Articles in TynBul 61.1 (March 2010)

The Origins of Jesus-Devotion: A Response to Crispin Fletcher-Louis.

Larry W. Hurtado (University of Edinburgh)

The critique of my work on Jesus-devotion by Dr. Fletcher-Louis (in a previous issue of this journal) combines an essentially correct brief summary of some broad contours of my views and a few interesting points for further discussion; but, unfortunately, the main criticisms are often directed against over-simplified or exaggerated portrayals of my views, and also involve at least one serious red herring. In this brief response, therefore, I try to correct and clarify some key matters in the hope of promoting a more productive discussion of the remarkable devotion to Jesus that characterised earliest Christianity.

Continuity, Discontinuity, and Hope: The Contribution of New Testament Eschatology to a Distinctively Christian Environmental Ethos.

Jonathan Moo (Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, St Edmund's College, Cambridge)

This article focuses on the interpretation of three texts­Romans 8, 2 Peter 3, and Revelation 21–22­to develop the exegetical basis for a distinctively Christian perspective of the future that has important implications for how we understand our task in and for the created world. I propose that the diverse ways in which the NT portrays the future of the earth, taken together, provide an indispensable resource for the development of a Christian environmental ethos. I argue that this resource is not rendered more valuable by well-intentioned attempts to collapse the different emphases that emerge from, say 2 Peter 3 and Romans 8, into one version or the other. Nonetheless, I also argue that the contradiction that is often felt to exist between these different portraits of creation's future is not so acute that we cannot identify vital strands of continuity between them; and, most importantly, that the ecological ethos that emerges from serious reflection on the implications of these visions is as radical as it is consistent with the OT prophets in their stern calls for righteousness and justice to be realised on earth.

On Generating Categories in Theological Ethics: Barth, Genesis and the Ständelehre.

Brian Brock (University of Aberdeen)

Though the doctrine of creation is often invoked in Christian ethics, its relation to the book of Genesis remains obscure. The dominance of an ethics of principles among Christian ethicists and exegetes provides one reason for this obscurity in methodologically oversimplifying Scripture in order to make it more accessible for a specific type of modernist ethical methodology. The main emphasis of the article is to investigate the linkages Karl Barth drew between the book of Genesis and the doctrines of Christology and creation in his Church Dogmatics vol. III. While Barth makes important methodological advances on a Christian ethic of principles, his treatment of the doctrine of creation is found to underplay the distinctive thought structures of Genesis 1–4. A brief final section suggests that Luther's doctrine of the three estates comprehends Barth's best methodological insights, and in addition, was explicitly formulated as a reading of the biblical text of Genesis. Drawing on the work of Hans Ulrich, I conclude that an updated version of the Ständelehre addresses the systematic problems noted in a Christian ethic of principles and Barth's doctrine of creation, so yielding a more biblically faithful framework within which a Christian ethic of creation can be developed.

Did God Create Chaos?  Unresolved Tension in Genesis 1:1-2.

Robin Routledge (Mattersey Hall)

OT writers appear to use imagery found in other Ancient Near Eastern texts and portray creation as God's victory over, and transformation of, 'chaos'. This is sometimes associated with the expression tohu wabohu, translated 'formless and empty', in Genesis 1:2 (NIV). Recent interpretations of Genesis 1:1-2 imply that this chaos existed before God began his creative work. A more traditional view is that Genesis 1:1 implies that the cosmos was created out of nothing. This paper argues that Genesis 1 does point to God as the originator of all things, and also to creation as an ordering of chaos, with little attempt to resolve that tension. More important is the theological significance of holding these ideas side by side. One points to the transcendence, power and pre-existence of God. The other understands creation as a process, in which chaos, not unbeing, is the opposite of creation. This allows the possibility that chaos may return as a result of human sin (e.g. in the flood), and that new life and hope may be brought to desperate situations such as the exile (also portrayed as a return to chaos­e.g. in Jeremiah 4:23).

Complete v. Incomplete Conquest: A Re-Examination of Three Passages in Joshua.

T. A. Clarke (Westminster Theological College, Australia)

Most commentaries and articles regarding the book of Joshua take as a starting point an apparent contradiction between a complete and an incomplete conquest. Surprisingly, as Kitchen observes, there has not been a 'careful and close' reading of the passages taken as evidence of a complete conquest (i.e. Josh. 10:40-43; 11:16-23; 21:43-45). This article seeks to fill that gap in the literature. A close reading of these passages suggests that the author carefully describes the extent of the conquest. It seems the apparent contradiction regarding these passages has been overstated.

'Theological Interpretation' and its Contradistinctions.

