Testament Studies Research Articles

“This Generation” from Mark to Judas: On the Hermeneutics of Intra-gospel Reception

Although the reception of Mark has a very long tradition within New Testament studies in discussions of the Synoptic problem or the relation of the Synoptics to John, nevertheless works on reception of the Gospel beyond the New Testament are few. Further, especially for the early period, these works focus primarily on the fact of Markan reception—who knew it and accepted it—rather than its hermeneutical potential. The present essay focuses on this hermeneutical question, tracing the Markan language of “this generation” through its reception, rejection, and adaptation in Gospel literature up to the Gospel of Judas. I argue that this intra-Gospel reception reflects back on Mark itself and illuminate aspects of its interpretive possibilities. Indeed, I aim to show here that Mark’s reception is intrinsic to its possibility for meaning at all and by attending to the ways in which early texts from Matthew to Judas interpret Mark enables one to appreciate the very different ways Mark’s potential meaning is actualized. This argument demonstrates the value of uniting exegetical and diachronic description with a dialogical hermeneutical framework, facilitating mutual interpretation without simple harmonization.

Genesis 15:1–6 and child adoption in Awkunanaw, Enugu state, Nigeria

Adoption is a global phenomenon, and many childless couples choose adoption because they cannot have children biologically. Over the years, legally approved orphanages have been a beacon of hope for prospective adoptive parents. However, in contemporary times, many childless couples have employed both legal and illegal means to have children. As a result, baby-making industries have become a lucrative business because it is a fast means for childless couples to have children. In the contemporary Awkunanaw, this practice has devalued socio-cultural practices and made the Awkunanaw society and her dwellers vulnerable to social vices. This study investigates the importance of adopting a child from a known background other than a strange one. Genesis 15: 1–6 tells of God’s covenant with Abram in which God promised him a great reward. Amid the divine promises of greatness and protection, Abram was worried about his state of childlessness. The part of the pericope which relates to this study is that Abram adopted an heir from a known background. The exegetical research methods employed in studying Genesis 15:1–6 include a narrative method and sociological approach to the study of the Old Testament. The data obtained through interviews and secondary sources were analysed using the phenomenological method. The study aims to advocate that Awkunanaw parents who patronise baby-making industries should desist from such practice as it contributes to the prevalence of social vices in the community.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article studies adoption in Awkunanaw, Enugu state, Nigeria, in the light of Abraham’s narrative in Genesis 15:1–6. In Awkunanaw culture, adoption from an unknown background is abhorred. The article submits that adopting children from unknown backgrounds is precarious for the social development and peace of the Awkunanaw community. Hence, the study is a contribution to Old Testament discourses on religion and society. Its related disciplines are sociology, biblical interpretation and practical theology.

Decolonizing New Testament Studies: A Māori Perspective

Beginning with my personal experience of encountering ideas about decolonization in various settings, and considering what it might mean for New Testament studies in Aotearoa New Zealand, this essay then presents the contributions of the few Māori scholars who have worked in biblical studies, identifying how they reflect on the legacies of colonization and the challenge of decolonization. As an example of a Māori engagement with a New Testament text, I present a reading of the Canaanite woman’s encounter with Jesus as presented in Matthew 15.21–28, focused on issues of racism, people, and land. Finally, the essay concludes with some proposals on what a decolonized New Testament studies would look like based on my experience as a Māori student and then lecturer.

Introduction: Decolonizing New Testament Studies? Beyond Eurocentrism to Reshaping the Discipline

Set in the context of current calls for the decolonization of universities, curricula, and academic disciplines, this essay first outlines what this might mean in the discipline of New Testament studies, highlighting both the formation of the discipline within a particular western European context and the need to move beyond the disciplinary practices shaped by this history. It then introduces the papers collected in this special issue, not by summarizing each paper individually (the abstracts of each provide this summary) but by identifying certain themes and issues that emerge from the collection. Both the contextualized character of these various studies and their modes of ethical, political, and theological engagement raise challenges for the discipline as a whole.

