Biblical Theology of prayer in the New Testament

This publication deals with a biblical theology of prayer based on the New Testament. It forms the second of a two-volume publication on a biblical theology of prayer, dealing with the concept of prayer in the Old and New Testament, respectively. This New Testament volume begins with an introduction on prayer and worship in early Jewish tradition, followed by eleven chapters dealing with New Testament corpora. It concludes with a final chapter synthesising the findings of the respective investigations of the Old and New Testament corpora to provide a summative theological perspective of the development of the concept of prayer through scripture. Prayer forms a major and continuous theme throughout the biblical text. Prayer was an integral part of the religious existence of God’s people in both the Old and New Testament. It underwent its greatest developments during, after and as a result of the Exile and was deepened and transformed in the New Testament. In both the Old and the New Testament, God is the sole ‘addressee’ of his people’s prayer. This conviction continued into the New Testament, but was broadened with Trinitarian elements of worship, adoration and intercession. A biblical theological investigation is chosen as methodology. Since all the biblical books form part of one canonical text, the assumption is that the various theologies about prayer being displayed in these books can be synthesised into a developing meta-theology about prayer. As the Old and New Testament form part of the canonical text, the results about prayer in the Old Testament can be brought into play with the results about prayer in the New Testament. This eventually leads toward an overarching biblical theology of prayer. Front Cover Contents Abbreviations and acronyms, boxes, figures and tables appearing in the text and notes List of abbreviations and acronyms List of boxes List of figures List of tables Notes on contributors Preface Chapter 1 Service of the heart: Prayer and worship in early Jewish tradition Introduction Methodology Historical authenticity Continuity and diversity Historical development Torah reading Prayer From temple to synagogue Institution of the ma’amad Mutual impact Prayer as offering Avodah of the heart Prayer as offering and as ‘redemption’ Form New Testament Order of the liturgy Times of prayer Pivotal elements of earliest worship Shema Torah reading Eighteen Benedictions Priestly blessing Conclusion Chapter 2 Prayer in the Synoptic Gospels Introduction Mark Early morning in a solitary place (Mk 1:35; Lk 5:16) Blessing at feeding miracles (Mk 6:41; 8:6-7; Mt 14:19; 15:36; Lk 9:16) Praying up the mountainside (Mk 6:46; Mt 14:23) A kind of healing, only by prayer (Mk 9:29) A house of prayer (Mk 11:17; Mt 21:13; Lk 19:46) and teaching on prayer (Mk 11:24-25; Mt 11:22) Warning against praying with pretence (Mk 12:40; Lk 20:47) Prayer in times of hardship (Mk 13:18; Mt 24:20; Lk 21:36) Praying in Gethsemane (Mk 14:32-42; Mt 26:36-36; Lk 22:39-46) Jesus’ last words on the cross (Mk 15:34; Mt 27:46) Summary Matthew The temptation of Jesus (Mt 4:9-10; Lk 4:7-8) Prayer-teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 6:5-14; Lk 11:2-4) Prayer for God’s mission (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2b) Praise for God’s revelation to Jesus’ disciples (Mt 11:25b-26; Lk 10:21) Prayer with two feeding miracles (Mt 14:19; Mk 6:41; Lk 9:16 and Mt 15:36; Mk 8:6-7) Prayer on a mountain before walking on water (Mt 14:23; Mk 6:46) Prayer by the disciplining community (Mt 18:19-20) Prayer for the children (Mt 19:13) The temple as a house of Prayer (Mt 21:13; Mk 11:17; Lk 19:46), cursing of the fig tree and teaching on prayer (Mt 21:22; Mk 11:24–25) Prayer in the eschatological discourse (Mt 24:20; Mk 13:18; Lk 21:36) The Last Supper (Mt 26:26-27; Mk 14:22-23) Jesus in Gethsemane (Mt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:39-46) Last