This volume contains 28 essays in honor of Abraham J. Malherbe, whose work has been especially influential in exploring modes of cultural interaction between early Jews and Christians and their Graeco-Roman neighbours. Following an introductory essay on the problems inherent to such comparative studies in the history of New Testament scholarship, the essays are grouped into five topic areas: Graphos - semantics and writing, Ethos - ethics and moral characterization, Logos - rhetoric and literary expression, Ethnos - self-definition and acculturation, and Nomos - law and normative values. Some...

This book deals with two aspects pertaining to the understanding of John. On the one hand it examines the style of the Gospel and on the other hand it introduces, for the first time in the study of the Fourth Gospel, a comprehensive speech act reading of a Johannine discourse.
In the first chapter different approaches to Johannine style are identified, and the deficiencies current in perceptions regarding style are indicated. The second chapter deals with theoretical observations regarding the nature of style in terms of modern stylistics. It is suggested that a possible paradigm for a...

This study offers a fresh analysis of the place which "justification by faith" held in Paul's life and thought. In distinction from past attempts to define "justification" in relation to a logical "center," the investigation proceeds by assessing the relationship between this theme and two significant points in Paul's career: his conversion and his letter to Rome. The first chapter surveys a number of interpreters of Paul from William Wrede through E.P. Sanders. In an attempt to overcome the deficiencies of earlier proposals, the work then explores the soteriology of two early Jewish writings...

Der vorliegende Band fat Aufsatze des Bochumer Neutestamentlers zusammen, die sich mit Jesus, seiner Botschaft und seinem Weg, aber auch mit der in der Uberlieferung der Evangelien sich ausdruckenden Christologie befassen. Eine erste Gruppe von Beitragen behandelt die Gottesverkundigung Jesu und das auf ihn zuruckgehende "Gebet des Herrn." Es folgen Abhandlungen uber Jesu Ruf in die "Nachfolge" und seine ethischen Weisungen (Liebesgebot, Verbot der Ehescheidung). Die Leidengeschichte Jesu ist Gegenstand weiterer Untersuchungen. Dabei steht sowohl die historische Ruckfrage als auch die...

The Gospel Behind the Gospels portrays all the major areas of current discussion and debate regarding the early source of Jesus' sayings known as Q. Sixteen gospel scholars have advanced the debate about this source's nature, history and significance. Contributors discuss Q's existence, its relationship to Mark's gospel and to the Gospel of Thomas, its genre, its redactional history with special reference to the Son of Man and to wisdom and prophetic traditions, its social history with respect to family structures and the Cynics, a feminist analysis of Q, its significance for the...

One of the focal issues surrounding contemporary studies of Hebrews concerns the book's elusive structure. This volume presents an examination of previous proposals and a fresh attempt at unlocking Hebrews' organizational principles.
The first part of the volume critically assesses past efforts at outlining Hebrews. Following a history of investigation, the various approaches to the structure of Hebrews are categorized and evaluated for both strengths and weaknesses. Methodologies considered include thematic analysis, literary analysis, rhetorical analysis, and linguistic analysis. Part...

By placing Jesus and his movement first within Judaism and then with Hellenistic society at large, the author shows Jesus did "not" intend to refer to himself when he spoke of his 'blood' and his 'body'. He meant only to insist that his meals were a better sacrifice than what was offered in the Temple. Later traditions made Jesus himself into the sacrifice.

The figure of King Solomon is central to our understanding of the history of Israel and Judah. This volume of collected articles brings the reader up-to-date with the latest scholarship in the field. The work consists of twenty-four chapters and provides important studies in the historical approach to Solomon and to 10th century B.C.E. Judah and Israel with archaeological surveys of the neighboring regions, sociological surveys, and literary readings of the biblical texts. With suggestions for further research and indexes.

This study describes the embedding of the Gospel of John in the city life of Ephesus. It uses the epigraphical and historical materials of first-century Ephesus as the point of reference for a reading of John. The study is a specific demonstration of the linguistic supposition that the use of the same (combination of) words in different co-texts evokes semantic similarities and dissimilarities which influence the process of giving meaning to a text. Reading John against the background of Ephesus influences its impact. Five topics have been selected: the use of names; the use of the titles for...