The First Christian Slave: Onesimus in Context by Mary Ann Beavis (review)

Abstract

Mark, Luke); transfiguration (Matthew, Mark, Luke); crucifixion and resurrection (Matthew, Mark, Luke). The chapter on John’s Gospel then discusses the Baptist’s report of the Spirit’s descent (John 1:32–34); the voice from heaven that confuses witnesses (John 12:27–40); and the Spirit of peace commissioning the disciples at the resurrection (John 20:1–21:25). Each of these events forms a subsection in its chapter. Each chapter receives its own separate conclusion. Because of the focus on the aforementioned Gospel accounts, this book will be of interest to anyone doing research on these pericopes. B. does not hesitate to state his opinion on a number of perennial topics and to engage the existing views. One may especially mention here the engagement with L. A. Huizenga’s hypothesis of an Isaac typology in Matthew (The New Isaac: Tradition and Intertextuality in the Gospel of Matthew [NovTSup 131; Leiden: Brill, 2012]) (pp. 40–45) and the discussion of the various elements of the Marcan crucifixion scene (pp. 74–80). In chap. 7, B. seeks to synthesize the separate Gospel accounts, summarizing the divergence and convergence among the four Gospels. He highlights nine ways in which he finds the Synoptic Gospels and John converging in their depiction of revelatory events (pp. 133–36). Finally, in chap. 8 (Conclusion), B. offers several sets of implications of his work: (1) for research on social identity and worship in early Christianity; (2) for research on orality and textuality; (3) for narrative interpretations of devotion to Jesus in the Gospels; and (4) for the relationship between early Christian revelatory experience and the crucifixion and resurrection. I list here some of the notable implications. According to B., the revelatory experiences analyzed here in written form “become paradigmatic for the way first century Christian readers understand Jesus” (p. 138). “From a literary-critical standpoint,” the Gospels “do not appear to be unfinished ‘notes’” (p. 140, in disagreement with Matthew Larsen—especially with regard to Mark’s Gospel). “[T]he Gospel stories reflect an early Christian self-understanding . . . that is critical of responses to revelatory phenomena that view Jesus with analogy to other figures” (p. 141). Finally, “[t]he crucifixion and resurrection events are narrated with revelatory phenomena at the very center of the stories and central to what it means to truly understand them” (p. 142, developing the work of N. T. Wright on resurrection in the NT). The primary and secondary supervisors of the dissertation that lies behind this book (revised since the author’s defense [p. viii]) are Paul Foster and Larry Hurtado, with Helen Bond and Simon Gathercole as the internal and external examiners (p. vii). The author thanks a number of other readers, including Chris Keith. These names suggest a rigorous, innovative, and carefully organized research work—expectations that are certainly met here. The book is thoroughly footnoted, contains an extensive bibliography, a biblical index, and a modern author index.