Mary and Maternal Health: Decolonizing Luke 1–2 Amidst the Crisis of Teen Pregnancy

This study responds to the central question: ‘What do you see as the tasks, methods, and aims of New Testament studies, given the demands and priorities of the context in which you work?’ From a decolonizing perspective, biblical scholarship’s crucial role is fostering interdisciplinary approaches to help address 21st-century challenges set within the communal see-judge-act-evaluate-celebrate/ritualize framework. As a test case, this study characterizes Mary, her maternal health, and the perils of pregnancy in Luke 1–2 from a decolonizing angle within the context of the teenage pregnancy crisis in the Philippines. This decolonizing and interdisciplinary approach involves utilizing a synergy of contextual biblical hermeneutics in interpreting Luke 1–2 as an attempt to ensure that New Testament studies remain a relevant source of inspiration for actionable responses to promote teenage maternal health.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Exploring the Complexity of Identities and Boundaries in the New Testament and Related Literature

The purpose of this essay is to situate this volume within the context of a specific academic research context in the field of Biblical studies, specifically New Testament studies and related literature [...]

A political theology for the Ghanaian context from Christ’s perspective

One of the key challenges facing contemporary Ghana is ineffective political structures and leadership. Leadership failure is the main reason why Ghana continues to experience socio-economic challenges such as poverty, hunger, poor education system, poor road networks, injustice, high unemployment rate, human right abuse, and local currency depreciation despite the country’s vast natural resources. Ghana’s socio-economic problems continue to attract scholarly attention and yet, the problems persist. As a predominantly Christian nation, the church has a major responsibility to engage the country’s political space by analysing and scrutinising political structures with the effect of chatting a new path of socio-economic and political developments. This research was, therefore, conducted to contribute to the ongoing discussion by exploring how a contextual application of political and leadership lessons embedded in Jesus’s teaching in Mark 10:35–45 might address the Ghana’s political needs. The article is a qualitative research that analysed data collected from books, Bible commentaries, journal articles, and dissertations.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research involves systematic and/or political theology, New Testament studies, and leadership and/or governance. It argues that for Ghana to overcome her political challenges, leadership must be seen as a position of service rather than an opportunity to amass wealth at the expense of others. The article contributes to the field of political theology in the Ghanaian setting.

Reconstructing the Original New Testament: A Critical Analysis of Bart D. Ehrman's Arguments on Textual Errors and Manuscript Transmission

This study aimed to discuss the thought of Bart D. Ehrman, an American New Testament Scholar, regarding this idea of the contradiction in his research into the New Testament in many of his books, which was considered controversial and initiated a heated debate among theologians and other scholars. This research employed a library research method by analyzing various written sources such as books, articles, and scientific journals that discuss Bart D. Ehrman's thoughts on the contradictions in the New Testament. The nature of this research is qualitative, where the researcher analyzes and interprets textual data to understand Ehrman's thoughts and their implications for New Testament studies. Ehrman affirmed that since its initial copying process, the Bible had been using the hand-copying method, resulting in many errors in the manuscript. Up to the number of copyists who copy back the wrong copy and make new mistakes; eventually, many copies of the New Testament exist today, but none of these copies are known to be copies of the original book, nor copies of the first copies. Instead, they are copies of copies of other copies that have been scattered long after the original writing period. Which undoubtedly contains very many errors and differences in each copy. Mistakes that arise because they are intentional or unintentional. This study concluded that, according to Ehrman, it has been very tough to reconstruct the original text of the New Testament. Nevertheless, even so, he still stated that it was a big mistake deciding to stop learning the texts of the New Testament.

Finding Out the Things of God: A Dialogue on Matthew Sharp’s Divination and Philosophy in the Letters of Paul and New Testament Studies

Finding Out the Things of God: A Dialogue on Matthew Sharp’s Divination and Philosophy in the Letters of Paul and New Testament Studies

First Corinthians 6.1–6: Roman Court or Private Arbitration?

