Ascents in the New Testament

General Reading Assignment:

ABD 3:91-4

Some Old Testament Background

Ps 24

Ps 82

Ps 110 Acts 2:29-35, Mt 22:44

Ps 139:8

Prov 30:4

Jesus

Ascent sayings (only in John)

Jn 3:13-5 (teachings to Nicodemus)

Jn 6:60-66

Jn 20:11-18 (with Mary in Garden)

Transfiguration

1a Mt 17:1-9Mk 9:2-10Lk 9:28-36 (not in John)

A synoptical parallel version is in the course material from Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels, 9th ed. (German Bible Society, 1989).

Post-resurrection Ascent of Jesus

Mk 16:14-20

Lk 24:44-53

Acts 1:6-12

Phil 2:5-11

Eph 1:20-1, 2:4-7, 4:8-10 (cf. Ps 68:19, 17-20)

Rom 10:6-10

Heb 1:3,13, 2:6-9, 4:14, 7:26, 8:1, 9:11, 24; 10:11-12; 12:2

1 Pet 3:22

1 Tim 3:16

(See bibliography cited by F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles, 3rd ed. [Eerdmans, 1990], 104 [BS 2625.3 .B73 1990]; ABD 1:472-4)

[cf. Epistle of the Apostles 12-13, 51 (ANT 563-4, 588); Gospel of Peter (ANT 150-8)]

The Decensus of Christ (Harrowing of Hell)

Eph 4:8-10

Mt 12:40

1 Pet 3:19-22, 4:6

Jn 3:13

Second Coming

Mt 24:29-31Mk 13:24-7Lk 21:25-8

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Paul

2 Cor 12:1-9

Gal 1:11-17

2 Cor 3:18-4:6

1 Cor 15

1b (Optional) Alan F. Segal, "Paul's Ecstasy," Paul the Convert. (Yale, 1990), pp. 34-71. [BS 2655 .J4 S44 1990]

Further Reading: Tabor, J. D. Things Unutterable: Paul's Ascent to Paradise in its Greco-Roman, Judaic, and Early Christians Contexts. (Lanham, 1986) [BS 2675.2 .T33 1986]

John

Read the whole book if possible, with attention to ascent motifs.

Focus especially on Rev 1:5-20, 4-5, 7, 11:3-13, 19:1-10, 21, 22:1-7

Ascents in the New Testament Pseudepigrapha

2 The Secret Gospel of Mark

Recommended Reading from One of Your Professors--Dr. Peterson--(Who Will, I Suspect, Be Deeply Hurt If You Do Not Look at It):

William J. Hamblin. "Aspects of an Early Christian Initiation Ritual." In John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1990), 1:202-221. [This article deals, to a large extent, with the so-called "Secret Gospel of Mark."] [BX 8608 .N512 B99 1990; also in Room 4040 (Non-Circulating)]

3 Christ's Descent into Hell = Gospel of Nicodemus/Acts of Pilate 17-27 = NTA 185-204 (cf. EEC 1:229-30; ODCC 395; ABD 2:145-59, esp. 156-8)

4 Apocalypse of Peter (ANT 591-615 = NTA 2:620-38)

5 Apocalypse of Paul (ANT 617-644 = NTA 2:712-48)

6 The Assumption of the Virgin

7 Acts of Andrew and Mathias 17 (ANT 290)

Question of Bartholomew (ANT 652-72)

8 Letter of James 14-16 (ANT 680-1)

One Jewish reaction to Christian claims, R. Hiyya: "If a man says 'I am God,' he lies. 'I am the son of man,' he will regret it. 'I ascend to heaven,' he will not achieve it." (Ta'an 21)

Old Testament Pseudepigraphal Ascents transmitted by Christians

See the earlier hand out. Note that most of the OTP were transmitted in Christian, not Jewish circles

General Bibliography

ABD = Freedman, David N. Anchor Bible Dictionary. (Doubleday, 1992) [HBLL Ref 4, ASR?, main collection: BS 440 .A54 1992]

ANT = Elliot, J. K. The Apocryphal New Testament. (Oxford, 1993) [BS 2832 .A2 1994]

EEC = Berardino, Angelo Di, ed. Encyclopedia of the Early Church (Oxford, 1992) [ref4: BR 66.5 .D5813 1992]

EECh = Ferguson, Everett, ed. Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. 2nd ed. (Garland, 1997) [ref4: BR 162.2 .E53 1997]

NTA = Schneemelcher, Wilhelm. New Testament Apocrypha. 2 vols. (Westminster, 1992) [ASR: BS 2832 .S3 1991]

ODCC = Cross, F. L, ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 3nd ed. (Oxford, 1997) [ref4: BR 95 .O8 1997]