Who Is Jesus?

Darrell Bock's accessible apologetic work emerged from decades of his New Testament scholarship and teaching at Dallas Theological Seminary, addressing a persistent challenge in contemporary Christianity: the perceived gap between the Jesus discovered through historical investigation and the Christ proclaimed in Christian faith. Writing for educated believers and thoughtful seekers, Bock confronts the common assumption that historical-critical study necessarily undermines traditional Christian claims about Jesus' identity and significance.

Bock systematically demonstrates that rigorous historical method, properly applied, actually supports rather than contradicts the New Testament's portrait of Jesus as both fully human and divine. He walks through key aspects of Jesus' life and ministry, showing how the Gospels function as reliable historical sources while simultaneously making theological claims. The work examines Jesus' self-understanding, his claims to authority, the nature of his miracles, and the early Christian interpretation of his death and resurrection. Throughout, Bock argues that the supposed conflict between "the Jesus of history" and "the Christ of faith" represents a false dichotomy, demonstrating instead how careful historical work illuminates rather than diminishes the theological significance of the Gospel accounts.

Bock's contribution has proven valuable in evangelical apologetics and seminary education, offering believers intellectual confidence in their faith's historical foundations while engaging seriously with critical scholarship. His approach represents a middle way between fundamentalist rejection of historical criticism and liberal acceptance of a purely human Jesus. The work continues to serve pastors, students, and educated laypeople seeking to understand how historical investigation and Christian faith can complement rather than compete with each other.

Who should read this: Christians troubled by challenges to the historical reliability of the Gospels, seminary students learning to engage critical scholarship, and anyone interested in evangelical responses to contemporary Jesus studies. This work will frustrate readers seeking either uncritical acceptance of Gospel accounts or thoroughly secular historical approaches to Jesus.