14 pages

New Testament Theology

Name

Professor’s Name

Course

Date

New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel

Introduction

The book is divided into six parts with four parts discussing various aspects of the New Testament and the other two introducing and concluding the book. The book divides the New Testament to four collections beginning with the Gospels and Acts. This is followed by Paul’s letters and Johannine books before concluding with the Hebrews and the rest of the general epistles. Each part has specific chapters that cover various elements of the New Testament. This book review looks at each of these chapters before concluding with an analysis of the writing and contribution of the book to the existing study of the New Testament. The chapters that are focused on specific books look at the “theological story” and “theological theory” of the books. The theological story section, which forms the bulk of the book, explains each book’s logic while the themes of each book are summarized in the theological theory section. These sections are followed up by the final chapter of each section that analyzes the theology of the Synoptic Gospels and Acts, Pauline Letters, Johannine theology, and the other epistles.

Part 1: Introduction

The first part, introduction, is used by the author to explain the methodology of the book. Marshall’s awareness of the controversy surrounding New Testament analysis is evident in his in-depth analysis in the first chapter. Marshall deviates from other scholars by describing the purpose of the book as comparing theologies. The book takes the statements in the New Testament writings out of context, compares them to find convergence and divergence. The book goes ahead to find out if the divergence implies incompatibility or confirm if the writings are compatible in spite of the diversity of opinion.

In the introductory section, Marshall justifies his choice of Mark rather than following the canonical arrangement. His preference for the chronological order is justified in the attempt to present a unified synthesis throughout the rest of the book. Marshall explains that an array of historical tests should be considered when analyzing the New Testament. These include Jewish literature, Hellenistic writings, and any relevant post-New Testament Christian literature.

Marshall also uses the introductory chapter to defend the study of the New Testament theology. According to Marshall, the objective of this study is to “explore the New Testament writers’ developing understanding of God and the world, more particularly the world of people and their relationship to one another” (p.23). The New Testament is, therefore, not viewed as the study of early Christianity or early church though they are related.

While the objective of the book is to get a unified understanding of the New Testament, Marshall insists that understanding each writing on its own terms is essential. He finishes this chapter by stating unequivocally that his intention is to “concentrate more on describing and analyzing the theories of the New Testament books and their authors, and considering whether the evidence entitles us to speak of a unified theology of the new testament” (Marshall, 2004,p. 47). This informs the preceding chapters of the book.

Part 2: Jesus, the Synoptic Gospels and Acts

After the introduction, the author discusses the Synoptic Gospels and Acts in six chapters.

Chapter two takes an incisive look at the historical reliability and documented problems of the Synoptic Gospels. It looks at these writing with respect to their contribution towards the understanding of Jesus. In the analysis, Marshall points out that the Synoptic Gospels and Acts were written after the Epistles. According to Yarbrough (2005), this is compatible with other earlier New Testament scholarly writings and research. Despite this time difference in the writing, Marshall insists that the contents of the Gospels and Acts predate the Epistles. In concluding the second chapter, Marshall insists that the message of the writings covered in this is compatible with the teachings of Jesus Christ. According to Marshall, the “substantial authenticity” of these writings in their portrayal of Jesus’ teachings is acceptable (p.54).

In the third chapter, the Gospel of Mark, Marshall looks at the theological story and theological theme of the book of Mark. The chapter looks at some of the themes and stories in the book of Mark. It presents the book’s stories as a progressive build-up to the ultimate purpose of Christ; death at the cross. The overriding theme of the book is the eventual fulfillment of God’s purpose through the works, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. Marshall also finds some commonalities between the New Testament and the Old Testament in the analysis of the book of Mark. The reference of Christ as the “Son of Man” is not only confined to this book but also found in Old Testament’s Daniel 7. This illustrates the unification within the New Testament and consistency with the Old Testament. This also illustrates the belief among the writers of the New Testament on the validity of the Old Testament value systems.

The fourth chapter, the Gospel of Mathew, the author covers some of the major themes of the book of Mathew. It also compares them with those of Mark and Jesus’ teachings. Through examining the theological stories of the book of Mathew, Marshall reinforces the idea that Jesus is both divine and human. Instances such as the sermon at the mountain and the Lord’s Prayer are brought up in this chapter to illustrate the teachings of Jesus.

