Jesus and the Gospels

by Craig L. Blomberg

Book Overview

An intensive study of the primary sources of information about the life of Christ: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Blomberg sheds new light on the confusing interpretations discovered over the past two centuries.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805410589
• ISBN13: 9780805410587
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

excellent and intelligent conservative Jesus study book!

this is a very sane and sober comprehensive dig into a wealth of issues surrounding Jesus studies and the four gospels of the new testament. A tremendous amount of issues are put on the table and you will truly learn alot from this book. Well researched, careful scholarship and a well read author who is indeed conservative, but not a fundamentalist. The only quibble I have with this work is that I wish it dealt a bit more with the greco-roman milieu of miralcles, myths and mystery religions. These subjects are included in this book to be sure, but I think more material would have been helpful. This is only a minor quibble though, after all, one volume can only pack so much into it. I also think that on a few rare occasions His conservative bent may get the better of him, but again, I would say this is rare. It is a bit of a tedious read in some ways, but this is to be expected from a work that is not designed to be a fun narrative story. This is not a devotional read, but rather this work seeks to educate readers on the historical issues of Jesus studies as well as the gospels along with the meaning and understanding thereof. This is sorely needed as too much "bible teaching" today is less than grounded in careful sanity. For a very accurate study of Jesus issues with sanity, don't miss this one! Also see N.T. Wright's, The Original Jesus, and Peter Walker's little book by Intervarsity Press, Jesus in His World. These are top notch intro level books helping one to understand Jesus according to His historical and cultural context.

Deserves to be in your library

Whether you just have a few questions about the gospels, or whether you are a serious student, this book deserves to be in your library. Blomberg gives thorough overview of all the different aspects of bible study, including the political, religious and socioeconmic background of the gospels, and all the various modern theories and arguments about the gospels, their dates and authors. And this is simply great: at the end of each chapter he lists the best books on the subject, and he lists them for the novice, intermediate, or advanced students. For each theory about the gospels that Blomberg discusses, he presents the best argument for the theory, say Q, and then gives the weaknesses of the theory. A terrific resource. Blomberg is a traditional believer, yet this book is very fair to all sides.

For the Studious

I bought this book as a textbook for a Life of Christ Class and found it to be an excellent resource. It gives more than you ever wanted to know on a broad range of subjects. An excellent book but not an easy read.

Great book, packed with information.

Blomberg is a heavy-duty, serious Biblical scholar. This study of the gospels is packed with information suitable for both students and readers of the New Testament. Packed with detailed notes and scholarly insight. This isn't a breezy commentary, so look elsewhere if that's your bag. This is serious scholarship, although not so serious that a general reader won't enjoy it. A great book on the subject by one of the best of today's thinkers.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Jesus & the gospels

Blomberg's work is an absolute delight. After years of teaching courses on Jesus and the Gospels, he committed himself to write out word for word everything he wanted his students to know. The result of working through this book (complete with review questions at the end of every chapter) is that you can essentially have Blomberg as your teacher for $22 (minus the tuition, parking, and grade!).The work is divided up in 5 sections: Historical Background for Studying the Gospels; Critical Methods for Studying the Gospels; Introduction to the Four Gospels; A Survey of the Life of Christ; and Historical and Theological Syntheses.Blomberg works through the critical issues methodically. The eye for detail, the insightful exegesis, and the delightful prose all make this work hard to surpass as an introduction and survey. It truly is a "one-stop" shopping textbook. I expect to turn to it repeatedly throughout the years for the incredible amount of information packed into its 400 pp. In many senses it serves to function as an ultra-condensed commentary in certain parts.Blomberg seems to be rare in the scholary field as his work has not alone a commitment to excellence in scholarship, but also a passion to communicate the gospel today. He often points out reasonable application that the text might offer us. He seems as if he is able to worship as he writes and teaches. May his tribe increase!One improvement could have been further discussion and explanation of geographical pointers and significance. Blomberg treats the topic in just a couple of pages and then continues on.All in all, this is an excellent volume, and deserves a wide readership.