An Introduction to the New Testament Introduction to the New Testament

An Introduction to the New Testament focuses on 'special introduction' that is historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, destination, and so forth. This approach stands in contrast to recent texts that concentrate more on literary form, rhetorical criticism, and historical parallels---topics the authors don't minimize, but instead think are better given extended treatment in exegesis courses. By refocusing on the essentials, An Introduction to the New Testament ensures that the New Testament books will be accurately understood within historical settings. For each New Testament document, the authors also provide a substantial summary of that book's content, discuss the book's theological contribution to the overall canon, and give an account of current studies on that book, including recent literary and social-science approaches to interpretation. This second edition reflects significant revision and expansion from the original, making this highly acclaimed text even more valuable. * A new chapter provides a historical survey examining Bible study method through the ages. * The chapter on Paul has been expanded to include an analysis of debates on the 'new perspective.' * The discussion of New Testament epistles has been expanded to form a new chapter. This new edition will help a new generation of students better grasp the message of the New Testament. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Thinking About the Study of the New Testament......Page 24 PASSING ON THE TEXT......Page 25 LONGSTANDING INTERPRETIVE TRADITIONS......Page 32 THE RISE OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY35......Page 48 Historical Criticism......Page 55 Literary Criticism......Page 58 The New Literary Criticism and the Turn to Postmodern Readings......Page 60 Approaches Based on the Selection of Background Material......Page 67 Social-Scientific Approaches......Page 70 Language and Linguistic Approaches......Page 72 CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS......Page 74 The Synoptic Gospels......Page 78 THE EVOLUTION OF THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS......Page 79 Description.......Page 80 Evaluation.......Page 83 Introduction.......Page 86 The Main Solutions.......Page 89 Theories of Interdependence.......Page 93 Markan Priority.......Page 96 “Q”.......Page 99 Proto-Gospel Theories.......Page 102 The Stage of Final Composition: Redaction Criticism......Page 104 Description.......Page 105 Origins.......Page 107 Evaluation.......Page 109 The Genre of the Gospels......Page 113 Description.......Page 116 Evaluation.......Page 118 The Question of the “Historical” Jesus......Page 119 The Possibility of a Historical Outline......Page 123 Jesus’ Birth.......Page 125 The Length of Jesus’ Ministry.......Page 126 The Death of Jesus.......Page 127 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 128 CONTENTS......Page 135 AUTHOR......Page 141 PROVENANCE......Page 152 DATE......Page 153 DESTINATION......Page 157 PURPOSE......Page 158 TEXT......Page 159 MATTHEW IN RECENT STUDIES......Page 160 THE CONTRIBUTION OF MATTHEW......Page 163 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 166 CONTENTS......Page 170 AUTHOR......Page 173 PROVENANCE......Page 178 A Date in the 40s......Page 180 A Date in the 50s......Page 181 A Date in the 60s......Page 182 Audience......Page 183 Purpose......Page 184 SOURCES......Page 187 TEXT......Page 188 MARK IN RECENT STUDY......Page 191 THE CONTRIBUTION OF MARK......Page 193 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 195 CONTENTS......Page 199 LUKE–ACTS......Page 202 AUTHOR......Page 204 PROVENANCE......Page 207 DATE......Page 208 ADDRESSEE(S)......Page 211 PURPOSE......Page 212 COMPOSITION......Page 213 TEXT......Page 216 LUKE’S GOSPEL IN RECENT STUDY......Page 217 THE CONTRIBUTION OF LUKE......Page 220 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 223 CONTENTS......Page 226 External Evidence......Page 230 Internal Evidence......Page 237 Stylistic Unity and the Johannine “Community”......Page 247 Geographic Provenance......Page 255 John’s Religious World.......Page 256 John’s Relation to the Synoptics.......Page 258 DATE......Page 265 DESTINATION......Page 268 PURPOSE......Page 269 TEXT......Page 274 JOHN IN RECENT STUDY......Page 275 THE CONTRIBUTION OF JOHN......Page 277 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 280 CONTENTS......Page 286 The Traditional Case......Page 291 The Case against the Tradition......Page 292 DATE......Page 297 A Date of 80–95......Page 298 A Date Before 70......Page 299 Genre......Page 301 Addressees and Purpose......Page 302 Conciliation.......Page 303 Evangelism/Apologetics.......Page 304 Edification.......Page 306 SOURCES......Page 307 Acts 1–15......Page 308 Acts 16–28......Page 309 TEXT......Page 310 Survey of Research......Page 311 Historicity.......Page 313 Literary Approaches.......Page 314 Theological Themes.......Page 315 Historical......Page 317 Ancient Historical Standards.......Page 318 Comparison between Acts and Other Sources.......Page 319 The Speeches of Acts.......Page 321 Theological and