Chapter five, Luke-Acts: the former treatise, looks at the transition between the book of Luke and Acts. In what is a justification of the chronological arrangement of the chapters in the book, the author points out the beginning of the book of Acts where the author alludes it to be the second of two writings. The book in question is the Gospel of Luke. This because, of the canonical four, the book of Luke is the only one is persistent in referring to the disciples as apostles. It is also the only one of the four that has the story of Jesus’ ascension.

Chapter six, Luke-Acts: the sequel, continues his analysis of the books of Luke and Acts. Despite admitting the substantial authenticity of the Synoptic Gospels and Acts in the beginning of the second section of the book, Marshall puts some doubt on the accuracy of the book of Acts. Marshall assumes “a high view of the historical reliability” of the book of acts while admitting that some of the accounts are “open to question” (p.157). The theme of reliability in the accounts and authors of the New Testament books carries on throughout the rest of the book.

In chapter seven, Marshall concludes the second part by summarizing the themes identified in each of the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. The book finds commonalities between the book of Luke and the Synoptic Gospels discussed in the earlier chapter. Despite the diversity and difference in wording, Marshall insists that the underlying message in all the books is unified in the teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. He concludes that the consistency in the message of the writings makes a convincing case for them to be thought of as a corpus theologically.

Part 3: The Pauline Letters

The third part of the book is divided into twelve distinct chapters that analyze the Pauline letters. Other than the Pauline epistles that were written by Paul, the section also analyzes other parts of the letters.

The letter to the Galatians is the main focus of the eighth chapter of the book. Marshall describes this epistle as one of the extensive works of Paul that unify the epistles with the themes covered in the Synoptic Gospel and the Old Testament. The instruction to the Galatians to bear each other’s burdens to fulfill Christ’s law is consistent with the Gospel’s teaching of loving neighbors and being each other’s keeper. The position of Paul on works of the law also presents an important distinction between the traditional Reformists and New Perspectives. Being a subscriber of the traditional Reformism, Marshall argues that good deeds are insufficient to merit salvation.

Chapter nine’s focus on the church in the letter to Thessalonians is a continuing theme in all of Paul’s letters. The book also uniquely contributes to themes such as mourning of the dead but manages to unify them with the message of the Gospel. The themes presented in the letter are building up to the return of Christ. The letter reaffirms Paul’s belief that those who die in Christ will rise at the second coming of Christ. This is consistent with the Gospel teachings that offer the teachings of Jesus as the preparation needed for the second coming of Christ.

Chapters ten and eleven discuss the first and second letters to the Corinthians respectively. In the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses issues that range from the division in the Church, sexual purity, marriage, and Christian liberty. Marshall notes that while most of these issues are not extensively covered in the Gospels, they are lightly mentioned. The views on resurrection are consistent with those of the Gospel of the apostles. The second letter to the Corinthians clarifies his apostleship after being questioned during his visit to Corinth. While the themes of submitting to Christ and perseverance are tackled in this letter, it adds a unique perspective to God’s service. According to Marshall, the individuality of God’s servant is explored in this book. Affection, personal hurt, human weakness, and the need for spiritual strength are extensively explored as part of apostleship.

In the analysis of the letter to the Romans, chapter twelve, the author puts forward his position as a supporter of the traditional Reformed view rather than the New Perspective of Paul as upheld by modern Pauline scholars. In the book of Romans, Paul declares God’s righteousness and his love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Marshall insists that Paul’s depiction of Christ’s righteousness might be fair but it does not encapsulate the entire teachings and ways of Jesus. He says that Christ’s teachings go “beyond what Paul actually says” (p.312).

The primary focus of chapter thirteen is Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In anticipation of his release, Paul wrote the book of Philippians. The declaration by Paul of his joy in losing all things but gaining Christ is consistent with the teachings of Christ that express the need for personal sacrifice to inherit the kingdom of God. Christology is evident is the reference of Christ teachings in the messages living with humility, being in communion with Christ, and living as children of God. With belief in God, Paul declares that one has to suffer.

