Articles in TynBul 45.2 (Nov.1994)

THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS AND CLASSICAL RHETORIC: Part 3
Pages 213-243
Janet Fairweather
Researcher, Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge

Summary
It has been demonstrated in Parts 1 and 2 of this study (Tyndale Bulletin, May 1994) that rhetorical criticism was applied to Paul's Epistles in late Antiquity and that Paul himself certainly displays a knowledge of some sophisticated terms and concepts derived from the Greek theory of rhetoric, though it may still be doubted whether he obtained this knowledge direct from pagan schools or textbooks. What justification did he have, then, for representing his discourse as alien to the sofia of this world? It will emerge, first through a close reading of Galatians and then through more general consideration of Paul's handling of the 'five parts of rhetoric' that, although at the more superficial levels Paul makes use of many of the techniques favoured by classical orators, the conceptual framework in which he operated was different from that of pagan sophists and the bases of his argumentation were distinct and innovative.

THE STRUCTURE OF HEBREWS FROM THREE PERSPECTIVES
Pages 245-271
Steve Stanley
University of Sheffield

Summary
The literary genre, rhetorical character and content of Hebrews all provide clues to the structure of the book. In the final analysis none of these should be considered in isolation, but of the three, content is of primary importance. Among the most significant structural clues in Hebrews are the use of Scripture, particularly Psalm 110, the use of the 'word of exhortation' form, announcement of subject, the use of various genres within the larger framework of the homily and the fluctuations of theme and content. Hebrews can be divided into three main sections: the superiority of Christ (1-7), the superiority of Christ's ministry (8-10) and the resulting responsibilities of the people of God (11-13).



ENTERTAINING ANGELS: THEIR PLACE IN CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY
Pages 273-296
Lawrence Osborn
Richmond, Surrey

Summary
Taking as its starting point a survey of Karl Barth's angelology, this essay explores the potential role of angelology in contemporary orthodox theology. It outlines a possible structure for angelology by presenting angels in terms of both their function (as ministering spirits) and being (as inhabitants of heaven understood as a dimension of creation). The essay indicates various roles for angelology: as a defence of the mystery of creation and its openness to God; as a possible element in dialogue with post-materialism (particularly in its New Age manifestations); and as an aspect of contemporary Christian spirituality.



AWAKENING A SLEEPING METAPHOR: A NEW INTERPRETATION OF MALACHI 1:11
Pages 297-319
Ake Viberg
Senior Lecuturer in Old Testament, Stockholm School of Theology

Summary
From the early history of the Christian church and onwards, interpreters have suggested that Malachi 1:11 presents a universalism, i.e, that the surrounding nations of post-exilic Judah actually worshipped YHWH as the one true God by their sacrifices. In this article I propose that neither this solution, nor any other previously proposed solution does sufficient justice to Malachi 1:11. Instead, I propose that we focus on how the author uses metaphorical language to strengthen his argument. In doing so, however, the author creates a new metaphor that continues to challenge the understanding of the reader.



ETERNAL CREATION
Pages 221-338
Paul Helm
Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion, King's College, London

Summary
The lecture provides a partial defence of the idea of the timelessly eternal creation of the universe, once commonplace among Christian theologians, but now widely disputed. On such a view God has ontological but not temporal priority over his creation. It is better to stress the negative aspects of divine timelessness than to think of it on analogy with temporal duration. Recent objections to the idea of causation being necessarily temporal are considered and rebutted. Some objections to the idea of God being in time are proposed. Finally, it is argued that the timeless eternity of God fits better with the Nicene doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son.



FALLACIES IN THE STUDY OF EARLY ISRAEL: AN ONOMASTIC PERSPECTIVE
Pages 339-354
Richard S. Hess
Lecturer in Old Testament, Glasgow Bible College

Summary
This study considers the question of the origin of Israel and the interpretation of archaeological evidence for Palestinian hill country culture during the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age. While new research has enhanced our understanding of the period, it is important to maintain methodological controls in certain areas. This includes the careful evaluation of archaeological and textual evidence without a preconceived bias which automatically assigns a priority to the material culture. There is also evidence for non-indigenous peoples in Palestine at this time. This balances assumptions that Israelites must have been 'Canaanites' with their origins entirely within Palestine. Evidence relating to these issues is discussed.



