scholarly journals Sanctification Through Knowledge and Imitation in Philippians

Kairos ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-43
Author(s):  
Miroslav Balint-Feudvarski
Keyword(s):  
Biblical Theology ◽  
Word Of God ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Internal Work ◽  
Imitation Of Christ ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Pauline Theology ◽  
Downward Spiral ◽  
Biblical Teaching ◽  
Progressive Sanctification

Throughout the New Testament, we find exhortations to imitate or follow in the steps of Christ, Paul and even some other godly people. In the Epistle to the Philippians, we find this exhortation to imitate incorporated into a Pauline theology of progressive sanctification. Sanctification in Philippians is portrayed as a conforming to Christ through the knowledge of Him, which comes through tripartite means of the Word of God (the Apostolic teaching), the internal work of God’s Spirit and the imitation of Christ, the Apostle Paul and other godly examples. We will aim at forming a biblical theology of sanctification through imitation restricted in our analysis to the Epistle of Philippians. First part of the article reviews the teaching of sanctification in Philippians, with an emphasis on passages where Paul directly addresses this issue: Philippians 1:9-11, 27-29; 2:12-16; 3:1-15. Second part of the article introduces us to biblical teaching on imitation, and then it reviews a downward spiral of imitation: imitating Christ (Phil. 2:5), imitating Paul (Phil. 3:17a; 4:9) and imitating Paul’s faithful imitators (Phil. 3:17b). In the conclusion, we will see that imitation of Christ and His faithful imitators is a means of progressive sanctification that is both important and often neglected, both by those who should serve as primary examples of godliness (spiritual leaders) and those who need to learn by imitating.

scholarly journals In Search of the Key to the Theology of Paul the Apostle

2021 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 443-462
Author(s):  
Waldemar Rakocy
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Clear Definition ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
New Creation ◽  
Decisive Influence ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Pauline Theology ◽  
Theological Thought ◽  
The Relationship

The Author of the paper looks for a key to the theological thought of the Apostle Paul. The fact that it lacks a clear definition results in authors radically differing in their perception, for instance, regarding the relationship between the Old and the New Testament, and as a result, whether or not the Old Testament has a decisive influence on the Pauline thought, continuing along this line: whether the Apostle in his view always remained a Jew, or whether he distanced himself from Judaism. The fact that we do not have a category clearly defining the relationship between the Old and New Testament salvific reality results in an abundance of contradictory opinions. That is also transferred to other areas of the Pauline theology. The interpretation of Paul’s theology tends to be determined by preconceptions, built upon various ways of understanding the significance of the Old Testament, or various relationship to Judaism and its thought. The author of the paper indicates a concept, treated as marginal by scholars, of a new creation in Christ as the key to understanding the Pauline thought. It lays in the background of all themes treated by Paul and connects them into a single, coherent entity.

Charismata: Gifts, Enablements, or Ministries?

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-69
Author(s):  
Benny Aker
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Spiritual Gifts ◽  
Biblical Theology ◽  
Church Culture ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The One ◽  
The Church

AbstractIn the midst of a growing awareness of spiritual gifts in contemporary church culture and in the academy, much confusion exists. The use of the term 'charismata' promotes this confusion and is not an appropriate label for the biblical evidence of such activity. The problem lies in a deficient linguistic and exegetical handling of this term—a problem identified by James Barr long ago and brought to the fore by Kenneth Berding. Proper exegesis overcomes this prevalent exegetical and linguistic fallacy and suggests another term, diakonia. However, a more foundational conception of both the church and ministry is lacking. By analyzing Pauline anthropol ogy in Romans, an enduring and foundational model for gifts and ministries emerges. This model is the Pauline conception of the church as God's tem ple. People who are delivered from sin's power through identifying with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection and who have the Spirit are free to give themselves both as sacrifice and temple servants in spiritual ministries. One other caution is raised and discussed. One must avoid the charge in practice and theology of Spirit-monism. Basic structures of the New Testament always place Jesus as the One through whom the Spirit comes. Conse quently, all Spirit activity must in some way be christological and sote riological in nature. Some contemporary applications are derived from this biblical theology of Church and ministry.

Biblical theology and/or theological interpretation of scripture?

