Description
Book SynopsisIn this landmark study of the literary relationship between the gospel of John and the synoptic gospels, Gary Greenberg presents compelling evidence for the existence of a written pre-canonical Alpha gospel that contained almost all of the main episodes in the adult life of Jesus (excluding major speeches, such as discourses, parables, and "I Am" sayings) and which became the written source for the core biography of Jesus in Mark, Luke, John, and Matthew. While Mark used the Alpha gospel with only slight variations, John had profound theological disagreements with it, objecting to its theological message about how to obtain eternal life, the depiction of Jesus, and other matters. This induced him to rewrite the Alpha gospel so that it conformed to his own very different theological agenda. Consequently, John's gospel functions as a thorough theological critique of Mark, but the changes he introduced made it difficult to see how he and Mark worked from the same written source. By usi
Trade Review
"Gary Greenberg is a superb intellectual detective, following up on tantalizing clues in ancient texts to uncover sources and insights that others have missed. In this latest work Greenberg traces similarities between the Gospel of John and the earlier Gospel of Mark. In so doing, he makes a remarkable discovery—lurking behind both gospels is an earlier document that each has used, independently of the other. Here is a new source document that sheds important light on the crucial decades following Jesus’ death. Carefully crafted, well written, based on historical and literary analysis, this book enhances our understanding not only of the Gospels of John and Mark but the process whereby the gospels themselves came to be."—Barrie Wilson, Professor Emeritus and Senior Scholar of Religious Studies, York University; Author of How Jesus Became Christian and co-author of The Lost Gospel
Table of Contents
List of Tables – Usage Notes - Editor’s Preface – Acknowledgments – The Problem of Mark Versus John – A Trail of Breadcrumbs – The Paralytic on the Mat – True Kindred and the Devil – You Can’t Go Home Again – The Mission Begins – Jesus’ Last Visit to Jerusalem – The Plot to Kill Jesus – The Jewish Trial of Jesus – The Lazarus Conundrum – The Roman Proceedings – The Crucifixion – The Day of Preparation – The Resurrection – The Proto-gospel Restored with Brief Commentary – Proving the Case for a Proto-gospel – Index.
