Discovering the New Testament

J. Keown Mark

Description

Discovering the New Testament is a new and comprehensive introduction to the New Testament in three volumes, reflecting current research and scholarship in New Testament studies. Each volume provides a thorough discussion of background issues as well as treating theological themes and practical application.The first volume on the Gospels and Acts covers Jewish and Greco--Roman backgrounds, critical methodologies, the synoptic problem, and surveys each of the four gospels and Acts. It concludes with three chapters that explore the key theme of the kingdom of God, including its Old Testament background, the place of miracles, and an examination of Jesus' parables. Ideal for college or seminary students, the volumes provide numerous maps and charts, as well as discussion questions for each chapter and a focus on real--life relevance and application. Forthcoming volumes will focus on Paul (Vol. 2) and the general epistles and Revelation (Vol. 3).

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Lexham Press
• Date de parution: 31 octobre 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781683592334
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

DISCOVERING the NEW TESTAMENT
An Introduction to Its Background, Theology, and Themes
V OLUME I
T HE G OSPELS & A CTS
MARK J. KEOWN
Discovering the New Testament: An Introduction to Its Background, Theology, and Themes
Volume 1: The Gospels & Acts
Copyright 2018 Mark J. Keown
Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225
LexhamPress.com
All rights reserved. You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please write Lexham Press for permission. Email us at [e-mail] .
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from ESV ® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ® ), copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked ( HCSB ) are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible ® , Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible ® , Holman CSB ® , and HCSB ® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations marked ( KJV ) are from the King James Version. Public domain.
Scripture quotations marked ( NET ) are from the NET Bible ® copyright 1996–2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked ( NIV ) are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Print ISBN 9781683592327
Digital ISBN 9781683592334
Lexham Editorial: Derek R. Brown, Karen Engle, Sarah Awa
Cover Design: Brittany Schrock
CONTENTS
P REFACE
A BBREVIATIONS
C HAPTER 1: General Introduction
Christ the Center
What is the New Testament?
The New Testament as a Library of Books
Dating New Testament Documents
The Formation of the New Testament
The New Testament in the Narrative of Scripture
Reading the New Testament
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 2: The Jewish Context of the New Testament
1. The Intertestamental Period (Second Temple Judaism)
2. Geographic Features
3. Population
4. Socioeconomic Conditions
5. Language
6. Cultural Influences
An Occupied Nation
A Nation Under Roman Rule
Judaism in New Testament Times
The Literature of Judaism
Important Jewish Parties and Features
Other Features of Life in Israel
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 3: The Greco-Roman Context of the New Testament
Hellenism
The City
Social Institutions
Greek Religion
Roman Religion
The “Mystery” Religions
Paul and Greco-Roman Religion
Philosophy
Travel in the Roman World
Social Stratification
Patronage
Additional Features of Greco-Roman Society
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 4: Understanding Critical Methodologies
Key Terms
Textual Criticism
Historical Criticism
History of Religions ( Religionsgeschichte Schule )
Source Criticism
Form Criticism
Redaction Criticism
Rhetorical Criticism
Narrative Criticism
The Quest for the Historical Jesus
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 5: The Synoptic Gospels
No Relationship
An Oral Ur-Gospel
An Aramaic Proto-Gospel
The Augustinian or Griesbach Hypothesis
Markan Priority, Q, and the Two- or Four-Source Hypothesis
Farrer or Farrer-Goulder Hypothesis
Wilke Hypothesis
Additional Possibilities
Conclusion
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 6: Mark’s Gospel
The Authorship of Mark’s Gospel
The Date of Mark’s Gospel
The Provenance of Mark’s Gospel
The Setting for Mark’s Gospel
The Audience of Mark’s Gospel
The Sources for Mark’s Gospel
Textual Issues of Mark’s Gospel
The Context of Mark’s Gospel
The Structure of Mark’s Gospel
The Arrangement of Mark’s Gospel
Theological Themes of Mark’s Gospel
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 7: Matthew’s Gospel
Who Was Matthew?
The Date of Matthew’s Gospel
The Provenance of Matthew’s Gospel
The Structure of Matthew’s Gospel
The Purpose of Matthew’s Gospel
Similarities and Differences to Mark
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 8: Luke’s Gospel
The Authorship of Luke
The Provenance of Luke’s Gospel
The Date of Luke’s Gospel
The Recipients of Luke’s Gospel
The Composition of Luke’s Gospel
The Structure of Luke’s Gospel
The Text of Luke
Key Emphases in Luke’s Account
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 9: John’s Gospel
The Authorship of John
The Provenance of John’s Gospel
The Date of John’s Gospel
