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Deuteronomic traditions in St. Luke's Gospel : a study in biblical theology

The question of how the Evangelists of the first century want about their tasks has always been open. Source study gained a major place uncer the Formgechichte school and the impact continues today. We consider also today the community in which the Evangelist stands. The redaction-critical investigation does not give us information concerning the Sitz im Leben Jesu, but it can lead us to a better understanding of the Sitz im Lebeft Kirche. Besides the sources (written or oral) at the disposal of the writer we must reckon with his own outlook tnd theology, not forgetting those for whom he is writing. H. Conzelmanr, C.K. Barrett and others today have helped us to the position thai Luke was a skilled theologian. If we regard Luke as a theologian we s ould be able to detect some of his theological positions and suppositions. The Lukan corpus is the most extensive of New Testament writ ngs. Behind what Luke set down oh parchment was the preaching, witness ind experience of the sub-apostolic Church. What we have in Luke-Acts i a kind of double projection. It Is a picture of the. Church of the apost lie period superimposed by the picture of the Church of the sub-apostoli period. What is the relationship of the Old Covenant to this Ne Covenant people? How are the Scriptures of the Old Testament relat .d to that compilation of writings of the "many" to whom Luke refer- in his preface? More specifically, what is the relationship of Deuteronomy to Luke and his sources? C. F. Evans has contributed much to the genesis of our paper through his essay, "The Central Section of St. Luke's Gospel". A careful study of Evans' hypothesis that the Central Section of Luke's Gospel follows Deuteronomy by way of correspondence and contrast, has grown into a dissertation. We concur that Evans has found a connection between Luke and Deuteronomy. The argument that the connection is based on the order of contents Is difficult to support adequately. We propose an alternative. Starting from the Prophet Like Moses emphasis of Acts 3 and 7 we perceive a consistent typology. Jesus is preached, according to Luke, as a type of Moses-the fulfilment of the Prophet Like Moses of Deut.18:15, 18. We observe that Luke emphasizes the prophetic elements very strongly n-tq Christology. Tha sides of the character of Jesus emphasized by Luke are precisely those wuich die Pentateuch portrays of Moses; the prophetic, priestly, kingly and servant features. The mediatorial role of the dying Christ is presented more clearly by Luke than by the other Evangelists. Luke alone records the "Father forgive them" passage. (23:24). This attitude is parallel to the tradition of Deut. 9 where Moses three times makes intercession for Israel. In the record of the Transfiguration Deut. 18:15 plays a paramount part. The whole of the Journey Teaching Section follows, as it were^ under the 'hear you him' imperative. Luke alone introduces the word^o&oSin describing Jesus* death which was to take place in Jerusalem. From this point of view it is argued that the "journey to Jerusalem" which many believe to be a literary device is also a theological expression. It is a Wilderness Teaching Journey. It begins with a Mosaic act - the sending out of the Seventy Throughout the 'Journey', moreover, the figure of Moses is nearly always present along with Deuteronomic traditions and teaching. Aliusions to Deuteronomy are so plentiful that we concede that the Section is a kind of Christian Deuteronomy. The predicted end of Jerusalem as described by Luke 21:20-34 parallels at several points the predicted end of the nation as recorded in Deut. 28. There appears to be a correspondence in relating the and of the nation with the death of Moses, the end of Jerusalem with the death of Jesus. When the verses of Mark are taken out of Luke 21:20-34 there remains a narrative which coheres. In the latter we find many Deuteronomic insights and traditions. When we examine the Temptation narrative we note the order moving from Galilee to Jerusalem which is the order of Jesus' ministry, according to St. Luke. There appears to be more of Deuteronomy behind the narrative than the mere quotation of the Deuteronomic texts. Here is re-enacted the temptation of Israel in the Wilderness. The temptations which caused Israel to fail in time past met their conqueror in Jesus. According to Luke, Jesus moves toward Jerusalem to make the 'exodus' which Israel could not.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:663867
Date January 1972
CreatorsWilms, Glenn H.
PublisherUniversity of Edinburgh
Source SetsEthos UK
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Sourcehttp://hdl.handle.net/1842/33274

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