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The Divine Christ: Paul, the Lord Jesus, and the Scriptures of Israel
For the past century, scholars have debated when and how a divine Christology emerged. This book considers the earliest evidence we have, the letters of Paul. David Capes, a veteran teacher and highly regarded scholar, examines Paul's letters to show how the apostle constructed his unique portrait of Jesus as divine through a rereading of Israel's Scriptures. This new addition to the Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology series is ideal for use in courses on Paul, Christology, biblical theology, and intertextuality.
- GenresTheology
224 pages, Paperback
Published March 20, 2018
8 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
David B. Capes
18 books4 followersDavid B. Capes (born December 16, 1955) (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate dean of biblical and theological studies and professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He has authored, coauthored, or coedited books such as Rediscovering Paul, Rediscovering Jesus, Old Testament Yahweh Texts in Paul's Christology, The Footsteps of Jesus in the Holy Land, The Last Eyewitness, Rebecca's Children, The Voice of Hebrews, and The Voice of Romans.
In addition to contributing to a number of dictionaries, encyclopedias, and professional journals, he served as the lead scholar on a new Bible translation, The Voice Bible. Since the early 1990s, Capes has been active in interfaith dialogue in Houston and cohosts a radio show called A Show of Faith on TALK RADIO 950 KPRC Houston. He was previously academic dean and professor of New Testament at Houston Graduate School of Theology, and he has served as pastor of several churches and has participated in a variety of professional organizations, including the Society of Biblical Literature, the Institute for Biblical Research, and the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion.
In addition to contributing to a number of dictionaries, encyclopedias, and professional journals, he served as the lead scholar on a new Bible translation, The Voice Bible. Since the early 1990s, Capes has been active in interfaith dialogue in Houston and cohosts a radio show called A Show of Faith on TALK RADIO 950 KPRC Houston. He was previously academic dean and professor of New Testament at Houston Graduate School of Theology, and he has served as pastor of several churches and has participated in a variety of professional organizations, including the Society of Biblical Literature, the Institute for Biblical Research, and the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 18, 2018
The essence of the Christian faith is the confession that "Jesus is Lord." But do we know what we mean by that?
Capes helps us to understand what the earliest Jesus followers meant by it. He examines every instance in Paul's letters where Paul quotes or alludes to an Old Testament text that uses the divine name (YHWH, often translated as LORD in English Bibles). He distinguishes between places where Paul uses these texts to refer to God and places where Paul uses these texts to refer to Jesus.
In the end, Capes shows us that "Jesus is Lord" has always, from the earliest days of the church, been nothing short of a declaration that Jesus is, in fact, YHWH, God of Israel, Creator of heaven and earth.
Capes's book is excellent for what it does (cataloguing and explaining these references). I would have enjoyed the book even more if he had given more space to tracing out the implications of this study on worship, theology, and Christian life.
Capes helps us to understand what the earliest Jesus followers meant by it. He examines every instance in Paul's letters where Paul quotes or alludes to an Old Testament text that uses the divine name (YHWH, often translated as LORD in English Bibles). He distinguishes between places where Paul uses these texts to refer to God and places where Paul uses these texts to refer to Jesus.
In the end, Capes shows us that "Jesus is Lord" has always, from the earliest days of the church, been nothing short of a declaration that Jesus is, in fact, YHWH, God of Israel, Creator of heaven and earth.
Capes's book is excellent for what it does (cataloguing and explaining these references). I would have enjoyed the book even more if he had given more space to tracing out the implications of this study on worship, theology, and Christian life.
May 9, 2018
You can read my full review at SpoiledMilks (5/9/18).
How did a Jewish, middle class, Israelite man who was beaten, flogged, stripped, and nailed to a cross become to be believed and associated with the almighty God of Israel? In his book The Divine Christ, David Capes examines Paul’s texts and argues both historically and theologically that Jesus was believed to be divine early on in the history of Christianity.
In the first chapter Capes surveys the Hebrew and Greek words behind our English Bibles translate as “lord,” “Lord,” and “LORD.” After knocking down the arguments of an early 20th century scholar in chapter two, in chapter three Capes examines Paul’s writings where he refers to Jesus as kyrios. He uses it in four ways: for those who hold authority over others, for other gods and deities, and for the one God of Israel. The fourth way, the majority of Paul uses, refer to Jesus Christ. At the resurrection, Jesus received God’s unique covenant name (YHWH).
