Matthew's Transfiguration Story and Jewish-Christian Controversy

297 Pages·2012·14.12 MB·English

by  A. D. A. Moses

l i b r a r y o f n e w t e s t a m e n t s t u d i e s
MATThew’S
TrANSfigurATioN
STory ANd
JewiSh-ChriSTiAN
CoNTroverSy

A.D.A. Moses
JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
SUPPLEMENT SERIES
122
Executive Editor
Stanley E. Porter
Editorial Board
Richard Bauckham, David Catchpole, R. Alan Culpepper,
Margaret Davies, James D.G. Dunn, Craig A. Evans, Stephen Fowl,
Robert Fowler, Robert Jewett, Elizabeth Struthers Malbon
Sheffield Academic Press
Matthew's Transfiguration
Story and Jewish-Christian
Controversy
A.D.A. Moses
Journal for the Study of the New Testament
Supplement Series 122
Copyright © 1996 Sheffield Academic Press
Published by Sheffield Academic Press Ltd
Mansion House
19KingfieldRoad
Sheffield, SI 19AS
England
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
EISBN 9781850755760
CONTENTS
Preface 9
Abreviations 10
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION 13
1. Statement of Purpose 14
2. Method 14
3. Working Asumptions 16
Chapter 2
A CRITICAL SURVEY OF SCHOLARSHIP ON THE
TRANSFIGURATION 20
1. The Transfiguration, the Resurrection, Ascension and
Parousia 20
2. The Transfiguration and the Theme of Sufering 25
3. The Transfiguration Viewed within Jewish and Hellenistic
Categories 32
4. The Transfiguration and the Function of Moses and Elijah 36
5. The Transfiguration and Moses-Sinai Symbolism 42
Chapter 3
A SURV E Y OF MOSES-SINAI A N D TRANSFIGURATION THEMES
IN SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM 50
1. Moses-Sinai and Moses-Transfiguration Language and
Themes in Philo 50
2. Moses-Sinai and Transfiguration Motifs in Josephus 57
3. Moses-Sinai and Transformation Motifs in Qumran
Literature 61
4. Moses-Sinai and Moses-Transfiguration Themes in
Samaritan Literature 6
5. Moses-Sinai and Transfiguration Motifs in the Apocrypha
and Pseudepigrapha 74
6 Matthew's Transfiguration Story
6. A Survey of Moses-Sinai and other Moses Motifs in
Rabinic halakah and hagada 1
7. A Survey of Moses-Sinai Motifs in the Fragments of Lost
Judeo-Helenistic Works 80
Chapter 4
MATTHEW 17.1-13 IN THE LIGHT OF LITERARY PARALLELS
AND DANIEL 7-SlNAI CONSIDERATIONS 85
1. The Transfiguration in the Light of Parallels in Graeco-
Helenistic Literature 85
2. The Transfiguration in the Light of Parallels in Apocalyptic
Literature 87
3. The 'Vision-Form', Matthew's Use of TO opocua and
Danielic Motifs 89
4. The Sinai-Daniel 7 Conceptual Setting: The Relationship
between Matthew's Presentation of the 'Coming of the
Son of Man' (16.27-28), the 'Coming of God' at Sinai,
Daniel 7 and Mathew 17.1-13 103
Chapter 5
AN EXEGESIS OF MATTHEW 17.1-13 IN THE LIGHT OF SOURCE
AND REDACTION CRITICAL ISSUES 114
1. Mathew 17.1 and Mark 9.2a 114
2. Mathew 17.2 and Mark 9.2b-3 120
3. Mathew 17.3 and Mark 9.4 127
4. Mathew 17.4 and Mark 9.5 130
5. Mathew 17.5 and Mark 9.7 135
6. Mathew 17.6-7 148
7. Mathew 17.8 and Mark 9.8 150
8. Matthew 17.9; 17.10-13 in the Light of Mark 9.9-10 and
9.1-13 150
Chapter 6
MATTHEW'S TRANSFIGURATION PERICOPE (17.1-13) IN THE
LIGHT OF THE JESUS-MOSES AND EXODUS-SlNAI PARALLELISM
ELSEWHERE IN THE FIRST GOSPEL 161
1. Moses and Matthew's Infancy Narrative (Mt. 1.18-2.23) 163
2. The Baptism Narative (Mt. 3.13-17) 167
3. The Temptation Narrative and the Jesus-Exodus-Israel
Paralelism (Mt. 4.1-11) 170
Contents 7
4. The Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) 175
5. The Last Supper (Mt. 26.17-29) 185
6. Jesus' Moses-Type Farewell Discourse (Mt. 28.16-20
and Deut. 1-34) 187
7. Matthew's Moses-Jesus Typology in the Light of Son of
David Themes and Zion Theology 192
Chapter 7
CONFIRMATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE JESUS-MOSES
AND TRANSFIGURATION MOTIFS ELSEWHERE IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT 2 0 8
1. The Jesus-Moses Parallelism and Exodus Motifs in the
Acts Speches 208
2. The Transfiguration in 2 Peter 1.16-18 211
3. The Jesus-Moses Parallelism and the Letter to the Hebrews 212
4. Moses-Sinai and Transfiguration Motifs in the Fourth Gospel 214
5. Moses-Sinai and Transfiguration Motifs and
2 Corinthians 3.7-18 and 4.1-6 224
OVERALL CONCLUSIONS 239
Appendix
LUKE'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRANSFIGURATION 245
Bibliography 251
Index of References 273
Index of Authors 0
PREFACE
This monograph is a revision of my doctoral dissertation submitted to
Westminster College, Oxford in collaboration with Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
in 1992.1 owe a debt of gratitude to several people who have helped me
in various ways during the preparation of this book: above all to my
primary supervisor, Dr David Wenham, who read many drafts of this
thesis and has given countless hours to discuss the work with me.
Dr N.T. Wright, my second supervisor, has contributed significantly
through his reading and comments on material presented to him. I am
grateful to Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, for the supportive environment
provided for me and my family during our time in Oxford; to the
University of Oxford for access to its libraries and lectures; and to
Tyndale Hall, Cambridge for the use of the resources there.
I would like to thank Ralph and Tisha Dunstan who on several
occasions provided me with welcome rest at their home in Devon during
my studies.
Finally, I want to thank Clare Wenham and my wife, Vasanthy, for
editing the manuscript, and my son, Paul, who has provided inspiration
and joy for this work. I dedicate this book to my late parents, who
started me off on my theological pilgrimage.