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DOI: 10.1177/002096438103500114
1981 35: 89 Interpretation
John P. Meier
Book Review: The Mighty Acts of Jesus according to Matthew

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Habakkuk Commentary). One would
expect lengthy paragraphs on at least
4QSam
a
and 4QJer
b
Similarly, his
treatment of the plurality of text types
pre A.D. 70 (p. 16) is extremely brief and
indecisive (and therefore of not much
help to a student who would turn to such
a handbook). In the earlier English
edition a selected bibliography was given
for each subsection within a chapter.
Now the references to the subsections
have been omitted and the resultant
chapter- by-chapter bibliography appears
in non-alphabetical order. The logical
reason for section (i) on page 41 is ob-
scure because the introduction to this
section on page 37 has been changed
from the previous edition.
Despite these shortcomings, many a
student who wants to glean the resources
Shorter Reviews and Notices
Interpretation
for textual crrticrsm In BHK and BHS
will rise up and call Wlirthwein blessed.
RALPH W. KLEIN
Christ
The Mighty Acts ofJesus according to
Matthew) by BIRGER GERHARDSSON.
CWK Gleerup, Lund, 1979. 94 pp.
Sw.Cr. 70. -.
GERHARDSSON DESCRIBES this fascicle as
part of the preliminary work for a forth-
coming commentary on Matthew. Conse-
quently, says Gerhardsson, the investiga-
tion is not complete or carefully rounded
off. Most readers would be well advised to
go first to the famous essay of H. J. Held
Abingdon's JOURNEYS IN FAITH Collection
Introduces Two More Travelers:
MARTIN E. MARTY and SISTER MARY LUKE TOBIN
By Way of Response
Martin E. Marty
Martin E. Marty lends the
practiced eye of a historian to this
personal glimpse of his spiritual
coming-of-age. From his seminary
years, his time at the University of
Chicago, and his work on The
Christian Century to his activism in
the last two decades, this unique log
of his journey in faith offers a
fascinating glimpse of the future of
the Church, at the spirit of the times,
and of this remarkable thinker. $7.95
For a complete catalog of Abingdon's
academic titles, write: Patricia Sanford
Abingdon, 201 Eighth Avenue, South,
Nashville, TN 37202
Hope Is an Open Door
Sister Mary Luke Tobin
A powerfully told story of a
spiritual odyssey. The author's view
of the events which tore the world in
the 60' sand 70' s, the changes in the
Catholic Church after Vatican II, and
the challenges in her own life of faith
after she awakened to her
responsibility for an active role in the
call for justice, inspire hope in others
confronting the turmoil of the times.
$7.95
at your local bookstore
in canada: g. r. welch co., ltd.
89
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("Matthew as Interpreter of the Miracle
Stories") before taking up this fascicle.
Indeed, Gerhardsson himself refers
frequently to Held.
Gerhardsson first surveys Greek ter-
minology, showing that dynamis ("mighty
act") is the favorite term of the synoptists.
The emphasis is not on the miraculous for
its own sake. These mighty acts are then
divided into two categories: therapeutic
(miracles of healing) and non-therapeutic
(Bultrnarm's "nature miracles"). The
therapeutic acts are subdivided into
summarizing accounts and the healings
of individuals, all of which are analyzed
into their component parts and actors.
The summaries prevent Jesus from
being seen simply as a prophet who
speaks; the Messiah - just as im-
portantly- heals, and does so by his own
authority. The healings of individuals
stress the power of Jesus and the faith of
the supplicants. The nature miracles
certainly stress Jesus' power, but also
underline the little faith of the disciples.
An intriguing contrast thus arises. The
therapeutic miracles, directed to people
outside the circle of disciples, present and
praise great faith. The non-therapeutic
miracles are worked for the disciples,
whose little faith is revealed in the
process. The word "faith," however,
means different things in the two
categories: in the first, simply faith which
asks for help; in the second, the faith
needed by the disciples to work miracles.
(Perhaps Gerhardsson does not
distinguish sufficiently here between
unbelief and little faith.) While the more
public, therapeutic miracles present Jesus
as the healer of Israel, the non-
therapeutic miracles draw together Jesus
and his church. Gerhardsson does not
find any great apologetic tendency in
90
most of the miracle stories, despite pass-
ing mention of the resistance of Jesus' ad-
versaries. The primary drive behind
Matthew's presentation is the endeavor to
reach a positive understanding of the
mystery of Jesus and his power. For
Gerhardsson, "Son of God" is the most
important christological title in Matthew.
But Gerhardsson readily admits that in
most of the miracle stories there is no
explicit title. As he correctly observes, the
Christology is rather expressed by the
dialogue between petitioner and healer.
This short work is a welcome addition
to the growing literature on Matthew's
interpretation ofJesus' miracles.
JOHN P. MEIER
St. joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie
The History of thef eunsh. People in the
Age ofjesus Christ, by EMIL SCHURER.
Revised and edited by Geza Vermes,
Fergus Millar, and Matthew Black.
Vol. II. T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh,
1979.606 pp. $15.95.
EMIL SCHURER'S GREAT WORK Geschichte des
[udischen Volkes im Zeitalter jesu Christi
(1874) first appeared in English tran-
slation in the years 1885-1891 under the
title cited in the heading above. This
English edition is presently being revised,
and Volume I of this revision was
published already in 1973. With Volume
II now completed, the project moves into
its final phase, which is the revision and
the index of Volume III.
The second volume is the perfect
sequel to the first. Volume I describes the
history of the Jewish people from the time
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