An Introduction to the New Testament Contexts Methods Ministry Formation 2nd Edition by David Desilva 9780830874002 0830874003

1 The New Testament as Pastoral Response

Issues in the First-Century Church

Formation of a “New” Testament

2 The Environment of Early Christianity: Essential Landmarks

Prologue: Important Developments in the Second Temple Period

The Septuagint

The Old Testament Apocrypha

Key Players and Plots in the World of the Gospels and Their Readers

Torah, Temple, and Tradition: The Common Focal Points of Jews

The Shema

The “Eighteen” Benedictions

The Diversity Within Judaism

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Gnosticism, the Nag Hammadi Library, and the Hermetica

Greco-Roman Religion

Greco-Roman Philosophical Schools

Jews in the Greco-Roman World

Christians in the Greco-Roman World

3 The Cultural and Social World of the Early Church: Purity, Honor, Patronage, and Kinship

Purity and Pollution

Purity and Pollution in the Oedipus Plays of Sophocles

Honor and Shame

Patronage and Reciprocity

The Shape and Significance of Family in the Ancient World

4 The Four Gospels and the One Jesus: Critical Issues in the Study of the Gospels

What Is a Gospel?

From the Historical Jesus to the Canonical Gospels

The Building Blocks Behind the Gospels: Oral Tradition

The Composition and Relationship of the Gospels

The Contents of Q

The Fourfold Gospel Collection

From the Evangelists to Us: Handing Down the Gospel Texts

Searching for the Jesus of History

Criteria of Authenticity: A Summary

Just the Facts

5 The Gospel According to Mark: Following in the Way of the Cross

The Historical and Pastoral Context of Mark’s Gospel

Who Was the Evangelist’s Audience?

An Outline of Mark’s Gospel

Mark’s Message

John the Baptist

Exegetical Skill: Examining Literary Context

Cultural Awareness: Jewish Purity Codes and Mark’s Gospel

Mark and Ministry Formation

6 The Gospel According to Matthew: Following the Words of the Messiah

The Historical and Pastoral Context of Matthew’s Gospel

An Outline of Matthew’s Gospel

Matthew’s Use of Other Early Christian Resources

The Message of Matthew

Matthew’s Special Material (M)

The Continuity of the Ekklēsia and the Heritage of God’s People

Matthew as the Manifesto of a Jewish Messianic Sect

Exegetical Skill: Redaction Criticism

Matthew’s Formation of the Church’s Ethos and Discipline

Exegetical Skill: The Use of Comparative Material in New Testament Exegesis

Cultural Awareness: Honor Discourse in Matthew

Matthew and Ministry Formation

7 The Gospel According to Luke: Following the Heart of the Father

The Historical and Pastoral Context of Luke’s Gospel

Exegetical Skill: Textual Criticism

An Outline of Luke’s Gospel

Luke’s Use of Other Early Christian Resources

Luke’s Message

Luke’s Special Material (L)

Special Emphases in Luke

The Role of Women in Luke–Acts

Cultural Awareness: Luke and Patronage

Exegetical Skill: Interpreting Parables

Luke and Ministry Formation

8 The Acts of the Apostles: Following the Leading of the Spirit

The Genre of Acts: Acts and Ancient Historiography

The Speeches in Acts

The Purposes of Acts

The Kerygma—The Proclamation of the Gospel

The Structure of Acts

The Message of Acts

Luke’s Geography

An Outline of Acts

The Picture of the Early Christian Community

Early Christian Missionary Preaching

Acts and History: Paul as a Test Case

Exegetical Skill: Historical Criticism

The Gallio Inscription: Cornerstone of New Testament Chronology

Exegetical Skill: Rhetorical Criticism—Judicial Topics

Acts and Ministry Formation

9 The Gospel According to John: Following the One from Above

The Historical and Pastoral Setting of John’s Gospel

Exegetical Skill: Narrative Criticism

John’s Gospel and the Role of John the Baptist in God’s Plan

An Outline of John’s Gospel

The Resources Behind the Fourth Gospel

John’s Style

Stories and Sayings Common to John and the Synoptics

The Fourth Gospel and the Historical Jesus

John’s Message

Eschatology in the Fourth Gospel

The Sacraments in the Fourth Gospel

The Portrayal of Peter in John

Cultural Awareness: Kinship Language and the Interpretation of John’s Gospel

Exegetical Skill: Social-Scientific Criticism—Orientation to the Larger World

John and Ministry Formation

10 The Epistles of John: Painful Breaches of the Bond of Unity and Love

Introduction to the Johannine Epistles

The Structure of 1 John

The Message of the Johannine Epistles

1 John and the Letters of Ignatius on Love

Exegetical Skill: Exploring Ideological Texture in a Text

The Johannine Epistles and Ministry Formation

11 A Prologue to the Study of Paul’s Letters: From Defender of Israel to Apostle to the Nations

Challenges in the Study of Paul’s Life

Paul’s Pre-Christian Experience

The Relative Value of Acts and Paul’s Letters as Historical Sources

Paul’s Encounter with the Risen Christ

Paul’s Gospel and the Historical Jesus

The Ministry of the Apostle to the Gentiles

12 The Letter to the Galatians: Walking in Line with the Spirit

The Historical Setting of the Galatian Churches

The “New Perspective” on Paul and Early Judaism

Paul’s Response in Galatians

The “Faith of Jesus Christ” in Galatians

Exegetical Skill: Rhetorical Criticism—Appeals to Ethos

Paul, “Works,” and Entering God’s Kingdom

Galatians and Ministry Formation

13 The Thessalonian Correspondence: Living in the Light of the “Day”

The City of Thessalonica

The Formation of the Christian Community in Thessalonica

The Christians Paul Left Behind

Timothy’s Visit

Exegetical Skill: Epistolary Analysis

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12: Is Paul Defending Himself?