AbstractFirst Corinthians 6.1–6 is consistently read as a Pauline criticism directed against members of the Pauline ekklēsia in Corinth, taking each other to Roman courts. I argue that this understanding of 1 Cor 6.1–6 is implausible in light of practices of Roman law in the provinces and in the colonies. Within a formal court procedure, the Corinthians would not have had the freedom to appoint their own judges, as Paul's language implies. I suggest instead that it is private arbitration which Paul criticises. Papyri dealing with private arbitration and mediation support this reading. Much of Paul's legal terminology in the passage is found in these papyri, making private arbitration a highly plausible suggestion. The suggested reading points to the community's good social ties with the pagan population in the city. It also depicts Paul as working within the framework of Roman law rather than against it. The article exemplifies the benefits of integrating up-to-date studies of Roman law in New Testament Studies.

Divided Worlds? Challenges in Classics and New Testament Studies ed. by Caroline Johnson Hodge, Timothy A. Joseph and Tat-Siong Benny Liew (review)

Divided Worlds? Challenges in Classics and New Testament Studies ed. by Caroline Johnson Hodge, Timothy A. Joseph and Tat-Siong Benny Liew (review)

Children’s Lives and Agency in the Agonistic First Century and New Testament Studies

hile theoretical approaches attempt to map ancient childhood, the material and incidental nature of children’s lives in all their varieties and differences, are crucial for understanding ancient childhood. Recent investigations into children in their living environments have shown attention to their clothing, childhood care, social relations, leisure and play, health and disability, upbringing and schooling, and their experiences of death. Children’s lives and activities were framed also by the agonistic nature of first-century society, makingthem susceptible to structural violence in various ways. The purpose of the paper is to track and trace children’s experience and in particular their agency in the ancient Roman world that were often hostile to little lives and bodies, and to consider the value of such studies for the interpretation of the New Testament.

Does Sin Still Come to Christians? The Perspective of 1 John 3:9

Sin has been a major problem since the fall of man. This is the reason for Jesus' reincarnation into the world: to redeem humankind from sin. However, even though the cross has taken place, the discussion about sin continues, especially in search of an answer as to whether Christians still sin even after being redeemed by the blood of Jesus. This article answers that question through the exegesis of one of the verses in New Testament studies, namely First John 3:9. An exploration of the meaning will be done on the statement that everyone born of God does not sin anymore. The research concludes that first, sin must be purified or sanctified through Jesus, the true redeemer. Second, Christians must decide to confess each of their sins and show repentance as a sign that Jesus has redeemed them. Thirdly, the Christian must build a new lifestyle by ceasing sin. In this case, despite being redeemed, the process and goal for Christians are still happening, and the process must be won as a characteristic of true Christianity.

The role of religious experience: a review article

A review article of two contrasting books on the role of religious experience within New Testament studies and practical theology respectively.

Critical Reflections on the Role of the Canon in New Testament Scholarship

AbstractThe modern discipline of New Testament Studies has subjected the various components of the New Testament to close scrutiny, yet it persistently fails to ask critical questions about the New Testament considered as a whole. In its familiar twenty-seven book form, the New Testament may be seen as a fourth-century anthology of early Christian writings based on earlier collections or sub-collections (the fourfold gospel, the Pauline letter collection), yet innovative in establishing a sharply defined boundary between included and excluded texts. An analysis of contributions to this journal over a recent five-year period demonstrates the pervasive influence of this fourth-century construct in determining the scope and priorities of (so-called) ‘mainstream’ scholarship. Greater attention to the contingencies of canon-formation will enable us to locate the texts that came to form the New Testament within a wider early Christian literary landscape.