Chapter fourteen asserts that the epistle of Philemon is an authentic Pauline letter. According to Marshall, Paul’s perspective as that of one who did not only believe in the second coming of Christ but one who believed that it was imminent. The book is also unique from the Synoptic Gospels and Acts on its mention of slavery. While Marshall agrees that the exact position of Paul on the issue of slavery cannot be determined with accuracy given the historical context, it is one of the few instances the theme is brought up in the New Testament.

The book of Colossians, addressed in chapter fifteen, carries on with the theme of the attack on the church and the validity of Jesus as Christ. To counter the teachings of the false teachers, Paul wrote to the Colossians to emphasize the importance of believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. To convey this message, the letter was consistent with the idea of the death and resurrection of Christ as expressed in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. It also contributes to the topic of Jesus as human and divine. According to Marshall, Paul expressed that Jesus is God in the bodily form. The writings also reinstate the idea of love as one of the greatest commandments. This is aligned with the teachings of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels.

Chapter The book of Ephesians is one of the Pauline letters that is addressed to a broad group rather to specific individuals or churches. This letter is also unique because it is the only epistle that is not centered on solving a specific problem. Marshall partly attributes this to the fact that it was not intended to a specific audience. The lack of the “teaching” element can also be attributed to the fact that the audience were well-taught saints. The book is still consistent with Gospel teachings on love, meekness, humility, and sacrifice to God.

The Pastoral Epistles (Timothy 1-2 and Titus) are analyzed in the seventeenth chapter of the book. These books share some of the themes found in the other Pauline letters. Perseverance in the service of God and the promise of reward for those who stay steadfast is similar to the messages Paul sent to other apostles in the early letters. In a historical context, this message was reflective of the increased scrutiny of those who stood for the gospel; which Paul (Saul) was once a party to. They are also distinctly different from most letters in their correlation of Christianity with work, leadership, and organization. This message also emphasizes Paul’s message to the apostles to organize themselves at a point when the Church was being fought with outside forces.

The second last chapter of this section, chapter eighteen, seeks to find a unified Pauline theology as expressed in each of the letters analyzed in this third part of the book. The author insists that the Pauline correspondence does not summarize the entire Christian teachings and practice. Instead, they target specific areas within the Christian teaching that is relevant to the situation of the target audience. Understanding the historical context of each letter offers a better perspective of comprehending the message and the areas they do not cover in the sum of Christian teachings.

The final chapter of this section, chapter nineteen, looks at the Pauline Letters’ message and compares them to the message identified in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. While reemphasizing the limited insight to the Christian faith as expressed in the Pauline letters, Marshall insists that that the basic content is consistent with the teachings of Christ as expressed in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. Unlike the Gospels and Acts that were mainly witness accounts, the gospel of Paul, as expressed in the Pauline letters, were as a result of revelation. The emphasis of applying the phrase “in Christ” further emphasizes the frame of reference used by Paul in his letters.

Part 4: The Johannine Letters

The fourth part of the book is divided into five chapters that analyze the Johannine writings before concluding with a chapter that summarizes the convergences and divergence in the writings.

The Gospel of John is the first book that’s analyzed in this section. Marshall notes that this book comes before the other Epistles and the other books are based on it. This is confirmed in the later chapters when analyzes the major themes of the other letter of John. Despite the possibility of being written after the Gospel of John, Marshall insists that reading the Epistles increases the chances of understanding the book of John. This illustrates the unification in the message between these books. While it varies in certain description of events such as the execution of Jesus (before Passover rather than afterwards) and description of topography, it is consistent with the message of Christ as presented in the Synoptic Gospels and the Acts.

The twenty-first chapter looks at the letters of John (John 1-3). Of these Epistles, 1 John is the longest and most prominent among readers. According to Marshall, the often ignored 2 and 3 John are important since they have specific contributions to the Christian thought. They also offer background that can be essential in understanding 1 John and the Gospel of John. The arrangement of these Epistles is probably due to the length of the books rather than the order of writing. They are all focused on the basic Christian theology and emphasized on dispelling the growing Christian teachings that were denying Jesus as Christ at the time. They are, therefore, reaffirming the messages that were earlier held in the Gospels, Acts and the witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Marshall uses chapter twenty-two, the Revelation of John, to reemphasize his traditional Reformed viewpoint. He goes to detail to discredit total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the Saints as held in Calvinism. Instead, he promotes the Wesleyan Arminian view. The argument against the Calvinist view of the atonement is supported by the penal substitution. To this extent, Marshall does a clever maneuver by avoiding the governmental view in opposing the atonement view. Marshall also refutes the existence of a premillennial kingdom.

The twenty-third chapter looks at the unified and diverse themes in the Gospels and John’s Revelation. Marshall highlights the difference in the thematic concern and expression of the book of Revelation and the Gospels and Letters. He points out that the interests of the book of Revelation vary from those of Paul’s letters, the Gospels and the book of Acts. Marshall attributes some of the difference to the uniqueness of the genre on which the book of Revelation is presented. According to Marshall, the book of Revelation, though written by John, is not considered part of the Johannine theology. However, according to the Synoptic tradition, the book is entered to fill an Olivet Discourse slot.

Finally, the author examines the commonalities and differences between John’s letters with Paul’s letters, the Gospels and Acts in chapter twenty-four. The Johannine letters are similar to those of Paul since they are both addressed to specific audiences and do not specifically narrate the story as the Gospels and Acts. They are also similar to the Pauline letters on their emphasis on the significance of the Holy Spirit and salvation. They are all, however, unified in the message of Christ.

Part 5: Hebrews, James, Peter (1-2), and Jude

The Hebrews, James, Peter, and Jude are discussed in six chapter in this section of the book.

In analyzing the letter to the Hebrews in Chapter twenty-five, Marshall agreed with the position of earlier scholars on the eloquence of the text. The question of the authenticity of the book as one of the letters that were actually written by Paul is also brought up in the chapter. According to Marshall, while the authorship of the letter cannot be determined with absolute certainty, its contents are consistent with other Pauline letters. The book’s main theme is the reaffirmation of the position of Jesus as Christ and the Son of God. According to Marshall, this was essential since it was written at a period where the doubt of Jesus as the Son of God was prevalent. While most of the books analyzed by Marshall are aligned with the Old Testament concepts and vocabulary, this book slightly differs. In a continuation of its support to Jesus as Christ, the book expresses the superiority of the New Testament Revelation by Jesus over the Old Testament.

The book of James is described in chapter twenty-six an epistle by Jesus’ brother. The overriding theme of the book is the need for perseverance in the face of trials and tribulations. Marshall attributes this to the historical context of the time when Jewish Christians were facing persecution. Themes explored in the book such as the condemnation of sin, the need for humility, and reliance on God’s wisdom over the world is a common theme in previous Synoptic Gospels and the book of Acts. It, however, does not go to describe major Synoptic themes such as the death and resurrection of Christ.

The first Epistle of Peter continues the theme of religious persecution that was identified in the book of James. The book emphasizes the need to be steadfast in faith and continuing God’s work. The second epistle continues with the theme of fighting the opposition against Jesus-based Christianity. It condemns false teachers and reemphasizes the teachings of the Synoptic Gospels and the book of Acts.

Chapter twenty-eight, the letter of Jude, is one of the shortest chapters in the book. In this chapter, the author explores the reliability of the book with respect to its consistency with the teachings of Jesus. While the writings are congruent with Jesus’ teachings, the authors of the book cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Marshall speculates, with little support, that the book is “likely” to have been written by Jesus’ relatives (p.660).

At the beginning of chapter twenty-nine, the second letter of Peter, Marshall admits that the some of the facts about the book cannot be established with substantial certainty. While it is certain that Peter wrote 1 Peter, Marshall admits that it’s “wisest to admit that we do not know who wrote” 2 Peter (670). This continues the theme of uncertainty that was first encountered when analyzing the authenticity of the accounts of the book of Acts in section one of the book.

