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The Incorporation of Jesus and his Emissaries in a Tripartite Canonical Framework (Luke 11:45-53)
Open accessAbstract
This composition critical exegetical study examines Luke’s distinctive presentation of Jesus’ woes against the scribal scholars in Luke 11:45–51. Four elements of Luke’s presentation are identified which contribute to the inclusion of Jesus and his emissaries within a distinctly tripartite canonical framework. Luke’s peculiar use of the Greek term νομικός is shown to be employed as a rhetorical marker to emphasize the scripture interpreting role of the scribal scholars and to provide a broad allusion to scripture overall. The correspondence of the three woes against the νομικοί to the tripartite Hebrew canon is demonstrated as further evidence for this allusion to scripture and a threefold revelatory tradition. Two elements within the second woe, the saying of the “Wisdom of God,” and the range of past martyrs, are then discussed and found to have intertextual links with 2 Chronicles 24 and 36, suggesting the present passage is a typological recapitulation of past persecution and martyrdom, as well as judgment. The article concludes that these distinctive elements show that Luke typologically incorporates Jesus and his emissaries within a tripartite revelatory tradition and canonical framework, and that by further implication, Luke’s written testimony (Luke-Acts) to the persecution and killing of Jesus and his sent ones, contributes to the self presentation of this written testimony as a climactic continuation of the OT scriptures.
Overview
CoChat Summary
TL;DR
This composition-critical exegetical study argues that four features of Luke 11:45-53 incorporate Jesus and his emissaries into a tripartite canonical/revelatory framework of law, prophets, and wisdom/writings. It concludes that Luke-Acts presents the persecution and killing of Jesus and his sent ones as a climactic continuation of the OT scriptures.
Key findings
- Luke uses νομικός for the scribes in 11:45, 46, 52; he names scribes 21 times in his Gospel, six times with νομικός, once with νομοδιδάσκαλος, and the remainder with γραμματεύς. In all but six occurrences, scribes are associated with another named group: eight times with Pharisees (5:17–15:2) and seven times with chief priests (six from 19:4–23:10 and once in 9:22). The author argues νομικός functions rhetorically to emphasize scripture interpretation and to allude broadly to scripture.
- The three woes against the νομικοί correspond to a tripartite Hebrew canonical framework—law, prophets, and wisdom/writings. Luke frames six woes total: the first three against Pharisees (11:42–44) and the second three against scribal scholars (11:45–53).
- The second woe’s “Wisdom of God” saying (Luke 11:49) has intertextual links with 2 Chronicles 24:19 and 36:15–16, updating a sending-apostasy-judgment pattern into the present and future and locating climactic recapitulation in Jesus and his apostles.
- The span “from Abel to Zechariah” (Luke 11:50–51) is read as a canonical range of prototypical martyrs, with Zechariah identified as the son of Jehoiada in 2 Chronicles 24:20; this supports a typological recapitulation in which Luke-Acts continues the OT canonical framework.
Methods
- Composition-critical exegetical study of Luke 11:45–53, with limited use of Matthean parallels (Matthew 23) and the Q/common tradition; the focus is on Luke’s use of source materials for his narrative and theological purposes.
- Analysis of Greek terminology (νομικός vs. γραμματεύς/νομοδιδάσκαλος), Luke’s narrative presentation of scribes, OT intertexts (especially 2 Chronicles 24 and 36), and scholarly interpretations of “Wisdom of God” and the Abel-to-Zechariah martyr span.
- No empirical sample or quantitative analysis; the argument is lexical, structural, intertextual, and typological.
Limitations
- Stated in the paper: it is “not necessary to argue for a fixed canon” in Jesus’ day, only a tripartite revelatory/canonical framework; Peels’s caution that the passage cannot prove a closed OT canon remains appropriate; competing canonical orders are possible; use of Q/Matthew is limited.
- Evident in the text: the conclusion depends on contested canonical assumptions and intertextual identifications (e.g., Zechariah, “Wisdom of God”); some proposed backgrounds are speculative and lack external evidence; there is no manuscript or quantitative validation of the central claims.
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Claims the paper makes
0 Valid · 15 Not valid · 32 Not checked · 70 Own results and interpretations
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“None of these instances imply a special class of Jewish leaders.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There are only five instances of this word in specifically Jewish Greek literature through the first century outside of the canonical Gospels.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: unclear — It is unclear why the paper says it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“A comparison of these texts, however, reveals a key difference in the verb tenses of ἀποστέλλω .”
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In all but six of these occurrences, the scribes are associated with another named group as part of a larger opposition to Jesus.”
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper states — it cites no source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Indeed, scripture interpretation is the subject matter in the three instances apart from Luke 11:45-52 where scribes appear without a partner group.”
