1) G. K. Beale. A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New. Baker Academic, 2011. Hardcover, 1072 pages.G. K. Beale (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the coeditor of the Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament and the author of seven books, including commentaries on Revelation and 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
Endorsements
Excerpt: Cover - 87 (PDF) // vii-ix, 88-116 (PDF)
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From the book: [t]his biblical theology of the NT first attempts to trace the canonical storyline of the OT and tries to distill the major biblical-theological themes from that storyline (chap. 2). Since, as we will see, “movement toward an eschatological goal” is one of the major themes of the OT storyline, the third, fourth, and fifth chapters look respectively at the eschatology of the OT, then of Judaism, and finally of the NT. The themes composing the OT storyline found in chapters 2–3 become the basis for the NT storyline, which is stated in chapter 6. The NT plotline is a transformation of the OT storyline through developing it and fulfilling its prophetic features.
Chapter 6 then discusses methodological problems in the search for “centers” in the OT and the NT and how this is similar yet different from the search for a storyline, the latter of which the present project prefers. What is meant by the word “storyline” is explained further in chapter 2 (under the heading “The Repeated Cosmic Judgment and New Creation Episodes of the Old Testament”) and especially in chapter 6. It is argued that a storyline reflects a unified story yet contains multiple themes that are incased in a narratival canonical plotline.
Then the components of the NT storyline, as noted earlier, serve as the organizing outline of the remainder of the book (chaps. 7–28). Each chapter discusses and traces throughout the NT a thematic component of the storyline (along with subthemes to be traced that are subordinate to each major thematic component). This NT section is the bulk of the book. Each theme discussed in the NT section is seen from the perspective of its roots in the OT, its development in Judaism, and through the lens of the “already and not yet end-time fulfillment” in the NT. Accordingly, chapters typically are structured, to one degree or another, by discussion of relevant OT background, then Jewish developments, followed by analysis of the NT material (sometimes but not always in the order of Gospels, Acts, Paul, General Epistles, and Revelation). In some cases, when the relevant material is concentrated in only certain parts of the NT, there is more focus on those parts than others, as alluded to earlier.
The OT storyline that I posit as the basis for the NT storyline is this: The Old Testament is the story of God, who progressively reestablishes his new-creational kingdom out of chaos over a sinful people by his word and Spirit through promise, covenant, and redemption, resulting in worldwide commission to the faithful to advance this kingdom and judgment (defeat or exile) for the unfaithful, unto his glory. The inductive basis for the formulation of this statement is found in chapters 2–3.
The NT transformation of the storyline of the OT that I propose is this: Jesus’s life, trials, death for sinners, and especially resurrection by the Spirit have launched the fulfillment of the eschatological already–not yet new-creational reign, bestowed by grace through faith and resulting in worldwide commission to the faithful to advance this new-creational reign and resulting in judgment for the unbelieving, unto the triune God’s glory. At first glance, some of the conceptual categories that compose various chapters may not seem to grow out of the foregoing storyline components, but I will argue that they indeed do.
I contend that the goal of the NT storyline is God’s glory, and that the main stepping-stone to that goal is Christ’s establishment of an eschatological new-creational kingdom and its expansion. The main focus of this book is on the development of this new-creational kingdom and its spread as the penultimate means to divine glory. Others have argued well that the glory of God is the final goal of Scripture, so I concentrate my efforts here on the major instrumentation that accomplishes that goal. (15-16)
Andreas J. Köstenberger is director of doctoral studies and professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He translated Adolf Schlatter’s two-volume theology of the New Testament into English and is editor of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.
Richard D. Patterson (PhD, University of California, Los Angeles) is distinguished professor emeritus at Liberty University.
Companion Item: Invitation to Bibblical Interpretation Presentation Slides
Excerpt: Endorsements - 94 (PDF)
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From the book: This volume is based on such respect both for the ultimate author of Scripture and for its human authors. We are committed to taking the text of Scripture seriously and to practicing a hermeneutic of listening and perception. We aim to take into account the relevant historical setting of a given passage and to pay close attention to the words, sentences, and discourses of a particular book. We purpose to give careful consideration to the theology of the Bible itself and to interpret the parts in light of the canonical whole. Last but not least, we seek to operate within the proper framework of the respective genres of Scripture. (58-59)