Pastoral......Page 322 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 326 New Testament Letters......Page 332 BACKGROUND......Page 333 THE USE OF AMANUENSES......Page 335 Theories of a Sudden Collection......Page 336 Theories of a Gradual Growth......Page 337 Preliminary Observations.......Page 338 Jewish Examples.......Page 341 Extrabiblical Christian Examples.......Page 342 The Stance of the Church Fathers......Page 343 Evidence Internal to New Testament Documents......Page 345 Some Contemporary Theories......Page 347 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 352 PAUL’S BACKGROUND......Page 355 “Brought up in this city” (Acts 22:3)......Page 356 “Thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors . . . zealous for God”......Page 358 “As I came near Damascus” (Acts 22:6)......Page 359 The Problem of Sources......Page 360 From Paul’s Conversion to the First Missionary Journey.......Page 362 From Paul’s First Missionary Journey to His Death.......Page 365 The Chronology of Paul’s Missionary Career......Page 367 Revelation versus Tradition.......Page 371 Early Christian Traditions.......Page 372 The Earthly Jesus.......Page 373 The Greek World.......Page 374 Judaism.......Page 375 The “New Perspective”......Page 376 Response to the New Perspective......Page 380 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 387 CONTENTS......Page 392 PROVENANCE AND DATE......Page 394 ADDRESSEES......Page 395 INTEGRITY, LITERARY HISTORY, AND TEXT......Page 399 NATURE AND GENRE......Page 403 PURPOSE......Page 404 ROMANS IN RECENT STUDY......Page 408 THEME AND CONTRIBUTION......Page 409 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 412 1 Corinthians......Page 416 2 Corinthians......Page 418 DESTINATION......Page 420 Historical Reconstruction......Page 421 Reconstruction of the Social Setting......Page 426 The Integrity of 1 and 2 Corinthians......Page 430 The Place of 2 Corinthians 10–13.......Page 431 Other Alleged Interpolations in 2 Corinthians.......Page 437 The Integrity of 1 Corinthians.......Page 443 The Character of Paul’s Opponents in 1 and 2 Corinthians......Page 445 DATE......Page 448 TEXT......Page 449 1 AND 2 CORINTHIANS IN RECENT STUDY......Page 450 THE CONTRIBUTION OF 1 AND 2 CORINTHIANS......Page 451 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 452 CONTENT......Page 457 AUTHOR......Page 458 DESTINATION......Page 459 DATE......Page 462 OCCASION24......Page 466 TEXT......Page 469 GALATIANS IN RECENT STUDY......Page 470 THE CONTRIBUTION OF GALATIANS......Page 474 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 476 CONTENTS......Page 480 AUTHOR......Page 481 DATE......Page 487 DESTINATION......Page 489 PURPOSE......Page 491 ADOPTION INTO THE CANON......Page 492 EPHESIANS IN RECENT STUDIES......Page 493 THE CONTRIBUTION OF EPHESIANS......Page 495 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 497 CONTENTS......Page 499 AUTHOR......Page 500 PROVENANCE......Page 504 DATE......Page 507 OCCASION......Page 508 ADOPTION INTO THE CANON......Page 509 The Unity of the Letter......Page 510 Paul’s Opponents......Page 511 THE CONTRIBUTION OF PHILIPPIANS......Page 512 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 514 CONTENTS......Page 517 AUTHOR......Page 518 Theology......Page 519 Relation to Ephesians......Page 521 PROVENANCE......Page 522 DATE......Page 523 OCCASION......Page 524 TEXT......Page 526 COLOSSIANS IN RECENT STUDY......Page 527 THE CONTRIBUTION OF COLOSSIANS33......Page 529 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 531 CONTENTS......Page 533 1 Thessalonians......Page 534 The Co-Authorship of the Letters......Page 535 Interpolations in 1Thessalonians......Page 536 The Pauline Authorship of 2Thessalonians......Page 537 SITUATION, SEQUENCE OF LETTERS, AND DATE......Page 543 OPPONENTS AND PURPOSE......Page 545 1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS IN RECENT STUDY......Page 547 EPISTLES......Page 550 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 552 THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PAULINE EPISTLES......Page 555 Vocabulary and Syntax......Page 556 Rhetorical Style......Page 559 Historical Problems......Page 562 The False Teachers......Page 564 Theology......Page 565 THE PASTORAL EPISTLES IN RECENT STUDY......Page 569 Date......Page 572 Destination......Page 573 Text......Page 574 The Contribution of 1Timothy......Page 575 Contents......Page 578 Date......Page 579 Adoption into the Canon......Page 580 The Contribution of 2Timothy......Page 581 Contents......Page 582 Date......Page 583 The Contribution of Titus......Page 584 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 585 CONTENTS......Page 589 AUTHOR......Page 590 OCCASION......Page 591 PROVENANCE AND DATE......Page 593 THE CONTRIBUTION OF PHILEMON......Page 594 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 595 CONTENTS......Page 597 AUTHOR......Page 601 PROVENANCE......Page 605 DATE......Page 606 DESTINATION......Page 609 PURPOSE......Page 610 TEXT......Page 613 HEBREWS IN RECENT STUDY......Page 614 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 616 CONTENTS......Page 620 AUTHOR......Page 622 PROVENANCE......Page 627 DATE......Page 628 