Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church [Hardcover]

Richard J. Bauckham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2000

An original and important contribution to the study of the earliest Palestinian Jewish Christianity.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: T. & T. Clark Publishers (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0567095738
• ISBN-13: 978-0567095732
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,352,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Palestinian Jewish Christianity, November 3, 2009

By 

S. E. Moore (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church (Academic Paperback) (Paperback)

This book is a rare gem that should be made available to the public. Fortunately I was able to find a copy at a local library. Bauckham uses his extensive historical and biblical knowledge to bring new light to the earliest roots of the Christian faith which began in Palestine. Bauckham uses a threefold approach by expounding upon the "Desposynoi" (relatives of Jesus); the letter of Jude; and the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Bauckham saves his exposition of James' letter to a separate work which I have recently purchased and look forward toreading.

In his exposition of the earliest sources written about the Desposynoi, Bauckham puts to rest the theory that the Ebionites and gnostic Christians were the true heirs of the Jerusalem church (as does Ray Pritz in "Nazarene Jewish Christianity"). The fact that James, Symeon, and the grandsons of Jude were honored by the early church demonstrates that they were not identified with later Jewish Christian groups like the Ebionites which were considered heretical. According to these sources, James' successsor, Symeon bar Clopas, preserved the original apostolic teachings and was betrayed by other Jewish Christian groups who came into prominence after his martyrdom.

The Desposynoi and their Palestinian Jewish converts made use of biblical symbolism and the Prophets to demonstrate that Jesus was the ultimate messiah, lord, and saviour. Their bases in Nazareth (derived from "netzer"-branch) and Kokhaba (star)had messianic significance.

Bauckham argues that there never was a so called "Jesus Dynasty" or Christian "caliphate". While Jesus' blood relatives had crucial leadership roles and were the originators of Christian doctrine, they considered themselves servants of the Lord and not his successors. Psalm 110:1 was used to demonstrate that Jesus descended from David but was superior to him in that he was the ultimate end-time messiah and not merely a successor to his throne.

In his exposition of the letter of Jude, one of the most obscure books in the Bible, Bauckham claims that it is not an early church polemic against gnosticism but may be one of the oldest books in the New Testament written by Jude himself and is a valuable first hand exposition of the original Palestinian faith. Bauckham demonstrates how Jude is written in the style of Jewish midrash (commentary on scripture) and bears a striking resemblance to the Qumran pesharim and early Jewish apocalyptic writings in its form and style.

Jude uses biblical examples to interpret the end-time scenario which he believes he is living in. Jude writes as if he and his readers are the last generation living on the brink of the parousia. An early church writing wouldn't convey this. The letter also refers to the teachings his readers had received from the apostles as if some of them were still alive to remember it. Jude also makes use of angelology and the exalted status of the angelic order which further places it in the realm of an early Palestinian Jewish writing. Jude's opponents are probably charismatics who place grace above the moral restraints of the law and who defy the authority of the angels. Bauckham refers to them as "proto-gnostics" and not second century gnostics.

Thirdly, Bauckham expounds upon the genealogy of Jesus which Luke used to compose his gospel, which differs from Matthew's genealogy. Bauckham argues that this could be the same genealogy which the Desposynoi preserved (other Davidic genealogies being destroyed by Herod) and which they used to demonstrate Jesus' as the eschatological Lord and Saviour. In Luke's genealogy, Jesus is the 77th generation starting with Adam which signifies his generation as the final generation.

It also has Jesus descending from David through Nathan and Zerubbabel rather than through Solomon and the royal line. This confirms the messianic "branch" prophecies found in Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15, and Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12 which state that the ultimate messiah would not descend through the failed "royal" line of David. This also explains Jesus' humble family origins and the name of his ancestral home of Nazareth. Although rural peasants, Jesus' family kept their genealogy and had a strong sense of their prophetic significance.

Jude's Christology indicates that his earliest followers and family referred to him as Messiah, Master, and Lord to identify him as the ultimate messiah of the end times. While never identified as God, he was anointed to carry out the eschatological functions of judge and saviour which were assigned to God by the prophets and thus had the unique title "Lord" bestowed upon him. The gentile church of later generations took this one step further by claiming that Jesus was God incarnate.

This book is very detailed and somewhat tedious to read. However, the insights it provides make it well worth the effort.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jude and the Early Church, July 8, 2007

By 

Jeffrey S. Brindle "Gold Bull" (Watertown, SD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church (Academic Paperback) (Paperback)

Dr. Bauckham provides his usual comprehensive review of the issue of Jesus' family and its role in the early Palestine church. As I've noticed with his writing, he tends to the pedantic and convoluted. This, of course, makes following his argument tedious work. In spite of that, this book really does highlight the development of the Judeo-Christian church in Jerusalem. I would recommend it for those interested in this period.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amen, January 31, 2010

By 

Pen name "vrabitta" (Lego Land, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church (Academic Paperback) (Paperback)

Just finished reading this extraordinary book, and though I rarely bestir myself to review, this one's so good and potentially of value to so many, it compelled action here Fortunately, reviewer Moore beat me here with a sufficient rave to motivate you. Emphatic Amen, though I don't share some of Moore's interpretation; this isn't the place to quibble.

This book was originally out in 1990, and reissue in 2004-- that decision by T.T. Clark tells you something of its importance.

Although now very pricey, snag it from interlibrary loan get a deal on used.

If christian origins are your thing, this is indispensable. Bauckham is the antidote for many bad Jesus and bible books abounding. He is the highest standard. He's comprehensive, never 'lite,'picks great topics, and if you've read several books on the same subject (e.g. James, or Jesus historicity, etc., Bauckham will give you something new and/or better. Amazingly prolific. Is he a one-man scholarly sweatshop? Ezra's scribes look like slackers comapred to this guy. But, he is not what I would call engaging, so you have to work at mining. I wish my USC scanner drive hadn't been disabled by the net wackos who are so busy defending their stolen territory against honest critics. Oh well, back to reading.