Canonical Mondays: Part 2, Why does Joseph in Luke look like Joseph in Acts?

In our last post, I showed how Luke painted a portrait of the Joseph (Barnabas) in Saul’s early Christian life to resemble the Joseph in Jesus’ early life. What the first Joseph did for young Jesus, the second Joseph also did for young Saul of Tarsus. The two Josephs, neither of which are actual fathers, exerted efforts to bring young Jesus and young Saul into the covenant community.

Before I provide the details of this double portrait, this is a good place to remember that double-portraits (part and parcel of the canonical writing style) are first found in the Old Testament. Noah’s story, for example, is shaped to resemble Adam’s story. The pattern of Jacob’s life is a mirror of the pattern of Abraham’s life. Joseph is portrayed as another Jacob, the House of David is cast as the House of Jacob, and the prophet Elisha looks like the twin of the prophet Elijah. Then, Moses’ portrait is painted as a new Joseph, and Joshua becomes a second Moses. Abigail and Esther are both portrayed as better Eves. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg.

Once we approach the Bible from a canonical perspective, these twin-like portraits just leap from the text. We must ask and answer the question: why are all these characters intentionally depicted to look like prior individuals? What was the author’s purpose?

But those questions will have to wait. Now, I will show you the details, a closeup view of how the two Josephs are made to look alike. Both Josephs undertook two journeys to bring Jesus and Saul into the covenant community.

The First Journey 

On the first journey, Joseph (and Mary) brought Jesus to the Temple (in Jerusalem) to present him to the Lord (Lk 2:22). And Joseph (Barnabas), due to the skepticism by the church that Saul was a genuine disciple, brought him (in Jerusalem) to the apostles to advocate for him (Acts 9:26-27). Barnabas succeeded.

The Second Journey

Joseph (and Mary) also brought Jesus on a second journey to Jerusalem (Lk 2:41-52). Upon their return to Nazareth from Jerusalem, unbeknownst to Joseph and Mary, young Jesus remained behind in the Temple (Lk 2:41-44a). So, Joseph and Mary conducted a three-day search[1] for Jesus and finally found him in the Temple courts (Lk 2:44b-52). His question to them reveals that young Jesus was aware that his true Father was God, for he was sitting among the teachers in his Father’s house[2] (Lk 2:49).

Later on in Acts, after Saul’s friends had sent him back to Tarsus, Barnabas also went on a second journey and searched for Saul in his home town in Tarsus (Acts 11:25). When he found Saul, he brought him to the church in Antioch (11:25). There Saul (and Barnabas) was teaching great numbers of people.

After the account of young Jesus in the Temple, Joseph fades into obscurity. After the initial introduction as “Joseph”, Barnabas is never mentioned again by his actual name.

So, Luke portrays the second Joseph (Barnabas) replicating what the first Joseph did.  Just as Joseph, unrelated by blood to Jesus, made two trips to bring him into the covenant community, so also there was a Joseph, unrelated by blood to Saul, who made two trips to bring him into the covenant community (Jerusalem church, Antioch church). And, on the second journey, the first Joseph had to seek for Jesus and found him in his Father’s house (Temple). The second Joseph also had to seek for Saul and found him in his father’s home town (Tarsus).

So, the question on the floor for Bible students is: Why is Luke painting a portrait of the second Joseph (Barnabas) to resemble the first Joseph? Why is Luke creating a parallel relationship between young Saul of Tarsus in the early stage of his experiences with young Jesus in the early stages of his experiences?

Is Luke trying to impress us with his literary skills by painting a double portrait? And, is there any other evidence to be found in Acts that Saul, who becomes Paul, is portrayed as Jesus? We’ll leave that question to simmer on the back burner for a while.

Next episode of Canonical Mondays: Why does Saul of Tarsus in Acts look like King Saul in 1 Samuel?

Thank you for reading.

NOTES:

[1] This three-day search for the missing Jesus foreshadows the three days Jesus was missing in the grave after his crucifixion. The stories show that even people who were close to Jesus and ought to have understood his true identity—Joseph and Mary and his apostles—were slow to understand and believe. See Luke 24:25-27.

[2] Technically, the Greek text of Luke 249 does not specify the Father’s house. It reads, οὐκ ᾔδειτε ὅτι ἐν τοῖς τοῦ πατρός μου δεῖ εἶναί με; “Didn’t you know that I had to be about my Father’s things.”