DESTINATION/ADDRESSEES......Page 629 NATURE/GENRE......Page 630 ADOPTION INTO THE CANON......Page 632 JAMES IN RECENT STUDY......Page 633 THE CONTRIBUTION OF JAMES......Page 634 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 635 CONTENTS......Page 637 OCCASION......Page 639 SOURCES AND COMPOSITION......Page 641 AUTHOR......Page 642 DATE......Page 647 AUDIENCE AND DESTINATION......Page 648 1 PETER IN RECENT STUDY......Page 649 THE CONTRIBUTION OF 1 PETER......Page 651 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 652 CONTENTS......Page 655 LITERARY AFFINITIES......Page 656 OCCASION......Page 658 AUTHOR......Page 660 DESTINATION AND AUDIENCE......Page 664 2 PETER IN RECENT STUDY......Page 665 THE CONTRIBUTION OF 2 PETER......Page 666 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 668 1 John......Page 670 AUTHOR......Page 671 PROVENANCE......Page 676 DATE......Page 677 PURPOSE......Page 678 ADOPTION INTO THE CANON......Page 683 1, 2, AND 3 JOHN IN RECENT STUDY......Page 684 THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE JOHANNINE EPISTLES......Page 686 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 687 CONTENTS......Page 689 OCCASION......Page 690 AUTHOR......Page 691 DATE, PROVENANCE, DESTINATION, AND AUDIENCE......Page 693 JUDE IN RECENT STUDY......Page 694 THE CONTRIBUTION OF JUDE......Page 695 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 696 CONTENTS......Page 698 Early Christian Testimony......Page 701 2. Arguments against Apostolic Authorship.......Page 703 Conclusion......Page 706 Contemporary Discussion......Page 708 Conclusion......Page 712 Sources and Theories of Composition......Page 713 Genre......Page 714 TEXT......Page 717 ADOPTION INTO THE CANON......Page 718 REVELATION IN RECENT STUDY......Page 719 Methods of Interpretation......Page 720 The Contribution of Revelation......Page 722 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 723 INTRODUCTION......Page 727 THE RELEVANCE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CANON......Page 728 THE FORMATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON......Page 733 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON......Page 738 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 743 Scripture Index......Page 745 Name Index......Page 759 Subject Index......Page 766 Grasp the message of the New Testament by focusing on the essentials.An Introduction to the New Testament focuses on historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, destination, and so forth, ensuring that the New Testament books will be accurately understood within historical settings. For each New Testament document, the authors also provide a substantial summary of the book's content, discuss the book's theological contribution to the overall canon, and give an account of current studies on the book, including recent literary and social-science approaches to interpretation.This second edition reflects significant revision and expansion from the original, making this highly acclaimed text even more valuable.A new chapter provides a historical survey examining Bible study method through the ages.The chapter on Paul has been expanded to include an analysis of debates on the'new perspective.'The discussion of New Testament epistles has been expanded to form a new chapter.This new edition is an ideal textbook for seminary students and will help a new generation better grasp the message of the New Testament. An Introduction to the New Testament focuses on "special introduction," that is, historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, audience, and so forth. This approach stands in contrast to recent texts that concentrate more on literary form, rhetorical criticism, and historical parallels--topics the authors don't minimize, but instead think are better given extended treatment in exegesis courses. By refocusing on the essentials, An Introduction to the New Testament ensures that the New Testament books will be accurately understood within their historical settings. For each New Testament document, the authors also provide a substantial summary of that book's content, discuss the book's theological contribution to the overall canon, and give an account of current studies on that book, including recent literary and social-science approaches to interpretation Grasp the message of the New Testament by focusing on the essentials. An Introduction to the New Testament focuses on historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, destination, and so forth, ensuring that the New Testament books will be accurately understood within historical settings. For each New Testament document, the authors also provide a substantial summary of the book's content, discuss the book's theological contribution to the overall canon, and give an account of current studies on the book, including recent literary and social-science approaches to interpretation. This second edition reflects significant revision and expansion from the original, making this highly acclaimed text even more valuable. This new edition is an ideal textbook for seminary students and will help a new generation better grasp the message of the New Testament.