Synopses & Reviews
The gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John are arguably the most important and influential books in Western history. Their accounts of Jesus do not simply add up to "The Greatest Story Ever Told," but "The Four Greatest Stories Ever Told." Why do they present such strikingly different versions of the same events? As the great filmmaker Akira Kirosawa demonstrated in his epic movie
Rashomon, different witnesses can quite honestly remember the same event in very different ways. Now Oxford New Testament scholar Robin Griffith-Jones shows how the four gospels testify authentically yet very distinctly to Jesus' life, death, and message.
Jesus himself asked, ‘Who do you say I am?' If his question has ever intrigued you--if it has ever just caught your imagination--then this book has been written for you.
In The Four Witnesses, Robin Griffith-Jones brings the stories of Jesus to life for the contemporary reader as he revives the original power and intent of the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John as individual witnesses. He presents a lively discussion of how and why each of the four gospels was written, considering the substance and style of the testimony itself as well as the unique context of each story. Rather than entering into the current historical Jesus debates, he offers a fresh reading of the texts with new questions in mind, the same questions, often highly personal, that each Gospel writer sought to address in his own work. For them, as for us, Jesus presented a enigmatic, challenging figure. By seeking insight into the mystery of his life and work, they hoped to find a new way to see the world and to understand our relationship with God.
"Who do you say I am?" Each gospel offers its own answer to Jesus' question, influenced by the context of its writing and the personality of its writer. By examining the distinct light shed by each gospel writer on Jesus' life, work, and death, readers can discover which perspective speaks most clearly to their own needs, hopes, and fears, and decide how to respond to Jesus' challenge. Most importantly, they can encounter in all four gospels taken together what one alone could not provide: a remarkably full and compelling presentation of Jesus and his powerful message.
Synopsis
Griffin-Jones brings the story of Jesus to life for the modern reader as he revives the original power and intent of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John as individual witnesses. He shows how the four testimonies offer perspective to the life, work, and death of Christ.
Synopsis
"Who do you say I am?" Each Gospel offers its own answer to Jesus's question, influenced by the context of its writing and the personality of its writer. All four Gospels taken together provide what one alone could not: a remarkably full and compelling presentation of Jesus and his message.
Bringing the stories of Jesus to life for the contemporary reader, Robin Griffith-Jones revives the original power and intent of each of the four gospels. Mark's gospel tells the rebel's story of Jesus as a failed revolutionary whose mission mysteriously succeeds. For the rabbi Matthew, Jesus is the long-awaited fulfillment of Jewish expectation. For Luke, Jesus is a heroic, compassionate social revolutionary who confidently and mercifully dies on behalf of all humanity. John's gospel is a mystic's interpretation of the divinity of Jesus told in powerful poetic language. The Four Witnesses brings the reader both a deeper understanding of the Gospels, but also the knowledge that Jesus and his message are still challenging people of faith.
Robin Griffith-Jones taught New Testament at Lincoln College, Oxford University for several years. When he recommitted to Christianity, he worked with Mother Teresa and then as an Anglican priest in London and Liverpool, ministering to the poor and the homeless. He was recently appointed Master of the Temple in London, where he combines priestly work, teaching, and public speaking.
"One of the finest non-specialist introductions to the Gospels available today."
- Religious Studies Review
About the Author
Robin Griffith-Jones served as chaplain and taught New Testament for several years at Lincoln College, Oxford University. He recently was named Master of the Temple Church in London, one of the most important and influential positions in the Anglican Church. He wrote this book in John Wesley's study at Oxford.