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Advent 3 • 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 • December 14, 2014, Jeffrey Gibbs

Concordia Journal

Paul’s exhortations naturally flow as part of the ending of his letter; they express the ordinary manifestations of the extraordinary Christian life of faith and hope and exhort us to this life.

Proper 28 • Zephaniah 1:7–16 • November 16, 2014, Andrew Bartelt

Concordia Journal

In sum, this is the basic biblical narrative in a nutshell, with the new creation brought about in the presence of King Yahweh incarnate in Jesus, who establishes the new Zion wherever he is present, no longer in the “land” of Judah.

Proper 24 • Isaiah 45:1–7 • October 19, 2014, William Carr Jr.

Concordia Journal

The clear point is that “God is God, and we are not,” nor is any human government. When we look at the world around us, watch or listen to the news, it is hard to find any truly righteous government at work, not even our own.

Proper 23 • Isaiah 25:6–9 • October 12, 2014, David Lewis

Concordia Journal

Jesus’s own resurrection, however, is a first fruits and so a foreshadowing of that day. In his Son Jesus, Yahweh has initiated his eschatological reign of salvation on earth.

Proper 20 • Isaiah 55:6–9 • September 21, 2014, Thomas Egger

Concordia Journal

God therefore calls all humanity to true repentance, that is, to abandon their own wicked thoughts and ways and to return to God in faith—for God’s ways include incomprehensible mercy toward sinners.

Role Of The Church In Fighting Hiv-Aids Stigmatization Among Women In Kenya, Christine Adhiambo Ouko

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Ouko, Christine Adhiambo. “Role of the Church in Fighting HIV-AIDS Stigmatization among Women in Kenya.” MA thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2015, 116 pp.

Practical Theology, a discipline under which this thesis is based, is the application of God’s word in real life problems. HIV/AIDS stigmatization is a persistent and pernicious problem to any effective response to the pandemic. It is, therefore, a perennial danger confronting the church. The peril is acute when women and children struggle in alienation and despair in familial, social, and religious places believed to be lifesaving stations. Apparently, it is not easy to bear the burden of …

Making “An Unknown God” Known: A Narratne-Critical Reading Of Paul’S Areopagus Speech (Acts 17:16-34) In Light Of The “Ignorance-Knowledge” Theme Of Luke-Acts, Hyo-Jong Kim

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Kim, Hyo-Jong. "Making 'An Unknown God' Known: A Narrative-Critical Reading of Paul's Areopagus Speech (Acts 17: 16-34) in Light of the 'Ignorance-Knowledge' Theme of Luke-Acts." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2015. 324 pp.

This dissertation argues that a reading of Paul's speech in Athens (Acts 17:16-34) through narrative-critical analysis helps the reader see how Lukan narration of Paul's "new teaching" to make "an unknown god" known to the pagan philosophers marks a pivotal point for Lukan presentation of the "ignorance-knowledge" theme in Luke-Acts. This study examines how the speech, in its unique narrative setting and with its subtle rhetorical critique of …

Covenant Relationships And The Editing Of The Hebrew Psalter : An Investigation Of The Relationship Between The Davidic Covenant And The Abrahamic And Mosaic Convenants As Reflected In The Editing Of The Psalter, Adam Daniel Hensley

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Hensley, Adam, D. "Covenant Relationships and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter: An Investigation of the Relationship between the Davidic Covenant and the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants as Reflected in the Editing of the Psalter." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2015. 386 pp.

This dissertation examines the relationship between the Davidic covenant and Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants as it is reflected in the editorial shape and shaping of the Masoretic Psalter. It hypothesizes that editors understood these covenants as a theological unity, whose common fulfillment centers on the anticipated royal successor of David. The promises and obligations of the covenants would …

“No One Has Ever Seen God” (John 1:18): Not Seeing Yet Believing In The Gospel Of John, Kevin Armbrust

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Armbrust, Kevin L. “ ‘No One Has Ever Seen God’ (John 1:18): Not Seeing Yet Believing in the Gospel of John.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2014. 242 pp.

Only a few New Testament texts explicitly state that Jesus is θεός (“God”). John explicitly indicates that Jesus is God not once or twice, but three times. These three statements appear at the beginning of the Gospel’s prologue (1:1), at the end of the prologue (1:18), and just before the Gospel’s conclusion (20:28; cf. 20:30–31). John’s strategically placed statements thus form an end-to-end double inclusio. References to Jesus as God over against …

An Analysis Of The Attributive Participle And The Relative Clause In The Greek New Testament, Michael Hayes

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Hayes, Michael, E. "An Analysis of the Attributive Participle and the Relative Clause in the Greek New Testament." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2014. 379 pp.

Many New Testament Greek grammarians assert that the Greek attributive participle and the Greek relative clause are "equivalent." A survey of those assertions reveals a lack of comprehensive and original research with respect to this grammatical "rule. “James W. Voelz originally asserted that the two constructions were equivalent. In recent times, however, he has made exploratory observations concerning the restrictive nature of attributive participles and the possible nonrestrictive nature of relative clauses, thereby questioning the …

The New Perspective From Paul, Mark Seifrid

Other Faculty Scholarship

The strong attraction which Judaism held for Paul’s converts in Galatia and elsewhere is hard to explain if Israel as a whole was generally lamenting its condition.Early Jewish writings similarly give evidence of variety and nuance in Jewish self-understanding in this period.37 The Scroll of Fasting (Megillat Ta’anit), for example, marks the celebration of Hasmonean victories within Jewish life, days of celebration on which one was not to fast.

A Theology Of Creation Lived Out In Christian Hymnody, Beth Hoeltke

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Hoeltke, Beth June “A Theology of Creation Lived Out in Christian Hymnody.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2014. 308 pp.

A seminal article written by Lynn White in the mid-1960’s indicted Christianity as a major cause affecting the ecological crisis of the day. White emphasized that the Christian tradition practiced domination rather than dominion and ownership rather than stewardship. Since White’s article Christian theologians have challenged his interpretation. One of the unexamined sources of the church’s teaching on creation is hymnody. This dissertation examines this source. Hymns play a vital role in the church’s teaching as they have the ability to …

Mission At And From The Margins Patterns, Protagonists And Perspectives, Peniel Rajkumar, Joseph Prabhakar Dayam, I. P. Asheervadham

Edinburgh Centenary Series

It is our hope that these chapters, though fragmentary in nature, will provide glimpses of how the ‘margins’ can both inform and re-form missiological thought as we build further upon what has happened since Edinburgh 1910. These fragments are offered with the hope that they will not only feed and nourish but also provoke hunger for working towards God’s kingdom of justice and righteousness.

Rhetorical Rationale For The Compositional Integrity Of Second Corinthians, Mark Erickson

Master of Art Theology Thesis

The contention of this thesis, then, is: The Apostle Paul’s apparent use of ancient Greco-Roman rhetorical conventions in 2 Corinthians gives evidence of its compositional integrity and adequately accounts for the apparent partitions which, to some scholars, reveal the existence of multiple documents.

Manuscript 2193 And Its Text Of The Gospel According To John, Timothy Koch

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis examines manuscript 2193 and its text of the Gospel according to John and contributes valuable information to the ongoing studies in New Testament textual criticism.

The introduction (Chapter 1) defines the topic, surveys the status of the question, and ..

In Chapter 2 the manuscript and external criteria are described. Special attention is paid to scribal conventions such as contractions, abbreviations, ligatures, punctuation, and nomina sacra. A significant discourse classifying the minuscule script according to the work of Thompson and Hatch is also provided. The chapter concludes with a subsection discussing the presence of multiple correctors who have …

Rhetorical Rationale For The Compositional Integrity Of Second Corinthians, Mark Erickson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The contention of this thesis, then, is: The Apostle Paul's apparent use of ancient Greco-Roman rhetorical conventions in 2 Corinthians gives evidence of its compositional integrity and adequately accounts for the apparent partitions which, to some scholars, reveal the existence of multiple documents.

Our goal is not to assert that rhetorical criticism proves that 2 Corinthians is a single letter. It is rather to show that, given the textual evidence within the document, rhetorical criticism offers a plausible, even preferable, interpretation of the data in 2 Corinthians than prevailing composite theories.

Nor is our goal to defend the inerrancy, inspiration …

The Biblical Text Of Pelagius In His Commentary On 2 Corinthians A New Reconstruction, Wilbert Stelzer

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Stelzer, Wilbert, P. "The Biblical Text of Pelagius in His Commentary on 2 Corinthians: A New Reconstruction." PhD. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2013. 1767 pp.

What sort of Latin biblical text did Pelagius have when he wrote his commentary on the Pauline Epistles? Did he use an Old Latin text, a Vulgate text, or some mixture of the two? This question cannot be resolved by simply referring to the extant manuscripts since they are not in agreement.

Of the manuscripts that pass down Pelagius's early 5th century commentary, two stand out as more reliable than the rest. The Karlsruhe manuscript (A) …

Luther On Idolatry: A Lutheran Response To Contemporary False Belief, Michael Lockwood

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Lockwood, Michael A. "Luther on Idolatry: A Lutheran Response to Contemporary False Belief." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2013. 303 pp.

The first step in solving any problem is to understand the problem. As Christians we know that Christ is the solution to the human plight. Yet what exactly is this plight? And why do so many people feel no need for the solution he provides? Luther's answer is that people feel no need for the true God until they are disenchanted with the false gods they have put in his place, which they think can provide all they need.

In …

Lay Bible Institute, Christ Is Risen, Jeffrey Gibbs

Lay Bible Institute: Christ is Risen

Class syllabus

Concordia Seminary Magazine | Winter 2013, Paul Devantier

Concordia Seminary Magazine

The challenge of student debt

Orthodox Perspectives On Mission, Petros Vassiliadis

Edinburgh Centenary Series

The collected volume is divided into two parts: Part I under the subtitle The Orthodox Heritage consists of a limited number of representative Orthodox missiological contributions of the past, whereas Part II includes all the papers presented in the Plenary of the recent Edinburgh 2010 conference, as well as the short studies and contributions prepared during the Edinburgh 2010 ongoing study process.

Bible In Mission, Pauline Hoggarth, Fergus Macdonald, Bill Mitchell, Knud Jorgensen

Edinburgh Centenary Series

While the essays in this volume contribute individually to collective reflection on the Bible in mission, the larger significance of the book is greater than the sum of its parts. First it must be noted that the volume is part of the larger 2010 process, a collection of essays that grew from a “transversal” theme identified for the centennial of the World Missionary Conference at Edinburgh. As such, it joins a rich collection of contemporary missiological reflection generated by the series of 2010 meetings.

Honorable Shame: The Rhetorical Use Of Didactic Shame Discourse In Ezekiel 36:16-32, Ronald Mudge

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Mudge, Ronald R. "Honorable Shame: The Rhetorical Use of Didactic Shame Discourse in Ezekiel 36:16-36" Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2012.328 pp.

After promising Israel such wonderful gifts as a new heart and a return to the land, Ezek36:16-32 ends with a command for Israel to be ashamed. Biblical scholars have offered a number of different explanations for this unusual order without consensus.

A methodology that employs sociological interpretation and rhetorical analysis covers new ground and resolves the crux of Ezek 36:16-32. A basic word study demonstrates that primary shame lexemes in Ezekiel refer to low status as judged by an …

Short-Term Overseas Mission Trips An Opportunity For Training In Local Outreach, Paul Biber

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Acts 1:8 says that mission of the church is to be “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Conventional wisdom would say to start in your Jerusalem – your immediate community – and go out from there. However, many congregations have forgotten how to connect with their own community. In order to learn how to reconnect with their immediate community, a congregation can participate in a short-term overseas mission trip as a catalyst and training for their local outreach efforts.

The Hour Has Come-A Narrative-Critical Analysis Of The Use Of Ω̋Ρα In The Gospel Of John, Dennis Matyas

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

After summarizing eschatology in the Gospel of John, this STM thesis examines the use of, ω̋ρα in Greco-Roman Greek sources, extra-biblical Jewish sources, the LXX, and the New Testament. After this examination, the thesis argues that each and every use of ω̋ρα in the Gospel of John either refers directly to the hour of Jesus' suffering and death or bears a special relationship to it.

Presenting Himself As An Approved Worker: The Narratological Function Of The Prayers In The Book Of Nehemiah, Philip Penhallegon

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Penhallegon, Philip W. “Presenting Himself as an Approved Worker: The Narratological Function of the Prayers in the Book of Nehemiah.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2012. 240 pp.

Prayer can serve as a key feature with important functions in a narrative text. The abundant prayers in Nehemiah and the lack of scholarly attention to their function within the narrative suggest the need for fresh research into this question. This dissertation addresses the question, “Given the prominence of prayers in the book of Nehemiah, how do the various prayers function in the narrative?”

The exploration of that question has resulted in the …

Irenaeus And Scripture: Orthodox Corruptions Or Reverential Alterations?, Benjamin Haupt

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis will explore Irenaeus' citation of New Testament texts containing Christological titles, in order to determine their worth for New Testament textual criticism. The critical apparatus of NA lists Irenaeus as citing John 1:18, as well as other passages, in more than one way. Did Irenaeus carelessly quote Sacred Scripture? Was he motivated by his theological polemics against the Gnostics to intentionally alter the text of Sacred Scripture? The history of textual criticism and its use of church fathers has only listed Irenaeus' citations without giving any explanation for how he could cite the same verse in multiple ways. …

The Church Going Glocal Mission And Globalisation, Tormod Engelsviken, Erling Lundeby, Dagfinn Solheim

Edinburgh Centenary Series

This phenomenon, which, as this book will show, is not unique for our time, is nevertheless more widespread, more pervasive and more rapidly changing the world in which we live than ever before.

Reading Dialogically : A Bakhtinian Approach To Interpreting Elijah, Mark Hoehner

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

In this introduction, we will explore the great debate about the proper interpretation of textual characters within the past century, as well as the presuppositions that led to certain interpretations of textual characters. 3 We will also see how narrative-critical approaches have influenced the interpretation of Old Testament characters since Auerbach’s 1947 work. This will set the stage for showing that Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogic approach is a valuable contribution to the great debate over how to interpret textual characters, specifically the characters found in Old Testament narratives.

Eb-2 Samuel Para Damas, Ruth Kempff

Estudios Bíblicos

2 Samuel para damas