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
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Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ The Scribal Scholars (νομικοί) in Luke 11:45-53 · p. 8
“This argument is strengthened by the use of νομικός in Luke 14:3, one of three scenes considered to be examples of the Symposium genre (Steele, 1984, 184).”
§ Bibliography · p. 20
“- Steele, E. Springs. 1984. 'Luke 11:37-54: A Modified Hellenistic Symposium?' Journal of Biblical Literature 103 (3): 379-94.”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Luke's Employment of νομικός for 'Scribe' · p. 4
“However, Paul Redditt (1993) persuasively argues that the faithful living out of the Jewish law ( νόμος ) undergirds the author's concerns for his readers.”
§ Luke's Employment of νομικός for 'Scribe' · p. 4
“Third, in light of Reddit's understanding (1983), the rhetorical advantage of employing νομικός in place of the source text's γραμματεύς may be understood as a way to give further emphasis to the faithful living out of the Jewish Torah .”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Conclusions and Implications · p. 17
“I have shown above that four elements in Luke 11:45-51 contribute to incorporate Jesus and his emissaries within a tripartite canonical framework.”
§ The Three Woes against the Scribal Scholars · p. 10
“Finally, the scribal scholars are reprimanded for their rejection of true knowledge (11:52), and the resultant prevention of others from gaining it.”
Citations
Cites
The Gospel According To Luke (X–XXIV): Introduction, Translation, and Notes by
Fitzmyer, S. J. (1985) · Yale University Press eBooks · doi:10.5040/9780300261653 · Cited by 311
A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew
Allen, W. C. (2010) · Gorgias Press eBooks · doi:10.31826/9781463229047 · Cited by 254
The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church and Its Background in Early Judaism
Gordon, R. P., & Beckwith, R. T. (1988) · Vetus Testamentum · doi:10.2307/1518097 · Cited by 151
The Intertextual Jesus: Scripture in Q
Kloppenborg, J. S., & Allison, D. C. (2002) · Journal of Biblical Literature · doi:10.2307/3268344 · Cited by 98
The Law and the Prophets. A Study in Old Testament Canon Formation
Grund, A. S., & Chapman, S. B. (2002) · Journal of Law and Religion · doi:10.2307/1051452 · Cited by 73
Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees in Palestinian Society: A Sociological Approach
Neusner, J., & Saldarini, A. J. (1991) · Journal of the American Oriental Society · doi:10.2307/603762 · Cited by 67
The Old Testament of the Early Church
Kraft, R., & Sundberg, A. C. (1966) · Journal of Biblical Literature · doi:10.2307/3265143 · Cited by 66
Jewish Scribes in the Second-Temple Period
Wright, J. W., & Schams, C. (2001) · Journal of Biblical Literature · doi:10.2307/3267918 · Cited by 57
Sanders, J. T. (1987) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 37
Wisdom, Christology, and Law in Matthew's Gospel
Suggs, M. J. (1970) · doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674436398 · Cited by 35
Research works printed but not linked: 5
- 5. Bock, Darrell L. 1996. Luke Volume 2: 9.51-24.53. Vol. 2. 2 vols. Baker Exegeti- cal Commentary on the New Testament 3B. Grand Rapids: Baker.
- 14. deSilva, David A. 1998. 4 Maccabees. Guides to Apocrypha and Pseudepigrap- ha. Sheffield England: Sheffield Academic Press.
- 16. Ellis, E. Earle. 1963. "Luke 11:49-51: An Oracle of a Christian Prophet?" Exposi- tory Times 74 (5): 157-58.
- 20. Harris, R. Laird. 1990. "Chronicles and the Canon in New Testament Times." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 33 (1): 75-84.
- 28. Redditt, Paul L. 1983. "The Concept of Nomos in Fourth Maccabees." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 45: 249-70.
Cited by
Thellman, G. S. (2017) · Kairos · doi:10.32862/k1.11.2.4
Self-citationThellman, G. S. (2017) · Kairos · doi:10.32862/k.11.2.4
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Thellman, G. S.
- Affiliations
- Evanđeosko teološko veleučilište (HR)
- Corresponding author
- Thellman, Gregory S.
- ORCID
- Thellman, Gregory S.
- Venue
- Kairos
- Publisher
- Biblijski institut
- Published
- 2017-07-09
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 7-27
- ISSN
- 1846-4580 (ISSN-L)
- 1848-2511
- 1846-4599
- OpenAlex
- W2726835345
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 7.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Kairos (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Hrčak Portal of scientific journals of Croatia (University Computing Centre) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Biblical Studies and Interpretation
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Historical and Linguistic Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Classical Studies and Philology
- Keywords
- Jesus Christ, apostles, Pharisees and scribes, wisdom of God, typology, intertextuality, Gospel of Luke
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