Chapter 19 From Reimarus to Allison: The Quest for Jesus and the Christological “Thunderbolt” (Matt 11:25–27 // Luke 10:21–22)

In: “To Recover What Has Been Lost”: Essays on Eschatology, Intertextuality, and Reception History in Honor of Dale C. Allison Jr.
Author:
Brant Pitre Graduate School of Theology The Augustine Institute

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Abstract

Despite recent interest in Christology and the sayings-source Q, one passage directly relevant to both topics has not fared so well in the quest for the historical Jesus: the so-called “Johannine thunderbolt” (Matt 11:25–27 // Luke 10:21–22). In this passage, Jesus appears to make three christological claims: (1) “all things” have been “handed over” to the Son by the Father; (2) “no one” knows who “the Son” is except the father (i.e., his identity is hidden); and (3) “no one” knows “the Father” except for the Son. This essay will briefly trace the reception history of Matt 11:25–27 // Luke 10:21–22 in the modern quest for Jesus, starting with Herman Samuel Reimarus and concluding with the recent work of Dale Allison. It will conclude by suggesting that Allison’s Constructing Jesus (2010) lays the groundwork for a fresh look at the “thunderbolt” as a possible source of insight into what Allison calls “The Christology of Jesus.”

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