Paul Johnson... for a short while

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November 29, 2006

NT575: New Testament Theology

I decided to try taking a seminary class. BiblicalTraining.org offers a wide array of free classes that at the highest level seem to be taken straight from respected seminaries. Matt originally found the site and forwarded it to Tim and myself. I really do enjoy learning and figured that I would try this out to see if God could use it in my life. I won't go into the all the details but historically I have had a mild distrust for seminary teaching as being too focused on head knowledge and not on the practical workings of faith lived out. God calls us to learn about him but Jesus' disciples were unlearned men. Anyway I decided to give it a try and started with a heavy course on New Testiment Theology a 500 level course. I am going to try and listen to a class a week or so on Wednesdays and post my notes online. DISCLAIMER: I will not promise that the notes are complete or theologically correct. They may not even accurately describe what the teacher was trying to convey. They are my own work based on the oral presentation given. I am not responsible for how you use them. Should you want to hear the class yourself registration is again free of charge. Just follow the links that I have provided.

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NT575: New Testament Theology (http://www.biblicaltraining.org/class.php?id=191)

Speaker: Dr. Frank Thielman (http://www.biblicaltraining.org/index.php?page=speakers&id=25)

Description, goal, and objectives
Our goal in this course, simply put, is to understand the basic theological message of the New Testament both in its diversity of expression and in its fundamental conceptual unity. To accomplish this goal, the course will pursue three objectives. We will begin by laying a historical and philosophical foundation for our understanding of the theology of the New Testament. We will then examine the major theological themes of the three parts of the New Testament canon. We will, finally, study the theological themes that bind the entire New Testament together as a conceptually unified book.

Textbooks
Hengel, Martin. The Four Gospels and the One Gospel of Jesus Christ. Harrisburg, Penn.: Trinity Press International, 2000.
Thielman, Frank. Theology of the New Testament: A Brief Account.
Westerholm, Stephen. Perspectives Old and New on Paul: The “Lutheran” Paul and His Critics. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2004.
Wilken, Robert L. The Christians as the Romans Saw Them. New York: Yale University Press, 1984.

11/29/06
Lecture: Historical Foundations for the Study of New Testament Theology - An overview of the history of New Testament Theology as a discipline, emphasizing the role of the Reformation. (40 min. 27 sec.)

Notes:
There is an area of mystery in the theology of the New Testament where people differ in their opinion. We will explore the tension between diversity and unity.

(He uses ESV)

Secondary Main Textbook
I. Howard Marshal New Testament Theology – Many Witnesses One Gospel >>Apparently he want’s to use this book and not the one’s that he listed earlier in the syllabus.
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830827951/dealtime-books-20/ref=nosim)

Who has gone before us and what they did. What they believed.
Foundations for the Study of New Testament Theology
Part 1
I. The History of New Testament Theology as a Discipline: Biblical theology as a product of the Reformation
  A. Luther – appealed to the bible. Saw a great deal more in the church tradition then in the bible. Called into question selling of indulgences. 1521 Diet of Worms – asked to give an account but said that he would detract if it was out of harmony with the scripture. Luther thought that all children should be taught the scripture
  B. Melancthon – Same year (1521) published “Fundamental Theological Themes” in Latin. Significant work – took letter to the Romans and supplied discussion of important theological themes in book. Before this the gospel had been organized primarily in a logical theme instead of a biblical theme. He wrote first biblical theology. Subject rose from bible instead of speculation about what the bible said. He brought in other texts to support it but the themes and outlines where from Romans itself. Raised scripture to a place of primacy in what people believed about humanity and about God.
  C. Protestant Scholasticism (late 1500’s on) (Similar to systems of Thomas Aquinas) Example: Precepts that Christians ought to believe including footnotes to scripture Belgic Confession of 1561 Westminster Confession 1647 according to rationality to describe and speak of what is found in scripture. They begin with the authority of scripture and the infallibility of it. Don’t provide organizing principle like Melancthon but instead provided proof text.
  D. Two developments, however, worked against this tendency:
    1. German Pietism – 17th century in reaction to the over concern the details and cerebral nature of systematic theology and how ministers where trained in German Lutherans. Philip Jacob Spener – “Pia Desideria” advanced 6 points for reform. 1st point was renewed reading of whole bible. Wanted to encourage everyone to read the bible because of the emphasis of thelogical system of the church … Anton Frederick Bushing1758 complained that the theological education of seminaries disqualified ministers from leading churches. Forgot about the primacy of scriptures. His book “Thoughts on the nature and advantage of biblical dogmatic theology over the old and new scholasticism”. Protestants had fallen into the same trap as the reformation had tried to draw them out of. Overall, deeply committed Christians who believed that God makes himself know through scripture and that God changes hearts and lives and were concerned with seminaries.
    2. English (and German) Rationalism – (1600 and 1700’s enlightenment) Human reason became very important for epistemology. John Locke wrote on Paul’s Letters. Believed that God revealed to us what cannot be known by reason. We can know truth by two ways; reason and the bible. Also reason and revelation do not conflict. John Toland (1670-1722) Only those parts of scripture that passed the test of reason could be accepted as valid. Elevated reason above revelation. J.S. Semler (1725-1791) Scripture was not inspired and disagreed with Locke about inerrancy. Scriptures are mistaken and cannon was a product of fallible human decisions and no Christian should be bound to it. Christian should be free to pick and choose what you feel is the word of God. Scripture should be studied historically and critically to find what is acceptable and rational according to modern criteria. Overall, where critical in scripture and that reason and human rationality should take precedence over anything that the church has handed down as scripture. All considered themselves as Christians.

These two developments had in common a desire to deal with the scriptures themselves and intense study of the word of God in a move away from scholasticism.
    3. Coming out of the mix of these two developments is the first Biblical theologies and the first New Testament theologies.
      a. Gotthilf Traugott Zachariä (1729—1777) 1st know biblical theologist. Similar to what Melancthon has done only in a much more detailed way. He was not a rationalist and was sympathetic to German Pietists. He recognized that it was important to read the bible in its historical context.
      b. Georg Lorenz Bauer (1755—1806) 1800-1802 published 1st New Testament Theology and in it stated that the bible should be read in historical context, it should not merely be mined for systematic theology against Belgic and Westminster Confessions where people had made theological statements and then searched through the bible to find texts that proved it. We should examine each book to find the pure biblical truth that is valid for all times and places. What cannot be brought into the modern age should be stripped off and the kernel of truth can be transferred over to modern times and can produce a biblical theology.

Posted by paul at November 29, 2006 12:10 PM

Comments

Posted by: Matt at November 29, 2006 05:11 PM

Posted by: Pat at November 30, 2006 11:47 AM