The Question of John the Baptist and Jesus' Indictment of the Religious Leaders: A Critical Analysis of Luke 7:18-35 [Paperback]

Since the patristic era this Lukan passage has attracted the attention of scholars and the interpretation of the question within the context of the passage has influenced the way in which commentators understand the role of John the Baptist, the identity of Jesus, and the relationship between them, including the school of thought that John saw Jesus as an adversary

In this book, Roberto Martínez uses narrative criticism from a range of theologians in order to solve the problem. Although this forms the main body of this investigation, the exegesis also takes into account historical-critical and redaction-critical observations to provide a fuller understanding of the passage. Martínez references a range of authorities on the subject. Drawing from a variety of interpretations, he explores whether the question of the Baptist had to do with John's difficulty to accept that the "one who is to come" had to face death.

This critical analysis of Luke 7:18-35 is a fascinating study that offers an intriguing answer to the problematic question of John the Baptist. Martínez highlights the question of authorship and provides historical insight in an attempt to address this widely explored question. Finally, he shows how Luke puts this tradition about John and Jesus at the service of his theocentric and christological perspectives and offers an alternative explanation to the prevailing interpretation of Johns question.

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
List of Tables and Figures
1 Luke 7:18–35: A Historical Survey
2 The Origin, Redaction, and Literary Function of Luke 7:18–35
3 A Narrative-Critical Interpretation of 7:18–28
4 A Narrative-Critical Interpretation of 7:29–35
5 Conclusion: A Narrative-Critical Interpretation of Luke 7:18–35
Bibliography
Index of Subjects
Index of Authors
Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings