Bruce Chilton's "Rabbi Jesus"

Chilton gives a detailed imaginative recreation of Jesus' life based on his understanding of the various Jewish sects of the first century, a careful reading of all the texts available from that time, and his own interpretation. The key to his interpretation is that Jesus was a Jew and therefore the details related in the Bible must be reinterpreted in a way compatible with first century Judaism.

I find the book very thought provoking and very believable. I enjoyed the "aha!" moments it brought me when I could see Chilton's point about how the Bible captured some truth dimly because it was written at the hands of new sect with Jewish roots but which had spread into the larger cultural setting of the Mideast at that time and evolved into sect in contention with Judaism. I especially enjoyed his reinterpretation of Jesus' words for the communion. I've been bothered for years with the realization that the Roman critics were right in saying that it sounded like cannibalism. And Chilton adds the very important point that Jews would never eat the body of Christ nor drink his blood because that is contrary to the teachings of Judaism. Chilton points out that the communion was reinterpreted in the context of the Hellinistic culture as an ecstatic union with a divine and that the mystery religions of the time had similar re-enactments of consuming the god of their religion. But this couldn't have been what Jesus meant because he was a practicing Jew. Chilton provides an interpretation by pointing out that Jesus was deeply involved in the mysticism of Ezekiel's Throne of God and that Jesus' interpretation was that this mystical state could be achieved in a feast that replaced physical sacrifices at the temple with symbolic sacrifices in the context of a meal that brought all together in a mystical union with God:

When Jesus spoke of his "blood" and "flesh," he did not refer to himself personally at all. He meant his meal really had become a sacrifice. When Israelites shared wine and bread in celebration of their own purity and the presence of the Kingdom, God delighted in that more than in the blood and flesh on the altar in the Temple.

This reinterpretation, along with Chilton's dramatic reinterpretation of Jesus' life and preaching makes sense to me. This is a very credible account. This reinterprets Christianity in a way that explains its Jewish roots and shows how it was recast as it spread beyond Judaism.

I especially enjoy this comment by Chilton:

The rabbi from Nazareth never claimed he was unique. His Abba was the Abba of all. His teaching, purifying, exorcism, healing, prayers, signs, meals, and sacrifices were not for himself alone, nor were they intended to demonstrate his personal power or bring him adulation for his attributes or accomplishments. All his work was undertaken to open the gate of heaven so that Israel might enter before the Throne of God.

Far too much theology has been preoccupied with closing the gate. By exalting Jesus as the only human being to sit at the right hand of God, many theologians have denied heaven to others. They remind me of Jesus' complaint about some Pharisees, who used the key of knowledge to shut God's Kingdom to those of lesser learning.