John C. Poirier (Kingswell Theological Seminary, Ohio)

The label 'theological interpretation' has been used recently as a technical term to denote a certain approach to Scripture. This development is most unfortunate, not least because it implies that other approaches, especially historical criticism, cannot be equally theo­logical in focus. The use of this term in such an artificially narrowed way creates the false impression that anyone wanting to do exegesis in the service of the Church must do so according to the particular practices of the 'theological interpretation' movement. The implied argument is hardly an argument at all, and it promotes a number of poor hermeneutical habits.

Forgotten Guardians and Matthew 18:10.

Erkki Koskenniemi (Åbo Akademi University, Finland)

'See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven' (Matt. 18:10 NIV). Modern commentators have not reached a consen­sus on the context of this verse, nor on the angels mentioned. First, whether those who are guarded are children or ordinary Christians is undecided. Secondly, some scholars deny that single Christians have an individual guardian angel. However, because early Jewish and Christian sources have by no means been thoroughly researched, evidence found thus far can probably help clarify the kind of angels Jesus was referring to. Surprisingly, angels whose mission was to avenge the evil made to children have been widely overlooked by scholars.

Editio Critica Maior: An Introduction and Assessment.

Peter M. Head (Tyndale House and University of Cambridge)

A review article on: Novum Testamentum Graecum: Editio Critica Maior Vol. IV Catholic Letters (ed. by Barbara Aland, Kurt Aland†, Gerd Mink, Holger Strutwolf, and Klaus Wachtel); Instl. 1: James, Pt. 1. Text, Pt. 2. Supplementary Material (Stuttgart 1997; 2nd rev. impr., Stuttgart 1998); Instl. 2: The Letters of Peter, Pt. 1. Text, Pt. 2. Supplementary Material (Stuttgart 2000); Instl. 3: The First Letter of John, Pt. 1. Text, Pt. 2. Supplementary Material (Stuttgart 2003); Instl. 4: The Second and Third Letter of John. The Letter of Jude, Pt. 1. Text, Pt. 2. Supplementary Material (Stuttgart 2005).

Dissertation Summaries

Translation Technique and Theology in the Septuagint of Amos.

W. Edward Glenny (Northwestern College, St. Paul, Minnesota)

The goal of this dissertation is to describe and analyse as exhaustively as possible the translation technique and exegetical practice of the translator of the Septuagint of Amos. Two other works were especially influential on this study. Jennifer Dines had already done exegetical spadework in LXX-Amos, which was built upon in this work, and James Palmer's study of translation technique in LXX-Zechariah provided a methodology that could be applied to another of the LXX-Twelve to compare the translation technique in LXX-Amos with Palmer's conclusions concerning LXX-Zechariah.The contributions of the present dissertation were possible because it builds on these previous works.

From Fratricide to Forgiveness: The Ethics of Anger in Genesis.

Matthew R. Schlimm (University of Dubuque Theological Seminary)

In the first book of the Bible, every patriarch and many of the matriarchs have significant encounters with anger. However, scholar­ship has largely ignored how Genesis treats this emotion, particularly how Genesis functions as Torah by providing ethical instruction about handling this emotion's perplexities. This dissertation aims to fill this gap in scholarship, showing both how anger functions as a literary motif in Genesis and how this book offers moral guidance for engaging this emotion.

Articles in TynBul 60.2 (Nov.2009)

A New Explanation of Christological Origins: A Review of the Work of Larry W. Hurtado.

Crispin H.T. Fletcher-Louis (Westminster Theological Centre)

Prof. Larry Hurtado's three-volume work on christological origins has advanced understanding in several key respects and his account is simpler than that of his predecessors. However, it remains an evolutionary, multi-stage model and it is historically problematic. He overstates the case for Jewish opposition to Christ-devotion, minimises the ethical particularity of earliest Christianity and the model suffers some serious internal tensions. His claim that religious experiences gave the decisive impetus to Christ-devotion does not reckon adequately with the implications of social-science study, is not supported by the primary texts and conflicts with the important evidence that visionary and mystical practices were frowned upon in some early Christian quarters. Hurtado presents his work as theologically disinterested. However, he endorses Lessing's radical separation of theology and history and this theologically loaded judgement seems to be reflected in the non-incarnational character of the Christology Hurtado describes.

The Importance of the Noahic Covenant to Biblical Theology.

Aaron Chalmers (Tabor Adelaide, South Australia)

This article seeks to draw attention to the importance of the Noahic covenant to biblical theology. This article suggests that rather than being of only marginal significance, the Noahic covenant is of decisive importance for understanding the broader metanarrative of Scripture. In particular, this covenant establishes the basis or foundation for the story (God's commitment to creation, and in particular, the preservation of life on earth), establishes the parameters of the story (God's activity reaches out to embrace not only humanity, but also the created animals and the earth), and provides an anticipation of the conclusion of the story of redemption (God's judgement on sin, salvation of the righteous, and renewal of creation).

