The Four Witnesses: The Rebel, the Rabbi, the Chronicler, and the Mystic

by Robin Griffith-Jones

Book Overview

The gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John are arguably the most important and influential books in Western history. Their accounts of Jesus do not simply add up to "The Greatest Story Ever Told," but "The Four Greatest Stories Ever Told." Why do they present such strikingly different versions of the same events? As the great filmmaker Akira Kirosawa demonstrated in his epic movie Rashomon, different witnesses can quite honestly remember the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062516477
• ISBN13: 9780062516473
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

An excellent study on the Four Gospels

I believe that this is one of the most informative and honest looks at the Four Gospels I have yet to see. It seems that most of the time, you get either one of the two extremes in the spiritual community: the right-wing conservatives who discourage any "new" interpretation of Scripture, or the conspiracy theorists who more often than not, attempt to "balance" the teachings by trying to make it appear more ultra-feminist. Fortunately, the author takes that elusive middle ground, attempting to remain true to the Greek translations of the Four Gospels (thus the unusual names for the various books, such as "Visions" in place of "Revelations", etc.), while at the same time, critcally viewing each of the Four Gospels as they were meant to be viewed--separately and on their own merits. It is in fact a long read (even though it is only 300 pages long), mainly due to the fact that there is such a huge amount of fascinating information to cover. And as for some others' criticisms that he never "gets to the point", I believe he is trying to let the reader come to their own conclusions concerning each of the Four Gospels, and the central question of each: "Who do you say I am?" Not an easy question to answer for any of the four, and least of all, for the laymen who have joined this ever-growing "new sect" since those early days nearly 2,000 years ago. As the author constantly pointed out, in the case of the Four Gospels, we are to decide what Jesus meant in that seemingly simple question...WE are the jury who must weigh the evidence for or against this teacher from Galilee. I would recommend it for ANYONE who is interested in studying the Four Gospels more intensely. Read this book, and then go back and read the actual Four Gospels. It will take more than one sitting to soak it all in...

Surprisingly Interesting

Even though I rarely read religious books, I picked this book up on a recent trip to the US. I was very pleasantly surprised: I thought the contents extremely interesting. We all know that each story of the gospel was written in a different context, but I have never understood just how much this affects our image of Jesus and his life and death. I found this book simply gripping. The author spends much time bringing back the atmosphere of these early Christian communities when the gospels were written, and he does it in a very colourful style. This may be unconventional, but it is certainly effective. This is a world that is so easily lost otherwise, and it prevents a challenging book from simply being dry and monotonous. This is a book that I think I will want to read again. Having read it from start to finish, I think that over the coming months I will want to dip into different chapters: because this is a book that has changed my understanding of the gospel as such, but each chapter also has so much to say about individual parables and stories. In short: I found this a great book to deepen my understanding of Christ, and one that has encouraged me to go back and re-read the gospels from a fresh perspective.

Four Views of Truth, Amplified

Here is a book to sink your theological teeth into. Robin Griffith-Jones takes the reader on a journey of discovery as he compares and contrasts the four chief sources of our understanding of Jesus Christ.Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say I am?" And they present us with Jesus in such a way that it demands a response from us. Even so, each of the Gospel writers answers with a distinct voice. We are so used to hearing bits and pieces of all the Gospels; we often merge their messages.Griffith-Jones invites us, instead, to see Jesus in the distinct ways he is presented in each. The subtitle of the book tells us we will look at Jesus as: the Rebel, the Rabbi, the Chronicler, and the Mystic. If these are attributes of Jesus you have not yet considered, you will want to read more about each.The author is a former chaplain and professor of New Testament at Lincoln College, Oxford, now serves as Master of the Temple Church in London, one of the most influential positions in the Church of England. He gives us the state of the world and the state of the fledgling Christian community, so we may better understand the concerns each Gospel writer addresses in their individual portraits of Christ.Just as artists have cast light on particular aspects of Jesus ministry and message, so too, says Griffith-Jones, those inspired witnesses. The Rebel who turned the world upside down, the Rabbi who taught in the tradition of Judaism yet with an authority unlike any other, the Chronicler who told the wonders of God's kingdom, and the Mystic who helped us the eternal realities behind everyday living.If you want to delve into these aspects of our Lord, you will find Griffith-Jones the perfect guide. The book is not a quick read; and you will want to keep your New Testament open as you study the contributions of the Gospel writers.

The Development of Early Christianity

I found this book on a shelf. It looked intriguing, and I read it. (In fact, the author says his book was written for for, among others, such a reader.) To be more specific, I am interested in religion and in the relationship between early Christianity and Judaism. I am Jewish and have heard something of what Judaism has to say about the relationship between the two religions. I haven't read much in depth about it and, even more unfortunately, haven't really listened to what Christian scholars might have to say on the subject.Griffith-Jones's book did have something of what I wanted. The book considers each of the New Testament Gospels, together with other books of the New Testament, chiefly Acts and Revelation. Interspersed with each discussion is a historical section which considers Roman, Jewish and Christian sources discussing the period and place which Griffith Jones associates with each Gospel.There is a great deal in the book about the interplay between early Christianity and the synagogue. Griffifth-Jones does a good job, I think, in describing the Second Temple and its practices, the calamity of its destruction by the Romans 30 years or so after the life of Jesus, and the difficulties faced by the early Christians. There is also good discussion of the dynamics between the church and synagogue, with some peoplein the synagogue opting to follow Jesus, others being ambivalent and uncertain, and others, and the synagogue as a whole, declining to do so. This is interesting and valuable and I would like to know more. The appeal of Christianity is, understandably enough, explained by the author. This is what I wanted to hear, but I also would like to hear the Jewish side.There is also a good discussion of the decision the early Christians had to make about whether there message was primarily directed to Judaism or whether the message was world-encompassing with a mission and message for non-Jews as well. This is important and insightful, as far as both religions are concerned and Griffith-Jones discusses it well.Although it is not the focus of the book, there is much here that Christians and Jews can share and discuss in an attempt to better understand each other. This is valuable and I learned something from hearing it from an informed and obviously deeply Christian voice.The textual interpretations of the Gospels are interesting in themselves, if something too long and not well organized. As one would expect, they are more evangelical and religious in tone than the historical discussion. In some instances, I am not sure how the historical information the author presents informs or illuminates his reading of his Gospel. He doesn't always explain the connection well. Bythe time the author gets to the Gospel of John, the connection, at least for me, was almost entirely lost.I found the discussions of the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke more illuminating, as to their purpose and audience, that the author's discussions of M

Excellent, but it takes serious effort to read.

The Four Witnesses is a fascinating book which anchors the writings of Mark, Matthew, Luke, John and Paul deeply into the culture and events -- and even the language structure -- of each of their current times. Griffith-Jones points out elements in the Old Testament and other revered teachings which influenced their thought processes. "Who do you say I am?" becomes ever more a matter of conjecture as each of these writers tries to make Jesus out to be completely Godly, a man who became Godly, or half-man, half-God like the current myths of Hercules, a hero of the downtrodden, or a man who appeals to the peacekeeping elite. It's a shame that Griffith-Jones is so difficult to read. A)He uses British vernacular, B) his work is so scholarly as to leave some of us laymen in the dust and C)he gives everything his own new names (ex.: Old Testament becomes Old Order). However, this book is so graphic in detailing the struggle to simply survive in these times that you become completely immersed in History. You're right in the thick of it as traditional Judaism is wrenched in half by a series of circumstances to become the Jews and Christians separately and irrevocably. This book was perfect preparation for my first year of seminary studies.