The path of wisdom from Solomon to Jesus and from Jesus to the churchIn the early Jesus movement, wisdom in the person of Jesus was believed to have returned to heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, and to reign from there. But Jesus as wisdom had left both his legacy and his influence behind. The sayings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels reflect not only the influence of the Israelite wisdom traditions, but also the tradition of the personification of wisdom. In this provocative volume newly available in paperback, Ben Witherington provides both an introduction to Israel's wisdom traditions and insight into how Jesus and his sayings fit in that tradition. Beyond this, he demonstrates the on-going significance and influence of these traditions on other New Testament writings. He concludes that Jesus may be viewed primarily as a prophetic sage emphasizing instruction, insight, and humor in a vein counter to the dominant culture.
Ben Witherington III is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and is on the doctoral faculty at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. He has taught at Ashland Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University, Duke Divinity School, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. His numerous books include, from Fortress Press, Jesus the Seer (2014) and Jesus the Sage (2000).
Preface PART ONE: FROM SOLOMON TO JESUS 1. Beginning the Journey: Drinking from the Fount Background and Foreground The Book of Meshalim: The Fountainhead Ecclesiastes: A Public Malaise 2. Wisdom at a Turning Point: From Ben Sira to the Wisdom of SolomonWisdom Gains a Name: The Contributions of Ben Sira Spirit of Wisdom/Wisdom as Spirit: The Wisdom of Solomon Conclusions Table 1: The Profile and Pilgrimage of Wisdom 3. Hokmah Meets Sophia: Jesus the Cynic?The Legacy of Alexander in the Holy Land Non-Cynical Conclusions 4. Wisdom in Person: Jesus the SageThe Narrative Meshalim and a Theory of Language Figures of Speech: Jesus' Parables and Aphorisms Jesus: The Wisdom of God PART TWO: FROM JESUS TO THE CHURCH5. Wisdom's Legacy: From Q to James Right on Q: Doubting Thomas Table 2: The Sapiential Agenda of Q James and Traditional Wisdom 6. Singing Wisdom's PraiseTuning Up The Servant Song: Philippians 2:6-11 Ode to the Cosmic Christ: Colossians 1:15-20 The Vindication Verse: 1 Timothy 3:16 The Radiance Reprise: Hebrews 1:2b-4 The Logos Hymn: John 1 Conclusions and Further Implications 7. Paul the Apostle: Sage or Sophist?When Thought Worlds Converge: Eschatological Wisdom Wisdom on the Cross and the Wise Master-Builder: 1 Corinthians 1-4 The Christian Shema and the Christ of the Exodus: 1 Corinthians 8:10 and 2 Corinthians 3-4 With Faithfulness and Justice for All: Romans 1-2; 9-11 Conclusions and Conjectures 8. The Gospel of Wisdom: Matthew and JohnMatthew and John: Different Sons of the Same Mother Matthew: A Word to the Wise John: The First and Last Word 9. Final Reflections on Wisdom's JourneyBibliography Scripture Index
