Summary of the period
It is a bit too early to think about summarizing this century
yet. Should Christ tarry, we will leave that task to others.
Selection of events
2003
Publication of Geza Vermes’
The Authentic Gospel of Jesus,
in which he addressed head-on the inevitable implications for a
critical scholar who assumes a two source solution to the synoptic
problem and a sub-one-year ministry duration. He clearly articulated
how, when exposed to a form critical approach such as that of Bultmann,
such assumptions lead inexorably to the unpalatable conclusion that
many of the gospel sayings attribute to Jesus were in reality invented
by the Church. Vermes argued that Bultmann’s criteria, for
establishing a saying as genuine, were overwhelmingly biased toward
rejection. He therefore undertook a similar analysis, but on
what he believed to be a
fairer basis. Vermes wanted to discover the authentic message of Jesus
which, he believed, now lay shrouded in the Church’s later accretions.
He concluded that
about four-fifths of the Sermon
securely originated with Jesus and a further tenth was largely based
upon his words (for more on Vermes’ analysis and the portions that he
questioned, see the background on
authenticity
and
genre).
2007
Publication
of Ulrich Luz’ commentary on Matthew 1-7. Luz, still working with the
assumption that the Sermon was produced after 70 C.E., suggested that
the
governing structure of the Sermon on the Mount is a ring.
2009
Initial publication of this web site at
www.sermononthemount.org.uk in September 2009. This is by no means likely to be the
most
significant event in this period, but it was at least a milestone for
its author.
The site attempts to review prevailing views on the Sermon whilst presenting the plausibility of
interpreting this teaching as a discourse on the Ten
Commandments as they related to the Way of Righteousness that John the
Baptist came to prepare. It thereby suggests that it can, in its
entirety, be seen as a genuine product of Jesus early ministry.
. . . return
to overview