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The essays in this volume, offered to Dr. Jenny Read-Heimerdinger on the occasion of her 70th birthday, cover subjects in New Testament textual criticism that are central to her research. In particular, the volume contains text critical studies of the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the early testimony of New Testament Greek and Coptic manuscripts, scribal tendencies in the first centuries, and linguistic approaches to textual criticism.
For New Testament biblical scholars, this book constitutes a vital summary of contemporary, theoretically-sound interpretations of the linguistic functions of the Post-Classical (Koine) Greek article in a way that will inform exegesis of the text, especially in the field of larger discourse units. There is also significant payoff for the as-yet significantly under-researched field of Koine linguistics. The essays included in this volume are written by notable experts, offering contributions to the linguistic analysis of the Post-Classical Greek language. While there remains no comprehensive treatment of the grammar of the Post-Classical dialects, individual elements of that grammar continue to be fruitfully explored. The collection presented here offers interpretations of the functions and grammar of the Greek article (ὁ, ἡ, τό) from a variety of perspectives, including generative grammar and discourse analysis, along with studies that make use of text-critical and diachronic data. Together, these supply readers of Greek with a thorough understanding of the functions of the article and constitute a starting point for further research efforts.
Highly respected New Testament scholar Craig Keener is known for his meticulous and comprehensive research. This commentary on Acts, his magnum opus, may be the largest and most thoroughly documented Acts commentary available. Useful not only for the study of Acts but also early Christianity, this work sets Acts in its first-century context. In this volume, the first of four, Keener introduces the book of Acts, particularly historical questions related to it, and provides detailed exegesis of its opening chapters. He utilizes an unparalleled range of ancient sources and offers a wealth of fresh insights. This magisterial commentary will be a valuable resource for New Testament professors and students, pastors, Acts scholars, and libraries.
Open Access for this publication was made possible by a generous donation from Segelbergska stiftelsen för liturgivetenskaplig forskning (The Segelbergska Foundation for Research in Liturgical Studies). In a seminal study, Cur cantatur?, Anders Ekenberg examined Carolingian sources for explanations of why the liturgy was sung, rather than spoken. This multidisciplinary volume takes up Ekenberg’s question anew, investigating the interplay of New Testament writings, sacred spaces, biblical interpretation, and reception history of liturgical practices and traditions. Analyses of Greek, Latin, Coptic, Arabic, and Gǝʿǝz sources, as well as of archaeological and epigraphic evidence, illuminate an array of topics, including recent trends in liturgical studies; manuscript variants and liturgical praxis; Ignatius of Antioch’s choral metaphor; baptism in ancient Christian apocrypha; and the significance of late ancient altar veils.
When a Christian writer refers to Jesus as "the Lord," what does it signify? Is it primarily a way of making a political or theological statement, or might social concerns have had more influence on the writer's choice of words? Studies of early Christianity regularly depend on a nuanced understanding of lexical significance, but current research often fails to consider social aspects of "what words mean." Julia A. Snyder argues that methodological improvements are needed in how lexical significance in ancient Greek texts is determined, based on an analysis of the relationship between speech patterns and addressee identity in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts of John, and Acts of Philip. She also illustrates how sociolinguistic variation contributes to characterization and the construction of Christian identity in the narratives, how it sheds light on the rewriting of ancient texts, and how it informs the question of whether apostolic narratives were produced for evangelistic purposes.
This work examines the background of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26–40. For a comprehensive study, it utilizes echoic allusion, cultural background, and narrative criticism. It explores the textual tradition of Deut 23:1–8 in Jewish literature, with a particular focus on Isaiah’s inclusive presentation of “eunuchs” and “foreigners” in contrast to the Deuteronomy stipulation for the assembly of the Lord. This work also explores the ancient practice of castration, the Jewish exiles in Elephantine, and Jewish pilgrimage to reconstruct the cultural background of the Ethiopian eunuch. Additionally, it focuses on Luke’s authorial role in presenting the gospel’s geographic, ethnic, and religious expansion to identify the Ethiopian’s ethnic and religious identity in the narrative development of the three trajectories. The conclusion drawn is that the Ethiopian eunuch cannot be identified as an uncircumcised gentile. Instead, he is more like an African man of Jewish descent, included in the Abrahamic covenant but excluded from the cultic setting of worship in the temple.
New Testament Texts and the Roman World encapsulates the rich teaching and ministry career of Dr. Gerald Stevens. This Festschrift serves to celebrate this career and Stevens’s contributions to the academic guild. The essays in this work resonate with the interests of Stevens—studies in the text of Acts, in Pauline texts, and in John’s Apocalypse. Contributors present studies using intertextuality, social-scientific approaches, theological approaches, literary studies in Roman, Jewish, and mythological texts, and consideration of the cultural and historical settings of the texts.
This book is a distillation of reading Acts for over fifty years, preaching it for twenty-five years, and studying it in-depth for five years. My aim is for students, church leaders, preachers, and missionaries to join me on a journey of narrative theology—a literary exploration of transformation by the Spirit and the Word in Acts. As with every part of God’s inspired Scriptures, there is always more to discover and apply. As a Reformed Charismatic I believe that Acts is our story. However, rather than just attempting to copy it, I suggest that the book’s unexpected literary shape reveals a challenging missional significance. The need for world gospel mission continues today. However, like the early church, we often contain the Holy Spirit within our own structures and are reluctant to move out of our comfort zones. Acts shows the church’s priority is to be God’s mission instrument in the world. Let’s study, lead, preach, and go from Acts so that we realize Jesus’s promise “that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end(s) of the earth” (Acts 1:8).