Temptations of Jesus in Early Christianity (Library of New Testament Studies | LNTS/JSNTS)

This study lays the groundwork for establishing the validity of the thesis that the early church held a selective and unified view of the nature and content of the various temptations Jesus was regarded as having been subjected to in his lifetime. This leads to a clearer view of how the early church perceived the exigencies of its Lord’s mission and message, and provides fresh insights into such prominent New Testament themes as sonship, obedience, faithfulness and discipleship. It also opens up new possibilities for firmly establishing the occasion of those New Testament writings, such as the Gospel of Mark and even the Epistle to the Hebrews, where notice of and appeal to the example of Jesus in temptation appears as a prominent feature.