words of Jesus on the cross (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34) Prayer to and worship of Jesus (Mt 28:17) Summary Luke Communal prayer during the hour of incense (Lk 1:10) Zechariah’s prayer (Lk 1:13) Prayer songs (Lk 1:46-55, 67-79; 2:29-32) Baptism (Lk 3:21-22) Temptation of Jesus (Lk 4:7-8; Mt 4:9-10) Jesus alone at prayer (Lk 5:16; Mk 1:35) Fasting and prayer in the bridegroom’s absence (Lk 5:33) Jesus alone at prayer for a second time (Lk 6:12-13) Prayer for enemies (Lk 6:28) Feeding of the five thousand (Lk 9:16; Mk 6:41; Mt 14:19) Jesus alone at prayer for the third time (Lk 9:18) Transfiguration as prayer scene (Lk 9:28-29) Prayer for missionary work (Lk 10:2b; Mt 9:38) Thanksgiving and jubilation (Lk 10:21; Mt 11:25b-26) Jesus teaches on prayer (Lk 11:1-13; Mt 6:9-15; 7:7-11) Two parables on prayer and salvation (Lk 18:1-14) A house of prayer (Lk 19:46; Mt 21:13; Mk 11:17) Prayer for show (Lk 20:47; Mk 12:40) Prayer in the eschatological discourse (Lk 21:36; Mt 24:20; Mk 13:18) Last Supper (Lk 22:17-19; Mt 26:26-27) Prayer for the recovery of Simon Peter (Lk 22:31-32) Jesus’ prayer on the Mount of Olives (Lk 22:39-46; Mk 14:32-42; Mt 26:36-46) Prayer from the cross (Lk 23:34) Jesus’ last words on the cross (Lk 23:46) Jesus blesses bread (Lk 24:30-31) The disciples worship Jesus and bless God (Lk 24:52-53) Summary Conclusion Theocentric prayer Jesus as an example and teacher Relationship with God as Father Individual and corporate prayers Continuous prayer, especially at decisive moments Continuity with Old Testament piety The temple as a house of prayer Persistence and eschatological expectation Participating in God’s work The Holy Spirit inspires and promised Humility Jesus worshipped Chapter 3 Prayer and authentic spirituality in the Gospel of John Introduction Prayer as receptivity and responsiveness within the human-divine dialogue Prayer as authentic worship Prayer within human-divine agency Prayer as divine instruction, guidance and empowerment Prayer as asking The prayers of Jesus in John Conclusion Chapter 4 Prayer and worship in the early church according to Acts Introduction Overview of occurrences of prayer and worship in Acts Louw and Nida (1996, p. 408): 33.178 εὔχομαιa; προσεύχομαι; εὐχήa, ῆς f: προσευχήa, ῆς f: ‘to speak to or to make requests of God’ – ‘to pray, to speak to God, to ask God for, prayer’ Louw and Nida (1996, p. 408): 33.179 προσευχήb, ῆς f: - Derivative of προσεύχομαι ‘to pray’ and 33.178 a place where people customarily meet to pray – ‘A place for prayer’ Louw and Nida (1996, p. 441): 33.469 εὐχήb, ῆς f: a promise to God that one will do something, with with the implication that failure to act accordingly will result in divine sanctions against the person in question – ‘Vow’ Implied occurrences of prayer and worship (based on narrative setting) Analysis of occurrences Agency: Who prays? Location and timing: Where and when do prayers take place? Theme or type: What is prayed? Content: Substance of prayer Unique perspectives and theological contributions in terms of prayer in Acts Prayer as foundation of the early church Prayer in relation to community Prayer informed by context Prayer as a force of life Conclusion Chapter 5 Thanksgiving in the Pauline Epistles Introduction εὐχαριστέω εὐχαριστία χάρις εὐχάριστος ἀχάριστος Paul thanking God for the congregation or individual persons Paul thanking God for believers’ faith and love Paul thanking God for the grace, victory, or salvation in Christ Paul thanking God for something that God is trusted to accomplish in believers’ lives Paul thanking God for other things Paul thanking people Thanking as something that God’s people ought to do Thanking God for his works, gifts or grace Giving thanks at communion Giving thanks as part of worship and speaking in tongues Giving thanks together with prayer and supplication Conclusion Chapter 6 Worship and adoration in the Pauline Epistles Introduction An