Jesus the God-Man: The Unity and Diversity of the Gospel Portrayals

by Darrell L. Bock, Benjamin I. Simpson

What the Gospels Tell Us about Who Jesus IsThis clear, compact introduction surveys what the Gospels tell us about who Jesus is by exploring his teachings and actions in their contexts. Darrell Bock, a leading evangelical New Testament scholar who speaks and teaches around the world, and Benjamin Simpson treat the Gospels as reliable sources for a plausible portrait of Jesus. Condensing years of extensive study on the topic, this handy, readable textbook presents fresh ways to understand the Gospels, especially the Synoptics in comparison with John.

Genres: Theology

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2016

About the author

Darrell L. Bock is a New Testament scholar and research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, United States. Bock received his PhD from Scotland's University of Aberdeen.

Reviews

[Josie Seto · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an assignment

[Brooke Durrett]

I read this for seminary class

[Joel Opificius · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid read. This is a good supplement to his other book, "Jesus According to Scripture" (JAS). In fact, this book began as the final chapter in the first edition of JAS. In the preface, Bock mentions that the original chapter did not have the climactic effect that he had hoped for, so he removed it in the second edition of JAS and developed that chapter into its own book. JAS looks at the life of Christ passage by passage, noting the similarities and differences between the Gospel accounts. This book, however, is organized thematically. Chapters include topics such as the titles of Jesus (chap. 4), the teaching and actions of Jesus (chap. 5), "Jesus's Central Message, the Kingdom of God" (chap. 3), and "The Vindication to Come" (chap. 7). I found his approach to the kingdom to be especially helpful. Bock is a scholar that has a large breadth and depth to his research, and it shows. He displays not only a knowledge of the Gospel accounts themselves, but also of the culture that the writers lived in, referencing historical sources such as Josephus and the Midrash. Overall, this was an excellent study that helped me to come to better grips with who the Gospel accounts say that Jesus is and helped me to see more of the beauty of unity in diversity with the Gospel accounts.

[Annie Kessinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was honestly surprised I enjoyed this book so much. I thought it was going to be a commentary of Jesus in the Gospels that would be a tough read, but I loved the devotional like aspects that Bock mixed in! I have read multiple of Bock’s commentaries for different classes and I really like His writing style! His flow is easy to understand and grasp.
One critique is just that sometimes there was a lot of skipping around chronologically in Jesus’ life while at the same time moving through the Gospel accounts in a chronological way. It’s confusing to write down as it was similarly confusing to go through at times. For example the last chapter was about Jesus’ final week, but His suffering and resurrection had already been mentioned as well as many references to end times.
Regardless, I would recommend this to my friends for a deeper book on the portrayal of Jesus in Scripture that is easier to understand. Great read!

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking and insightful.

Nick brings to light that thought the four e evangelist we are painted four unique portraits of Jesus. Yet, these portraits are morphed into one when we take I go count Jesus' words and, more importantly, his actions. It is through these words and actions (as relayed through the gospel accounts) that the question, "who is Jesus" can be answered.

[Ryan Storch · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I gave this book a 3 ⭐️ rating, I want to be clear that it is an excellent book. The unfortunate thing is that most of my reading has been in the theology expressed in the gospels. So, after saying that, I appreciated Bock’s desire to paint an accurate picture of who Jesus is and what he proclaimed in the gospels. He does so by looking at Jesus’ message (the Kingdom of God), the names and titles he took on, what he did, those he called, and the vindication to come.

[Jonathan Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, way more academic than I was expecting

[Damian Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[David M · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever asked, “What is going on in the Gospels”, "Jesus the God Man: The Unity and Diversity of the Gospel Portrayals", is an organized and insightful resource that gives an answer. Bock and Simpson sidestep much of the confusion of overly critical methodologies by focusing on the final form of the text and expounding on key points and themes such as: preparation for Jesus’ arrival, the Kingdom of God, how Jesus was received and understood in the context of Second Temple Judaism, Jesus’ Identity and the significance of His actions as portrayed in the Gospels, His final week, and the community He formed. Each chapter is filled with references and comparisons between the Gospels for the theme under discussion.

Chapters 2 (Jesus Central Message: The Kingdom of God), 3 (The Nature of the Kingdom: Presence, Realm, Ethics, Messiah, and the Father), and 5 (Jesus Teaching and Actions: Showing who He is) are, in my opinion, the strongest chapters of their work. Their insight into the plethora of views on the concept of the Kingdom of God in Second Temple Judaism helped to make sense of how Jesus defines what the kingdom of God is in contrast to popular expectations of the time. We are finally seeing a renewed focus on what Jesus actually did, instead of speculation on which sayings are authentic or what should be part of what tradition or redaction, which is refreshing as it focuses on the text as God has providentially shaped His word for us. Bock and Simpson’s attention to Jesus’ actions and the significance they have in their context allows readers to see the correlations between Jesus’ development of the concept of the kingdom and how His actions demonstrate the reality and in breaking of the kingdom of God. In other words, Jesus both defines and demonstrates the Kingdom of God.

As an introductory text, Bock and Simpson accomplish their goals with insight and clarity. This resource will help you to see major themes in the Gospels for further exploration (particularly the theme of the kingdom of God). I would recommend this work for anyone wanting to see the picture of Christ of which we have four portraits: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with increasing clarity.