The Followers of Jesus as the 'Servant': Luke’s Model from Isaiah for the Disciples in Luke-Acts (The Library of New Testament Studies, 535)

Luke models his portrayal both of Jesus and his disciples in Luke-Acts after the human agent of the Isaianic New Exodus in Isaiah 40-66, the servant. In the Isaianic New Exodus the servant is integral to the restoration; the servant's mission being embodied is, to a great extent, how the New Exodus comes to fruition. The servant connection is at times explicit, as Jesus is identified with the servant in Luke 4:18-19 (quoting Isa 61:1-2 [with 58:6]); Luke 22:37 (citing Isa 53:12); and Acts 8:32-33 (Isa 53:7-8). Regarding the disciples, Isa 49:6 is quoted by Paul in Acts 13:47 in reference to himself and Barnabas, though a focus only on quotations is too limiting. Allusions to servant passages abound. This work argues that Luke sees Jesus fulfilling the servant role in an ultimate sense, but that his followers, modelled after him in Acts, also embody it. This can be seen in Luke's use of Isaianic servant imagery, including suffering, lack of violent response (to unjust treatment) and language in the disciples' characterization. Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction: Jesus And The Disciples As The Servant Chapter 2: Intertextuality: Philosophy And Method I. Introduction a. Critique b. The Problem of Objectivity c. Readers, Authors, the Other, and Interpretive Oppression II. Epistemological Reconstruction: Positivism, Phenomenalism, and Storied Critical Realism a. Fully Human Knowing, Verification, and Intentionality III. Epistemological Reconstruction: Speech Act Theory a. A Speech Act in Three Aspects b. Intentional and Conventional Speech Acts c. The Implied Author and Implied Reader, and the Text as a Speech Act IV. Intertextuality and Luke–Acts a. How a Text Uses Another Text b. Metalepsis and Luke’s Implied Reader c. Criteria for Detecting Allusions and Echoes d. Dialogical Intertextuality and Luke’s Purpose Chapter 3: Isaiah And The Servant I. Introduction a. Isaiah 40–41: The Co-Text of the Servant – The New Exodus b. Isaiah 42–48: My Servant Israel c. Isaiah 49–50: An Expansion of the Servant’s Task d. Isaiah 51–53: The Climax of the Servant’s Task II. Isaiah 54–66: The Vindication of the Servant – the Realization of the New Exodus a. Isaiah 54–60: The Community of the Servants b. Isaiah 61: A Non-Traditional Servant Song c. Isaiah 62–66: The Final Vindication of God’s Servants Chapter 4: Second Temple Judaism And The Servant I. Introduction II. The Old Testament a. Zechariah b. Daniel c. The Septuagint (LXX) III. The Dead Sea Scrolls a. Texts that Employ the New Exodus Theme from Isaiah b. Allusions to Servant Texts 1. 1QS (Community Rule) 2. 1QIsaa (Qumran Isaiah Scroll A) 3. 4Q540 and 4Q541 (Aramaic Apocryphon of Levi) 4. 4Q491c, 4Q427 fragment 7, 4Q471b, 4Q491 fragments 11 and 12, 1QHa 25.35–26.10 (Self-Glorification Hymn) 5. 11Q13 (Melchizedek) 6. 4Q521 (Messianic Apocalypse or On Resurrection or Messiah of Heaven and Earth) 7. 1QH, 1Q35, 4Q427–432 (Thanksgiving Hymns) 8. 4Q436 and 4Q437 (Barki Naphshi) 9. CD (Damascus Document) IV. Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha a. Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach (Sirach or Ecclesiasticus) b. Parables (Similitudes) of Enoch (1 Enoch 37–71) c. Wisdom of Solomon d. Psalms of Solomon e. 2 Maccabees and 4 Maccabees f. Testament of Benjamin V. Other Relevant Texts a. Aquila, Theodotion, Symmachus, and the Peshitta b. Targum Isaiah (Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel) c. The New Testament d. The Synagogue and Rabbinic Material VI. Excursus: Luke and Greco-Roman Imitation VII. Conclusion: Luke as a ‘Typical’ Second Temple Author Chapter 5: Luke And The Servant I. Introduction a. A Narrative Reading of Luke’s Narrative Method b. Luke, Isaiah, and the Servant c. Other Preliminary Matters: Genre, Luke’s Use of the LXX, and His Audience II. Luke 1–2: The Birth Narratives a. Isaianic New Exodus Vocabulary b. A Political Restoration for Israel? c. Israel as God’s Servant and the Beneficiary of His Promises d. Simeon, Anna, and Isaiah 1. A Closer Look: Simeon’s Song and the Isaianic Servant III. Luke 3–8: Enacting Isaianic Restoration as the Servant a. Jesus and the Disciples as the Servant b. The Vocation of ‘Release’ c. The Problem of Division d. An Isaianic Answer to the Question of Identity 1. A Closer Look: John the Baptist’s Mission and Jesus’ Baptism (3.1-6, 21-22) 2. A Closer Look: Jesus’ Sermon in Nazareth and His Ensuing Mission (4.16-43) 3. A Closer Look: The Beatitudes and Eschatological Reversal for the Servants (6.20-25) IV. Luke 9–19: Journeying with Jesus – Training in Servanthood a. Mission and Rejection/Division b. Identity/Passion Predictions 1. A Closer Look: Jesus’ Passion Predictions and Transfiguration, and Suffering/Passion for his Disciples (9.22-36; 44; 12.50; 13.33-34; 17.25; 18.31-33) V. Luke 20–24: The Climax of Jesus’ Servant Task and Its Transfer to His Disciples a. A Quote from Isaiah and Other Allusive Uses of Isaianic Language b. Conceptual Allusions c. The Disciples’ Commission as the Servant 1. A Closer Look: The Transfer of the Servant Mission – Jesus Completes is Task and Commissions His Followers (with a Special Focus on Lexical Ties, Luke 21–24) Chapter 6: Acts And The Servant I. Acts 1–2: The Inauguration of the Disciples’ Servant Mission a. Suffering, Death, Resurrection, and the Ascension (as Exaltation and Vindication) b. The Holy Spirit c. Chosen d. Witness and Release e. Mission to Israel and the Nations 1. A Closer Look: The Integration of Servant Themes in Acts 1.8 II. Acts 3–7: Servant Activity in Jerusalem a. Servant Vocabulary Used of Jesus and the Disciples b. Isaiah 50 and 53: A Cluster of Related Servant Themes 1. A Closer Look: The Servant in Peter’s Speech (3.11-26) III. Acts 8–12: To Judea, Samaria, and Beyond a. Isaiah 53, Jesus, and the Disciples b. New Exodus Imagery c. Proclaiming Good News: Whose Task? d. Servant Terminology and Actions e. The Gentiles and Israel 1. A Closer Look: Isaiah, Philip, and the Ethiopian Eunuch (8.26-40) 2. A Closer Look: Saul’s Call to, and Ananias’ Enactment of, the Servant Vocation (9.10-19) 3. A Closer Look: Cornelius and Gentile Eligibility for the Servant Task (10.1-48) IV. Acts 13–20: A Focus on the ‘Ends of the Earth’ (Gentiles) a. New Exodus Language and Imagery b. To the Jew First, then the Gentile c. The Bright Side of the Servant Task d. The Dark Side of the Servant Task 1. A Closer Look: Paul’s Speech in Pisidian Antioch and the Servant (13.16-52) 2. A Closer Look: Paul’s Farewell Speech and Isaiah (20.18-35) V. Acts 21–28: Paul, the Servant, and the Climactic Ends of Isaiah and Acts a. Suffering, Rejection (i.e. Division) and the Gentiles b. A Chosen, Innocent Witness c. Isaianic New Exodus Language 1. A Closer Look: Paul’s Speech to the Jews and Servant Themes (22.1-21) 2. A Closer Look: The Servant in Paul’s Speech Before Agrippa (26.2-32) 3. A Closer Look: The Servant and the Conclusions of Acts and Isaiah (Acts 28.17-31; Isaiah 65–66) Chapter 7: Conclusion Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors Luke models aspects of his portrayal both of Jesus and the disciples in Luke-Acts after the human agent of the Isaianic New Exodus in Isaiah 40-66, the servant. In the Isaianic New Exodus the servant is integral to the restoration; the servant's mission being embodied is, to a great extent, how the New Exodus comes to fruition. The servant connection is at times explicit, as Jesus is identified with the servant in Luke 4:18-19 (quoting Isa. 61:1-2 [with 58:6]); Luke 22:37 (citing Isa. 53:12); and Acts 8:32-33 (Isa. 53:7-8). Regarding the disciples, Paul quotes Isa. 49:6 in Acts 13:47 in reference to himself and Barnabas, though a focus only on quotations is too limiting, for allusions to servant passages abound. This work argues that Luke sees Jesus fulfilling the servant role in an ultimate sense, but that his followers, modelled after him in Acts, also embody it. This is seen in Luke's use of Isaianic servant imagery and language in the disciples' characterization. -- Publisher's description.