overview of the occurrence of prayer as worship and adoration in the Pauline Epistles An interpretation of prayer as worship and adoration in the Pauline Letters Eulogies Romans 1:25 Romans 9:5 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 2 Corinthians 11:31 Ephesians 1:3-14 Conclusive Doxology Romans 11:33-36 Romans 16:25-27 Galatians 1:5 Philippians 4:20 1 Timothy 1:17 1 Timothy 6:15-16 2 Timothy 4:18 Conclusive Confessions of belief Confession in 1 Corinthians 8:6 Colossians 1:15-20 Confession in 1 Timothy 3:16 Conclusive Unique perspectives of this corpus in terms of prayer of worship and adoration Conclusion Chapter 7 Petition and intercession in the Pauline Epistles Introduction Intercessions made for the readers For the Romans Romans 1:9-10 Romans 15:5-6, 13 For the Corinthians 2 Corinthians 13:7-9 For the Ephesians Ephesians 1:16-19 Ephesians 3:14-19 For the Philippians Philippians 1:9-11 For the Colossians Colossians 1:9-12 For the Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians 3:10-13 1 Thessalonians 5:23 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 2 Thessalonians 3:5 2 Thessalonians 3:16 For individuals from the Pauline circle 2 Timothy 1:3-4 Philemon 1:4-6 Evaluation Intercessions requested from the readers Ephesians 6:19-20 Philippians 1:19 Colossians 4:3-4 1 Thessalonians 5:24-25 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3a Evaluation Petitions for others Romans 10:1 2 Corinthians 9:13-15 Galatians 6:16 Ephesians 6:18b 1 Timothy 2:1-2 2 Timothy 1:16-18 Evaluation General calls to (continuous) prayer Philippians 4:5b-7 Ephesians 6:18a Colossians 4:2 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Evaluation Closing benedictions Wish for spiritual welfare Evaluation Conclusion Chapter 8 Praying with boldness and reverence: Prayer in the book of Hebrews Introduction An overview of possible prayer-related words and concepts in Hebrews προσκυνέω παρακαλέω προσέρχομαι προσφέρω δέησις ἱκετηρία κραυγή εἰσακούω εὐλογέω/εὐλογία ἐντυγχάνω λατρεία/λατρεύω ἐμφανίζειν τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπικᾰλέω ἀναφέρωμεν θυσίαν αἰνέσεως προσεύχομαι Ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης καταρτίσαι ὑμᾶς Findings The prayers of Jesus in Hebrews Hebrews 5:7: Praying with reverence The context, structure and challenges of Hebrews 5:7-10 The interpretation of Hebrews 5:7-10 The purpose of Hebrews 5:7-10, and its bearing on prayer in Hebrews Hebrews 7:25 and 9:24: Jesus interceding for God’s people The prayers of the author and addressees in Hebrews Hebrews 4:16 and 10:22: Approaching God with ‘boldness’ Hebrews 13:15: Praising God Hebrews 13:18-19: Praying for ministry Hebrews 13:20-21: ‘Praying’ for sanctification Putting everything together: Prayer in Hebrews Conclusion Chapter 9 Prayer in James Introduction Understanding James in relation to the Jewish Scriptures and the Jesus tradition James 1:5-8 Context What kinds of prayer are envisaged in this passage? What attitude is required of those who come to God in prayer? How certain can one be of receiving from God that which is requested in prayer? James 4:2-3 Context What kinds of prayer are envisaged in this passage? What attitude is required of those who come to God in prayer? How certain can one be of receiving from God that which is requested in prayer? James 5:13-18 Context What kinds of prayer are envisaged in this passage? What attitude is required of those who come to God in prayer? How certain can one be of receiving from God that which is requested in prayer? Conclusion Chapter 10 Prayer in 1 Peter, 2 Peter and Jude Introduction Definition Prayer in Peter and Jude in recent scholarship Theological context Historical context Identification of relevant texts Analysis of texts Expressions of prayer/worship Introductory prayers/wishes Other prayers/wishes Blessing/doxology Theological statements relating to prayer Theological statements relating to worship Conclusion