Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 40:2 (NA 1989)
Article: Kingdom Of God, Son Of Man And Jesus’ Self-Understanding
Author: Chrys C. Caragounis

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TynBul 40:2 (1989) p. 223

Kingdom Of God, Son Of Man And Jesus’ Self-Understanding

Part II

Chrys C. Caragounis

Editor’s note: For logistical purposes the footnote numbering has been restarted. The original printed edition footnote numbers may be found at the beginning of each footnote.

IV. The Context

It is often overlooked that the Beelzebul controversy with our two logia, on the Kingdom of God and on the Son of Man [SM] occurs at a critical juncture of Jesus’ public ministry. The time gap between Jesus’ first proclamation μετανοεῖτε· ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (Mat. 4:17) and the present Kingdom logion (Mat. 12:28) is considerable. So also is the difference of context in Jesus’ external circumstances. Yet most works on the Kingdom of God appear to treat the various Kingdom texts indiscriminately, failing to note the progression of thought and the change of perspective and emphasis. Although it is admittedly not easy to put the Gospel material in strict chronological order, an approximate sequence of the central events is nevertheless ascertainable. In the case at hand it may be noted that a number of events have transpired since Jesus’ first proclamation of the Kingdom of God which have brought about a change in Jesus’ circumstances and especially in his relations to his environment. This is evidenced by inter alia the following circumstances:

a) In all three synoptics the Beelzebul controversy is preceded by a number of events which show that a considerable time has elapsed since the commencement of Jesus’ public ministry, and that in the meantime mounting opposition against Jesus has developed. The following examples will confirm this. First, the healings of Jesus,1 which earn him

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great esteem and popularity among the people,2 arouse the suspicion and ill-feeling of the Jewish authorities.3 Secondly, Jesus’ claim as SM to have the right to forgive sins exasperates the scribes and the Pharisees,4 who consider it as blasphemous. Third, the plucking of grain on the Sabbath5 which in Jewish eyes rendered Jesus a law-breaker, and Jesus’ claim that the SM was lord of the Sabbath, earns him their permanent hostility. Matthew and Luke take...

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