Articles in TynBul 47.2 (Nov.1996)

p191: JESUS AND HIS BAPTISM:

R. Alastair Campbell
Tutor in New Testament, Spurgeon's College, London

Summary

'Baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire' on the lips of John the Baptist referred to the coming Kingdom in terms of death and resurrection in which the nation would be cleansed and reborn. The experience of Jesus at the Jordan convinced him that he must not only proclaim the coming Kingdom in the power of the Spirit but bear God's judgement on behalf of the nation (Lk. 12:49-50). On the cross he underwent the baptism of fire and received the baptism of the Spirit at his resurrection. At Pentecost the church, like Jesus at Jordan, was empowered to proclaim the coming Kingdom and called to share in the sufferings of Christ before Jesus returns to baptise the world in fire and the Holy Spirit.

p215: WHAT HAPPENS TO MS BABYLON IN ISAIAH 47 WHY, AND WHO SAYS SO?
John Goldingay
Principal, St. John's College, Nottingham

Summary

In Isaiah 47 Ms Babylon is punished not for promiscuity or other sexual misdemeanour but for a failure in her womanhood which lies in a failure of womanly compassion. She is punished not by rape or sexual humiliation but by her reduction from a position of royal authority to one of domestic servanthood.

p245: THE WRITER OF HEBREWS AS A BIBLICAL EXPOSITOR
R.T. France
The Rectory, Wentnor, Bishop's Castle, Shropshire

Summary

The Letter to the Hebrews stands out among New Testament writings as the one which typically 'expounds' a selected text at some length, exploring its relevance to the current situation of the readers. This article identifies seven such extended expositions within the letter, and analyses the way scripture is understood and applied in each. While the writer respected the original meaning of the text, his 'christological interpretation' leads to new and sometimes surprising applications, which may not be (or be intended to be) 'scientific exegesis', but are fully in keeping with the hermeneutical approach of the early Christian movement and of its founder.

p277: 'REFRESH THE HEARTS OF THE SAINTS' A UNIQUE PAULINE CONTEXT?
Andrew D. Clarke
Lecturer in New Testament, Department of Divinity with Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen

Summary

Some four times in the Pauline corpus the verb anapauo is used together with the noun pneuma or splanchna in the sense of 'refresh the heart'. Through a comparison of Greek literary and non-literary sources it seems that, although each of these words is common enough, their combination in this way is particularly unusual in or before the first century AD. It would appear, therefore, that the Pauline use of the complete phrase may well, at the time, have offered a unique usage. Similarities between the four Pauline contexts shed light on Paul's usage: 'refreshing the hearts of the saints' is to be seen as a positive Christian action which is highly commended by the apostle and could cross traditional social barriers.

p301: WHO WAS THE 'KING OF NINEVEH' IN JONAH 3:6?
Paul Ferguson
Elgin, Illinois, USA

Summary

This article seeks to show the title 'king of Nineveh' is not an anachronism. Comparison with Aramaic use of the north-west Semitic mlk, important in a north Israelite context, may suggest that a city or provincial official might have been under consideration. Cuneiform evidence seems to suggest that no distinction is made between city and province in designating a governor. Common custom was to give provincial capitals the same name as the province. This could explain the fact that the book of Jonah says the 'city' was a three day walk (3:3).

p315: BAPTISM, CATECHISM, AND THE ECLIPSE OF JESUS' TEACHING IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Alan Kreider
Fellow and Lecturer in Church History, Regent's Park College, Oxford; Director of the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture

Summary

Which should come first: baptism or teaching? Evidence from the first six centuries indicates that Christians began by giving priority to baptism and then, after the period from the Didache through Augustine in which catechism preceded baptism, they returned to the former order. The early Christians practised intensive catechism. They sought to resocialise pagans into a lifestyle, often rooted in the teachings of Jesus, which was practised by believers. In the fourth and fifth centuries, many catechists came to focus upon belief rather than behaviour, and the teachings of Jesus were increasingly marginalised. After the sixth century, catechism largely disappeared.

p349: JESUS THE KING, MERKABAH MYSTICISM AND THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Jey J. Kanagaraj
Head of Biblical Studies Department, Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India

Summary

As King, the Johannine Jesus humbly reveals God's kingly glory, in sharp contrast to the world's expectations because he himself is, as the Son, one with the Father. This oneness in glory is plainly portrayed in John 12:41, where John interprets Isaiah's vision of the enthroned God as a vision of Christ's glory. A true vision of Jesus as King perceives him paradoxically as the Man in his lowliness, shame, suffering and crucifixion, and as the one who bears witness to the truth and exercises judgement. Such a presentation of Jesus' kingship indicates that John is addressing to some extent the Jews of his time who had great interest in Merkabah mysticism-the experience of seeing God on the throne in human-like form, after the pattern of Ezekiel 1, Isaiah 6, and Daniel 7. John testifies to what was seen and heard before the people, calling them to believe in Jesus, the Man and the King, and to see his glory enthroned supremely on the cross.

p 367: STRUCTURE, CONTEXT AND MEANING IN THE SAMUEL CONCLUSION (2 SA. 21-24)
Herbert H. Klement

First paragraph

In recent years increased attention has been devoted to the narratives of the books of Samuel. This newer interest in these books has concentrated especially on narrative technique and the type of literary portrayal found in these accounts. The peculiar nature of the concluding chapters of Samuel with its six chiastically arranged units has seldom been the object of an independent study. Nonetheless it is this more recent interest in literary forms which has increased awareness of the boundaries of literary units, and thus of the significance of beginnings and endings in determining the interpretation of those units. This study seeks, therefore, within the framework of a literary enquiry, to understand the chapters 2 Samuel 21-24 in their function as the conclusion of the Samuel corpus.

p371: PHILIPPIANS: FROM PEOPLE TO LETTER
Peter Oakes

First paragraph

This thesis explores the idea of listening to Philippians from the viewpoint of reconstructions of its first recipients. It first considers the development of the Roman colony of Philippi and the social composition of a church likely to arise in that context. It then defends the idea that there was suffering in the Philippian church and considers the probable nature of that in the social setting of Philippi. The model of the hearers developed in this way is put to work in three key exegetical areas. First, two imaginary hearers, one suffering and one not, listen to the letter-in particular to the material on the major theme of suffering. Second, the Philippian Christians listen to material on Christ's Lordship in the light of their experience of Imperial ideology. Third, the preceding work is drawn together as the Philippians listen to the juxtaposition, in 2:1-11, of the themes of suffering and unity.

p375: PATRIARCHAL RELIGION AS PORTRAYED IN GENESIS 12-50
Augustine Pagolu

First paragraph

Although J. Wellhausen had already rejected the historicity of the patriarchs, and with it their religion, and argued that the patriarchal traditions were retrojections dating from the Monarchical period, A. Alt's essay 'Der Gott der Väter' marked a watershed in the study of patriarchal religion. In this essay he argued both for a patriarchal religion distinct from Mosaic religion and for the possibility of its originating during or at just before the settlement of Israelite clans in Canaan. While many since Wellhausen have continued to argue against the historicity of the patriarchs, a number of scholars, in the light of Ugaritic and other archaeological discoveries, have followed Alt in arguing for a distinct patriarchal religion before the Mosaic period. However, the study of patriarchal religion has chiefly been confined either to the different divine names or to the social and legal practices frequently attested in Genesis. As a result, relatively little attention has been paid to patriarchal religious and cultic practices in Genesis.

Articles in TynBul 47.1 (May.1996)

THREE WEDDINGS AND A DIVORCE: GOD'S COVENANT WITH ISRAEL, JUDAH AND THE CHURCH
Pages 1-25
David Instone Brewer

Summary
God is described in the Old Testament as married to Israel and Judah, and in the New Testament the church is described as the Bride of Christ. The marriage to Israel ended in divorce and the marriage to Judah suffered a period of separation. Paul suggests that this marriage ended when Christ died, in order that Christ would be free to marry the Church with a better marriage covenant. These marriage covenants are detailed by several authors in the Old and New Testaments. These several accounts are consistent with each other and demonstrate that God subjects himself to his own law in the matter of marriage and divorce.

MARK 16:1-8: THE EMPTY TOMB OF A HERO?
Pages 27-37
Peter G. Bolt

Summary
Hamilton (using Bickermann) has suggested that in antiquity a Hero was proven to be such by means of an empty grave. This view, however, needs to be re-evaluated in the light of the 'empty tombs' associated with Heroes and the 'tombs' associated with some of those reputed to have been translated. This evidence is compared to Mark's portrayal of Jesus' empty tomb to show that it is neither the empty tomb of a Hero, nor of one who has been translated (as has been contended), but of one who has been raised from the dead.

GOD AND HIS PEOPLE IN THE NATIONS' HISTORY: A CONTEXTUALISED READING OF AMOS 1-2
Pages 39-70
M. Daniel Carroll R.

Summary
The Oracles against the Nations in Amos 1 and 2 give important insights into the nature of God's involvement in human history and the place of God's people in it. This essay draws on them in order to evaluate Liberation Theology's claim that Yahweh acts in history for the liberation of the oppressed. This theological conviction has gone hand-in-hand with certain hermeneutical commitments as to how the biblical text should be read. Two liberationists, Gustavo Gutiérrez and J. Severino Croatto are cited in order to raise the key issues for discussion, and then some alternative thoughts on hermeneutical and biblical method are proposed. A literary reading of Amos 1 and 2 suggests that this text can provide insights for a new understanding of God in history that might illuminate the Latin American situation more adequately than the liberation paradigm.

ON INTRODUCING GODS TO ATHENS: AN ALTERNATIVE READING OF ACTS 17:18-20
Pages 71-90
Bruce W. Winter

Summary
Acts 17:18 records that some Athenians perceived Paul to be a 'herald of strange gods' because of his evangelistic activity in the Agora. This essay examines the conventions surrounding a "herald's" official introduction of new deities into the Athenian Pantheon, throwing further light on Paul's Areopagus address and suggesting an alternative translation of Acts 17:19-20.

AMOS 7:14: A CASE OF SUBTLE IRONY
Pages 91-114
Åke Viberg

Summary
Amos 7:14 is a key verse for the understanding of Israelite prophecy. Among the unresolved issues relating to this verse is the question whether the nominal clauses should be translated with a present or a past tense. Neither of these alternatives seems to have proved convincing, and therefore we should raise the more fundamental questions as to how the prophet is using language. It is argued that his statement only becomes intelligible when we acknowledge that he is using irony. Amos perceived an ideological gap between his grand vision of YHWH's reign and the reality of his people's situation, and was able to bridge this gap through his use of irony.

GENEALOGICAL ANNOTATION IN GENESIS AS BACKGROUND FOR THE MATTHEAN GENEALOGY OF JESUS
Pages 115-122
John Nolland

Summary
The Matthean genealogy can helpfully be classified as an annotated genealogy, a type of genealogy which is notable in Genesis. Annotation and other forms of breach of standard patterns in the Genesis genealogies function particularly to set genealogies into their wider narrative context and to ensure that the genealogies function as compressed tellings of the history that stands behind them. It is likely that Matthew learned his craft for the creation of an annotated genealogy from study of the genealogical material in Genesis.

DIVINE KNOWLEDGE: COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS WITH HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
Pages 123-142
Richard Sturch

Summary
Can we understand divine knowledge by analogy with human knowledge? This essay approaches the question by examining two forms of human knowledge: knowledge by creation and by understanding of classes of things. It is suggested that two other forms of human knowledge, memory and inference, may be less helpful as analogies for divine knowledge: if God knows future choices of free agents, this entails knowledge by experience. The essay examines the implications of divine knowledge of the future for human freedom and discusses the question of 'middle knowledge' of non-actual free choices. Certain problems raised by knowledge of temporal events suggest (but do not entail) that God is timeless.

GENESIS 4:17-24: A CASE-STUDY IN EISEGESIS
Pages 143-162
Maarten J. Paul

Summary
This article summarises both ancient and modern interpretations of Genesis 4:17-24, paying particular attention to the relatively unknown Jewish exegesis of this pericope. Usually there is a relation between the social and cultural position of the exegete and his positive or negative view of the technical achievements of Cain and his posterity. After a long period of negative interpretation, Calvin is the first to establish another outlook. In this century the discussion between J. Gabriel and C. Westermann reveals many motifs.