Chapter 11 Prayer in John’s Epistles: Confidence of faith, fellowship and truth Introduction Prayer-words in John’s Epistles The context of the argument of 1 John as a whole Introduction (1 Jn 1:1-4) Living in the light of God (1 Jn 1:5-2:27) Living as children of God (1 Jn 2:28-4:6) Living in the love of God (1 Jn 4:7-5:5) Living in the truth of God (1 Jn 5:6-21) The immediate context of 1 John 3:21-22 The immediate context of 1 John 5:13-17 Conclusion Chapter 12 Divine worship: Prayers from the book of Revelation Introduction An overview of the occurrence of prayer, hymns, and worship in Revelation Worship Hymns Prayer An analysis of the various worship, song and prayer-passages Glory and honour to God as the Creator (Rv 4:8-11) Blessing, honour, glory to God and the Lamb as Saviour (Rv 5:7-14) Prayer to God, the Righteous One (Rv 6:9-11) Blessing, glory, wisdom to God (Rv 7:9-12) Prayers of the saints (Rv 8:3-5) God will reign for ever and ever (Rv 11:15-18) ‘Song of the Lamb’ as praise to God’s majesty (Rv 15:3-5) True and righteous judgements of Lord God Almighty (Rv 16:4-7) God praised for God’s true and just judgements for God is almighty and reigns (Rv 19:1-8) A prayer asking Jesus to come (Rv 22:20-21) Some theological perspectives regarding prayer in Revelation Death and resurrection of Jesus Divine worship Divine attributes and works Divine judgement Present and future hope Conclusion Chapter 13 A Biblical Theology of prayer: A synopsis of prayer in Scripture Introduction The concept of prayer in the Old Testament A broad overview of the occurrence of the concept of prayer in the Old Testament The literary function of the concept of prayer in certain corpora of the Old Testament Prayers shape and evaluate the world in Samuel-Kings Prayers instruct the audience of the Former Prophets, Lamentations and Chronicles Prayers function as rhetorical and theological instruments in Chronicles Types of prayers in the Old Testament Worship or praise Lament Petition Trust Penitence Intercession Judgement Basic characteristics of prayer in the Old Testament Prayer is directed towards God Prayer - at its most basic level - is conversation Prayer nurtures and deepens the relationship between God and his people Prayer is grounded in the covenant and God’s character Prayer calls for God’s intervention and forgiveness Prayer may be bold Prayer may be answered by a divine ‘yes’ Prayer may be answered by a divine ‘no’ Prayer links with God’s ultimate purposes Prayer was an integral part of the religious existence of God’s people Possible developments of the concept of prayer in the Old Testament Prayer became necessary after the Fall Penitential prayer developed as a genre after the destruction of Jerusalem Prayer for national forgiveness is a result of the Exile Prayer replaced the temple cult in post-exilic times Post-exilic prayers provided the setting for the New Testament (and its prayers) The concept of prayer in the New Testament A broad overview of the occurrence of the concept of prayer in the New Testament Basic characteristics of prayer in the New Testament Prayer in the New Testament has Jewish roots The primary function of prayer is to praise God Prayer has a Theocentric orientation Three modes of prayer exist Worship and adoration Thanksgiving Petition The temple should have been a House of Prayer Prayer can be offered as songs Prayer arises from an intimate relationship with the Triune God God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit Prayer is a relational activity between believers Prayer has an eschatological perspective The concept of prayer in Scripture The development of the concept of prayer in Scripture A succinct summary of the concept of prayer in Scripture Conclusion The prayers in Scripture are instructive Praying as individuals: Prayer fosters the relationship between God and his people Praying as a community: Praying for God’s purposes and the needs of others References Index