What do you think?
Rate this book
Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: The Challenge of Luke-Acts to Contemporary Christians
In this and every age, the church desperately needs prophecy. It needs the bold proclamation of God’s transforming vision to challenge its very human tendency toward expediency and self-interest — to jolt it into new insight and energy. For Luke Timothy Johnson, the New Testament books Luke and Acts provide that much-needed jolt to conventional norms. To read Luke-Acts as a literary unit, he says, is to uncover a startling prophetic vision of Jesus and the church — and an ongoing call for today’s church to embody and proclaim God’s vision for the world.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2011
45 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Luke Timothy Johnson
85 books69 followersLuke Timothy Johnson is an American New Testament scholar and historian of early Christianity. He is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Candler School of Theology and a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University.
Johnson's research interests encompass the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts of early Christianity (particularly moral discourse), Luke-Acts, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Epistle of James.
Johnson's research interests encompass the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts of early Christianity (particularly moral discourse), Luke-Acts, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Epistle of James.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 5, 2012
Johnson provides us with a historical and critical source for dialoguing with the Gospel of Luke and Acts, approaching it as he believes it was intended to be read (as one composition rather than two). His purpose though is to explore how viewing the two books as a single composition can allow us to see the continuity of theme and theology, specifically in its larger theme of the prophet and the prophetic word which can only come alive when one sees the Church in continuation of Jesus' own prophetic ministry. He contends that we desperately need prophecy, and arguably a resurgence of the prophetic word in our churches today, in the same way that it took prominence in the Gospel and the history of the early Church.
It may be that we suffer from a fear or skeptisism of the abuse and misintepretation of the prophetic word. Arguably the charismatic movements can teach us something though about at least seeing the potential of giving ourself over to the sort of ongoing revelation that patterned Jesus' relationship with his followers and the relationship of God with His Church. Whatever the reason, Johnson offers us some valuable teaching and discourse that looks to faithfully adhere to the focus and intent of Luke himself. The Gospel and the Acts of the early Church present a unified picture of setting the ongoing act of God's revealing in the shadow of the OT world. Johnson shows us how, as a literary unit, Luke writes intentionally and uniquely in order to interpret the ministry of Jesus and the early Church alongside the dramatic works of Moses and Elijah. And what goes hand in hand with this focus on the prophetic word as that which empowered the works of the OT prophet, Jesus and the Church, are some key central themes that are intended to be the mark of the Church still today. These themes include a direct correlation between the prophetic word and the power structures of our day, the idea of itenerancy, and the kingdom of God as an already-not yet reality.
Johson walks us through both the literary and prophetic shape of the Luke/Acts narrative, showing how the Church was always intended to be an extension of the revealing ministry of Christ to the world in their current context. He takes the time to define the characteristics of a prophet and the act of the prophetic ministry and the prophetic word as one that enacts, emobodies and witnesses to the ongoing work of God in our lives. He then sets this against the literary work in an exposition that highlights Luke's focus on poverty, the extension of salvation to the Gentiles, prayer and servant ministry. One of the most powerful pictures that he puts in front of us is that of the suffering prophet, a necessary important picture for weighing what appears to be a "glory for the sake glory" reality within the reality of the early Church. One of the tensions that he proposes is that people are okay with Jesus performing the sign and wonders, but tend to fall short of knowing how to deal with those same sign of wonders being exercised within the Church community. And yet not only is it an expectation and reality of the outward movement of the divine revelation, but it is the primary means through which we can humble ourselves and give attention to the poor and needy of our world. The suffering prophet, as Jesus was as well, recognizes that it is about sacrifice in the midst of God's working. When we oppose God's working, or His ability to work within our Church communities in a prophetic fashion, we tend to replace it with controlling doctrine that ultimately fits the Church in to the picture of what we believe it should be and looks to control. The Christian faith is intended to be a subjective dependence on the active revealed word of God in to our current reality, according to Luke. This is why he goes to such lengths to link JEsus as a prophet with the prophets of old, so that He could be that which forms the character of the Church moving forward under the same prophetic ministry under the spirit. Revelation, whether through the OT prophets, Jesus Himself, or in the apostles and early Church, consistently challenged this notion though, and Luke goes to great lengths to put this sort of resistance in to an applicable picture. The highest point of dependence is not our ability to follow doctrine, as the Pharisees did so well in Luke's Gospel, but rather to give ourselves over the transforming work of the Spirit which can reveal in to our current circumstance.
