Source: Dunn, James D. G., “Did the First Christians Worship Jesus?: The New Testament Evidence”., Review Paper, London: SPCK, 2010, By Nick Norelli
“Did the First Christians Worship Jesus?”.wav
This source is a review of James D. G. Dunn's book, Did the First Christians Worship Jesus?: The New Testament Evidence. The reviewer, Nick Norelli, outlines Dunn's central argument that the earliest Christians generally did not worship Jesus as they worshipped God, based on his analysis of New Testament language and practices. Norelli highlights Dunn's engagement with and critique of prominent scholars like Richard Bauckham and Larry Hurtado, who hold differing views on the extent and nature of early Christian devotion to Jesus. Norelli ultimately disagrees with Dunn's main conclusion, arguing that the evidence does indeed show instances of Jesus being worshipped by the first Christians, even if alongside the worship of God the Father.
Here are the major ideas presented in the source:
•Dunn's Central Question and Answer: The book addresses the question of whether the first Christians worshipped Jesus based on New Testament evidence. Dunn's overall answer is "'Generally no', or 'Only occasionally', or 'Only with some reserve'". He argues that while Jesus is sometimes the recipient of worship language and devotional practices, these instances are surprisingly few and often qualified. He suggests a better question would be whether the first Christians included Jesus within the restricted worship of the one God of Israel8. However, Dunn continues to primarily address the simpler question.
•Dunn's Methodology: The book is divided into two main parts. The first part (chapters 1-3) focuses on the how and what of worship, examining worship language (like proskynein, latreuein, etc.) and devotional practices (prayer, hymns, sacred spaces, meals, sacrifice) in the New Testament . The second part (chapter 4) focuses on the whom of worship, analyzing Pauline passages concerning Jesus as Lord and engaging with the Christologies of Hurtado and Bauckham ....
•Dunn's Analysis of Worship Language and Practices: Dunn notes that while worship language is most frequently used for God, it is occasionally applied to Jesus2 . He argues that when proskynein is used for Jesus, it seems to go beyond acknowledging authority, but these instances are limited and hint at hesitation4 . Similarly, while Jesus is sometimes prayed to, prayer language primarily focuses on God, and early Christian hymns, though about Jesus, were sung to God6 .... Dunn sees Christ as functioning as the Christian sacred space and the content of worship11 . He also believes that animal sacrifice was not offered to Jesus, and metaphorical sacrificial language in the New Testament is directed towards God11.
•Dunn on Intermediary Figures: Dunn examines intermediary figures in second temple Jewish literature (angels, Wisdom, Word, Spirit, exalted humans) and argues they were ways of speaking about God's immanence without violating his transcendence and were never worshipped themselves.
•Dunn on Jesus as Lord and Monotheism: Dunn concludes that while YHWH texts are applied to Jesus, showing him as a highly exalted agent manifesting God's saving power, this does not equate Jesus with God but rather distinguishes him. He emphasizes that Jesus was a monotheist and would likely not have been comfortable being worshipped in the same way as God alone.
•Dunn's Critique of Hurtado: Dunn disagrees with Hurtado's argument for pre-70 CE opposition to Christ-devotion, suggesting that the conflicts Paul was involved in were over Pharisaic halakha, not the worship of Jesus. He argues that the silence on opposition to Christ-devotion indicates its absence.
•Dunn's Critique of Bauckham: Dunn challenges Bauckham's concept of "divine identity," finding it a novel and potentially confusing way of speaking about Jesus' relationship with God, possibly blurring the distinction between the Father and the Son in a manner akin to Modalism. He suggests "equation" might be a better term.
•Dunn on Logos, Wisdom, and Spirit Christologies: Dunn views Logos, Wisdom, and Spirit as ways of speaking about God's presence and activity, with Jesus embodying these and revealing God fully, enabling worship of the one God through him.
•Dunn on John's Apocalypse: While acknowledging the strong affirmation of Christ's deity in Revelation, Dunn cautions against literal interpretations due to the apocalyptic genre.