2008 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Treier
Keyword(s):  
Internal Structure ◽  
Biblical Theology ◽  
Theological Method ◽  
Theological Interpretation ◽  
Theological Hermeneutics ◽  
Disciplinary Boundaries ◽  
Organic Unity ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Biblical Teaching

Abstract‘Biblical theology’ has long influenced modern theological method, especially Protestant, as both boon and bane. Its role has been seen as either pivotal or problematic in the attempt to construe the Christian Bible as scripture with unified teaching for the contemporary church. The attempt to unfold biblical teaching as having organic unity, related to an internal structure of theological concepts, is frequently perceived as a failure, a has-been that leaves us only with fragmentation – between parts of the Bible, between academy and church, church and world, clergy and laity, and between various theological disciplines. Today a new movement is afoot, often labelled ‘theological interpretation of scripture’. Some of its adherents define this practice as distinct from, even opposed to, biblical theology. Others treat the two practices as virtually coterminous, while perhaps contesting what ‘biblical theology’ is typically taken to be in favour of new theological hermeneutics. Much of the difficulty in defining the relationship, then, stems from lingering debates about what biblical theology can or should be. The rest of the difficulty is perhaps rooted in the dilemma of any interdisciplinary efforts: how to breach unhelpful sections of disciplinary boundaries without redefining territory so nebulously that no one knows where they are.

scholarly journals ON COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF “ALANIAN DOSSIER” OF PATRIARCH NICHOLAS MYSTICUS AND APOSTLE PAUL’S EPISTLES

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Д.К. АСРАТЯН
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
North Caucasus ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
History Of Christianity ◽  
Cultural Traditions ◽  
Main Research ◽  
The North ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
History Of

Письма патриарха Константинопольского Николая Мистика архиепископу Аланскому Петру – основной документальный источник по истории христианства на Северном Кавказе в X в. Изучение «Аланского досье» патриарха Николая сохраняет актуальность в связи с ростом интереса к духовной истории народов Кавказа, находившихся на стыке цивилизаций, религий и культур и сформировавших под их влиянием собственные самобытные национально-культурные традиции. Основным методом исследования стало сопоставление лексических и семантических средств, используемых апостолом Павлом и патриархом Николаем в двух различных, но соотносимых исторических и религиозных контекстах. Цель исследования – выявление жанровых и литературных связей писем патриарха с книгами Нового Завета. Научная новизна заключается в обосновании лингвистических, семантических и богословских параллелей между письмами Николая и посланиями апостола Павла, особенно пастырскими (1-2 Тим и Тит). Хотя сравниваемые тексты хронологически разделены почти тысячелетием, отмечается типологическое сходство исторических контекстов, в которых они были написаны (духовный наставник – ученик в епископском сане – молодая христианская община из «варваров», нуждающихся в просвещении). В интерпретации Николая миссия – это именно тяжкий труд, но совершаемый по прямому повелению Бога и ради награды свыше, и в этом смысле патриарх вполне укоренен в новозаветной традиции. Как показали результаты исследования, риторическая и богословская насыщенность писем Николая Мистика не снижает их историческую ценность, однако для корректной интерпретации необходимо учитывать их литературный характер. Letters of Nicholas Mysticus, Patriarch of Constantinople, to Peter, Archbishop of Alania, remain the chief documentary source for the history of Christianity in the North Caucasus in the 10th century. The study of the "Alan Dossier" of Patriarch Nicholas remains relevant due to the growing interest in the spiritual history of the peoples of the Caucasus, who lived at the crossroads of civilizations, religions and cultures and formed their own distinctive national and cultural traditions under such diverse influence. The main research method was the comparison of lexical and semantic means used by the Apostle Paul and Patriarch Nicholas in two different, but correlated historical and religious contexts. The purpose of the study is to identify genre and literary connections between the letters of the Patriarch and the books of the New Testament. Scientific novelty lies in the substantiation of the linguistic, semantic and theological parallels between the letters of Nicholas and the letters of the Apostle Paul, especially the pastoral ones (1-2 Tim and Titus). Although the compared texts are chronologically separated by almost a millennium, there is a typological similarity in the historical contexts in which they were written (a spiritual mentor - a bishop student - a newly formed Christian community of “barbarians” in need of education). In the interpretation of Nicholas, mission is a hard work, but it is done at the direct command of the God and is rewarded from above, and in this sense, the Patriarch is completely rooted in the New Testament tradition. As the results of the study have shown, the rhetorical and theological richness of the letters of Nikolas the Mysticus does not diminish their historical value, yet for correct interpretation it is necessary to take into account their literary character.