A Christological Reflection on Yom Kippur from an Akan Christian Perspective

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is arguably the holiest and most important day in ancient Israel’s religious calendar. In the Christian religion, the Yom Kippur ritual is interpreted to foreshadow the ultimate sacrifice made by Christ for the atonement of the sin of humanity. Therefore, a theological study of this Old Testament atoning ritual has the potential to shed light on the salvific ministry of Christ. Using a literary research approach, this article explores how atoning practices associated with Yom Kippur might enhance the Christian understanding of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. I argue that by fulfilling what the Old Testament sacrificial system prefigured, the cross renders any atoning sacrifice obsolete. Therefore, believers ought to refrain from any form of traditional religious sacrifices because such sacrifices have no salvific value. The paper contributes to the ongoing scholarly discourse on Christian soteriology, particularly the doctrine of atonement. Keywords: Akan, Atonement, Christ, Leviticus, Yom Kippur

Pauline ethics in the context of the socio-political problems in Zimbabwe

The ethics of Paul has been a subject of research for decades, and they have been applied in various contexts globally. Paul was a founder and nurturer of various early Christian assemblies. He addressed moral matters in these assemblies of groups of concerned people. Recent New Testament scholars have indicated that Paul’s ethical teachings were meant to fit the particular needs of the congregations he had established. However, the principles drawn from Paul’s moral teachings can be applied to any context, such as the Zimbabwean socio-political environment. Therefore, this article seeks to interrogate the suitability of Pauline ethics as a solution to the socio-political challenges facing Zimbabwe. The article argues that Pauline ethics can be applied as a solution to these challenges. The social conflict theory informs the analysis and arguments proffered in this article and enables one to understand the complex relationship between the ethics of Paul and the contemporary Zimbabwean context. The article concludes that there should be an equilibrium among rights, interests, and goods in the volatile Zimbabwean socio-political environment in order to promote human flourishing.Contribution: The article significantly contributes by bringing to the fore the interface between New Testament studies and the Zimbabwean socio-political context.

An End to the Silence: The Misuse of the “Argument from Silence”

Abstract This article discusses a misuse of the argument from silence to deny historical detail in New Testament study. It starts with a description of the argument from silence and its misuse, followed with an example to show its fallacious nature. Then it outlines two specific case studies of the misuse with respect to studies of 1 Thessalonians: the existence of Jews and a synagogue in Thessalonica, and the supposed non-Pauline interpolation of 1 Thess 2:13–16.

Adamic Christology and its Implications for Christian Soteriology

The subject of Christology is indispensable in Christianity because the entire Christian gospel centers on the person and works of Jesus Christ. One of the Christological models espoused in the New Testament is Adamic Christology with its focus on the striking analogy between Adam’s sin and Christ’s atoning sacrifice. While allusions of the Adam-Christ comparison appear elsewhere in the New Testament (Luke 3–4; Heb. 2:5–18), the most explicit articulation is found in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15. Most of the existing literature on the subject focus more on exegetical issues and fail to provide adequate theological analysis on the Adam-Christ comparison. Current interest in theological implications of the Adam-Christ comparison has prompted this paper which explores Adamic Christology based on a theological reading of Romans 5:12-21 and other relevant texts on subject. The researcher used a literary research design comprising textual, theological and historical analyses of data collected from commentaries, articles, books, and dissertations/theses. The main thesis of the paper is that despite remarkable continuities between Adam and Christ on the basis of an ontological inclusivity of all humankind in their vicarious humanity, Christ exceeds Adam in all soteriological respects as the one who reverses the effect of Adam’s sin and its effect on humanity by bestowing salvific benefits on all who express belief in his saving person and works. The paper is an interdisciplinary study that contributes to the fields of Systematic theology (particularly on the issues of hamartiology and soteriology) and New Testament studies (especially Pauline studies).

The task and future of New Testament Studies

In the light of various new tendencies in New Testament Studies, this article charts out the task for future students and researchers in the field. Within the frame of newer socio-cognitive discourse studies, it builds on the semiotic foundation that controlled interpretation of the ancient Greek text as a complex sign-system enabling the community of professional readers to construct meaning fitting the text. Such interpretations need to simulate the interpretation process within the original epistemic community. The article aims to reassess the role of exegesis in Testament Studies and a redesign of its sub-disciplines.Contribution: The article makes an original contribution to realign the hermeneutical task to interpret the text in the New Testament with socio-cognitive discourse studies. It follows trends in reception studies in distinguishing semantic interpretation from the various uses of such consensual text and conforms to interpretation of the New Testament in the realm of faculties of theology and within academic and public discourse.