“We Have the Prophets”: Inspiration and the Prophets in Athenagoras of Athens

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Jeffrey Bingham
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Second Century ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Simple Classification ◽  
The New Testament

Abstract:In contrast to those who argue simply that Athenagoras’s discussion of the prophets and inspiration is Hellenic, sourced in Philo as well as in Plato and Plutarch, this paper claims that there are other sources to consider that are equally informative. Athenagoras manifests alliance and dependence upon the Septuagint, other Jewish sources, the New Testament and second-century Christian sources, especially Ignatius and Justin. Athenagoras is a Christian philosopher. We would expect to see such a broad-based platform of resources for his theological construction. A simple classification of Greek, Hellenistic or Philonic for his notion of the inspired prophets is incomplete, unreflective of his own ingenuity, and fails to adequately account for his Judaeo-Christian heritage. It also minimizes the elegance of this early Christian attempt to theologize about the Jewish prophets in a gentile world. In Athenagoras we have an explanation of the prophets and inspiration that (1) clearly positions them preeminently as rational, doctrinal Christian authorities above the poets, philosophers, and human opinions; (2) constructs his community’s theology with an artistic flair that selectively and critically weaves together both pagan and Judaeo-Christian sources; so that (3) he might win a hearing from both his imperial and ecclesiastical audience.

The Birth of Christian History

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve-Marie Becker ◽  
John J. Collins
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Gospel Of Mark ◽  
Literary Tradition ◽  
Second Century ◽  
First Century ◽  
History Writing ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Historical Awareness ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Literary Memory

When the Gospel writings were first produced, Christian thinking was already cognizant of its relationship to ancient memorial cultures and history-writing traditions. Yet, little has been written about exactly what shaped the development of early Christian literary memory. This book explores the diverse ways in which history was written according to the Hellenistic literary tradition, focusing specifically on the time during which the New Testament writings came into being: from the mid-first century until the early second century CE. While acknowledging cases of historical awareness in other New Testament writings, the book traces the origins of this historiographical approach to the Gospel of Mark and Luke—Acts. The book shows how the earliest Christian writings shaped Christian thinking and writing about history.

The Missing Rhetorical History Between Quintilian and Augustine

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-376
Author(s):  
Mike Duncan
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Early Christianity ◽  
Classical Rhetoric ◽  
Rhetorical History ◽  
Church Fathers ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Christian Thought ◽  
Rhetorical Force ◽  
Apostolic Church

Current histories of rhetoric neglect the early Christian period (ca. 30–430 CE) in several crucial ways–Augustine is overemphasized and made to serve as a summary of Christian thought rather than an endpoint, the texts of church fathers before 300 CE are neglected or lumped together, and the texts of the New Testament are left unexamined. An alternative outline of early Christian rhetoric is offered, explored through the angles of political self-invention, doctrinal ghostwriting, apologetics, and fractured sermonization. Early Christianity was not a monolithic religion that eventually made peace with classical rhetoric, but as a rhetorical force in its own right, and comprised of more factions early on than just the apostolic church.

The Origins of Christian Hell

Numen ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 56 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 282-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitris Kyrtatas
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Original Meaning ◽  
The New Testament

The paper re-examines the evidence concerning the early Christian conceptions of punishment of sinners in the afterlife. It commences with the New Testament and the ideas attributed to Jesus and moves on to the apocryphal Apocalypse of Peter , composed about a generation later, which enjoyed great popularity among several early Christian circles and was seriously considered for inclusion in the New Testament canon. It is claimed that as it now reads, Apoc. Pet. advances ideas about hell that sharply contrast those presented in the New Testament. To solve this riddle, it is proposed that the Apoc. Pet. , as it has been preserved, was reorganized at a much later stage to meet the needs of the developing Church. Its original meaning was consequently twisted almost beyond recognition. In its earliest layers, the apocryphal document appears to have been mostly concerned, just like the New Testament, with salvation rather than everlasting chastisement.

