Estimated to date back to the very early Jesus movement, the lost Gospel known as Q offers a distinct and remarkable picture of Jesus and his significance--and one that differs markedly from that offered by its contemporary, the apostle Paul. Q presents Jesus as a prophetic critic of unbelief and a sage with the wisdom that can transform. In Q, the true meaning of the "kingdom of God" is the fulfillment of a just society through the transformation of the human relationships within it. Though this document has never been found, John Kloppenborg offers a succinct account of why scholars maintain it existed in the first place and demonstrates how they have been able to reconstruct its contents and wording from the two later Gospels that used it as a source: Matthew and Luke. Presented here in its entirety, as developed by the International Q Project, this Gospel reveals a very different portrait of Jesus than in much of the later canonical writings, challenging the way we think of Christian origins and the very nature and mission of Jesus Christ.

Presents the original teachings of Jesus written by his contemporaries and early followers

The first gospel was not one of the four canonical gospels. It was probably Q, an early collection of Jesus' sayings used by Matthew and Luke to create their gospels. Q does not mention Jesus' death and resurrection, and it contains no birth or childhood stories. In Q, Jesus is pictured as a prophetic sage. The First Gospel provides a comprehensive introduction to the Q hypothesis. The author reviews and augments the arguments for the existence of Q. He concludes that the Q document was not merely a miscellaneous collection of sayings of Jesus that served as a source for Matthew and Luke. He sees it as a gospel in its own right, with its own history and own quite distinctive theology.

From the Earliest Gospel (Q+) to the Gospel of Mark focuses on the remarkable overlaps between Jesus’s teachings in the lost Gospel Q and Mark. Dennis R. MacDonald argues Synoptic intertextuality is best explained not as the redaction of sources but more flexibly as the imitation of literary models. Part One applies the criteria of mimesis criticism in a running commentary on Q+ to demonstrate that it polemically imitated Deuteronomy. Part Two argues that Mark in turn tendentiously imitated Logoi. The Conclusion proposes that Matthew and Luke in turn brilliantly and freely imitated both Logoi and Mark and by doing so created scores of duplicate sayings and episodes (doublets).

This is the first book to examine the Aramaic dimension of Q since the Aramaic Dead Sea scrolls made such work more feasible. Maurice Casey gives a detailed examination of key passages in Matthew and Luke's gospels, demonstrating that they used two different Greek translations of an Aramaic source, which can be reconstructed. He overturns the conventional model of Q as a single Greek document, and shows that Jesus said everything in the original Aramaic source. Further analysis of other gospel passages shows the evangelists editing a Greek translation of an Aramaic source. On one, it can be shown that Mark utilises a different Aramaic source. A complex model of Q is thus proposed. Casey argues that Aramaic sources behind part of Q are of extremely early date, and should contribute significantly to the quest for the historical Jesus.

Decades before our earliest preserved Gospels were first penned, the things Jesus said and did were passed down by word of mouth among his followers. However, by carefully comparing Matthew, Mark, and Luke, biblical scholars have discerned a written source even earlier than these texts: The Gospel commonly known as "Q," from the German word for "source." Written in Greek sometime between 50 and 70 CE, this collection of Jesus' teachings was used by the authors of Matthew and Luke. Following the meticulous reconstruction of Q by an international team of experts, this new translation highlights the wisdom of Jesus' prophetic message - the Gospel behind the Gospels.

In this study, Llewellyn Howes analyses the formative stratum of the Sayings Gospel Q, arguing for the inclusion of traditionally excluded texts. Novel interpretations of certain Q texts enable the author to reconsider the overarching message of Q's earliest redactional layer. This results in interesting and important consequences for our understanding of Jesus as a historical figure.

The Sayings Gospel Q in Greek and English with Parallels from the Gospels of Mark and Thomas is the outcome of a generation's work by the International Q Project, in reconstructing the collection of sayings ascribed to Jesus (and some to John) that lies behind the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It thus makes available in a convenient form the most important source for reconstructing the message of Jesus' original Galilean followers, as they proclaimed anew after his death his message of God's reign. Q is, as a result, the most important single source for the study of the historical Jesus. It should be in the hands of every student of theology and of every layperson seriously interested in knowing more about Jesus. This small volume presents, on facing pages, the Greek and English reconstruction of the text of Q. It is in a simplified and more readable format than its original massive publication of 1990, The Critical Edition of Q: Synopsis including the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Mark and Thomas with English, German and French Translations of Q and Thomas, edited by James M. Robinson, Paul Hoffmann, and John S. Kloppenborg, Managing Editor Milton C. Moreland, at Peeters and Fortress Press.

The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.

Based on a true story, this humorous retelling of the life of Jesus, focuses on the human nature of Jesus as he comes to grips with his divine nature. Was the wine at Cana a French vintage or was it from California? Did Jesus smoke cigars? Did the Magdalene compose the Serenity Prayer? Did Mary, the Mother of Jesus, confect the grilled cheese sandwich? Did Jesus have a dog? Did one of the Apostles have Cerebral Palsy? Did Thaddeus really pluck his eye out? Does G-d have a La-Z-Boy recliner-rocker throne?These and other life-shaking questions are addressed that cast a new spin on the Gospel stories. In fact, G-d himself recommends that you read this book. Jesus and the Holy Spirit also give the book two thumbs up.