RNT Regensburger Neues Testament
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TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by G. Kittel and G. Friedrich. Translated by G. W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids, 1964–76
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ZS Zacchaeus Studies
1
Luke 7:18–35: A Historical Survey
Introduction
Luke 7:18–35 (// Matt 11:2–19) contains one of the longest fragments of traditional material dealing with John the Baptist in the NT. Many contemporary scholars attribute this material to a source no longer extant, commonly referred to as Q. Since the patristic era the Lukan passage has attracted the attention of interpreters who have sought to respond to the problem echoed by the question of Algasia to Jerome: “Why does John send his disciples to the Lord to ask: ‘Are you the one who is to come or should we wait for another?’ since he himself had previously said: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world?’” (Hieronymus, Epist. 121.1).1 In other words, how are we to make sense of the fact that in the Gospel of Luke the Baptist seems to question the identity of Jesus, while in the Gospel of John he had already identified Jesus as the “the lamb of God” (John 1:29–34)?
Although this apparent contradiction has been one of the major concerns of the passage for commentators, other important issues are addressed in the pericope. For instance, what is the relationship of the Baptist to the kingdom of God in light of Jesus’ praise that “among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (7:28)? Of no less significance for understanding the relationship between the Baptist and Jesus, and the relationship of both “to the people of this generation” (7:31), is the comparison that Jesus makes between the Baptist and himself in the parable of the children in the marketplace (7:31–35). The interpretation of these and other issues have influenced the way in which commentators understand the role of John the Baptist, the identity of Jesus, and the relationship between them.
Objective and Method of the Present Work
Historical-critical methods have dominated the study of this pericope in recent times. The purpose of the present work is to investigate the function and meaning of this passage from a narrative-critical perspective. I analyze how literary aspects of the passage such as setting, character, and plot function within the whole of Luke-Acts. Although narrative criticism is the main approach of this investigation, the exegesis also takes into account historical-critical and redaction-critical observations to gain a fuller understanding of the passage. The study begins with a Forschungsbericht in which I present a historical overview of some notable interpretations of the passage, beginning with Origen and concluding with contemporary scholars. In the second chapter, I study the origin and redaction of the passage in comparison to the parallel material in the Gospel of Matthew 11:2–19. In the third and fourth chapters, I make a narrative-critical exegesis of the pericope, paying particular attention to the function of this passage within the Third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. In the fifth and final chapter, I summarize my findings and discuss their implications for the interpretation of the passage as well as for other issues related to John the Baptist within Luke-Acts and the other Gospels.
Luke 7:18–35: A Forschungsbericht
From the Patristic Period to the Reformation
One of the first authors to address the pericope in his homilies on the Gospel of Luke was Origen (185–255). While commenting on the birth of John, Origen states: “‘Greatest among the sons of women’ [7:28] he was evidently worthy of a greater upbringing.”2 Origen emphasizes the greatness of John and compares him to Moses, who lived in the desert and “spoke to God.”3 Yet, he considers the Baptist greater than Moses, because he associated himself with angels in preparation for his role as precursor of Jesus. In the eyes of Origen, the Baptist received an upbringing that made him worthy to be the forerunner of the Lord. Origen does not dwell on the meaning of the Baptist’s question to Jesus (7:19–20), but he limits his remarks to note that “a question about Jesus arose.”4 Rather he points out that the Baptist taught even while in prison and that with the response he received from Jesus he was “armed for battle.” Origen is convinced that, strengthened by these words, the Baptist believed in Jesus and affirmed his faith in him as the Son of God.
Ambrose of Milan (339–97) is another early Christian author that addresses the passage in his commentary on Luke.5 For him it is im-possible that the Baptist would have not recognized the identity of the person whom he had already identified, according to John 1:34, as the chosen one of God: Non cadit igitur in talem prophetam tanti erroris suspicio (“therefore, suspicion of so great an error does not fall on such a prophet”).6 Since Ambrose views the Baptist as a representative of the Law, he interprets John’s question as a way of allowing his disciples to obtain the fullness of the Law, which is Christ.7 For Ambrose, the question of the Baptist had to do with John’s difficulty to accept that the “one who is to come” had to face death.8 The greatness of the Baptist is directly related to his relationship with Christ, whom John saw, befriended, and baptized, but who is subordinated to Christ for two reasons: (1) John was born of a woman whereas Jesus was born of a Virgin; and (2) the Baptist is human and Christ is divine.9 Jesus’ remark about the Baptist’s subordination to the least in the kingdom of God is related to his subordination to the heavenly angels. God is wisdom (7:35), and the forgiveness of sins through the baptism of John is the reason for which the people and the publicans, the children of wisdom, justified God (7:29, 35).10 In commenting on 7:31–34, Ambrose identifies the children of the parable with the Jews who frustrated the plan of God through their unbelief.
Cyril of Alexandria (378–444) deals in three separate homilies with each of the three main units of the passage (7:18–23, 24–28, 31–35).11 In a hortative style, Cyril interprets the episode in light of other OT and NT references, repeatedly acknowledging the stature of the Baptist. Alluding to the Baptist’s remarks in John 3:28–31, Cyril is convinced that the Baptist knew who Jesus was but asked the question about