Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§ 12.4 The Kingdom of God
But that his disciples, knowing that he had done so, should nevertheless have imported
such a thoroughgoing judgmental emphasis into the Jesus tradition is unrealistic.
Such a development would imply both a disrespect for Jesus and a cavalier
disregard in relation to their formative tradition, which does not square either
with the character of oral tradition or with the esteem in which they held Jesus, as
attested by the very fact of the Jesus tradition itself. 225
In this case the judgment in view is consistently final in overtone, and frequently
(though not always) has the last judgment explicitly in view. That Jesus
spoke quite often of such judgment, and of its outcome in heaven 226 and hell, 227
must also be considered very likely. And since the kingdom of God seems to be a
way of speaking of heaven, in at least some instances, hell for Jesus was presumably
understood as exclusion from the kingdom, with its terrifying consequences.
f. Reward and Heavenly Banquet
Another strand of the eschatological reversal theme is the prospect of reward or
vindication held out to those who responded to Jesus' message. This too is a feature
of the beatitudes (Matt. 5.3-6, 10-12/Luke 6.20-23; see above § 12.4c, d).
The warning against being ashamed of Jesus (Mark 8.38 pars.) has a counterpart
in the balanced antithesis, 'Those who confess me will be spoken for, those who
deny me will be denied' (Matt. 10.32-33/Luke 12.8-9). 228 Faithful servants will
be rewarded. 229 Triply attested is the promise that whoever loses his or her life
(for Jesus' sake) will save it. 230 Jesus is remembered as promising to those who
225. 'Surely here is a theme that is so much a part of the tradition that, were one to deny
it to Jesus, the very possibility of the modern quest would fall into disrepute for the reason that
the sources are too untrustworthy' (Allison, Jesus of Nazareth 103).
226. Mark 10.21 pars.; Mark 12.25/Matt. 22.30; Matt. 5.12/Luke 6.23; Matt. 6.20/Luke
12.33; Matt. 5.16; Luke 10.20.
227. Hades in Matt. 11.23/Luke 10.15; Luke 16.23. Gehenna in Mark 9.43, 45, 47/Matt.
5.29-30/18.8-9; Matt. 10.28/Luke 12.5; Matt. 5.22; 23.15, 33. The (eternal) fire in Mark 9.43/
Matt. 18.8-9; Mark 9.48; Matt. 5.22; 7.19; 13.40, 42, 50; 25.41; as already in the Baptist's
preaching (Matt. 3.10-12/Luke 3.9, 16-17). Chilton maintains that the reference to Gehenna in
Mark 9.47-48 is drawn from the closing words of the Targum of Isaiah (Galilean Rabbi 101-
102, 107-108).
228. 'This calling of a person to account before the coming God . .. was the center of Jesus'
expectation of judgment.. . not the pouring out of anonymous historical and cosmic catastrophes
upon "this generation" . . .' (Goppelt, Theology 1.122). See further below, §16.4c(3).
229. Matt. 24.45-47/Luke 12.42-44; Matt. 25.20-23/Luke 19.16-19; Luke 6.35; Matt.
20.8; Luke 10.7. The language of (eschatological) reward (misthos) is also used in Mark 9.41/
Matt. 10.42; Matt. 5.12/Luke 6.23; Matt. 6.1, (2, 5, 16). The theme is lacking in Thomas. See
also below, §12.4g.
230. Mark 8.35 pars.; Matt. 10.39/Luke 17.33; John 12.25 (one of the Synoptic-like tra-
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