THE CANONICAL FUNCTION OF 2 PETER

2001 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Wall
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Biblical Theology ◽  
Historical Criticism ◽  
1 Peter ◽  
Biblical Scholarship ◽  
Modern Period ◽  
Theological Perspective ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Status ◽  
2 Peter

AbstractDuring the modern period, the authority of 2 Peter for Christian theological formation has been challenged by the reconstructions of historical criticism. The verdict of biblical scholarship has been largely negative: the theological conception of 2 Peter comes from a person and for a setting that does not easily cohere with the rest of the New Testament writings. The present essay seeks to rehabilitate the status of 2 Peter for use in biblical theology, independent of the historical problem it poses for the interpreter, by approaching its theological subject matter within the setting of the New Testament canon, where its theological perspective functions as complementary to and integral with 1 Peter in forming Scripture's Petrine witness to the faith.

Biblical Theology of Life in the New Testament

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bruce Button ◽  
◽  
Elma M. Cornelius ◽  
Jan A. du Rand ◽  
Philip La Grange du Toit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Biblical Theology ◽  
The New Testament

Biblical Theology and the Apocrypha

2021 ◽  
pp. 533-550
Author(s):  
David A. deSilva
Keyword(s):  
Jewish People ◽  
Biblical Theology ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Face ◽  
Theology Of History ◽  
Wisdom Tradition ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Bear Witness ◽  
The Church

The books of the Apocrypha contain extensive reflection on the theologies of earlier Jewish writings, particularly in regard to election, the Torah, and the Deuteronomistic theology of history, in the face of several critical situations facing the Jewish people (the advance and advantages of Hellenization, the repression of Judaism under Antiochus IV, ongoing life as a minority culture throughout the Diaspora, and domination and devastation under Rome). They also bear witness to important developments both in personal and national eschatology and in the identification of supernatural forces impacting human existence (e.g., angels and demons). Early Christians, in turn, found these texts to provide important resources for their reflection upon the person and work of Jesus, applying developments within the Wisdom tradition in their delineation of the relationship of the Son to God and within the Jewish martyrological traditions to their professions about the atoning force of Jesus’ death. These texts thus exercised an important influence on the theologies articulated in the New Testament and the development of the doctrines and creeds embraced by the universal church, despite the ongoing discussions within the church concerning their canonical status.

Reception of the Apostolic Text in the Poem of V. A. Zhukovsky ‘Agasfer’

2020 ◽  
pp. 264-276
Author(s):  
Светлана Владимировна Бурмистрова
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Spiritual Healing ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Spiritual Change ◽  
Philosophical Aspect ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Symbolic Images

В статье анализируется рецепция апостольского текста в поэме в. а. Жуковского «Агасфер». основные методы исследования: интертекстуальный, рецептивный, историко-литературный. средневековая легенда об Агасфере осмысляется Жуковским в религиозно-философском аспекте: как сюжет о грехопадении и духовном воскресении. ключевой момент в сюжете духовного перерождения героя связан с темой покаяния, которая осмысляется в контексте священного предания как внутренний переворот, как духовное изменение. тема покаяния в поэме аллюзивно соотносится с образом апостола Павла и его посланиями. восстановление ценностно-смысловых ориентиров героя осуществляется в контексте откровения Иоанна Богослова. Значение апокалипсиса открывается герою во сне, что указывает на то, что вместе с духовным исцелением он также получил пророческий дар. Библейский текст играет важную роль в моделировании образной системы поэмы. один из центральных символических её образов - образ дверей, формируется на пересечении евангельских и апостольских аллюзий. отсылки к апостольскому тексту позволяют конкретизировать сюжетную, мотивную, хронотопическую организацию поэмы. в то же время включение прецедентного текста в структуру поэмы сообщает ей дополнительную символическую кодировку. Семиосфера апостольского текста в поэме «Агасфер» объёмна и пластична; она пересекается с евангельским и ветхозаветным контекстом, включает не только канонические книги Нового Завета - Деяния святых апостолов, их послания и апокалипсис, но также сочинения мужей апостольских, например, послание к Римлянам священномученика Игнатия Антиохийского. к особенностям функционирования прецедентного текста в поэме можно отнести, во-первых, перекодировку чужого (апостольского) слова в слово героя: апостольские цитаты вводятся в поэму как слово героя, как фрагменты его исповеди; во-вторых, отсутствие границ между разными книгами священного писания (библейские книги как богодухновенные произведения дополняют друг друга, составляя единое целое). The article analyzes the reception of the Apostolic text in V. A. Zhukovsky’s poem «Ahasuerus». The medieval legend of Ahasuerus is interpreted by Zhukovsky in a religious and philosophical aspect: as a plot about the fall and spiritual resurrection. The key moment in the plot of the spiritual rebirth of the hero is connected with the theme of repentance, which is understood in the context of sacred Tradition as an internal revolution, as a spiritual change. The theme of repentance in the poem allusively correlates with the image of the Apostle Paul and his Epistles. Restoration of value-semantic orientations of the hero is carried out in the context of the Revelation of John the theologian. The significance of the Apocalypse is revealed to the hero in a dream, indicating that along with spiritual healing, he also received a prophetic gift. The biblical text plays an important role in modeling the figurative system of the poem. One of its Central symbolic images - the image of doors, is formed at the intersection of Evangelical and Apostolic allusions. References to the Apostolic text allow to concretize the plot, motive, chronotopic organization of the poem. At the same time, the inclusion of the precedent text in the structure of the poem gives it an additional symbolic encoding. The semiosphere of the Apostolic text in the poem «Ahasuerus» is voluminous and plastic; it intersects with the Evangelical and old Testament context, includes not only the canonical books of the New Testament-the Acts of the Holy apostles, their Epistles and the Apocalypse, but also the writings of the Apostolic men, for example, the Epistle to the Romans of the Holy Martyr Ignatius of Antioch. The peculiarities of the functioning of the precedent text in the poem include, firstly, the recoding of someone else’s (Apostolic) word into the word of the hero: Apostolic quotes are introduced into the poem as the word of the hero, as fragments of his confession; secondly, the absence of boundaries between different books of Scripture (biblical books as inspired works complement each other, forming a single whole). Main research methods: intertextual, receptive, historical and literary.

Crete

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde E. Fant ◽  
Mitchell G. Reddish
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Roman Period ◽  
National Museum ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Accurate Representation ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Ancient Site ◽  
Book Of Acts ◽  
Nearby City

Crete is the largest and most southerly of all the Greek islands. It is also one of the most visited, due to both its beauty and its famous ancient sites. By far the best-known of these attractions is the spectacular Palace of Knossos, reconstructed over a period of thirty-five years by its discoverer, Sir Arthur Evans, who put more than a million dollars of his own money into the work. Scholars have criticized his reconstruction as a fanciful and not altogether accurate representation of the original, but millions of tourists delight in being able to see more at an ancient site than foundations, scattered stones, and a few columns. But Knossos is not the only dramatic ruin of antiquity on the island. Gortyna and Phaistos should not be missed, and for Christians the harbor of Kaloi Limenes (called Fair Havens in the New Testament) is a place of importance in the life of the Apostle Paul. Likewise, the Basilica of St. Titus at Gortyna commemorates the ministry of Titus, a Greek convert who was a disciple of Paul (Gal 2:3), as described in the New Testament book of Titus. Furthermore, Iraklion possesses an archaeological museum second only to the National Museum in Athens. The only site on Crete mentioned in the Bible, though Crete itself was said to be the place of the ministry of Titus (Titus 1:5), is the harbor of Kaloi Limenes (Good Harbor), referred to in the Book of Acts as Fair Havens (Acts 27: 8). After two thousand years, the site is known by the same name today. Even in New Testament times the place was distinguished only as the harbor for the nearby city of Lasea, a flourishing commercial city in the Roman period. Today the tranquil bay in its remote location harbors nothing more than sunbathers who visit its beaches to enjoy the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean. The site can be reached best by automobile, or by taking a bus from Iraklion to Moires/Mires.

A Taxonomy of Sin in the New Testament Worlds

2020 ◽  
pp. 17-36
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Siker
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Early Christianity ◽  
Second Century ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Jerusalem Temple ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
Moral Failure ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Jewish Scriptures

Understanding the contextual worlds within which the New Testament perceptions of sin arose is crucial. The immediate context for early Christianity was the Jewish world out of which Jesus also operated, which included Jewish understandings of sin especially as delineated in the Jewish Scriptures and as addressed within the sacrificial cult of the Jerusalem Temple. But in turning to the Apostle Paul and other later New Testament writers, it is equally important to understand the moral worlds envisioned in Greco-Roman religiosity and philosophy. In this realm, sin as moral failure was much less prominent than sin as ignorance or error in judgment. As Christianity moved into the second century and beyond we find understandings of sin that retain both Jewish and Greco-Roman sensibilities regarding human sin.

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