What Was the World of Jesus?

In some ways, the Gospels are like the text of a drama. If youve read the script of a play and then seen it performed, you realize how different a text can be interpreted when it is transferred from page to stage.

All of the Gospels were originally read aloud to an audience that was intimately familiar with the background, and that gave the words immediacy, meaning, and vibrancy. In todays world, w...