One of the active things Johnson does in his book is spend time after each discourse outlining challenges for the Church in our contemporary setting. The prophetic ministry moves us primarily away from the individual and in to the community, away from hiearachy structures and in to communal dialogue and living, and towards an effective witness in our personal lives so that the divine word can be revealed within the active relationship of the poor, the needy and the gentiles. And particularly, we are given some powerful connections to the ministry of baptism, prayer and repeentance and forgiveness that can be transformative and freeing under Luke's Gospel. This is a book written for the community, for the Church, and would be best read together. However, as an individual it can act as inspiration to stretch our own dependence and witness on the spirit in such a way that it can inspire us to take this message to others as well as a reflection of God's heart represented through His people.
It may be that we suffer from a fear or skeptisism of the abuse and misintepretation of the prophetic word. Arguably the charismatic movements can teach us something though about at least seeing the potential of giving ourself over to the sort of ongoing revelation that patterned Jesus' relationship with his followers and the relationship of God with His Church. Whatever the reason, Johnson offers us some valuable teaching and discourse that looks to faithfully adhere to the focus and intent of Luke himself. The Gospel and the Acts of the early Church present a unified picture of setting the ongoing act of God's revealing in the shadow of the OT world. Johnson shows us how, as a literary unit, Luke writes intentionally and uniquely in order to interpret the ministry of Jesus and the early Church alongside the dramatic works of Moses and Elijah. And what goes hand in hand with this focus on the prophetic word as that which empowered the works of the OT prophet, Jesus and the Church, are some key central themes that are intended to be the mark of the Church still today. These themes include a direct correlation between the prophetic word and the power structures of our day, the idea of itenerancy, and the kingdom of God as an already-not yet reality.
Johson walks us through both the literary and prophetic shape of the Luke/Acts narrative, showing how the Church was always intended to be an extension of the revealing ministry of Christ to the world in their current context. He takes the time to define the characteristics of a prophet and the act of the prophetic ministry and the prophetic word as one that enacts, emobodies and witnesses to the ongoing work of God in our lives. He then sets this against the literary work in an exposition that highlights Luke's focus on poverty, the extension of salvation to the Gentiles, prayer and servant ministry. One of the most powerful pictures that he puts in front of us is that of the suffering prophet, a necessary important picture for weighing what appears to be a "glory for the sake glory" reality within the reality of the early Church. One of the tensions that he proposes is that people are okay with Jesus performing the sign and wonders, but tend to fall short of knowing how to deal with those same sign of wonders being exercised within the Church community. And yet not only is it an expectation and reality of the outward movement of the divine revelation, but it is the primary means through which we can humble ourselves and give attention to the poor and needy of our world. The suffering prophet, as Jesus was as well, recognizes that it is about sacrifice in the midst of God's working. When we oppose God's working, or His ability to work within our Church communities in a prophetic fashion, we tend to replace it with controlling doctrine that ultimately fits the Church in to the picture of what we believe it should be and looks to control. The Christian faith is intended to be a subjective dependence on the active revealed word of God in to our current reality, according to Luke. This is why he goes to such lengths to link JEsus as a prophet with the prophets of old, so that He could be that which forms the character of the Church moving forward under the same prophetic ministry under the spirit. Revelation, whether through the OT prophets, Jesus Himself, or in the apostles and early Church, consistently challenged this notion though, and Luke goes to great lengths to put this sort of resistance in to an applicable picture. The highest point of dependence is not our ability to follow doctrine, as the Pharisees did so well in Luke's Gospel, but rather to give ourselves over the transforming work of the Spirit which can reveal in to our current circumstance.
