The plastic age of the Gospel : a manual of New Testament theology

Front matter

9 ee or pe re er ve

3 gy or ry

Ae ee

Preface

THE justification for a fresh treatment of the progress of thought in the New Testament lies in the fact that recent research and discussion have thrown much light on the subject. In this light several aspects of the Christian faith loom out into clearer visibility. A full century of research in the history of its beginnings has not only made the world acquainted with a vast mass of facts totally lost sight of during the ages, but it has also led to the realization of the specific character of history itself. Just what is historic? What may the historic method be expected to do? What must it not be looked for to accomplish? Answers to these questions bring into view the potentialities as well as the limitations of the purely historic point of view.

The labors of many scholars during the last forty years have concerned themselves with the principles involved in historic study. This book is an effort to reflect in a compendious picture the outline and the color of the reality, as it is now seen, of the flow of spiritual life in the age of Jesus and his first disciples.

From another point of view the work is the expression of a rather long experience in teaching theological students. Many times during this experience the author has been requested to reduce his teaching into book form for use by a wider public. He has hitherto resisted the impulse to accede to the request partly because he has been conscious that the value of any teaching may be due either to the way in which the teacher deals with his subject or to the substance of the teaching itself, or again to a certain happy mixture of both. In the circumstances he could not be sure that the values he may have unearthed out of the mine of reality did not carry in them some disvalues intermingled with them in the very process of their production. The work of construction in the realm of the intellect and spirit is unlike that in the mechanical and physical sphere. In the latter the builder can always see the difference between his tools and the product of his labor. In the former this is not, usually, at least, the case. And the worker in this field may very well remain unconvinced of the worth-whileness of putting into cold print what has been found useful only in relations of personal contact.

If he ventures now to lay aside the distrust, it is only because he has become convinced in other ways that his readers (such and as many as he may have) will judge his work with generosity and fairness.

Part I. The Mind Of Jesus Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION ; x

1. The Bible and Theses: 2. The Rise of Biblical rueoloey: 3. What Is Biblical Theology? 4. Is a New Testament Theology Possible?

II. ANTECEDENTS AND BACKGROUND

1. The Old and the New. 2. The Guatemparary Hpatorcand (1) Tradition. (2) Apocalyptism. (3) Hellenism.

Ill. JouHN THE BAPTIST sikyrmatteenoueiin ds 1. The Life and eon A of inde 2. John’s Message.

IV. THE Sources . ROR ARC NE NR RRS 1. The Gospels. 2. The Synoptic Problem.

1. The Historicity of Jesus. 2. Jesus as Teacher. 3. The Forms of His Teaching.

VI. Tue Kincpom oF Gop

Jesus’ Conception of the Rae 2. The Development of the Conception.

VII. Tue FatHEerHOOoD oF Gop

1. The Idea of Divine Fatherhood Before esas 2. Jesus’ New Revelation of It.

VIII. Tue CuHItpren or Gop

1. What Is Man? 2. Sin. 3. Salvation. (1) Repentance. (2) Faith. (3) Forgiveness. 4. The Filial Relation. (1) Confidence in the Father’s Care. (2) Prayer.

IX. Tue MEsSsIAHSHIP

1. The Son of Man, (1) The Older Usage of the Phrase. (2) The Usage of Jesus. (3) The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus. 2. The Son of God. 3. The Messiah’s Work.

X. Tue Messtanic COMMUNITY

1. Jesus and the Church. 2. ean ae of the Mestianie Community. 3. The Task of the Church, ix

Io

CHAPTER

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

KV.

XVI.

XVII.

XVIII.

XIX.

XX.

CONTENTS

THE NEw RIGHTEOUSNESS .

1. The Old Righteousness and the aes 2. “The Ethical Ideal of Jesus. 3. The Social Teaching of Jesus.

1. The Kingdom in Prospect. 2. The Bae of Tents in the Future of the Kingdom.

Part II. The Earliest Apostolic Message General View

The Sources of Thibevaron: (1) The Book wv" uae (2) The Epistle of James. (3) First Peter. (4) Second Peter. (5) The Epistle of Jude.

THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN CONVICTION

1, The First Preaching of Jesus as Christ. 2. The First Interpretation of Jesus’ Messianic Work.

THE SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH 1. The Holy Spirit. 2. The Church.

THE CHRISTIANITY OF JAMES .

1. Religious Texture. 2. The Person of Christ. 3. The Royal Law of Love. 4. Sin. 5. Christian Salvation. 6. The Gospel in Life.

THE PETRINE TEACHING

1. Who Is Christ? 2. How Does Christ Suen 3. How Men May Benefit by What Christ Did. 4. Divslopmicat and Manifestation of the Redeemed Life. 5. Issues of the Christian Life.

PART Hil. THE: GOSPEL, OF PAUL

PAUL THE WRITER AND THE MAN .

1. The Writings of Paul. 2. Paul and His Bie aind (1) Paul’s Parentage. (2) Paul’s Education. (3) Paul’s Conversion. (4) Paul’s Missionary Experience.

PAUL’s RELIGIOUS yee

1. Ills of Religion. Idea of Rivhiesdaneade. 3. Idea of Sin. (1) Nature of Sin. (2) Origin of Sin. (3) Universality of Sin. (4) The Results of Sin. 4. Idea of Law. 5. Idea of the Promise. 6. Idea of Scripture.

Tue GRACE OF Gop IN CHRIST .

1. The Grace of God. 2. Righteousness tbach Christ. (1) The Person of Christ. (2) The Work of Christ. 3. Justification.

PAGE

CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXI. THe New Lire 1n Curist . ; 1. The Holy Spirit. 2. The Life of the Spirit. 3. Faith. 4. The Life in Christ.

COL ibe GH BTSTIAN COONDUCT Miia itech icseinibam aca ih eh tare et ty Stan) 1. Religion at the Basis of Ethics. 2. Christ and Ethical Values. 3. Freedom of Moral Action. 4. Concreteness of Duty. (1) The State. (2) The Family. (3) Slavery (4) Wealth. (5) Casuistry.

XXIII. THe CHurcH AND THE SACRAMENTS . Hyon 1. The Church. 2. The Sacraments. (1) Baptism. (2) The Lord’s Supper.

XXIV. THe Furure UNA MUMP RECTAN MUS DUN CMRP 1. The Parousia. 2. The Resurrection. 3. The Judgment. 4. The Eternal Kingdom.

DOMVGE AULINISM AND: THE VINITUAT it win. gt ation sen eee 1. The Epistle to the Hebrews. 2, The New Covenant. 3. The Mediator of the New Covenant. 4. The Sacrifice of the New Covenant. 5. Faith, the Basis of the New Covenant. 6. The People of the New Covenant. 7. The Life under the New Covenant.

Part IV. The Johannine Theology

XXVI. THE JOHANNINE SCHOOL AND WRITINGS . ‘

The Fourth Gospel. 2. The Epistles. 3. The eee

ie

XXVIII. FELLowsHip LACKING PL MIAN oe MN LOL SENT 1. The Question of Sin. 2. The Power of the World. 3. The World Power. 4. The Antichrist.

XXVIII. FrLttowsuip ESTABLISHED 1. The Knowledge of God. 2. Christ. (1) The eel Logos. (2) The Son of God. (3) The Lamb of God. 3. The Holy Spirit. (1) The Spirit of Truth. (2) The Paraclete. 4. The Way to Fellowship with God.

XXIX. THE Lire oF FELLOWSHIP . A 1. Faith. 2. The New Birth. Piemnal Life. 4. The Law of Love. (1) The Brahe too. (2) The Charen 5. Johannine Eschatology. (1) The Parousia. (2) “The Last Day.” (3) The Resurrection. (4) The Judgment.

TUEHULOGRAPEEY Vs HCN G) HOLS NR pale UR aig Camtelar einen cigs ah ig se se e e e e e e e e e e e e e x1

PAGE