The Parousia of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels

1959 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. P. Owen
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Second Century ◽  
First Century ◽  
Synoptic Gospels ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
2 Peter ◽  
Apostolic Church ◽  
Second Coming

The Second Coming (otherwise called the Parousia)1 of Christ constituted a serious problem for the apostolic Church. One of the earliest of Paul's Epistles (1 Thessalonians) shows how quickly his converts became discouraged when some of their number died before the Lord's appearing. In reply Paul repeats his promise that the Lord will soon return, although in his second epistle he has to give a reminder that Antichrist must first make a final bid for power (1 Thess. 4.15–18, 2 Thess. 2). Similarly the author of Hebrews, writing to a disillusioned and apathetic group of Christians some decades later in the first century, recalls the words of Habakkuk that ‘the Lord will come and not be slow’ (10.37). Finally 2 Peter, the latest book of the New Testament (written, perhaps, as late as the middle of the second century), continues to offer the hope of an imminent Parousia to be accompanied by the world's destruction and renewal (ch. 3). If Christians are tempted to despair they must remember that the word of prophets and Apostles is sure (v. 2) and that with God ‘a thousand years are as one day’ (v. 8).

Kann man die neutestamentlichen Briefe der Gattung „Apostelbrief“ zuordnen?

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-250
Author(s):  
Bärbel Bosenius
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Christian Communities ◽  
The New Testament

During the last 40 years New Testament scholarship did not apply the term “apostolic letter” consistently. All early Christian letters and only the New Testament or Pauline respectively Deutero-Pauline letters were called “apostolic letters” by New Testament scholars. Since the term from the sources ἀπόστολος in the undisputed Pauline letters refers to Paul’s function as founder of early Christian communities but not to his function as their leader, New Testament scholars should avoid the misleading term “apostolic letter.” Within the corpus of New Testament letters one should rather differentiate between “kerygmatic letters,” “pseudepigraphic Pauline letters” and “early Christian Diaspora letters.”

Sleepy Scribes and Clever Critics

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart L.F. Kamphuis ◽  
Jan L.H. Krans ◽  
Silvia Castelli ◽  
Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Change Type ◽  
The New Testament

This article presents a classification of conjectures on the text of the New Testament. It focusses on the types of arguments used by conjectural critics. The argumentation for a conjecture basically comprises (1) the perception of a problem (or problems) in the transmitted text and (2) the suggestion of a cause (or causes) for the supposed scribal change. Type (or types) of perceived problems and of supposed causes are classified, and illustrated with a range of important conjectures.

scholarly journals Salvific Dissolution: The Mystery of the Betrayal between the New Testament and theGospel of Judas

2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-124
Author(s):  
Jonathan Cahana
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Gospel Of Judas

The recently discoveredGospel of Judashas created much controversy among scholars. While it is clear that Judas is liable for Jesus' crucifixion in this text, it is much debated whether his actions should be understood positively or negatively. This article suggests that focusing on how theGospel of Judasevaluates the salvific meaning of Jesus' crucifixion alongside the New Testament gospels and other early Christian writings may provide a key for solving this problem. In this way, theGospel of Judascan be seen as a rare attempt to unravel what Irenaeus aptly termed ‘the mystery of the betrayal’.

Commentary on Morgan-Miller's “An Exploratory Study of Different Types of Violence Presented in Early Christian and Islamic Historical Documents”

2002 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 571-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter R. Schumm
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Historical Documents ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
Moral Transformation ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The New Testament

Oversights are observed in Morgan-Miller's previous 2002 report on themes of violence in the New Testament and the Qur'an. While both the New Testament and the Qur'an seem to suggest some type of moral transformation in the life of Jesus, it is not clear to what extent such a transformation remains normative in the lives of ordinary believers or even continues to be expected. However, Jesus seemed to expect that his followers would forsake violence against their enemies, a lesson that seems in short supply throughout the contemporary world.

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