One of the active things Johnson does in his book is spend time after each discourse outlining challenges for the Church in our contemporary setting. The prophetic ministry moves us primarily away from the individual and in to the community, away from hiearachy structures and in to communal dialogue and living, and towards an effective witness in our personal lives so that the divine word can be revealed within the active relationship of the poor, the needy and the gentiles. And particularly, we are given some powerful connections to the ministry of baptism, prayer and repeentance and forgiveness that can be transformative and freeing under Luke's Gospel. This is a book written for the community, for the Church, and would be best read together. However, as an individual it can act as inspiration to stretch our own dependence and witness on the spirit in such a way that it can inspire us to take this message to others as well as a reflection of God's heart represented through His people.
May 11, 2012
I always thought Acts of the Apostles was one of the more uninteresting books of the New Testament with its seemingly endless comings and goings of Christ's followers. Luke's Gospel made no particular impression on me either. But this commentary by Luke Timothy Johnson, a Catholic theologian, put Luke's writings into a critical and historical context and gives me a much better understanding of Luke's perspective on the life of Christ and the post-resurrection life of his followers.
Johnson stresses that theology is not a specialized activity of academically-trained church people, but should be an activity in which all church members participate as they try to figure out what is the meaning of their faith. It's an ongoing process - the "truth" is never nailed down completely. He places Christ in the "prophetic" tradition of the great figures of the old Testament, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and all the others who railed against "false gods", or in contemporary terms, shallow and misleading truths. All of them were at odds with the values of their society.
Christ reflects a condemnation of the "kinds of oppression and sin that God most opposes". For Luke these have mostly to do with the abuse of possessions and power, of particular relevance today where economics and politics stress the predatory acquisition of these possessions and power. Johnson faults present-day Christianity for too often concentrating on the weaknesses of the flesh, and finding Luke's "ideal of 'blessedness' in poverty and persecution to be less persuasive than to be prosperous and popular."
He sees Christ's prophetic character in terms of poverty (the lack of identification with worldly success), itinerancy (freedom from occupation of a "cult center"), prayer (an openness to the promptings of the "Holy Spirit", and servant leadership ("leaders" are always about service to others). Each of these, he examines in detail.
I thought Johnson's interpretation of Luke's writings was persuasive. Luke writes both about Christ's teachings, and then how they were carried out in Acts of the Apostles; in this respect, he is unique from the other three Gospel writers. Johnson, I think, is a liberal Biblical critic, in that he emphasizes that the Christian church should always be open to new prophetic voices. It too often becomes preoccupied with tradition and staying within the bounds of orthodoxy, particularly true of Roman Catholicism. He doesn't deny that these are important but emphasizes that they were also the preoccupation of the Pharisees, and had little to do with the revolutionary message of Christ, the prophet who came from the margins of society.
Johnson stresses that theology is not a specialized activity of academically-trained church people, but should be an activity in which all church members participate as they try to figure out what is the meaning of their faith. It's an ongoing process - the "truth" is never nailed down completely. He places Christ in the "prophetic" tradition of the great figures of the old Testament, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and all the others who railed against "false gods", or in contemporary terms, shallow and misleading truths. All of them were at odds with the values of their society.
Christ reflects a condemnation of the "kinds of oppression and sin that God most opposes". For Luke these have mostly to do with the abuse of possessions and power, of particular relevance today where economics and politics stress the predatory acquisition of these possessions and power. Johnson faults present-day Christianity for too often concentrating on the weaknesses of the flesh, and finding Luke's "ideal of 'blessedness' in poverty and persecution to be less persuasive than to be prosperous and popular."
He sees Christ's prophetic character in terms of poverty (the lack of identification with worldly success), itinerancy (freedom from occupation of a "cult center"), prayer (an openness to the promptings of the "Holy Spirit", and servant leadership ("leaders" are always about service to others). Each of these, he examines in detail.