The Rise of the “Man of Lawlessness”

After Paul Wrote 2 Thessalonians

The Thessalonian Correspondence and Ministry Formation

14 The Corinthian Correspondence: Valuing Oneself and Others in the Lord

Historical Setting

The Message of 1 Corinthians

Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in 1 Corinthians

Reading Between the Letters

Exegetical Skill: Rhetorical Criticism—Deliberative, Epideictic, and Common Topics

Exegetical Skill: Rhetorical Criticism—The Functions of Parts of an Oration

The Message of 2 Corinthians

Paul’s Lists of Hardships

Paul and the Conventions of Acceptable Self-Praise

The Corinthian Letters and Ministry Formation

15 The Epistle to the Romans: The God of Jew and Gentile

The Setting and Purposes of Romans

Genre and Structure

The Literary Integrity of Romans

The Message of Romans

Faith in Romans: Whose Faith Is Involved?

Grace and Justification in Jewish Sources

The Enigma of Romans 7:7-25

The Law: Catalyst for Sin or Divine Remedy?

Exegetical Skill: Social-Scientific Criticism—The Analysis of Ritual

Romans and Ministry Formation

16 The Epistle to the Philippians: Unity in the Face of Adversity

The Historical Setting of Philippians

Genre and Purposes

Exegetical Skill: Discerning the Situation Behind a Text (“Mirror Reading”)

Paul’s Strange “Thank You” Note

Paul’s Strategy for Sustaining Christian Unity

Opponents of Paul at Philippi?

The Christ Hymn in Philippians 2:6-11

Persevering in the Face of Opposition

Philippians and Ministry Formation

17 The Epistle to Philemon: The Slave is our Brother

Historical Setting and Pastoral Purpose: The Story Behind Philemon

Paul’s Pastoral Strategy in Philemon

Slavery in the Greco-Roman World

Significance of the Letter

Exegetical Skill: Postcolonial Criticism and Cultural Studies

Philemon and Ministry Formation

Excursus: Pseudepigraphy and the New Testament Canon

18 The Epistles to the Christians in Colossae and Ephesus: Walking in the Light of Christ’s Victory

The City of Colossae and Its Christian Community

Opposition

Purpose and Message

Wisdom Christology in Colossians 1:15-20

Authorship

Provenance

Exegetical Skill: Word Studies and Lexical Analysis

The City of Ephesus

Authorship

Destination

Purpose

Provenance

The Message of Ephesians

Ephesians and Qumran

Ephesians, Colossians, and Ministry Formation

19 The Letters to Timothy and Titus: Trustworthy Management of God’s Household

The Historical Setting of the Pastoral Epistles

The Didache

The Message of the Pastoral Epistles

The Mastery of the Passions in Ethical Philosophy

Ignatius of Antioch on Chains and Execution

Exegetical Skill: Feminist Biblical Criticism

The Pastoral Epistles and Ministry Formation

20 The Epistle to the “Hebrews”: Living in Trust and Gratitude Toward God

The Situation Behind Hebrews

Exegetical Skill: Rhetorical Criticism—Appeals to the Emotions

Genre and Structure

The Pastoral Strategy of Hebrews

Exegetical Skill: The Analysis of Intertexture (1)

Contributions of Hebrews to Early Christology

Which Old Testament Did the Author of Hebrews Use?

Hebrews and Ministry Formation

21 The Epistle of James: Promoting Consistency of Belief and Behavior

“James” and His Readers

How Christian Is James?

Composition and Structure

An Outline of James

Genre and Purpose

James and the Jewish Wisdom Tradition

James and Paul

The Message of James

Exegetical Skill: Social-Scientific Criticism—Analyzing Worldview and Ethos

James and Ministry Formation

22 The First Letter of Peter: An Ethic for Resident Aliens Awaiting their Inheritance

The Addressees of 1 Peter

The Pastoral Problem Addressed by 1 Peter

Who Wrote 1 Peter, and When?

First Peter’s Pastoral Response and Rhetorical Strategy

Suffering as “Proving Ground”

Preaching to the Spirits in Prison

Hospitality and the Early Church

Exegetical Skill: Exploring Argumentative Texture

First Peter and Ministry Formation

23 Jude and 2 Peter: The Dangers of Deviant Disciples

The Letter of Jude

The Pesharim of Qumran

1 Enoch

Exegetical Skill: The Analysis of Intertexture (2)

Jude and Ministry Formation

The Second Letter of Peter

Epicureanism and the Teachers Opposed in 2 Peter

Testamentary Literature in Second Temple Judaism

Exegetical Skill: Redaction Analysis in Epistolary Literature

Second Peter and Ministry Formation

24 The Revelation of John: Living in the Light of God’s Triumph

Reading Revelation: The Question of Genre

Does Revelation Stem from a Genuine Visionary Experience?

The Setting of Revelation

Sources Behind and Stages in the Composition of Revelation

The Other Side of Revelation 13?

The Rhetoric of Revelation

Exegetical Skill: Identifying and Analyzing Repetitive Texture

The Message of Revelation: Redrawing Reality

Violence and Vengeance in Revelation

Revelation, the Future, and the End

Revelation and the Millennium

Revelation and Ministry Formation

Notes

Index of Modern Authors

Index of Subjects

Index of Ancient Texts

Scripture Index

Praise for An Introduction to the New Testament