In chapters four and five, Capes notes that Paul unambiguously quotes thirteen OT texts which use the divine name Yahweh. About half of Paul’s uses refer to the Father, with the others referring to Christ. Even his allusions to Yahweh texts refer to Christ.
Capes helps the reader delineate between texts which refer to God or Christ—Yahweh texts are reserved for God “primarily in theocentric passages such as Rom. 9–11” (149). When Paul wants the reader to understand that the Father is in view, he clearly states it in the context or in an introductory formula. Paul uses kyrios to refer to Jesus in a pretty straightforward way, possibly because references to Jesus as kyrios make up most of Paul’s uses.
Paul has a pattern of associated Jesus with God, Jesus is the only one associated with God, he has received the divine name from God, Paul quotes and alludes to OT Yahweh texts and uses some of them to refer to Jesus, and Jesus was a real, historical figure who was a contemporary to Paul. He was not a legendary person of old (like Melchizedek). And so, a high Christology can be traced back to the beginning of the Christian movement.
Recommended?
Though this review is brief, Capes offers a good synopsis of Paul’s use of the Yahweh texts, especially in chapters 3-5. He gives enough information for some to be satisfied and to pique the interest of others to go searching for more. The divinity of Christ will be debated with each new generation, and Capes provides a way for us to understand the apostles' thinking, particularly Paul's. Some will be disinterested in the first two chapters, but they lay an important historical foundation for the need for this study.
How did a Jewish, middle class, Israelite man who was beaten, flogged, stripped, and nailed to a cross become to be believed and associated with the almighty God of Israel? In his book The Divine Christ, David Capes examines Paul’s texts and argues both historically and theologically that Jesus was believed to be divine early on in the history of Christianity.
In the first chapter Capes surveys the Hebrew and Greek words behind our English Bibles translate as “lord,” “Lord,” and “LORD.” After knocking down the arguments of an early 20th century scholar in chapter two, in chapter three Capes examines Paul’s writings where he refers to Jesus as kyrios. He uses it in four ways: for those who hold authority over others, for other gods and deities, and for the one God of Israel. The fourth way, the majority of Paul uses, refer to Jesus Christ. At the resurrection, Jesus received God’s unique covenant name (YHWH).
In chapters four and five, Capes notes that Paul unambiguously quotes thirteen OT texts which use the divine name Yahweh. About half of Paul’s uses refer to the Father, with the others referring to Christ. Even his allusions to Yahweh texts refer to Christ.
Capes helps the reader delineate between texts which refer to God or Christ—Yahweh texts are reserved for God “primarily in theocentric passages such as Rom. 9–11” (149). When Paul wants the reader to understand that the Father is in view, he clearly states it in the context or in an introductory formula. Paul uses kyrios to refer to Jesus in a pretty straightforward way, possibly because references to Jesus as kyrios make up most of Paul’s uses.
Paul has a pattern of associated Jesus with God, Jesus is the only one associated with God, he has received the divine name from God, Paul quotes and alludes to OT Yahweh texts and uses some of them to refer to Jesus, and Jesus was a real, historical figure who was a contemporary to Paul. He was not a legendary person of old (like Melchizedek). And so, a high Christology can be traced back to the beginning of the Christian movement.
Recommended?
Though this review is brief, Capes offers a good synopsis of Paul’s use of the Yahweh texts, especially in chapters 3-5. He gives enough information for some to be satisfied and to pique the interest of others to go searching for more. The divinity of Christ will be debated with each new generation, and Capes provides a way for us to understand the apostles' thinking, particularly Paul's. Some will be disinterested in the first two chapters, but they lay an important historical foundation for the need for this study.
February 14, 2022
Very good book by David Capes. Insights galore and fair and even arguments. The "New" History of Religions outlook of recent decades is a much needed corrective to the old Slow evolution theories of Christian Origins. I come at it as a Christian, but even if I didn't, I would tend to think that I would agree with the arguments and interpretations of the new school. High views of Jesus were/are very early and that in itself is an incredible fact, in light of the claims made about Jesus, a recently Crucified Man. From a strictly historical viewpoint, something huge had to be the cause of this early proclaimation. Of course when its history, there is only so far one can go on the "facts". History is not a Hard science and it has a lot more theorizing and imaginative spade work than the "Harder" sciences. Historical findings are always up for some questioning, and its something that is never totally finished. Still this book, is convincing in its main points and I found it a pleasure to read as well. Dr Capes is a good writer and makes what can be dry scholarly technical points, interesting and My eyes never started to glaze over, like happens when reading some Scholary tomes. Worth having in any library.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews