Articles in TynBul 69.1 (May 2018)

p.1
Covenant, Typology, and the Story of Joseph
Samuel Emadi (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
 
Critical scholars traditionally assert that the Joseph story (Genesis 37–50) does not develop any of the covenantal themes prominent in Genesis 1–36. By considering Joseph's relationship to the kingship, seed, land, and blessing promises of the Abrahamic covenant, this article concludes that the Joseph story provides a significant development of the Abrahamic covenant. Joseph is an anticipatory fulfilment of the covenant and thus provides literary and redemptive-historical resolution to the Genesis narrative. Joseph also points forward to a more complete fulfilment of the patriarchal hopes expressed in the Abrahamic covenant. These observations provide evidence from within Genesis itself that the author intends Joseph to be read typologically, anticipating God's eschatological work through the Messiah.
 
p.25
Hosea's Marriage Reconsidered
Robin Routledge (Mattersey Hall College)
 
Whilst there is general agreement that Hosea 1–3 contains prophetic sign-acts, biographical information is sparse, and some argue that it is unwise to try to reconstruct details of Hosea's marriage(s). This article argues from the premise that the historical context of sign-acts, insofar as it may be discerned, is significant for interpretation, and seeks to re-examine proposed historical scenarios and present a partial reconstruction. Issues include the interpretation of ('eshet zenunim), translated 'wife of whoredom', in 1:2, and the identity of the unnamed woman in 3:1. The article concludes that 'eshet zenunim is best understood, proleptically, to relate to Gomer's adultery after her marriage to Hosea, and that 3:1-5 points to the restoration of their earlier relationship. This view best fits the text and the parallel with Israel's spiritual adultery, forgiveness, and restoration by her divine husband.
 
p.43
A Possible Scriptural Precedent for Paul's Teaching on Divorce (and Remarriage?) in 1 Corinthians 7:10-15
Brian Peterson (Lee University)
 
This paper argues that in the same way Jesus' and the Pharisees' positions on divorce were rooted in the Torah, so, too, Paul, a man steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures, may have been influenced by the Torah when formulating his own teaching on a believer's freedom to remarry when abandoned by an unbelieving spouse. Here it is argued that Paul may have drawn upon the marital life of Moses, who appears to have remarried a Cushite woman after being abandoned by his wife Zipporah due to his Abrahamic faith.
 
p.63
'He Shall Be Called a Nazarene': The Non-Citation of Matthew 2:23
Jared M. August (Baptist Bible Seminary)
 
Numerous scholars have sought to identify the OT quotation to which Matthew 2:23 alludes. However, when the grammatical details of each of Matthew's fourteen formula-citations are considered, it is apparent that Matthew did not intend to allude to any specific OT passage in 2:23. On the contrary, Matthew simply sought to develop the general OT expectation that the Messiah would come from humble origins, a reality consistent with Jesus' upbringing in Nazareth. This thesis is demonstrated through an analysis and comparison of the fourteen formula-citations in Matthew's Gospel. It is concluded that the formula-citations can be divided into two groups: (1) those which cite an OT passage (1:22; 2:15, 17; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14, 35; 21:4; 27:9) and (2) those which develop an OT theme or expectation (2:23; 5:17; 26:54, 56).
 
p.75
Detaching the Census: An Alternative Reading of Luke 2:1-7
David J. Armitage (Leicester)
 
This paper offers an alternative approach to Luke 2:1-7, assuming for argument's sake that Luke's presumed chronology agreed with modern reconstructions in placing Quirinius' census some years after Herod's death. It is proposed that, on this basis, a coherent reading of the text is feasible in which the reference to Quirinius marks 2:1-5 as a digression, bounded by distinct transition markers, describing events several years after Jesus' birth. This digression, which claims that Joseph and Mary registered in Bethlehem in AD 6, despite having resided in Nazareth for several years, emphasises the family connection to Bethlehem and therefore to David.
 
p.97
Mê ekloumenoi in Galatians 6:9
Aaron Michael Jensen (Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary)
 
The final phrase of Galatians 6:9, mê ekloumenoi, is today almost universally understood as a conditional participle, placing a strong warning on the end of Paul's encouragement to persist in doing good. This article argues on grammatical, contextual, and historical grounds that the participle would be better understood as having a 'manner' shading and as expressing the ceaseless nature of the eschatological harvest as an exhortation to ceaseless service in the present.
 
p.111
Ethics and Imitatio Christi in 1 John: A Jewish Perspective
Mavis M. Leung (Evangel Seminary, Hong Kong)
 
This paper focuses on one of the ethical features of 1 John, namely 'the imitation of Christ'. It argues that this ethical feature is related to the believers' identity and vocation as the people of God. Just as in the OT Israel is obliged to reflect God's nature in everyday life, the believers must take on Jesus' character as their character and follow in his footsteps to surrender one's own life for the benefits of others. The result of this paper indicates that the weight of the Jewish ethical thoughts in the formation of Johannine ethics is more important than often acknowledged.
 
p.133
Construct a Fortress Against the Devil: John Chrysostom's Plea to Build Churches in the Countryside
Michael Strickland (Amridge University)
 
Given Chrysostom's famous concern for the poor, it is perhaps surprising that he made multiple appeals to rich, land-owning Christians to build churches in the countryside. In fact, Chrysostom preferred that the poor be helped by building churches for them rather than giving them gifts directly. However, it is clear that he was less concerned with architecture and aesthetics and more with evangelisation. Chrysostom saw church buildings, with 'full-time' ministers, as a way not only to bless the poor of the countryside, but as a means for Christian instruction. Thus, he appealed to rich Christians by challenging them to build more churches. Rather than building baths, or taverns, or hosting markets, why not build churches to establish an eternal legacy, constructing 'a fortress against the devil, for that is what the church is'?
 
 
Dissertation Summaries
 
p.149
Retribution in the Canonical Psalter 
Steffen G. Jenkins (Union School of Theology)
 
Prayers against enemies have caused concern to readers of the Psalms since earliest times. This dissertation approaches such prayers in their context within the Psalter as a book, paying attention to the shape and structure of the whole Psalter, and asks whether such an approach can shed light on a close reading of prayers for retribution.
 
p.153
Pauline Language and the Pastoral Epistles 
Jermo van Nes (Evangelische Theologische Faculteit)
 
After a short introduction explaining the highly disputed status of the Pastoral Epistles (PE or Pastorals) in New Testament studies, Part I ('The Linguistic Problem of the Pastoral Epistles') serves as a history of research on the so-called linguistic problem of the PE. Tracing its roots, Chapter 1 ('Origins of the Problem: Founding Figures') discusses some of the key figures in the emerging debate over the peculiar language of the PE in relation to the question of their authorship.
 
p.157
Paul's Use of Jewish Traditions
Stefan Bosman (University of Aberdeen)
 
Despite the common practice of appealing to Jewish texts to inform a historic reading of passages in the Pauline Hauptbriefe, close in-depth tradition-historical studies have been limited. Furthermore, even among these tradition-historical studies, one finds a great diversity of approaches. Differences of opinion exist in terms of: (1) whether post-Pauline Jewish texts should even be considered as instructive; (2) what constitutes an entity that may be compared, e.g. mere traditions or initially only whole documents; and (3) when one can speak of a tradition having influenced a particular text.