Critical Investigations of the Canonical Gospels

This seminal work of Baur was published in 1847, yet was never translated into English, probably because its conclusions were too radical for English scholars and readers of that time. It begins with a lengthy analysis of the Gospel of John, concluding that the stories about and teachings of Jesus contained in that Gospel cannot be historically factual. Rather they serve the principal agenda of the Gospel to present Jesus as a divine teacher, the incarnate Word (Logos) of God, whose words contain the absolute truth of God. At the same time, Jesus is presented as a historical human being with the talents and limitations of any such person, with the need to eat, sleep, have companions, etc. This produces notable tensions, which are a hallmark of the Gospel. If the Gospel of John is set aside as a historical source, this leaves the question as to whether any of the Gospels can be relied upon as such a source. Baur regards Mark not as the earliest Gospel but as derivative, copying elements from the other Synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of Matthew is in his view the most historically reliable--not in its present canonical form but as based on an earlier "Hebrew Gospel" to which Papias refers. This Hebrew Gospel contains teachings of and traditions about Jesus that constitute historical bedrock for the Christian religion. This bedrock can be reconstructed by historical-critical analysis. The translation was initiated by Robert F. Brown, who could not complete it prior to his death in 2024. The translation was taken over and completed by Rudolph Saliba, who holds a doctorate in German from Vanderbilt University.