U. Schnelle on North American Jesus Research
11/08/15 15:47 Filed in: New Testament | Theology
In some streams of North American Jesus research there was and is a clear tendency to promote real or postulated extra canonical tradition to a rank prior or parallel to the Jesus tradition of the Synoptics and the Johannine writings (H. Koester; J. M. Robinson; J. D. Crossan; B. L. Mack). The goal of such constructions is clearly to break the hold of the canonical gospels and to establish an alternative picture of Jesus based on other interpretations of the tradition. To do this, frequent use is made of the lust for sensationalism (Jesus and women; homosexual love; Jesus as prototype of alternative lifestyles; non theological, undogmatic beginnings of Christianity). Mere supposition and unproven postulates are asserted as stimulants for a debate intended to have public effects. Such constructions do not stand up to historical criticism, for neither the existence of a Secret Gospel of Mark nor a Signs Source can be made probable, and the Gospel of Thomas belongs to the second century.
Schnelle, U. (2007) Theology of the New Testament. Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, p. 65.
Schnelle, U. (2007) Theology of the New Testament. Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, p. 65.
Comments
Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory
- Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory
- Augustus had brought peace to the whole wider Roman world; Augustus gave peace, as long as it was consistent with the interests of the Empire and the myth of his own glory
- the ambiguous structure of human empire, a kingdom of absolute power, bringing glory to the man at the top, and peace to those on whom his favor rested
- Augustus and Messiah; it is at his birth that the angels sing of glory and peace; which is the reality, and which the parody?
- Micah 5.2-4; and he shall be the man of peace Read more...
- Augustus had brought peace to the whole wider Roman world; Augustus gave peace, as long as it was consistent with the interests of the Empire and the myth of his own glory
- the ambiguous structure of human empire, a kingdom of absolute power, bringing glory to the man at the top, and peace to those on whom his favor rested
- Augustus and Messiah; it is at his birth that the angels sing of glory and peace; which is the reality, and which the parody?
- Micah 5.2-4; and he shall be the man of peace Read more...
Deliver Us from Evil
- let us not be let into the testing - but deliver us from Evil
- firmly grounded in the life and work of Jesus himself; hopes and fears of first-century Israel, the people of true God
- the night would get darker, when hope had died and fear had conquered, the morning star would dawn at last
- the whole world, with Israel at its heart, would enter a period of tribulation, like that of a woman in labour; from this the new world would be born Read more...
- firmly grounded in the life and work of Jesus himself; hopes and fears of first-century Israel, the people of true God
- the night would get darker, when hope had died and fear had conquered, the morning star would dawn at last
- the whole world, with Israel at its heart, would enter a period of tribulation, like that of a woman in labour; from this the new world would be born Read more...
Forgive Us Our Trespasses
- in Jesus’ world, the more senior you were in a community, the less likely you were even to walk fast; it shows a lack of dignity, a gravitas
- a man running to greet someone: someone who has put a curse on him, who has brought disgrace on the whole family; the Parable of the Prodigal Son
- to understand why this man is running
- once you replace morality with the philosophy that says ‘if it feels good, do it’, there isn’t anything to forgive; instead of genuine forgiveness, our generation has been taught the vague notion of ‘tolerance’
- how can we turn that story, and the reality to which it points, into a prayer, as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us? Read more...
- a man running to greet someone: someone who has put a curse on him, who has brought disgrace on the whole family; the Parable of the Prodigal Son
- to understand why this man is running
- once you replace morality with the philosophy that says ‘if it feels good, do it’, there isn’t anything to forgive; instead of genuine forgiveness, our generation has been taught the vague notion of ‘tolerance’
- how can we turn that story, and the reality to which it points, into a prayer, as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us? Read more...
The Christian Proclamation as Gospel
SABOU, Sorin. “The Christian Proclamation as Gospel, The Polemics, Politics and Praxis of euangelion in the Graeco-Roman World of the First Century.” Jurnal teologic 11.1 (2012): 72-81.
Abstract: The lexical choice made by the first Christians to present the Christian message as euangelion is a stark one. This is so because euangelion is used in Ancient Greek literature almost always as a technical term for the news of victory, a term used by those in power. This choice made by the first Christians leads to polemics with those in power. The politics and praxis of victory are affected too in this incursion of early Christianity in the area of power language. Thus, euangelion is captured and restructured as being the 'euangelion of the kingdom' and 'of Christ.' This leads to a different understanding of the way a citizen should live in the world.
Abstract: The lexical choice made by the first Christians to present the Christian message as euangelion is a stark one. This is so because euangelion is used in Ancient Greek literature almost always as a technical term for the news of victory, a term used by those in power. This choice made by the first Christians leads to polemics with those in power. The politics and praxis of victory are affected too in this incursion of early Christianity in the area of power language. Thus, euangelion is captured and restructured as being the 'euangelion of the kingdom' and 'of Christ.' This leads to a different understanding of the way a citizen should live in the world.
Thy Kingdom Come
- what are we praying for when we pray for God’s Kingdom to come?
- heaven and earth are the two interlocking arenas of God’s good world: heaven is God’s space, where God’s word rules and his future purposes are waiting in the wings; earth is our world
- at the end the new Jerusalem is coming down from heaven to earth; in the new heaven and earth they will intertwine
- what will it mean, when Israel’s God returns as King?
a new Exodus: the evil empire will be defeated, and God’s people will be free; Isaiah 52:7-10 Read more...
- heaven and earth are the two interlocking arenas of God’s good world: heaven is God’s space, where God’s word rules and his future purposes are waiting in the wings; earth is our world
- at the end the new Jerusalem is coming down from heaven to earth; in the new heaven and earth they will intertwine
- what will it mean, when Israel’s God returns as King?
a new Exodus: the evil empire will be defeated, and God’s people will be free; Isaiah 52:7-10 Read more...
Finding the Way to Go
22/04/15 14:57 Filed in: Discipleship
You cannot go towards something if the mind is not focused on it. Drifting and walking in circles is diminishing, frustrating and leads nowhere. A human being cannot live such a life. Everyone needs to see the path, and then to walk on it. Getting out of the mist is a must. The way to do it is by using the reference points: God, others, and special events. We are relational beings, and we find ourselves being with others. Read more...
Look who we killed (!?)
This slogan is popular this week in Chicagoland. I attended the Good Friday service in one of the mega churches in my area, and I was surprised by the theme of the message: ‘Look who we killed.’ The point was that ‘we killed Jesus.’ Is that accurate? No! We never find in the New Testament apostolic preaching of the cross of Christ such an affirmation. The apostles never say that ‘we killed Jesus.’ Apostle Peter says that ‘you killed him’ (as he address the people of Jerusalem, Acts 2.23, 3.15), but he never says that ‘I killed Jesus,’ even if he betrayed him three times. Read more...
Miracles
21/02/14 10:31 Filed in: New Testament | Theology
The Scriptures present miracles as special signs of God’s presence, not as interruptions of the laws of nature. We do not have the question if such a thing took place, but what is the meaning of it.
In ancient times miracles were not accepted without question. In the case of Jesus the question was not ‘Did he perform miracles?’ but ‘On whose authority and with whose power he performed them?’ Are they the result of the presence of God’s kingdom or the result of his collusion with Beelzebul?
Read more...
In ancient times miracles were not accepted without question. In the case of Jesus the question was not ‘Did he perform miracles?’ but ‘On whose authority and with whose power he performed them?’ Are they the result of the presence of God’s kingdom or the result of his collusion with Beelzebul?
Read more...
Historicity of Adam
08/02/14 09:47 Filed in: Theology | New Testament
The text in Genesis 1 describes the first week of history. The creation of man in God’s image is the climax of God’s creative activity. Adam and Eve are the first humans on the face of the earth. Their life in the Garden of Eden is brought to an abrupt end by their disobedience; this inaugurates the dominion of death. All humans are born in this type of environment, and, in the end, all sin. Read more...
The Guidance of the Spirit
27/01/14 14:34 Filed in: New Testament | Discipleship
Everyone need guidance. Nobody knows everything, that is why, help is needed. Christ knows this better than anyone. This is the reason for us not being left alone. We have a Counselor send into the world. His work of guidance is very respectful. He does not speak of himself, but he always takes from what Christ thought and brought into the world, and teaches us. The truth brought by Christ is sometimes incomprehensible and we need somebody to assist us; that is the role of the Spirit. Read more...
Free Will and Determinism
Most of the time the issues of free will and determinism are seen as opposites. The free will is understood in terms that are incompatible with determinism. If the will is free it can do whatever it wants even against the natural laws of the universe. For example the law of gravitation will make sure that when I jump up, I always come down, or if I travel in a circle I will arrive, after a while, in the same place. Even so, the free will is a valid concept/fact. There are layers of my life in which I can 'freely' move and think and act according to my will. This is not taking place in a perfect way, but still I have the real possibility of choice. The situation of life, the nature of my body and health, the laws of nature are facts that have a saying in the way I exercise my will.Read more...
About Love in New Testament
Love is a fact of life. People are able to love. When people are in love they are captivated and they are totally for something or someone. That attitude is seen by others. Love is something that is recognized as such by other people. The New Testament writings speak about love. The main familes of words for love are phileō and agapaō. They are used almost interchangeably, but there are some differences.Read more...
Jurnal teologic 11.1 (2012)
23/05/12 13:08 Filed in: Teologie | Theology | New Testament | Noul Testament | Discipleship | Ucenicie
This is to inform you that the current issue of Jurnal teologic is published online at www.jurnalteologic. ro. The Content, Abstract and Keywords are as follows: Read more...
Being Taught about the Kingdom (2)
10/12/11 08:44 Filed in: Discipleship | New Testament
The Kingdom starts very small and outgrows everything. The mechanisms of growth are built in it. When the conditions are right, it grows. This our part: to plant, to water, and God makes it to grow; to hid the leaven in the flour and it will fill the whole bowl. These internal mechanisms give us hope and they keep us humble. The Kingdom does not grow because of us, but because of God. It is a privilege to be part of this expansion. Read more...
Being Taught about the Kingdom (1)
09/12/11 09:10 Filed in: Discipleship | New Testament
The ways of the Kingdom have to be grasped for being able to understand your place in it. The danger is that we think it works in a certain way, when it does not. Jesus taught his disciples to become scribes in knowing all what is necessary about the Kingdom.Read more...
One Another
21/10/10 15:28 Filed in: Theology | New Testament
It is not easy to be among people. It is complex and unexpected things happen at times. That is why, we have to grasp the essential things about this daily challenge. Let us read what Jesus had to say about this. The results, in the beginning, are not very encouraging, but, in the end, they put us on the right track.Read more...
Christ about the future in John
15/10/10 11:55 Filed in: Theology | New Testament
Christ's mind about the future, as this is seen in the Gospel of John, is found in three main types of texts: chapters 14, 6, and 3. In these texts we find the majors affirmations on this subject.
The future is about the place which Christ prepares for those who belong to him. When that place is ready he will come to take us to be with him. The way toward that place is Christ himself.Read more...
The future is about the place which Christ prepares for those who belong to him. When that place is ready he will come to take us to be with him. The way toward that place is Christ himself.Read more...