Biblical Theology

Abstract

Biblical Theology Walter A. Vogels WF, Christopher T. Begg, and Paul R. Redditt 1938. Olivier Artus, Jean-François Lefebvre, Chantal Reynier, and Jean-Miguel Garrigues, “L’accomplissement des Écritures,” CaE 182 (2017). The verb “fulfill,” familiar to the reader of the NT, does not simply mean to “realize,” i.e., to make a connection between a text of the OT with an event in Jesus’ life, but also means to “perfect.” A. shows how the notion of the fulfillment of the Scriptures has [End Page 674] its roots in the OT itself. In the Torah, we notice the rewritings and developments of its traditions. Jesus by proposing a new interpretation of the Torah continues in the same line. L. develops the theme of the accomplishment of the Word in connection with God’s plan in the Book of Isaiah, where there is a “pilot” in the history of God’s people (Isa 25:1): things happen as foretold, even if at the end of the book there is still something more to expect (e.g., Isa 66:12, 23). The NT continues in this line as well, by showing the fulfillment of the Word in Christ and in the Church. For R., the word “mystery” is much used by Paul (21 times in the Pauline letters, out of the 28 total uses in the NT) to express the notion of fulfillment of the Scriptures (see, e.g., 1 Cor 2:7–9; Eph 3:1–13). Paul’s uses of the term “mystery” are inspired by the Book of Daniel (Dan 2:28); the term refers to God’s plan that will only be fully revealed at the end of time, even as Daniel announces that God will reveal certain aspects of that plan over time. That Christ died on a cross is totally unexpected so that only the term “mystery” can express its newness and give it a scriptural basis in Daniel, though without the usual “as Scripture says” formula. Finally, G. shows how the exegesis of the Fathers of the Church is rooted in the biblical theology of fulfillment as expressed by Paul in his interpretation of Moses’ “veil” in 2 Cor 3:12–18.—W.V. 1939. [Num 35:9–28, etc.] Chad Thomas Beck, “Sanctuary for Immigrants and Refugees in our Legal and Ethical Wilderness,” Int 72 (2018) 132–45. Examining the “cities of refuge” in Num 35:9–28 and other key Torah passages, B. argues that the social ethics underlying these passages point toward mercy and sanctuary for immigrants and refugees facing deportation. In his essay, B. analyzes both ethical injunctions in the Hebrew Bible to welcome the resident alien and modern sanctuary movements in relation to contemporary immigration issues. Like the wilderness generation in the Book of Numbers, immigrants and citizens in our day wrestle with legal and ethical dilemmas that highlight the relevance of pivotal biblical texts for our communities and churches. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 1940. Robert B. Chisholm jr., “Rizpah’s Torment: When God Punishes the Children for the Sin of the Father,” BS 175 (2018) 50–66. In the OT, God warns his enemies that their sin would have negative consequences for their families, and his punishment of their sins sometimes involves that of their children as well. At the same time, God’s law in the Torah (see Deut 24:16) enjoins that children are not to be punished for a parent’s sin. A close reading of those OT passages where sinners’ children are punished as well reveals that the sins in question constitute blatant rebellions against God’s authority. Since children are a blessing from the Lord, he may withdraw that blessing when he exacts punishment from the offender. By contrast, God does not authorize human judges to follow this principle since such judges do not share in God’s rights as Creator. Against this background, C. interprets Ezekiel 18 as God’s merciful response to a specific situation rather than a universally valid principle. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 1941. Claude Cohen...