The Recipients of John’s Gospel
The Text of John
The So-Called Johannine Community and Sources for John
The Relationship to the Synoptics
The Historicity of John
The Purpose of John
The Structure of John
Key Dimensions of John’s Gospel
Conclusion
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 10: The Acts of the Apostles
The Title
The Authorship of Acts
The Date of Acts
The Recipients of Acts
The Historicity of Acts
Emphases in Acts
The Text of Acts
Structure and Purpose of Acts
The First Church in Jerusalem
To the End of the Earth (Acts 13–28)
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 11: The Kingdom of God
Terminology
Old Testament Antecedents
The Kingdom of God in Judaism
Jesus and the Kingdom of God
The Kingdom in the Redemptive Story
The Centrality of Christ to the Kingdom of God
The Subversive Nature of the Kingdom’s Coming
The Centrality of the Kingdom in Jesus’ Ministry
Dimensions of the Kingdom
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 12: The Power of the Kingdom
What Is a Miracle?
Miracles in the Various Gospels
Categories of Miracles
Breakdown of Miracles in the Gospels
Miracles of Healing, Deliverance, and Reanimation
The Significance of the Miracles
Conclusion
Questions to Consider
C HAPTER 13: The Teaching of the Kingdom: Parables
The Use of Parables Prior to Jesus
Classification of Parables
Characteristics of the Parables of Jesus
Distribution of the Parables in the Gospels
Allegory or Not?
Additional Approaches to Parables
The Triple Horizon of Parables
The Purpose of the Parables
The Genius of Parables
Guidelines for Interpretation
The Teaching of the Parables
Parables and Theology
Preaching and Parables Today
Questions to Consider
B IBLIOGRAPHY
S UBJECT I NDEX
A UTHOR I NDEX
A NCIENT T EXTS I NDEX
ILLUSTRATIONS
F IGURE 1: Map of Israel at the Time of Christ
F IGURE 2: The Roman Empire During the Reign of Augustus
F IGURE 3: Emperors in New Testament Times
F IGURE 4: Herod the Great’s Family
F IGURE 5: Key Dates Concerning Rome
F IGURE 6: Roman and Greek Gods
F IGURE 7: Gospel Synopsis
F IGURE 8: Oral Ur-Gospel
F IGURE 9: Aramaic Proto-Gospel
F IGURE 10: Augustinian or Griesbach Hypothesis
F IGURE 11: Two-Source Hypothesis
F IGURE 12: Four-Source Hypothesis
F IGURE 13: Farrer Hypothesis
F IGURE 14: Wilke Hypothesis
F IGURE 15: Three-Source Hypothesis
F IGURE 16: Q + Papias Hypothesis
F IGURE 17: Greek Anthology Hypothesis
F IGURE 18: Eyewitness Hypothesis
F IGURE 19: Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee
F IGURE 20: The Land of the Gospels
F IGURE 21: Diagrammatic Summary
F IGURE 22: The Seven Churches of Revelation
F IGURE 23: The Seven Outpourings in Acts
F IGURE 24: The Miracles of Jesus
F IGURE 25: The Parables of Jesus
PREFACE
T his book has grown out of my teaching of New Testament Introduction courses at Laidlaw College in Auckland, New Zealand. Initially, what were notes for my courses have become this book, which is published in three parts. It is not a work that fully aligns with classic New Testament introductions or theology volumes but represents an approach to teaching the New Testament that incorporates elements of both, with a good degree of application to the contemporary church, particularly the dominant and popular evangelical and charismatic churches in New Zealand and some other European countries. As such, I have entitled it Discovering the New Testament . This first volume focuses on exploration of the Gospel and Acts. Subsequent volumes focus on discovering Paul (Vol. 2) and the other writings of the New Testament (Vol. 3).
In 1985 I became a devoted follower of Jesus. I was quickly directed to become an explorer, discovering God in and through the Bible. I fell in love with the New Testament. I had the privilege of studying the New Testament in ever greater depth as God led me on a journey of learning Greek, becoming a preacher and minister, writing a doctoral thesis, and as a New Testament lecturer. I have to say exploring the New Testament to discover what God has placed in its pages is one of the greatest things we can do. I encourage you to take up the challenge of being a lifelong explorer of the Bible.
This book is written from the perspective of historical-critical optimism and a hermeneutic of trust in the Scriptures as God’s word. My hope in writing this material is that some are blessed and deepened in their faith and desire to serve our Savior and King, Jesus Christ our Lord. Shalom.
Mark J. Keown
ABBREVIATIONS
AB
Anchor Bible
ABD
Freedman, David Noel, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, John David Pleins, and Astrid B. Beck, eds. The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary . New York: Doubleday, 1992 .
AD
Anno Domini (Year of the Lord)
ANET
Pritchard, James Bennett, ed. The Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament . 3rd ed. with Supplement. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969 .
ANZABS
Australia and New Zealand Association of Biblical Studies
AYB
Anchor Yale Bible
BC
Before Christ
BCNT
Black’s New Testament Commentary
BDAG
Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000 .
BEB
Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible . Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988 .
BECNT
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament