l i b r a r y o f n e w t e s t a m e n t s t u d i e s JohN The BApTiST iN Life ANd deATh Audience-oriented Criticism of Matthew’s Narrative Gary yamasaki JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SUPPLEMENT SERIES 167 Executive Editor Stanley E. Porter Editorial Board David Catchpole, R. Alan Culpepper, Margaret Davies, James D.G. Dunn, Craig A. Evans, Stephen Fowl, Robert Fowler, Robert Jewett, Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, Robert W. Wall Sheffield Academic Press John the Baptist in Life and Death Audience-Oriented Criticism of Matthew's Narrative Gary Yamasaki Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series 167 Copyright © 1998 Sheffield Academic Press Published by Sheffield Academic Press Ltd Mansion House 19 Kingfield Road Sheffield SI 19AS England British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library EISBN 9781850759164 CONTENTS Acknowledgments 7 Abbreviations 8 Parti A NEW APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST Chapter 1 HISTORY OF RESEARCH ON JOHN THE BAPTIST 12 Historical Studies on John the Baptist 12 Redaction-Critical Analyses on John the Baptist 30 Chapter 2 METHODOLOGY 33 Chapter 3 STRUCTURE 64 Part II EXEGESIS Chapter 4 PRE-INFORMATION 78 Chapter 5 JOHN: ALIVE AND WELL 81 The Introduction of John 81 John's Baptism of Jesus 95 Chapter 6 JOHN: BOUND AND DETERMINED 101 The Question on Fasting 103 John the Baptist in Life and Death John's Question on Jesus' Identity 106 Jesus' Ideological Point of View on John 110 The Parable of the Children 122 Chapter 7 JOHN: DEAD AND GONE 129 The Execution of John 129 Peter's Confession 132 Descent from the Mount of Transfiguration 133 Jesus' Confrontation with Jewish Leaders in Jerusalem 136 CONCLUSIONS 143 Appendix A TEXT-CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MATTHEW 21.29-31 149 Bibliography 152 Index of References 170 Index of Authors 174 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book is a revision of my doctoral dissertation presented to Union Theological Seminary in Virginia in 1995. Both the original disser- tation and this revision have not been solitary endeavours; many have helped to make the completion of these projects possible. I wish to express my gratitude especially to the following: Dr Jack Dean Kingsbury, who provided invaluable guidance as my advisor for the original dissertation; Dr Stanley Porter, for his editorial counsel in the transformation of the dissertation into the present study; Dr Dorothy Jean Weaver, for introducing me to the field of biblical literary criticism and for the encouragement that she has provided in the years since; The administration of Columbia Bible College, for granting me study leaves to pursue the research and writing needed for both the original dissertation and this revision; The members of the Matthew Group of the Society of Biblical Literature, for lively debate on Matthean issues which has helped me to formulate many of the ideas presented in this work; My wife, April, who has been a constant source of editorial advice, encouragement and support; without her, neither the original disser- tation nor this revision would have been possible. ABBREVIATIONS AbrN Abr-Nahrain ANRW Hildegard Temporini and Wolfgang Haase (eds.), Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neuren Forschung (Berlin: W. de Gruyter, 1972-) A TR Anglican Theological Review AUSS Andrews University Seminary Studies BA Biblical Archaeologist BAGD Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, F. William Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2nd edn, 1979) BDF Friedrich Blass, A. Debrunner and Robert W. Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1961) Bib Biblica BibRes Biblical Research BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin BT The Bible Translator BZ Biblische Zeitschrift CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CurTM Currents in Theology and Mission EDNT Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider (eds.), Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (trans. Virgil P. Howard, James W. Thompson, John W. Medendorp and Douglas W. Stott; 3 vols.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990-93). ETR Etudes theologique et religieuses EvQ Evangelical Quarterly EvT Evangelische Theologie ExpTim Expository Times GTJ Grace Theological Journal HTR Harvard Theological Review IDB George Arthur Buttrick (ed.), The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (4 vols.; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962) IDBSup IDB, Supplementary Volume Int Interpretation Abbreviations ISBE Geoffrey Bromiley (ed.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (4 vols.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, rev. edn, 1979-88) JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion JB Jerusalem Bible JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JES Journal of Ecumenical Studies JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society JJS Journal of Jewish Studies JR Journal of Religion JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JTS Journal of Theological Studies NAB New American Bible NASB New American Standard Bible NEB New English Bible Neot Neotestamentica NIV New International Version NJB New Jerusalem Bible NovT Novum Testamentum NRSV New Revised Standard Version NTS New Testament Studies OrChr Oriens christianus RB Revue biblique ResQ Restoration Quarterly RevQ Revue de Qumran RevScRel Revue des sciences religieuses RHPR Revue d'histoire etde philosophie religieuses RSV Revised Standard Version RTR Reformed Theological Review TD Theology Digest TDNT Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich (eds.), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley; 10 vols.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964-76) TynBul Tyndale Bulletin VC Vigiliae christianae ZNW Zeitschrift fiir die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft