Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparative Study Of The Apocalyptic Kingdom Of God In Second Temple Jewish Literature And The Teachings Of Jesus In Matthew, Jeremiah Stallman

Masters Theses

The apocalyptic kingdom of God is a common theme in Second Temple Jewish literature. This kingdom is often presented differently in the various literary works of this era. This first chapter of this thesis considers the various aspects of the kingdom in relation to God's coming judgment and the coming messiah who is often seen as the one bringing judgment and setting up the kingdom of God. The second chapter elaborates upon Jesus' teachings about the apocalyptic kingdom of God and compares and contrasts them with the teachings of the kingdom in His day as understood through the Second Temple …

Hangin' With Judas: A Narrative Analysis Of Stephen Adly Guirgis's 'The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot', Constance Falconer

Masters Theses

Stephen Adly Guirgis has created an era-melting play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, which explores the timeless debate between divine mercy and free will. A systematic application of Walter R. Fisher's narrative analysis, through form identification and a functional analysis, determined how Guirgis accomplishes persuasion. This qualitative study focused on Guirgis's narrative, using Walter R. Fisher's narrative paradigm as a framework to answer the research question(s): (1) If Guirgis's ideology and created world in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot are foreign and imagined, how is narrative probability and narrative fidelity achieved?; and, (2) How does Guirgis persuade his …

The Dilemma Of Genocide In The Old Testament, Daryl Neipp

Masters Theses

The Old Testament command to destroy every breathing thing within the cities of the Promised Land has long been a problem for those who seek to understand God. In some cases this has become welcome fodder for those who desire to question the credibility of Scripture, while for others it just creates an ethical gap that is simply too far to cross. This thesis will address the challenging issue by demonstrating how God's command to destroy the Canaanites was an essential component of his redemptive plan in that it brought to fruition the goals of the Abrahamic Covenant and established …

Severe Grace: An Examination Of The Benevolence Of The God Character In The Ten Plagues In Exodus 7:1-12:32 And In The Book Of Jonah, Paul Faust

Masters Theses

In Exodus 34:6-7, God claims to be "a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty." This claim to coexistent mercy and wrath figures as a central claim regarding the benevolence of the God character in both the Ten Plagues Narrative in Exodus 7:1-12:32 and in the Book of Jonah. This thesis examines the God character's claim to benevolence in those two passages and claims that, based upon the literary data of those primary …

The Great Commissioning: An Exegesis Of Matthew 28:16-20, Ryan Kendall Phelps

Masters Theses

Throughout the history of Christianity, evangelism has been an often-discussed topic. At certain times the discussion has revolved around the question of whether or not there is a command to actively seek out unbelievers for the purpose of evangelism in the Bible that applies to Christians in the world they live in. One of the most common verses cited as a command for evangelism is Matthew 28:18-20, commonly called the "Great Commission." However, some Christians argue that this is a command for discipleship and not evangelism. While it is hard to make a distinction based on this verse alone, Matthew …

Living In The Tensions: Camus, Qohelet, And The Confrontation With The Absurd, Justin Keith Morgan

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the spiritual dimensions of Albert Camus's "cycle of the absurd"--The Myth of Sisyphus, The Stranger, and Caligula--by paralleling Camus's absurd vision of life to the various themes of the ancient text of Hebrew-wisdom literature, Ecclesiastes. Both Camus and Qohelet (the main speaker of Ecclesiastes) describe the absurdity of human existence that arises from the limitations of human reason, the futility of human action, and the certainty of death. Although Camus (an atheist) and Qohelet (a theist) begin with different assumptions regarding the existence of God--the very Being who potentially gives meaning and clarity to his creation--their similar …

The Relationship Of The Battles In Zechariah 12 Through 14, Joshua Andrew Haley

Masters Theses

The relationship of the battle sequences in Zechariah 12-14 has divided scholars for centuries. Jerusalem, besieged by the nations, will be the location of both battles. The nations will be defeated by a divine plague in both battles. Finally, the battles will both result in the establishment of Yahweh's kingdom. There are several important differences between the battle sequences. Zechariah 14 specifically identifies the day of the conflict as the "Day of the Lord." Chapters 12-13 do not. Chapter 14 describes the judgment of Jerusalem while chapters 12-13 do not. Finally, chapter 14 presents a thorough description of the battle …

God Among The Gods: An Analysis Of The Function Of Yahweh In The Divine Council Of Deuteronomy 32 And Psalm 82, Daniel F. Porter

Masters Theses

The importance of the Ugaritic texts discovered in 1929 to ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Studies is one of constant debate. The Ugaritic texts offer a window into the cosmology that shaped the ancient Near East and Semitic religions. One of the profound concepts is the idea of a divine council and its function in maintaining order in the cosmos. Over this council sits a high god identified as El in the Ugaritic texts whose divine function is to maintain order in the divine realm as well on earth. Due to Ugarit's involvement in the ancient world and the text's …

Who Maketh The Clouds His Chariot: The Comparative Method And The Mythopoetical Motif Of Cloud-Riding In Psalm 104 And The Epic Of Baal, Jordan Wesley Jones

Masters Theses

Alleging parallels between Scripture and other ancient Near Eastern texts has always been a matter of controversy. The controversy has resulted from criticism of the comparative method by those who accuse its users of being overly simplistic or reckless when applying their particular approaches to the texts. This recklessness has resulted in alleged connections that are now considered very loose, unjustified, and harmful to the context of Scripture. In order to avoid the dreaded "parallelomania" that has resulted from hasty conclusions in comparative studies, it is necessary to approach alleged comparative units in a more concrete fashion, synthesizing the best …

Proclaiming The Lord's Death: An Exegesis Of 1 Cor 11:17-34 In Light Of The Greco-Roman Banquet, Caleb Patton Collier

Masters Theses

From the beginning, one of the predominant elements of worship within the church was the celebration of the eucharist. Much scholarship has been done on the eucharist, examining the observance through the disciplines of church history, theology, New Testament studies, and ecclesiology. This thesis merely aims to complement current scholarship in the area of eucharistic origins. The question examined is this: "Did the Corinthian church model their eucharist observance upon the existing Greco-Roman banquet model?" In answering that question, exegetical work is presented on 1 Cor 11:17-34, the banquet is examined as to form and function, and parallels are made …

An Investigation Of The Connection Between Adam As A Type Of Christ And Christ Himself: An Exegetical And Structural Approach To Romans 5:12-19, Soon Ho Hong

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the theological and exegetical debates concerning Adam-Christ typology and to specifically explain the structure of the Adam-Christ typology in Romans 5:12-19. The Adam-Christ typology in Romans 5:12-19 is called structural typology because the meaning of the context is revealed through the structural analysis. To understand the connection between Adam as a type of Christ and Christ himself, it is essential to know the structure of the text and to define the meaning of the text through exegesis. This thesis examines some disputes regarding the structural and grammatical issues of Romans 5:12-19. Three …

The Integrity Of The New Testament Canon, Michael A. Ocealis

Masters Theses

The New Testament canon is authentic and reliable: there has been no exclusion of qualified writings, and the original writings have not been changed.

Interpretation Of 1 Peter 3:18-22, Jason Hauffe

Masters Theses

This thesis is an extensive exegetical work on 1 Peter 3:18-22. It proposes a much-needed new interpretive scheme that adequately explains the many exegetical, grammatical, and theological mysteries within this notoriously difficult passage. Verse 18 is interpreted as an example of the principle of verse 17 that if it is God's will, it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong. Christ is given as the example par excellence of one who was righteous but suffered in the flesh. He suffered for sinners in order to bring many to God. He was put to death physically, but …

Jesus, Fourth Ezra And A Son Of Man Tradition In The First Century Ad, Martin E. Sheldon

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Historical Nature Of Luke's Virgin Birth Account: An Apologetic, David E. Smith Jr.

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Analysis And Evaluation Of The Patristic Testimony From The Second Century Concerning The Authorship Of The Fourth Gospel, Robert E. Dalrymple

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Exegetical And Theological Examination Of Matthew 5:17-20, Marc A. Clauson

Masters Theses

Recent polemics relating to the use and validity of the Mosaic Law make a reexamination of some of the key Biblical passages imperative as well as a rethinking of the basic framework by which the issue of the Law is discussed. Matthew 5:17-20 is a passage often used by all sides in the Law debate and is here analyzed as to its relevance to the Law issue. This periscope is Jesus' programmatic statement about his mission with respect to the Law. The passage clearly states that the Law is not abolished and this truism serves as the broadest interpretational framework …

Examining The First Epistle Of Peter In Duke Ms. Gk. 1 Using Contemporary Text-Critical Methodology, Jeff Crabtree

Masters Theses

Current text-critical methodology requires thorough knowledge of manuscript documents. An application of this principle shows Duke MS. GK. 1 to be a Greek minuscule MS containing the entire NT with catenae for most books. Done by a skilled scribe, the palaeography of this parchment codex suggests its origin at ca. 1100 AD.

1 Peter of Duke MS. GK. 1 contains several common scribal variations and errors. Variants resulting from moveable ~, itacisms, and manuscript traditions are common. These were determined by comparison of Duke MS. GK. 1 with the critical apparatuses of the following editions of the Greek NT: Nestle/Aland …

Justification As Christus In Nobis In Sexteenth Century Protestantism, Milo E. Zehr

Masters Theses

Purpose: A major issue in every religion is the meaning of salvation. Although post-Reformation Protestantism claims to follow its sixteenth century founders' understanding of soteriology, modern Protestants speak: of justification solely as a forensic imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the writings of Martin Luther, Andreas Osiander, John Calvin, and Menno Simons to discover whether they viewed justification as a substantial work of God in the soul of the believer or as a purely external declaration of God. The writer chose these four men for four reasons. First, all four have …

Toward A Thomistic Theory Of Meaning, Thomas A. Howe

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relevance Of The Abrahamic Covenant To Israel And The People Of God Based On Its Form And Function As Viewed From The Old Testament, Rondell Mark Raddish

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Law In Galatians: A Comparison Of Bruce And Paul, Greg A. Couser

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Jesus And Inerrancy, James Hunt

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Moral Argument For God's Existence As Seen In Romans 2:14-15 And Romans 1:32a, Lawrence R. Cox

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Apologetics And The Apostle Paul In The Book Of Acts: An Agenda For A Viable Apologetic Methodology, Bruce A. Little

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.