JUDAISM AND THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY: A ROMAN PERSPECTIVE
Pages 355-368
E.A. Judge
Emeritus Professor of Ancient History, Macquarie University

Summary
Romans did not see Christianity as part of Judaism. They objected to Jewish proselytisation but did not link Christians with it. In Rome (under Nero) Christians presented an unrelated novelty. Their name is a Latin formation, implying public factionalism. The Jews at Antioch must have successfully kept their distance for it to be coined at all. Nerva's making the Jewish tax optional licensed the Jewish life-style. This latitude was never extended to Christians nor claimed by them. The clear dividing line in civil practice implies the tax was based on lists supplied by the synagogues.





WHAT WERE THE SADDUCEES READING? AN ENQUIRY INTO THE LITERARY BACKGROUND OF MARK 12:18-23
Pages 369-394
Peter G. Bolt
King's College, London

Summary
Where did the Sadducee's case study (Mk. 12:20-23) originate? After dismissing 2 Maccabees 7, this article suggests that the Book of Tobit most probably provides the Sadducees with their story. Both they and Tobit talk of the death of 7 husbands and Levirate marriage in the context of an interest in resurrection. The article ends by suggesting that this allusion to Tobit may bring further nuances to the reading of the Gospel of Mark.



IS UNIVERSALISM AN IMPLICATION OF THE NOTION OF POST-MORTEM EVANGELISM?
Pages 395-409
R.R. Cook
Lecturer, Redcliffe College, London

Summary
As an exercise in philosophical theology rather than biblical exegesis this article probes the rational consistency of the position held by C. Pinnock that both accepts the idea of a post-mortem evangelism which would provide maximum opportunity for each person to turn to God and thus find complete fulfilment and happiness, and yet also contends that nevertheless not everyone will choose to be saved. Through an analysis of why people reject Christ in this life it is concluded that Pinnock is in fact consistent although his arguments need strengthening.



FOREIGN GODS IDENTIFIED IN ACTS 17:18?
K.L. McKay
formerly Reader in Classics, The Australian National University, Canberra

First paragraph
The idea that the foreign gods referred to in Acts 17:18 included Anastasis has been widely recognised, at least from the time of Chrysostom (Aland-Nestle ad loc.), and has been incorporated into either the text or margin of some modern translations (e.g., NEB, JB). It appears to depend on the fact that the comment by some of the Athenians that Paul xevnwn daimonivwn dokei' kataggeleu;" ei\nai is followed by Luke's explanation o{ti to;n Ihsou'n kai; th;n ajnavstasin eujhggelivzeto (which, incidentally, is absent from the text of D). The plurality of the deities and the reference to a foreign name accompanied by an abstract noun that might in that setting have been treated as a deity appear to have made it a plausible idea.

Articles in TynBul 45.1 (May.1994)

THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS AND CLASSICAL RHETORIC: Parts 1 & 2
Pages 1-38
Janet Fairweather
Researcher, Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge

Summary
Is it a useful or valid approach to St. Paul's Epistles to analyse them in terms derived from the classical Greek and Roman rhetorical theorists? In the following three-part exploration of this question, of which the first two parts appear here and the third is to be published in the next issue of Tyndale Bulletin, the main focus of attention is the Epistle to the Galatians. Part 1 presents a demonstration that rhetorical criticism of a quality which deserves the attention of modern readers is applied to Paul's writing in the Commentary on Galatians by St. John Chrysostom. Part 2 re-examines with necessary scepticism the general question of Paul's relation to pagan Hellenic culture as a whole and rhetoric in particular. Evidence is found for consciousness on Paul's part of sophisticated rhetorical concepts, but it remains debatable whether, in his youth, he had studied any non-Jewish Greek literature. Part 3 begins with a close reading of Galatians in relation to classical theory on proems, narratives, arguments and conclusions, and poses the question, 'What justification did Paul have for regarding his discourse as somehow distinct from the sofia of this world?' It often proves possible to parallel Paul's rhetorical strategies in pagan theory and practice. However, it emerges that at the most fundamental level, notably in the bases of his argumentation, his approach was genuinely quite distinct from pagan sophistic.

JERUSALEM IN HEBREWS 13:9-14 AND THE DATING OF THE EPISTLE
Pages 39-71
Peter Walker
Research Fellow, Tyndale House, Cambridge

Summary
In this article it is suggested the author of Hebrews had a developed critique not just of the Temple but also of the city of Jerusalem, and that this is close to the heart of his concerns as expressed in a pivotal passage in 13:9-14. The traces of this theme in earlier chapters are then noted, leading to the conclusion that the author is writing before the Fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 but with a prophetic awareness of what lies in store for the Jewish capital. The consequences of this view for our study of Hebrews and other parts of the New Testament are highlighted in a concluding section.


BLIND ALLEYS IN THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE PAUL OF HISTORY
Pages 73-95
Mark A. Seifrid
Assistant Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville

Summary
E.P. Sanders' reading of Paul against the backdrop of 'covenantal nomism' is badly flawed, since it obscures Paul's coming to understand the cross as working the justification of the ungodly. Two important extensions of Sanders' paradigm also fail to illumine Paul in his context. 'Works of the Law' are not simply ethnic boundaries, as J.D.G. Dunn claims, but marks of piety as well. N.T. Wright's proposal that Christ provided the solution to Paul's experience of exile reverses the manner in which exilic language appears in Paul's letters. Contrary to the common assumption, Luther's theology of the cross and justification is not barren or irrelevant, and more closely accords with Paul than recent attempts to understand him.


EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN TRANSJORDAN
Pages 97-117
Bastiaan Van Elderen
Formerly Professor of New Testament, Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids

Summary
Considerable archaeological field work is currently being conducted in the area of the Decapolis, including the author's involvement in the excavations of Abila. This article reviews the few references to northern Transjordan in the New Testament and the references in early Christian literature which suggest that Jewish Christianity flourished in Transjordan in the early Christian centuries. Archaeological evidence indicates a rich floruit of Byzantine Christianity in Transjordan. A study of literary allusions relating to this area and the current archaeological work promise new light on this little-known phase of early Christianity.


THE IMAGERY OF BIRTH PANGS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Pages 119-135
Conrad Gempf
Lecturer in New Testament, London Bible College

Summary
It is perhaps surprising that in the patriarchal culture of first century Palestine, male teachers such as Jesus and Paul should speak or write to ostensibly predominantly male audiences using as an image a pain that has never been felt by males. The reason for this particular image is often presumed to be that birth pangs are a pain that lead to a positive result, but, especially given the Old Testament use of the image, this is unlikely to be the primary meaning for the image. Alternatives are explored: birth pangs, as well as being a 'productive' pain, are an 'intense' pain, a 'helpless' pain, and a 'cyclical' pain that once begun must run its course.


ETHICS AND AESTHETICS IN THE SONG OF SONGS
Pages 137-152
Mark Elliott
University of Cambridge

Summary
While readings of the Song of Songs tend to focus on the extent of its licencing of pre-marital sex, the Song's message on the nature of sexual and human loving is to be found in its choice of metaphors for that activity. These, while not revealing the divine nature, direct the readers' gazes towards heavenly love (in the Christian tradition, He is 'seated at the right hand of the Father') so as to be better able to hear revealed instructions for loving.


IN ORDER THERE TO FIND GOD: KIERKEGAARD AND OBJECTIVE REVELATION
Pages 153-168
John Tallach
Minister, Alford Place Church, Aberdeen

Summary
Kierkegaard is widely regarded as having no time for the objective, with all that this would imply for his view of God's revelation of himself. This article suggests that Kierkegaard's rejection of the objective will be misunderstood unless it is placed within the context of his debate with Hegelian rationalism. This suggestion is then brought to bear on how Kierkegaard has been interpreted by Don Cupitt and by Robert Adams. There is a brief final section on the Kierkegaardian princi-ple that the truth is personal.


THE AMBIGUITY OF CAPACITY: A REJOINDER TO TREVOR HART
Pages 169-179
Stephen Andrews
University of Cambridge

Summary
This brief rejoinder challenges Trevor Hart's suggestion that Karl Barth may have misunderstood Emil Brunner's notion of 'a point of contact', and rejects the claim that Barth's own theology requires a positing of human 'capacity', defined in a passive sense. The essay begins by sketching the broader context of the Barth-Brunner debate, which makes the proposal of mutual misunderstanding between the two less likely. The second section explores Hart's concept of 'capacity', and seeks to show that this is incompatible with Barth's theology. An exposition of Barth's doctrine of the incarnation forms the third part of the essay, and is an attempt to demonstrate that what stood at the heart of the debate from Barth's point of view was divine freedom. Then the rejoinder concludes with a rarely cited account of Barth's attempt at personal reconciliation with Brunner.


THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTI IN 1 CORINTHIANS 11:15
Pages 181-187
Alan G. Padgett
Department of Religion and Philosophy, Azusa Pacific University

Summary
After discussing two readings of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (the traditional view and an alternative) the article explores the importance of a right understanding of the preposition anti ('instead of') in verse 15. It is argued that various lexical choices make no logical difference in this case. Paul is simply stating that nature has given women hair instead of (or, as the equivalent of) a covering. This conclusion adds probability to the alternative reading being proposed.