Book Notice: David deSilva on the Jewish Teachers of Jesus, James, and Jude

David A. deSilva

The Jewish Teachers of Jesus, James, and Jude: What Earliest Christianity Learned from the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Oxford: OUP, 2012.
Available at Amazon.com

David deSilva (Ashland Theological Seminary) has produced a book that achieves two key functions. First, it is a great introduction to apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature (i.e., Ben Sirach, 1 Enoch, Psalms of Solomon, 2 Maccabees, Lives of the Prophets, Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, and Testament of Job). Second, it shows the influence of these “extra-biblical” traditions on the family of Jesus including his (half) brothers Jude and James. Accordingly, deSilva says: “It is my hope that readers who discover the extent to which Jesus and his brothers found value in the material contained in these writings will be more inclined to read these writings for themselves, to reflect upon their broader contributions to the ongoing life and thought of both church and synagogue, and to explore their value as spiritual and ethical literature in their own right” (p. 11). In particular, deSilva strives to “trace out lines of influence from extrabiblical Jewish literature to the traditions associated with the family at the center of the Jesus movement, with a view to displaying the extent of the debt of Jesus and his half brothers to their Jewish ‘teachers,’ whether they read the texts themselves or learned their content through the living voices in their synagogue and life contexts” (pp. 252-53). While the chapter on “Recovering the Voice of Jesus” might seem already dated in light of recent criteria of authenticity discussions (chapter 1), the chapter on “Recovering the Voices of James and Jude” (chapter 2) was superb with well-argued and convincing cases presenting for the authenticity of James and Jude and a great discussion of the pastoral context of  James and Jude. I think deSilva nails the purpose of Jude: “Jude’s goal for this letter is to persuade the congregation(s) not to be influenced by the intruders example and teaching (vv. 3-4) but, rather, to invest themselves in those practices that will continue to move the whole community toward closer alignment with the apostles’ teaching and vision for discipleship (vv. 202-23)” (p. 57).  Also exemplary was the discussion of Jude’s citation of 1 Enoch and its significance for issues like the canonicity of Jude. Otherwise, an enjoyable and informative introduction to extra-biblical traditions and their relevance for the New Testament.