I thought Johnson's interpretation of Luke's writings was persuasive. Luke writes both about Christ's teachings, and then how they were carried out in Acts of the Apostles; in this respect, he is unique from the other three Gospel writers. Johnson, I think, is a liberal Biblical critic, in that he emphasizes that the Christian church should always be open to new prophetic voices. It too often becomes preoccupied with tradition and staying within the bounds of orthodoxy, particularly true of Roman Catholicism. He doesn't deny that these are important but emphasizes that they were also the preoccupation of the Pharisees, and had little to do with the revolutionary message of Christ, the prophet who came from the margins of society.
February 11, 2014
A group of us read this together (which is why it took months to complete). Without apology, this is Luke Timothy Johnson's fourth "update" on this important topic. First undertaken in his dissertation (Sharing Possessions: Mandate and Symbol of Faith), broadened in Decision-Making in the Church: A Biblical Model, further developed and broadened in Scripture & Discernment: Decision Making in the Church, this book--Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church is the best of the bunch.
In it, Johnson carefully describes how the writer of Luke introduces the notion of a prophetic Jesus which he then, in the Book of Acts, expands into the life and work of the Spirit-led Church of the prophetic Jesus.
Johnson is clear and impassioned and he pushes the contemporary church to see itself as the Jesus of Luke's gospel sees it: as the living embodiment of its risen Lord!
It's a good read, well worth spending time on!
In it, Johnson carefully describes how the writer of Luke introduces the notion of a prophetic Jesus which he then, in the Book of Acts, expands into the life and work of the Spirit-led Church of the prophetic Jesus.
Johnson is clear and impassioned and he pushes the contemporary church to see itself as the Jesus of Luke's gospel sees it: as the living embodiment of its risen Lord!
It's a good read, well worth spending time on!
November 10, 2020
Jesus prophetic embodiment, enactment and witness is shown by Luke to be
continued in the Acts church and thus is a model and challenge for us at the same time. What
does it mean for us in the first world to be persecuted for our witness? What does it mean for
us to live a life of poverty and itinerancy? How do we imitate Jesus’ example of servant
leadership in our modern Christian structures? What does it mean to exorcise and to heal
today?
Personally after reading Johnson’s “challenge to the contemporary church” section for
exorcism I was left with the question of whether he doesn’t interpret it too metaphorically.
The mentioned aspects of fighting racism, sexism and homophobia are valid but there was no
mention of exorcism as it is presented in Jesus ministry and how that translates to us.
What does inclusion of the marginalized mean for us today? The emphasis on how big
of a deal it was to accept the gentiles into the people of God was helpful for understanding
the gravity of how difficult a thing God might ask us to accept sometimes. Something that
goes against the grain of almost everything we believed.
It was surprising to see that “personal revelation” has a role in determining what God
wants to do and where the Spirit is leading the church and theology. Of course it was also
communal, in that it was not only Peter’s vision, but also approved by the community, but
still… Such insights shatter the modern addiction for objectivity
August 16, 2018
I'm prophetic and I love the books written by the Biblical Luke, but Mr. Luke Timothy Thompson has somehow managed to write a dry, academic analysis of two of the most exciting books in the entire Bible. (I suspect that his Catholic background can be credited for that.) For example, in the 1st chapter, he admonishes the reader to read the book of Luke in sequential order "as Luke intended" to get the most out of his "analysis". But if someone has read all of Luke, then this book is unnecessary because it literally recaps what is already written and adds comparisons to the Old Testament prophets. Only people with -STJ personalities would enjoy this. My personality type is -NFP. So here's my grain of salt.
March 29, 2017
If you read a lot of current literature on the New Testament there is not much that will be new in this book which seems like it was written more as an introductory text or something from a time earlier when the role of the prophetic in Jesus ministry, the gospels and the book of Acts were less understood. Still worth the read and others who are less engaged in this discussion may find it very enlightening.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews