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Aural Design And Coherence In The Prologue Of First John, Jeffrey E. Brickle

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Brickle, Jeffrey E., “Aural Design and Coherence in the Prologue of First John.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2010. 236 pp.

The dissertation focuses on the aural features of the Prologue of 1 John. These features reflect an underlying design which facilitated the communication of its rhetorically powerful message within the dynamic oral culture of the late first century. The complexity of the passage’s grammar and syntax has long puzzled modern biblical scholars—who typically read in silence and evaluate ancient documents from a print-based viewpoint—and hampered attempts to discern a coherent structure. The dissertation surveys these scholarly attempts to resolve the …

Use Of Ek Πι∑Τεω∑ In Romans And Galatians: The Significance Of Paul’S Choice Of Prepositions With Πι∑Τει∑ As Object And Its Bearing Upon Justification By Faith, Andrew John Spallek

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In addressing the current debate concerning Paul's explanation of justification by faith as it pertains to Jews and to gentiles, the present study will examine the meaning of ὲκ πίστεως in Paul and its bearing on justification by faith. The approach to this examination will be rather complex. In order to arrive at a precise meaning for ὲκ πίστεως, it is essential that the word πίστις be thoroughly examined, especially its connection to the Old Testament concept of faith (אכזד). In order to differentiate between ὲκ πίστεως and other prepositional phrases with πίστις it will be necessary to examine the …

Paul's Portrayal Of Judaism: St. Paul's Critique Of Judaism In Romans 3:19-31 And Evidence From Judaism Which Validates His Assessment, Michael Middendorf

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis will address the current debate over whether St. Paul is being fair and accurate in his appraisal of first-century Judaism's teaching on the doctrine of justification. The Apostle is currently being accused of making an unfair caricature of Judaism, especially in regard to its conception of how a righteous standing before God could be attained.1 This first chapter will serve to document these accusations, to lay out the issues and arguments involved in this debate, and then to assess its significance.

Between Superstition And Skepticism: A Study Of The First-Century Worldview Of The Miraculous, Mark Schuler

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In response, it is not the intent of the following to address the philosophic skepticism so prevalent in modern biblical scholarship. Rather, the assumption which links such skepticism to the results of Formgeschichte will be called into question, namely, the assumption that the worldview of the first century was superstitious. One may legitimately ask whether the worldview of the first century was so enamored of the miraculous that a literary product of that time would of necessity produce miraculous deeds in praise of its hero and attribute them to him. To that

The Theological Argument Of Hebrews 11 In Light Of Its Literary Form, Merland Miller

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The scope of this study does not end with literary form, however. Too often in the past the study of literary form has been either consciously or unconsciously divorced from the study of theological argument. The hypothesis of this paper is that an understanding of literary form will aid in determining and illuminating theological argument.

The material for the study of literary form will be the texting Hebrews itself, along with the prior extant texts whose literary structure and characteristics are similar to Hebrews 11. The existence of literary material lying behind the present text is conjectural and beyond the …

History In The Hermeneutics Of Jurgen Moltmann, Lloyd Gross

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

"In Europe it is often said that the theology of hope is neither a school nor a movement, but a book.” That book is Theologie der Hoffnung, by Jurgen Moltmann. In Europe no more can be said about the theology of hope than has already been said by Moltmann. His work has become the measure of the school of theology which claims history as its special province! So the study here attempted is devoted mostly to that book in an effort to evaluate and understand the contribution it has made to the contemporary discussion of history and its relationship to …

Existence And Process: A Study Of The Theology Of Schubert Ogden, Robert W. Paul

Concordia Theological Monthly

The author examines the conceptions of existentialism and process philosophy by which Schubert Ogden formulates his understanding of Christian theology and expresses his apologetic interests.

The Implications Of The Cross For The Invisible Powers And The State Against The Background Of 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 And Colossians 1:15-20, Dean Zweck

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Our aim in this study is to discover the implications of the cross for the invisible powers and the State against the background of two Pauline passages which in our opinion are very relevant to the topic. In the first part of this study we shall trace the history of the discussion on invisible powers and the State in this century. Then we shall turn back the clock many centuries am examine the background relevant to our topic. With this general introduction and background material in mind, our task shall be to examine what each of the two passages that …

The New Testament Concept Of Shame, Richard Paul Bode

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Is the society which gave birth to the New Testament a guilt society or a shame society? Is the function of shame in the New Testament psychological or sociological? To what degree does the sanction of shame determine the behavior and life of the followers of Christ? These are some of the initial questions which aroused interest in carrying out the present study. The function of shame in the early Christian community and its usage in the New Testament does not conform precisely to either the Eastern or the Western view of shame: nor does it merely occupy a mediating …

The Place Of The Law-Gospel Polarity In The Hermeneutical Theology Of Gerhard Ebeling, David G. Truemper

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The present study is an attempt to investigate, in the work of one of the theologians primarily responsible for the contemporary interest in hermeneutical problems, the role that the Law-Gospel Polarity plays in the process of hermeneutics. Gerhard Ebeling, a one-time student of Rudolf Bultmann whose work was first introduced to American theologians by James M. Robinson under the label, “The Hew Hermeneutic,” was chosen as the subject of this investigation because of the extensive use that he makes of the distinction between the Law and the Gospel, and because of his frequent appeals to, and his many studies in, …

Rom 1:1-7- The Christology Of An Early Christian Church Formula And The Apostle Paul's Reinterpretation, Kenneth Neumann

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the extent and text of the pre-Pauline tradition or formula generally acknowledged to be cited in this passage, secondly, to discuss the Christology embedded in the formula, and finally, to compare this earlier Christology with the Pauline reinterpretation of it. This study does not claim to exhaust the Christology of Rom. 1:1-7 but rather focus primarily on the verses which have possible pre-Pauline tradition. The questions concerning Christ's person which are raised in this passage demand much more space, particularly the questions of adoptionism and pre-existence, and the relation of resurrection, ascension, …

Romans 3:24-26: An Evaluation Of Form Critical Studies, Ronald Lehenbauer

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Our purpose in this thesis is to evaluate the form critical studies of Rom. 3:24-26; we also intend to compare these studies with some suggested alternative interpretations. Form analysis, as we shall see, offers some unique solutions ·to the problem. We do not expect that all of the questions will be answered; the suggestion that Paul in these verses is citing and correcting or commenting on an earlier formula, however, explains some of the puzzling features which have not been adequately explained before.

A Critique: “Two Levels Of History.", David W. Lotz

Concordia Theological Monthly

It is scarcely possible to read a theological treatise today without at some point meeting the current distinction between two levels of history, between Historie, and Geschichte, (following the Bultmannians), or between "outer" and "inner" history ( H. Richard Niebuhr), or between the "objective- historical" and the "existential-historical" (John Macquarrie). This distinction has primarily been occasioned by the rise of the historical-critical method in the 19th century, by the failure of the so-called "quest for the historical Jesus," and by the church's apologetic needs in the scientific ("positivistic") era. The primary aim of this paper is critically to examine this …

Luther On Justification, John F. Johnson

Concordia Theological Monthly

Once upon a time every student of theology identified in any way with the Lutheran Confessions was able to read, pronounce, and understand the expression articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesiae. More importantly, he was not only able to read it; he believed with all his heart that this designation referred to the doctrine of justification. Indeed, this has always been the distinguishing mark of evangelical Lutheranism.

Kosmos In John, Donald Heinz

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to determine what John aims to say with the word kosmos . What understanding of man underlies John's semantic signal kosmos? Why did John choose this particular word to signal the thought he wanted to convey? What role did this term play in the Umwelt of John? Is the idea behind the term kosmos effectively and accurately signalled by the English term "world"?

Exegesis And History: A Comparison Of The Concepts Of History In Rudolf Bultmann’S And Oscar Cullmann's Exegesis Of Matthew 16:17-19, Romans 5:12-21, And John 3:9-21, Stephen Carter

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This paper offers a case study of two modern exegetes who use the historical-critical method, Rudolf Bultmann and Oscar Cullmann. An introductory statement of their methodology will serve to emphasize their similarities and their differences.

Rudolf Bultmann's Concept Of Gnosticism And Some Contemporary Criticism Of It, Theodore Eisold

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The primary purpose of this thesis is to examine Rudolf Bultmann's concept of Gnosticism to gain a fuller understanding of Bultmann's use of this term as well as to gain an insight into Gnosticism as it may have affected New Testament literature. The investigation seems necessary because of the many uncertainties connected with Gnosticism and with the backgrounds of early Christianity.

Paul's Source And Use Of Tradition As Reflected In His Writings To The Corinthians, Paul Andrews

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The present study seeks to explore the question whether an adapted form of the Jewish concept of tradition constituted a significant part of Paul's work as a Christian apostle in the congregation at Corinth.

Pauline Eschatology In 2 Corinthians 5_1-10, Robert Hausman

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this paper, then, is to compare and contrast the various interpretations in an attempt to discover their strengths and weaknesses. If possible, some guidelines will be suggested for the interpretation of this passage and probabilities will be noted where answers are unavailable. The complex question of historical background will be discussed as it relates to the various interpretations, but it cannot be treated in depth.

