Robert Gundry | Westmont College (original) (raw)

Papers by Robert Gundry

This compendium includes studies on several verses/passages in the Gospel of Mark, as well as inv... more This compendium includes studies on several verses/passages in the Gospel of Mark, as well as investigations into the literary genre "Gospel."

This compendium includes articles on Jesus's resurrection, as well as engagement with the writing... more This compendium includes articles on Jesus's resurrection, as well as engagement with the writings of N. T. Wright and James Tabor, among others.

This compendium of articles covers a wide range of topics related to the Gospel of Matthew, as we... more This compendium of articles covers a wide range of topics related to the Gospel of Matthew, as well as some themes in the Gospel of Luke. The studies on Luke concentrate on that Gospel's relation to the Gospel of Matthew.

This compendium includes articles on various books of the New Testament written by Paul as well a... more This compendium includes articles on various books of the New Testament written by Paul as well as two articles on First Peter.

This compendium includes short as well as extended critiques of books and films having to do with... more This compendium includes short as well as extended critiques of books and films having to do with the Bible and theology.

Table of Contents Jesus the Word According to John.………………………………………………………1–25 The Sectarian………………... more Table of Contents

Jesus the Word According to John.………………………………………………………1–25
The Sectarian……………………………………………………………………………..............26–36
Time for Compline? A Conversation with Rich Mouw, Mark Noll,
& Chris Smith [on whether John is a sectarian]……………………………37–43
Reading John’s Gospel as a Theodramatic Preview of Coming
Attractions...............................................................................………44–65
John’s Upward Christology as Doxological, Not Paradoxical, and
Reflected in Early Christian Art……………………………………………………….66–81
New Wine in Old Wineskins: Bursting Traditional Interpretations
in John’s Gospel (Part One) [on John 1:4, 51 and 7:37–39]……….82–97
The Sense and Syntax of John 3:14–17 [with Russell W. Howell]....98–113
New Wine in Old Wineskins: Bursting Traditional Interpretations in
John’s Gospel (Part Two) [on John 9:4b; 11:26a; and 19:30]……114–125
Coming Home According to John 14:2……………………………………………..126–132
Heresies, with Special Reference to 2 Peter and the Johannine
Letters……………...............................................................................133–136
Angelomorphic Christology in the Book of Revelation…………………...137–145
The New Jerusalem: People as Place, Not Place for People………...146–151

This piece was presented as a talk at a Westmont College homecoming and published in Westmont mag... more This piece was presented as a talk at a Westmont College homecoming and published in Westmont magazine. It greatly updates my article "In my Father's House are many Monai" (John 14:2), published in ZNW 58 (1967): 68-72 and posted earlier on academia.edu.

In: Hearing and Doing the Word, 2021

academia.edu, 2024

The Christological theme of descent and ascent in the Gospel according to John needs further elab... more The Christological theme of descent and ascent in the Gospel according to John needs further elaboration, especially in regard to ascent. As is well-recognized, John has Jesus ascending already through elevation on a cross. This elevation carries the connotation of glorification. Unrecognized till now, however, is that this upward glorification leads John to eliminate a number of downward movements recorded in the Synoptics. Replacing those downward movements, moreover, are a number of uniquely Johannine upward movements. Thus the glory of royal exaltation not only balances the downward movement of incarnation. It also obliterates the shame of crucifixion. Despite opinions to the contrary, then, John does not present a paradox between shame and glory in his account of Jesus’s passion and resurrection. Glory shines forth alone.

In “To Recover What Has Been Lost”: Essays on Eschatology, Intertextuality, and Reception History in Honor of Dale C. Allison Jr., 2020

As long and widely noted, the topography in Matthew's narrative of Jesus' birth and infancy diffe... more As long and widely noted, the topography in Matthew's narrative of Jesus' birth and infancy differs markedly, though not entirely, from that in Luke. The differences have to do with both locations and movements. The present essay seeks to expose some Christological implications of the Matthean differences, perhaps even Christological reasons for them. Some questions of historicity are discussed, but mainly in footnotes. First comes a review of the topographical differences, then an attempt to explain them Christologically.

JETS 26/1, 1983

See also "A Response to Some Criticisms of Matthew, A Commentary on His Literary and Theological ... more See also "A Response to Some Criticisms of Matthew, A Commentary on His Literary and Theological Art," posted below.

Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross, 1993

This monumental work presents a careful, well-argued alternative reading of the Greek text of Mar... more This monumental work presents a careful, well-argued alternative reading of the Greek text of Mark-a reading that pays special attention to such literary devices as word order, chiasm, inclusio, asyndeton, and the historical present tense. Driving the commentary is Gundry's provocative, seldom-defended thesis that Mark's Gospel constitutes a straightforward apology for the shameful manner of Jesus' death; as such Mark is essentially an evangelistic tract rather than an obliquely written handbook of Christian discipleship and church life. "Sure to become recognized as the heavyweight English commentary on the Gospel of Mark.... This massive commentary, rich with exegetical detail and critical assessment of the secondary literature, makes an important contribution not only to Markan research but also to the study of the historical Jesus."-Christian Scholars

Soma in Biblical Theology with Emphasis on Pauline Anthropology, 1976

This addition to the well-known series of theological monographs deals with the use of the Greek ... more This addition to the well-known series of theological monographs deals with the use of the Greek word traditionally translated "body" but recently as "person," especially in certain parts of the writings of Paul. Theologians have argued that the translation as "person" defines man as an indivisible whole and as a complex of relationships rather than an organization of substances. Against the trends of modern biblical theology, Dr Gundry seeks to show that soma always refers to the individual physical body and that it should be defined in substantive categories. Consequently, the theological importance of the body as individual physical substance is insured for life in this world and in the next. Neither antagonism between body and spirit nor the possible independence of full personhood from physical existence characterizes biblical anthropology.

The Church and the Tribulation, 1973

In the opening chapter, Robert Gundry states, "It is hoped that the following pages will contribu... more In the opening chapter, Robert Gundry states, "It is hoped that the following pages will contribute to an understanding and appreciation of the posttribulational position and that it will do so in a manner characterized by 'wisdom from above.. . First pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy' (James 3:17)." In keeping with this expressed desire, the author presents his thesis regarding Christ's second coming, not as a polemical argument, but as a reasonable and tenable position. This book propounds the thesis that Jesus will return after the tribulation and that the first resurrection will occur at that time. Dr. Gundry believes that biblical evidence points most naturally to this conclusion. Because of his discerning analysis of Scripture, his careful logic, and the thoughtful presentation of his views, he is one of today's leading spokesmen for posttribulational eschatology.

Matthew: A Commentary on His Literary and Theological Art, 1982

This critical analysis of the text of Matthew’s Gospel includes discussions of its literary style... more This critical analysis of the text of Matthew’s Gospel includes discussions of its literary style, theology, and historical reliability. For the expanded, second edition, see Matthew: A Commentary on His Handbook for a Mixed Church under Persecution.

The Use of the Old Testament in St. Matthew's Gospel with Special Reference to the Messianic Hope, 1967

See the book review by David M. Hay in Journal of Biblical Literature (1969): 88, no. 1: 95–96 (h... more See the book review by David M. Hay in Journal of Biblical Literature (1969): 88, no. 1: 95–96 (https://doi.org/10.2307/3262847).

Editorial Reviews

“. . . a great contribution to the study of the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament.”
L. L. Walker, Southwestern Journal of Theology

“. . . un précieux outil de travail.”
Daniel Patte, Bulletin du Centre Protestant d’Études et de Documentation, 1972

“. . . einen gewichtigen Beitrag zur Untersuchung der Textform der alttestamentlichen Zitate und Anspielungen im Mt-Ev.”
R. P., Freiburger Rundbrief, 1968

Peter: False Disciple and Apostate According to Saint Matthew, 2015

In this highly original book Robert Gundry argues that the ways in which Matthew portrays the apo... more In this highly original book Robert Gundry argues that the ways in which Matthew portrays the apostle Peter fit the description of false disciples and apostates elsewhere in Matthew's Gospel. After surveying various wide-ranging assessments of Matthew's portrayal of Peter, Gundry offers a brand-new analysis, examining every Matthean passage where Peter's name occurs as well as passages where Matthew apparently omitted the name though it occurs in his sources. Gundry places Matthew's portrayal of Peter within the framework of two major, distinctive themes in the First Gospelthe church as a mixed body of true and false disciples and persecution as exposing false discipleship. Gundry uses this investigation to support his claim that Matthew portrays Peter as a false disciple and apostate, like Judas Iscariot, and that Peter's denials of Jesus rule him out of God's kingdom.

Extracurriculars, 2014

Teachers talk a lot in the classroom, but during my thirty-eight years of teaching in the Departm... more Teachers talk a lot in the classroom, but during my thirty-eight years of teaching in the Department of Religious Studies at Westmont College, and evangelically Christian institution located in Santa Barbara, California, I also delivered numerous talks outside the classroom. The present volume contains a selection of those extracurricular talks. Because their occasions differed, each talk is prefaced by a brief identification of its occasion. Topics vary, but the talks have wide-ranging relevance and application. Coming first are those of a scholastic bent. Next come the sermonic, then the controversial, and finally the valedictory. The scholastic were delivered at convocations and as special lectures; the sermonic in chapel services; the controversial in seminars; and the valedictory at baccalaureates and other occasions of farewell. The content of "Diversity in New Testament Christology" is used by permission of Wipf and Stock Publishers. May these talks bring pleasure and profit to a broad audience.

A Survey of the New Testament, 2012

A definitive guide to the New Testament of the Bible-providing both the broader historical and cu... more A definitive guide to the New Testament of the Bible-providing both the broader historical and cultural context as well as a passage-level commentary for each book. Many students of the Bible launch into their studies without a prior systematic reading of the New Testament. This survey is unique in the way it assists a close and complete reading, without bogging down in extensive introductions and over-academic material.