'FATHER' IMAGERY IN 2 CORINTHIANS 1-9 AND JEWISH PATERNAL TRADITION
Pages 163-171
Anthony A. Myrick

Summary
The metaphor of 'father' played a significant role in the pastoral practice of Paul. There is evidence that a major line of Paul's use of paternal imagery can be reliably traced back into the Old Testament and early Jewish tradition, namely the correction of his converts in 2 Corinthians 1-9. This finding suggests that Paul appears to owe much more to his ancient Jewish environment for his use of the paternal metaphor than has often been assumed, and sheds light on the nature and importance of Paul's fatherly correction in his pastoral care of the Corinthian community.

FAITHLESS ISRAEL, FAITHFUL YAHWEH IN DEUTERONOMY
Pages 173-176
Paul A. Barker

First paragraph:
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the perception of Deuteronomy regarding Israel's ability to keep the covenant requirements. Often Deuteronomy is regarded as an idealistic book, holding out the possibility of utopia in an Edenic land. Yet the hope of Deuteronomy is tempered by an acknowledgement of Israel's propensity to fail. This contributes to a pessimistic expectation for the future which lies in some tension with the book's optimism. It is the contention of this thesis that all optimism in Deuteronomy is grounded in the faithfulness of Yahweh to the Abrahamic promises and that, with regard to Israel, there is only a pessimism about the future. Nonetheless, these two strands are not in fundamental opposition to each other, as diachronic and redaction critics frequently imply to be the case. This thesis, which deals with the book synchronically, argues for the theological integrity of these points of view within Deuteronomy.

A NEW METHOD FOR RECONSTRUCTING BIBLICAL SCROLLS
Pages 177-180
Edward D. Herbert

First paragraph:
The Qumran biblical scrolls are of crucial importance for developing our understanding of the textual diversity that existed around the turn of the era, and for their text-critical contributions. Biblical scholars have generally depended primarily upon common sense and general scholarly judgement in reconstructing such scrolls. Chapter 1 advances a range of scientifically-based tools for reconstructing biblical scrolls, which will be summarised below under six headings. In the remainder of the thesis, these tools are applied to the reconstruction of the 4QSama fragments of 2 Samuel.

THE RECEPTION OF THE THEOLOGY OF KARL BARTH IN SCOTLAND
Pages 181-184
John L. McPake

First paragraph:
This thesis seeks to challenge the account of the reception of Karl Barth's theology within Scotland as offered by the leading Scottish theologian Thomas Forsyth Torrance (1913-). Equally, and consonant with that intention, it examines the nature of Hugh Ross Mackintosh's (1870-1936) response to Barth's theology (both Mackintosh and Barth having been teachers of Torrance). Torrance has championed Barth within the English-speaking world as the theologian par excellence, and presented his own thought as standing in self-conscious fidelity to that of Barth. Therefore, his account of the reception is of crucial significance.

A HISTORY OF RESEARCH ON CODEX BEZÆ Introduction
Pages 185-187
Kenneth E. Panten

First paragraph:
Considering the amount of material written on Codex Bezæ down through the centuries, a detailed history of research into the codex has long been overdue. Such a history is important not only to give future researchers an understanding of what has gone on before, but also to facilitate an understanding of the development of ideas and their outcome. As Codex Bezæ is the principal witness of the so-called Western text, much of what has been written focuses on its text. From the end of the last century, however, there has been a growing awareness among scholars of the need to give the other details contained within the codex far more attention than hitherto.

THE NATURE OF FAITH IN ISAIAH OF JERUSALEM
Pages 188-190
G.C.I. Wong

First paragraph:
This dissertation explores two questions related to the theme of faith and trust in Yahweh. First, what did Isaiah expect faith to entail? Was faith understood negatively in terms of a rejection of all human resources, be they alliances with foreign nations or one's own defence preparations? Or was the faith he proclaimed a positive call for fortitude and courage in the face of battle? Second, did Isaiah's faith consist of an unswerving belief in Jerusalem's absolute and unconditional inviolability? Or did his faith envisage the possibility of Jerusalem's destruction?