The New Quest Of The Historical Jesus In Selected Alte Marburger Of Rudolf Bultmann, Bruce Barth

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to investigate the new quest of the historical Jesus as it has been carried out by four pupils of Rudolf Bultmann. These four pupils are: Ernst Kasemann, Gunther Bornkamm, Gerhard Ebeling, and Ernst Fuchs. They are part of a group of former Bultmann pupils who have called themselves the "Alte Marburger," or "old Marburgers," from the fact that they all studied together under Bultmann at the University of Marburg.

Editorial, Herbert T. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Number One Question confronting most Christian denominations today is the hermeneutical question. A basic hermeneutical question in the minds of many is that of the origin, nature, and purpose of the Scriptures. The debates about inspiration, revelation, and inerrancy indicate this. The fruitfulness of some of the revived emphases in hermeneutics is revealed by Maynard Dorow in the first article in this issue.

Dangerous Trends In Modern Theological Thought, K. Runia

Concordia Theological Monthly

When we approach the problem of demythologizing from this starting point, it is beyond question that the Bible rejects every attempt in this direction.

Dangerous Trends In Modern Theological Thought, K. Runia

Concordia Theological Monthly

In an article on “The Development of Theological Thought;” contributed to the symposium Twentieth Century Christianity, Dr. Walter Marshall Horton distinguishes four phases during the first six decades of this century.

Matthew's Concept Of The Son Of God In The Context Of Jesus' Baptism And First Temptation, Paul Bretscher

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Like Cullmann, Fuller sees a close conceptual relationship between the language of sonship and that of the Servant in Deutero- Isniah.

It is to this kind of inquiry that the present study hopes to make a contribution. We shall not attempt, as others have done, to construct a total Christology, or even to trace our single term through the whole of the New Testament. We shall concentrate on one Book, the Gospel of Matthew, and within that book on one moment, the baptism of Jesus and His first (wilderness) temptation. Resources which contribute to this limited area of study we …

Rudolf Bultmann And The Sacrament Of Holy Baptism, John H. Elliott

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son, a pre-existent divine Being, who appears on earth as a man. He dies the death of a sinner on the cross and makes atonement for the sins of men. His resurrection marks the beginning of the cosmic catastrophe … all who belong to Christ's Church and are joined to the Lord by Baptism and the Eucharist are certain of resurrection to salvation. . .. "

A Historical Critical Analysis Of Rudolf Bultmann's Form Criticism As Related To His Demythologization, Lorman Petersen

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The primary purpose of this thesis is to delineate Bultmann's method or hermeneutics in treating the New Testament, in particular his principles of Form Criticism and Demythologization. Bultmann is a many-sided man. He has been concerned with almost every topic and emphasis which theology has to offer today. He is an exegete, theologian, historian, linguist, philosopher, preacher, lecturer, and professor. As one man has said, "He knows everything and seems to have written on most everything." A. list of his works, appended to this thesis, will support this statement. Moreover , he has never stood still, and even now some …

The Eschatology Of Acts And Contemporary Exegesis, Robert H. Smith

Concordia Theological Monthly

For half a century New Testament exegesis has stood at the center of a storm over eschatology, and the eye of this storm is not all calmness. Two different exegetes skillfully and deliberately lay open the same passage of Scripture and arrive at conclusions that collide head on. Scholars disagree not only concerning what the New Testament says but especially about what the New Testament means in its eschatological statements.

The Eschatology Of The Book Of Acts, Robert Smith

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The method employed in this thesis is what someone has described as phenomenological in contrast to genetic. This paper is interested in the eschatology of the Book of Acts in its present state. Nowhere does this study attempt to isolate the eschatology of the primitive church in the city of Jerusalem, or the eschatology of the Hellenistic community, or the eschatology of Paul according to the Acts.

Justification By Faith In Modern Theology (Continued), Henry P. Hamann Jr.

Concordia Theological Monthly

The LXX does not afford us much help as we try to understand what St. Paul means by faith, except in one respect, which will be clear later. There is, of course, in the Old Testament the apostle's great example of faith, the patriarch Abraham. The Psalms, moreover, are replete with expressions which are the accents of faith. As Stewart has well said, "The thing itself can be traced everywhere from Genesis to Malachi," and the same writer quite correctly points to Heb. 11 and its many examples of faith drawn from the Old Testament. But the term itself is …

Rudolf Bultmann's Concept Of Myth And The New Testament, Oscar Cullmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Is it necessary to add a new contribution to the dossier, already too voluminous, of the debate revolving around the publication of Rudolf Bultmann, former professor on the faculty of Protestant theology at Marburg, titled The New Testament and Mythology? This small pamphlet, which may be considered a manifesto and has since been reproduced by the author in a slightly different form, appeared for the first time in 1941 under the title Offenbarung und Heilsgeschehen. The purpose of the author is to make the New Testament language accessible to the modern mind by eliminating what he calls the "myth" and …