The final chapter of this section, chapter 30, looks at the place of Hebrews, James, Peter (1-2), and Jude in the New Testament. While Marshall contends that some of the books’ authors are unknown (Jude and 2 Peter), he emphasizes that the message of the writings are consistent with the Johannine literature, the Gospels, Acts, and Paul’s letter. They all add to the diversity of the message of the New Testament without contradicting much of the earlier teachings. This chapter marks the comparison between all the books in the New Testament and reinforces the theme of diversity in expression and unity in the core message. The theme that is shared in the books, Jesus as Christ and the Son of God, meant that the authors resorted to the witness accounts of the Synoptic Gospels and Acts to present their case. This explains the congruence between their message and that of the Synoptic Gospels and the book of Acts.

Part 6: Conclusion

The concluding section has one chapter, diversity and unity in the New Testament, which summarizes all the findings of the previous sections. In the thirty-first chapter, Marshall asserts that there exists a unity to the New Testament theology. This unity, according to Marshall, is “expressed through diversity” (731). At the end, the book Marshall also brings in the concept of the world view in understanding the theologies. According to him, the common frame of reference for all the New Testament texts analyzed in the book is the Old Testament. Marshall asserts that like the Old Testaments that was meant to nature believers and convert nonbelievers, the New Testament applies similar vocabulary, concepts, and motifs to achieve a similar outcome.

Other than being in agreement with the Old Testament, the New Testament books share a “significant core of agreement and identity” (p.717). He insists that the fundamental content remains constant despite the varying forms of expression. The authors of the New Testament books use forms of expression that is unique to the audience and material. For instance, Revelation’s position on salvation, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are similar to those of the Pauline and Johannine letters despite the use of idioms and other forms of expression. Unlike the Gospels, Paul used little parables to express the ideas of salvation and belief in Christ.

Marshall also looks at some of the recent New Testament works by other scholars for areas of agreement and divergence. One of the scholars he is in agreement with is J.D.G Dunn. By stating that “the identity of the man Jesus with the risen Lord”, he confers with Dunn. He, however, argues that the phrase should be unpacked to offer more ease of understanding among other parties. He points out that his work is also an improvement on Werner Kummel’s work that only looked at the agreement between the accounts of Paul and John with the witnesses of Jesus. This is true since his book looks as all the books of the New Testament for unified themes, unique contributions, and divergence.

Conclusion

Once again, this renowned writer manages to present a compelling analysis of a collection of books that has attracted divided opinion among scholar. More than anything else, the book’s base of simplicity and eloquence, without ignoring thorough analysis and contextual description, makes it an ideal reading for a broad audience to understand the New Testament (Yarbrough, 2005). The arrangement of the chapters, the use of theological stories and theological themes, and careful explanation of methodology aids proper understanding of the content (Yarbrough, 2005).

Despite benchmarking most of the analysis on modern scholars, the book still manages to provide a thought-provoking analysis of the New Testament. In an evangelical mold, the book is sensible. It incorporates various perspectives that contribute towards dismantling of the New Perspective. Despite all parties agreeing on the traditional justification viewpoint as expressed in Timothy, Ephesians, and Titus, New Perspective followers still do not uphold these views. He comprehensively challenges the insistence of New Perspective adherents to discount other texts simply because they were not written by Paul.

One of the takeaways from the book is Marshall’s view that the New Testament is a missionary theology. Marshall manages to offer a compelling case by dividing the New Testament as a two-part mission. The first part of the missionary was the sending of Jesus to inaugurate God’s kingdom “with the blessing that it brings to people and to call people to respond to it” (p.35). The second part of the mission was brought by his followers who proclaimed Jesus as Lord and savior. The followers are responsible for calling individuals to faith and contribute to the growth of the church.

In conclusion, the book gives an in-depth description and analysis of the New Testament. Marshall manages to gives each New Testament book a synthetic analysis of chronological events, main thematic concerns, and contribution of each book to the New Testament and Bible. This offers an insightful view for any scholar or New Testament enthusiast. Through his analysis, Marshall is able to present the New Testament theology as diverse yet unified. Marshall likens New Testament theology study to medical diagnosis. To this extent, he attempts to bring a historical context to the analysis.

References

Marshall, I. H. (2004). New Testament theology: many witnesses, one Gospel. Downers Grove, Illinois InterVarsity Press Nottingham, England Apollos.

Yarbrough, R.W. (2005). New Testament theology: many witnesses, one Gospel. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. 48(4), 801-821.