 Other Groups: Sadducees, Essenes, Chief Priests, Elders
1.3 Jewish Religiosity
1.3.1 Reverence for the Ancient Scriptures
1.3.2 The Centrality of the Temple in Jerusalem
1.3.3 Hope for the Future
1.3.3.1 Expectation and Variation
1.3.3.2 Dominant or Dormant?
1.4 The stage Set as Depicted in the Gospels
1.4.1 Distortion?
1.4.2 Connection
1.4.2.1 Nationalistic Religion?
1.4.2.2 Legalistic Pharisees?
1.4.2.3 Earthly Expectations?
1.4.3 New Elements
1.4.3.1 Revitalized Expectations
1.4.3.2 A Prophetic Revival

2. The Stage Lighting: John the Baptist
2.1 John's Influence
2.1.1 Under the Prophet's Spell
2.1.2 A Prophetic Eclipse
2.1.3 Beheaded by the Evangelist?
2.2 John's Ministry and Preaching
2.2.1 A Voice in the Wilderness
2.2.2 The Herald of God's Coming
2.2.3 Baptist of a Nation
2.3 Sent by God
2.3.1 A Unique Ministry
2.3.2 John's Birth
2.3.3 The Prophecy of Zechariah
2.3.4 The Witness of Jesus
2.4 The Forerunner of Jesus of Nazareth
2.4.1 Preparing the Way for the Sandals of God
2.4.2 Witness to the Lamb of God
2.4.3 Forerunner in Death
2.5 A Prophet of the Most High
2.5.1 John's Continuing Importance
2.5.2 The Focal Point of the Old Testament
2.5.3 "And John Is His Prophet!"

3. The Works of God in Israel
3.1 The Gospel of the Kingdom of God
3.1.1 The Central Theme of the Gospels?
3.1.2 John the Baptist and the Kingdom of God
3.1.3 Jesus' Preaching about the Kingdom of God
3.1.4 The Kingdom of Heaven in the Preaching of the Apostles
3.2 Restoring People
3.2.1 Healings
3.2.2 Power over Demons
3.2.3 The Works of God and the Human Worldview
3.3 Authority over Creation
3.4 The Works of God: For Others Only!

4. The Self-Presentation of the Son of Man
4.1 Jesus' Use of Special Terms
4.1.1 "I Tell You"
4.1.2 "Amen, Amen"
4.1.3 "I Have Come"
4.1.4 "Greater Than" and "Before"
4.1.5 "I Am"
4.2 Jesus' Use of "Son of Man"
4.2.1 A Mysterious Self-Designation
4.2.2 A Commonly Used Title?
4.2.3 An Aramaic Idiom?
4.2.4 Old Testament Content?
4.2.5 "Son of Man" in Dialogue

5. The Recognition of the Son of God
5.1 More Than a Prophet
5.2 David's Son and Lord
5.3 God's Anointed
5.3.1 Confessing Jesus as the Christ
5.3.2 The Christ: An Expected Savior
5.3.3 Messianic Expectations in Judaism
5.3.4 Christ, Anointed with the Spirit of God
5.3.5 The Image of the Christ in Focus
5.3.6 The Messiah Hides Nothing
5.4 The Son of God
5.4.1 Christ, the Son of the Living God
5.4.2 God Himself on Earth
5.4.3 The Son of God in the New Testament

6. Rejection and Suffering: The Path of Sacrifice
6.1 A Path of Conflict
6.1.1 The Nazarene
6.1.2 The Conflict
6.2 A Path Accepted
6.2.1 The Acceptance of Enmity
6.2.2 Death as a Plan for Life
6.2.3 Jesus' Death as Necessity
6.3 The Path to Amnesty
6.3.1 The Lamb of God
6.3.2 A Ransom for Many
6.3.3 God's Atonement Supper
6.3.4 Jesus - Liberator from Sins

7. A New Phase for the People of God
7.1 All Israel
7.1.1 All Synagogues
7.1.2 All People
7.1.3 Everywhere
7.1.4 A Preference for Israel
7.2 Jesus the Center
7.2.1 Teacher of Baptized "Pupils"
7.2.2 Leader of Crowds That Follow
7.2.3 Israel's Lawgiver
7.2.4 The King with the Council of Twelve
7.2.5 The Good Shepherd for Israel and the Nations
7.3 God's People in Christ
7.3.1 Apostles for the Nations
7.3.2 Incorporation through Personal Baptism
Excursus: Origin of Christian Baptism
a. Baptism as an Authentic Ceremony
b. The Religio-Historical Explanation
c. When Was Christian Baptism Instituted?

8. With Spirit and with Fire - the Future of the Son of God
8.1 A Promised Future
8.2 He Who Is Coming
8.2.1 The Announcement of Jesus' Future
8.2.2 The Resurrection Life
8.2.3 Between Ascension and Second Coming
8.3 The Time of the Spirit
8.3.1 Immersed in the Spirit
8.3.2 The Coming of the Comforter
8.3.3 The Spirit Changes Borders
8.4 The Day of Fire
8.4.1 Baptism with Fire
8.4.2 Jesus Comes to Bring Fire to the Earth
8.4.3 The Last Days and the Great Day

Appendix 1: The Pharisees
1. The Problem of Historical Reconstruction
1.1 Party Name and Prejudice
1.2 The Age of the Party
1.3 The Sources of Our Knowledge
1.4 The Study of the Sources
2. Josephus on the Pharisees
2.1 Was Josephus a Follower of the Pharisees?
2.2 Josephus on the Pharisees (according to Mason)
2.2.1 Sanctimonious?
2.2.2 Political Nuisance?
2.2.3 A Party Misled?
2.3 The Pharisees according to Josephus (Conclusions)

3. The Rabbinic Literature on the Pharisees
3.1 The Pharisees in the Rabbinic Literature
3.1.1 Rivkin
3.1.2 Neusner
3.1.3 Rivkin and Neusner Compared
3.2 Sotah

4. The New Testament on the Pharisees
4.1 The Special Character of the Source
4.2 Paul, a Pharisee
4.3 Pharisaic Christians
4.4 Pharisees and Christ
4.5 The Roots of the Conflict Christ and the Pharisees
4.6 The Pharisees according to the New Testament (Summary)

5. Pharisees: The Natural Opposites of Christ?
Appendix 2: The Son of Man in 1 Enoch 37-71 and 4 Ezra 13
Bibliography
General Index
Scripture Index
Index of Other Ancient Writings


Includes bibliographical references and index