Waarom Jezus geen vuur van de hemel liet komen. De receptie van Elia’s zèlos in het Nieuwe Testament Translated title: The Reception History of Elijah’s Zèlos in the New Testament

Abstract

In post-Old Testament Jewish literature both a zealot and an anti-zealot Elijah tradition emerge. Particularly in Luke, but also in Mark and John, the miracle stories of Elijah and Elisha function as models for the miracles that are told about Jesus. In the Synoptics we find a reframing of the Elijah tradition: only the miracles with a positive outcome are used and zealot features are rejected. Together with other New Testament data (for example from Paul’s writings) this leads to the conclusion that this reinterpretation goes back to Jesus himself. This means that he is the first whose message clearly indicates an anti-zealot reframing of the Elijah texts.