Page 99 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

Jesus as the Teacher

Jesus was the authoritative teacher of the Law as well as the prophet for the Kingdom of

God. 116 Whereas he was not one of the teachers of his days, Jesus certainly performed in the

role of a teacher. 117 In the Synoptic Gospels, the title of the teacher was applied to Jesus more

frequently than any other title. 118 Mark and Matthew used the common Greek word for teacher

didaskolos while Luke used espistana, a “knowing” or “knowledgeable” person. 119 In some case

rabbi, the Aramaic word for teacher, was retained. 120 People called Jesus rabbi with

reverence. 121 Most convincing, however, is the fact that Jesus applied the title to himself. 122

116 Snyder, Inculturation, 18. Rainer Riesner, “Jesus as Preacher and Teacher,” in Jesus
and the Oral Gospel Tradition, ed. Henry Wansbrough (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press,
1991), 185-6. (Journal for the Study of the New Testament supplement Series 64) He quotes a
famous statement of Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, that was written fifty or sixty years
after the events: “He was on wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept
the truth gladly. He won over many Jews.”

117 Bornkamm, Jesus of Nazareth, 56-7.

118 It counts forty-five times. Stein, Method and Message, 153. He lists all of them.

119
Bernard J. Lee, S.M., The Galilean Jewishness of Jesus: Retrieving the Jewish Origins
of Christianity (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1988), 119.

120 Mk. 14:45 (Matt. 26:49), Mk. 9:5, 10:51, 11:21, Matt. 23:8, 26:25, John 1:38, 49, 3:2,
4:31, 6:25, 9:2, 11:8, 20:16.

121
Steven D. Fraade, “The Early Rabbinic Sage,” in The Sages in Israel and the Ancient
Near East, eds. John J. Gammie and Leo G. Purdue (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1990), 418. He
maintains that he title “Rabbi” was used “mainly in detect address, as titles preceding a particular
sage’s name, or when the master-disciple relationship was specifically being referred to.” See
also Joseph Klausner, Jesus of Nazareth (New York: Menorah, 1979), 214 and Hengel,
Charismatic Leader, 42-44. They contend that in Jesus’ time, the title of rabbi was used in
speech as an unofficial indication of honor. Thus, it may or may not have specifically named a
teacher of honor.