The Markan Narrative's use of the Old Greek Text of Jeremiah to Explain Israel's Obduracy.

Larry Perkins (Northwest Baptist Seminary)

A close reading of the Septuagint (LXX) translation of Jeremiah in conjunction with a careful examination of Markan contexts where Jeremiah materials occur reveals that Jeremiah's prophetic message influences the Markan portrayal of Jesus' words and deeds, especially to explain Israel's obduracy. By examining specific contexts in Mark's narrative (chs. 8, 11, 13, 14) where potential intertextual linkages with the Greek version of Jeremiah's prophecy occur I demonstrate the potential contribution of the Greek version of Jeremiah's material to our understanding of Mark's purpose. His use of Jeremiah material seems to focus almost exclusively on aspects of opposition that Jesus experienced. The general theme of Israel's obduracy, illustrated by the temple cleansing incident, the parable of the tenant farmers, and the prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple seems to provide the thread that the Markan author finds useful to link with Jeremiah's message.

The Identity and Composition of   in the Gospel of John.

Cornelis Bennema (SAIACS, India)

This article examines the referent of the term in the Gospel of John. The debate is whether the term refers exclusively to the religious authorities, to a religious party, to the religious authorities and common people, or simply to the Jews in general. This article makes three contributions to the debate. First, Second Temple Judaism already knew of the term as a broad reference to the adherents of the Judaean religion transcending the earlier ethnic-geographic sense, and John had this particular religious group in mind. Second, is a composite group with the chief priests rather than the Pharisees as its leaders. Third, within , John portrays a shift in hostility from a religious-theological conflict with the Pharisees in the middle of Jesus' ministry, towards a religious-political conflict with the chief priests later in Jesus' ministry.

New Testament Theology Re-Loaded: Integrating Biblical Theology and Christian Origins.

Michael F. Bird (Highland Theological College)

This study examines the problem of balancing the historical and theological components of New Testament Theology. It presents a critique of both Biblical Theology and Christian Origins and finally argues for a 'Theology of the New Covenant' where theology emerges out of the interface of canon and community.

Reading First Peter in the Context of Early Christian Mission

Christoph Stenschke (Wiedenest & University of South Africa)

The present article assesses the relationship of the concept of the Spirit of prophecy in Judaism to Pauline pneumatology. Since the functions and effects of the Spirit of prophecy in Judaism are disputed, the scholarly debate is reviewed, followed by a comparison of the Jewish concept and the Pauline view of the Spirit, demonstrating points of commonality and difference.

Perseverance Within an Ordo Salutis

Ján Hen el (Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica)

Many readers of Ecclesiastes have contrived to discover orthodox meaning for the words of Qohelet. An examination of two such readings reveals the shortcomings of both and paves the way for an alternative understanding of the book. Close analysis of the epilogue reveals that, although partially favourable towards Qohelet himself, the epilogist is unequivocally critical of the sages as a group. It appears that the epilogist may thus have employed Qohelet's words in order to reveal the failure of the sages and warn their prospective students to adhere to the commands of God. The book of Ecclesiastes thus functions as a tract designed to discredit the wisdom movement, using the sage Qohelet's own words in order to do so.

Dissertation Summaries

The Spirit and Sonship: Developing Colin Gunton's theology of Particularity

David A. Höhne (Moore Theological College, Australia)

One of the most enduring themes in the theology of the late Professor Colin Gunton was the importance of the particular­what makes something or someone one thing and not another. Gunton interpreted contemporary thought and practice as either homogenising individuals and things within a social group or going to the other extreme of isolating them from each other. Instead, Gunton proposed that particularity be understood as the eschatological perfecting work of the Spirit in the context of mutually constitutive relationships. That is, persons and things are who and what they are by virtue of their relations with God in the first instance and everyone and everything else in the second. Furthermore, the Spirit previews in the human career of the man Jesus Christ the particularising of everyone and everything in the economy of salvation. This dissertation follows Professor John Webster's general critique of Gunton's work in order to explore, appraise and develop his theology of particularity.

The Relationship Between Powers of Evil and Idols in 1 Corinthians 8:4-5 and 10:18-22 in the Context of the Pauline Corpus and Early Judaism

Rohintan Mody (Christ Church, Virginia Water, Surrey)

This thesis about the relationship between powers of evil and idols in 1 Corinthians 8:4-5 and 10:18-22 proposes a 'co-optative view' that in these passages evil powers are personal supernatural evil beings. For Paul, idols are the spiritually unreal cult images of the pagan gods and, in some cases, are also the gods as conceived by pagans, who are merely imaginary and fictitious (i.e. Zeus, Sarapis, etc. do not exist).

