Contagious Holiness

Craig Blomberg's study emerges from a fundamental question about Jesus' ministry: why did his practice of eating with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other social outcasts provoke such fierce opposition from religious leaders? Writing as a New Testament scholar within evangelical Christianity, Blomberg challenges the common assumption that holiness requires separation from moral contamination. Instead, he argues that Jesus operated according to a radically different understanding of how holiness works.

Blomberg's central thesis is that Jesus embodied "contagious holiness" rather than "contagious defilement." Drawing on careful analysis of Gospel narratives and their Jewish cultural context, he demonstrates that Jesus consistently transformed those he encountered rather than being corrupted by them. The book traces this pattern through Jesus' meals with Zacchaeus, Matthew, and others, showing how table fellowship served as a means of grace that brought repentance and transformation. Blomberg argues that Jesus' approach overturned conventional Jewish purity concerns, establishing a new paradigm where holiness spreads outward to cleanse rather than being threatened by contact with sin.

This work has influenced evangelical approaches to evangelism and social engagement, providing biblical grounding for ministries that intentionally engage with marginalized communities. Blomberg's scholarship offers a theological foundation for churches wrestling with how to maintain Christian distinctiveness while avoiding isolationism.

Who should read this: Pastors and church leaders seeking biblical warrant for ministry among the marginalized will find Blomberg's exegetical work particularly valuable. This book is less suited for those primarily interested in devotional reading or systematic theology, as it focuses specifically on New Testament interpretation and its practical implications for contemporary ministry strategy.