0830826203
Trade Paperback
216 pages
Aug 2005
InterVarsity Press

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Excerpt:

Table of Contents

Series preface

Author's preface

Abbreviations

1. The current debate
"Sinners who need no repentance"
Did Jesus really eat with the wicked?

Forming friendships but evading enemies
Meals in the Old Testament
cThe Pentateuch
      The historical books
      The Wisdom literature
      The prophets
      Conclusion

3. Contagious impurity
Intertestamental developments
      Old Testament Apocrypha
      The pseudepigrapha
      Qumram and the Dead Sea Scrolls
      Greco-Roman symposia
      Conclusions

4. Jesus the consummate party animal?
Jesus' eating with sinners in the Gospels I: material not distinctive to Luke
      Levi's party: Mark 2:13-17 and parallels
      Feasting in the wilderness: Mark 6:30-44 and parallels
      A repeat miracle: Mark 8:1-10 and parallels
      How not to win friends and influence people: Matthew 8:11-16 and parallel
      A glutton and a drunkard: Matthew 11:19 and parallels
      Tax collectors and prostitutes: Matthew 21:31-32
      The joy of new wine: John 2:1-11
      A meal of reinstatement: John 21:1-14
      Summary and conclusion

5. Pervasive purity
Jesus' eating with sinners in the Gospels II: material distinctive to Luke
      A "sinner in the city": Luke 7:36-50
      Hospitality versus holiness: Luke 10:38-42
      A meal turned sour: Luke 11:37-54
      A cagey host and a rude guest: Luke 14:1-24
      A scandalous summary: Luke 15:1-32
      Zacchaeus short-changed? Luke 19:1-10
      Cleopas and company: Luke 24:13-35
      Summary and conclusion

6 The potential of contemporary Christian meals
Conclusions and applications
      Summary
      Applications

Bibliography

Index of modern authors

Index of Scripture references

Index of ancient sources