The Holy Spirit and Ethics in Paul: Transformation and Empowering for Religious-Ethical Life

Volker Rabens (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

This dissertation answers the question how, according to the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit enables religious-ethical life. How does the Spirit transform and empower believers so that they are able to live according to the values set forth by Paul's gospel? In order to answer this question, we look in the first part of the dissertation at an established approach to the ethical work of the Spirit in Paul. We have named this the 'infusion-transformation approach' because it assumes that the Spirit transforms believers substance-ontologically due to its nature as a physical substance. Moral life should be the natural outflow of the transformed nature of the believers which results from this infusion.

Michal, Contradicting Values: Understanding the Moral Dilemma Faced by Saul's Daughter

Jonathan Y. Rowe (Seminario Evangélico Unido de Teología)

Value conflicts owing to cultural differences are an increasingly pressing issue in many societies. Because Old Testament texts hail from a very different milieu to our own they may provide new perspectives upon contemporary conflicts. Michal, Contradicting Values is an interdisciplinary investigation of the value clash in 1 Samuel 19:10-18a that employs insights from Old Testament studies, ethics and anthropology.

Daniel's Son of Man in Mark: A Redefinition of the Earthly Temple and the Formation of a New Temple Community.

Robert S. Snow (Ambrose University College, Calgary)

This study attempts to build upon Professor Morna Hooker's work, The Son of Man in Mark, in which she concludes that 'the authority, necessity for suffering, and confidence in final vindication, which are all expressed in the Marcan [Son of Man] sayings, can all be traced to Dan. 7.' Starting with an analysis of the Son of Man [SM] in Daniel 7, the dissertation focuses on the priestly aspects of the SM and his presentation in the heavenly temple. In light of this particular OT background, Mark's Son of Man redefines the sacred space of the temple around himself. Initially, the SM does so by manifesting the divine presence. However, the temple leaders eventually cause the SM to suffer and die, through which redemption for Jesus' faithful followers is provided and a new temple community is formed. The SM's manifestation of the divine presence and redemptive suffering death finds vindication at the appearance of the exalted priestly SM who comes in the context of a celestial temple.

The Idea of Sin-Impurity: The Dead Sea Scrolls in the Light of Leviticus

Mila Ginsburskaya (University of Birmingham)

My doctoral dissertation explores the connection between sin and impurity in the Old Testament and early Judaism. Although in the last twenty years this topic has provoked an increasing amount of academic interest, there is no agreement among scholars about the definition of the concept of sin-impurity and the scope of its application. In my work I delineate criteria for identifying sin-impurity in Leviticus, re-evaluating and integrating the work of those scholars, who have written specifically about the defiling force of sin (e.g., Klawans and Frymer-Kensky), and those, whose discussion is centred on sacrificial atonement (e.g., Milgrom, Sklar, Gane). With insights gained from the analysis of the biblical texts (particularly Leviticus) I then examine the Dead Sea Scrolls and explore how the redefined perception of sin-impurity in biblical texts can reshape our understanding of that concept at Qumran.

Transformative Discourse in Mark's Gospel with Special Reference to Mark 5:1-20

Stuart T. Rochester (St John's College, Durham)

The study investigates Mark's Gospel as a witness to early Christian theological anthropology. It reads the text as an example of 'transformative discourse' in which the rhetoric of the Gospel works in synergy with its anthropology (the view of humanity that is assumed and promoted by it). The theological anthropology is implicit, but recoverable, and dynamic in that it is oriented toward change. Mark communicates with his audience in ways that challenge them and lead them toward transformation. The story of the man with a legion of demons (5:1-20) functions within this discourse primarily as a most dramatic example (symbolic and perhaps paradigmatic) of the kinds of transformation available to people through positive encounters with Jesus.

The Characterization of the Assyrians in Isaiah: Synchronic and Diachronic Perspectives

Mary Katherine Y. H. Hom (Cambridge)

The Characterization of the Assyrians in Isaiah: Synchronic and Diachronic Perspectives is a literary analysis of every text in Isaiah in which the Assyrians explicitly or implicitly feature. In addition, a few texts regarded by dominant voices in scholarship as referring to the Assyrians are discussed. The general approach of the dissertation is to assume a literary synchronic reading in order to appreciate the narrative artistry and meaning conveyed by the final form of the text and to establish a standard from which diachronic inquiry may proceed.

Isaiah 24:27: Studies in a Cosmic Polemic

William D. Barker (Carthage, Illinois)

Developments in translation theory have externalised processes used intuitively by translators for centuries. The literature on Bible translation in particular over the last half century is dominated by Eugene A. Nida and his protégés in the United Bible Societies (UBS) and Wycliffe Bible Translators whose work is informed by a wealth of inter-cultural experience.
This thesis is a critique of the Dynamic Equivalence (DE) theory of translation propounded by Nida, exemplified in the Good News Bible (GNB), and promoted in non-Western languages by the UBS.