Customer Reviews

Parables of Jesus (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A challenging but rewarding book. In the first half, Jeremias uses ten methods to discover the original intent and situation of the sayings (parables and more) of Jesus. The second half of the book is devoted to his grouping of the parables into the ten main points made by Jesus in his sayings. In general, he claims that Jesus spoke in particular, rather than universal, situations, situations that have to be decoded for today's audience. The book is frustrating in that specific examples of his textual criticism are given using the Greek, and there is no English translation.

I read this book when I was a seminary student in the late 70's. Sad to say, it wasn't required reading. I read it on my own, and it's one of the few books from that era in my life that I remember having read. I know Koine Greek, so Jeremias' quoting the original language of the New Testament was wonderful to me. However, for those who don't know Greek, there is a condensed Greek-free version of this book titled, "Rediscovering the Parables." It's probably available somewhere used. If you're reading this review, then you're interested enough in this topic to get your hands on either version. "The Parables of Jesus" is a book you will read and revisit through the years. Get it.

Forget about those silly ... over at the Jesus Seminar. Jeremias is the real deal. He dedicated his life to building a bridge from the primitive church back to the actual words of Jesus and I think he was remarkably successful. The heart of Jesus' message is the parables and this book takes us into the company of Jesus. It's as if we're hearing him for the first time. A simplifed version of this book under the title "Rediscovering the Parables" was published back in the sixties. It shouldn't be too hard to find in a used book store specializing in religious books. That edition translates all the Greek and eliminates some of the scholarly detail without at all blunting the power of this profoundly insightful key to Jesus' teachings. It's a shame that so much of Jeremias' work is out of print. John P. Meier in his Marginal Jew series makes great use of Jeremias and in many ways agrees with his findings.

Professor Joachim Jeremias was a brilliant Oriental savant of ancient Semitic languages. This ancient language competence permitted him to grasp and pentetrate the ancient mentality well. His penetration of the authentic 'Jesus Message' informs and widens, as well as enriches and deepens, one's insight into the peculiar personality of Jesus.

This book on Parables is a good starter for the novice. I would suggest that one reads his 'Our Father' prayer analysis as well. All his books should be accessible on Google Books.

His competence in Aramaic, the language that Jesus actually spoke and thought within, permits him to penetrate Jesus' mind set. Dr. Jeremias' data points are to be found in his formidable Hebrew scholarship. As a cultured gentleman, he presumes competence in classical Latin and Greek by his readers. Koine Greek is viewed as a boring side-product, toss away knowledge as one might view it. Generally, the Koine Greek is such poor rudimentary Greek that one must know the Aramaic or Hebrew thought constructions behind it before it makes sense to the modern philological sensibility.

Those here who wish to cultivate their mastery of Christianity, especially, in its proto-stages [Year 26 A.D. to 35 A.D.], must master the scholarship of this humane, warm human being with his cogent reflections and scholarly judgments!

Respectfully,


John E.D.P. Malin,
Chairman of the Board &
Chief Executive Officer
Informatica Corporation
School Street
Cecilia, LA 70521-0460

Joachim Jeremias (1900-1979) was a German Lutheran theologian, Near Eastern Studies scholar, and professor of New Testament studies.

He begins this 1947 book (subsequently revised several times) by saying, "The uniqueness of Jesus' parables comes out clearly when they are compared with analogous productions from the same period and cultural context, such as the Pauline similitudes or the Rabbinic parables. Comparison reveals a definite personal style, a singular clarity and simplicity, a matchless mastery of construction. The conclusion is inevitable that we are dealing with particularly trustworthy tradition. We stand right before Jesus when reading his parables."

However, he cautions that the early Church "collected and arranged the sayings of Jesus according to their subject-matter, created a setting for them, sometimes modifying their form, expanding here, allegorizing there, always in relation to its own situation between the Cross and the Parousia."

To give but one example of Jeremias's exegesis: "All the Gospel parables are a defence of the Good News. The actual proclamation of the Good News to sinners took a different form: in the offer of forgiveness, in Jesus' invitation to the guilty to taste his hospitality, in his call to follow him. It was not to sinners that he addressed the Gospel parables, but to his critics: to those who rejected him because he gathered the despised around him. His opponents were disappointed because they were expecting a Day of Wrath; they had closed their hearts to the Good News..."

Jeremias is a scholar to whom the "liberal" and "conservative" labels do not apply. This book will remain of continuing interest to anyone interested in Jesus, the "historical Jesus," New Testament studies, etc.

Very good book. explains various things of 1st century life in Israel. A great reference book. I am sure I will read it several times. However, the author quotes the gospel of thomas and the gospel of "Q" as if they ares equal to the Canonical Gospels. My opinion, the author does not take into account the view point of the different gospel writters.

I like "The Parables of Jesus". I've learned something about the tradition of telling parables, the uniqueness of the parables of Jesus, and a bit about the likely editing process the Apostles or subsequent scribes engaged in recording their memories of Jesus' parables. For me, Jeremias' work does not diminish the parables, but offers a broader appreciation for them. I am also reminded that the Church existed before scripture, so the selection of the parables fits into what I understand about the early church practice of worship and Christian teaching, and their understanding of salvation. Reading this book and filtering Jeremias' scholarship through my Orthodox understanding is a comfortable exercise in comparing and contrasting scripture with application. While intrigued by Jeremias' interest in Syrian manuscripts, I was referred to Bruce Metzger's books' "The Early Versions of the New Testament: Their Origin, Trnasmission and Limitations" and "The Text of the New Testameht" which helped to expand my perspective of scholarship in this areaThe Early Versions of the New Testament: Their Origin, Transmission, and LimitationsThe Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration (4th Edition)

The cover of the book was as described. The entire contents was a book about James Madison. Thus the book was a total hoax.