Research Articles (New Testament Studies)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/2559

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 805

Naming and shaming? Between women in Philippians 4:2-3
(University of the Free State, Faculty of Theology, 2025-06) Potgieter, Annette; Du Plessis, Johannes; annette.potgieter@up.ac.za
At face value, Philippians 4:2-3 may come across as Paul (the authority) talking down on Euodia and Syntyche. Παραχαλέω is often translated as "rebuke" or "plead", especially in Afrikaans translations (see 1933, 1953, 1983, 2020; Direkte vertaling, the word "vermaan" is used). According to Silva (1988:221), παραχαλέω is "an express and unquestionable rebuke, telling us a great deal about the seriousness of the Philippian problem". Naming these two women may be shaming them, since Paul refers to the "guilty" in the text. Should Philippians 4:2-3 be interpreted as violent, or is it a mere reflection of the reality of the church in Philippi? Into this dynamic, we bring the element of spatiality within the question of power dynamics, arguing that this method brings another lens onto this pericope. Space replicates power in societies. Accordingly, this article explores power dynamics and violence in Philippians 4:2-3 through the lens of spatial theory.
Unveiling the Russia-Ukraine war nexuses to the birthpangs in Matthew 24:1-26
(AOSIS, 2025-03) Ukeachusim, Chidinma P.
Wars and rumours of wars have occurred worldwide since time immemorial. After the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, wars [πολέμους] and rumours of wars [ἀκοὰς πολέμων] and other events enlisted in the Olivet-prophecy are now being theologically re-interpreted to be eschatological birthpangs. Many Christians around the globe do not understand the peculiar nexuses that exist between each ongoing war and news of wars as well as the apocalyptic views and teachings of Jesus in the Olivet-prophecy. Because of the lack of understanding many have about wars and rumours about wars, it is significant to study the didactic Matthean Gospel's redacted account of the Markan eschatological sermon, and thereby unveil the peculiar nexuses that the ongoing war and news between Russia and Ukraine have with Jesus' eschatological views and teachings. Therefore, the main concern of this study is whether the Russia-Ukraine war and its rumours of war have nexuses with Jesus' presaged biblical eschatological birthpangs, as redacted by Matthew the theological redactor. The study adopted the exegetical design and specifically employed the redaction method of Bible criticism to study Matthew 24:1-26, focusing on unveiling whether there are peculiar nexuses and theological implications that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and its news have with the eschatological views and teachings of Jesus. The results drawn from the exegetical study of Matthew 24:1-26 when applied to the war that started on 24 February 2022 and is still ongoing between Russia and Ukraine revealed that there are nexuses that relate them to the apocalyptic views and teachings of Jesus as preached and preserved by Mark and redacted by Matthew. Such nexuses have theological implications for Christians being troubled by this war and other intensifying wars and rumours of wars and how to understand these. The highlighted theological essence and engagement help to discern whether the nexuses underline the peculiar understanding Christians should have regarding their response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. CONTRIBUTION: This study unveiled that the ongoing conflicts and war between Russia and Ukraine have peculiar nexuses with the theological underlined characteristics of the eschatological birthpangs Jesus enlisted in the Olivet-prophecy. With special reference to the Russia-Ukraine war, the study unveils the theological implications that manifest due to the nexuses the Russia-Ukraine conflicts and war have as merely eschatological birthpangs.
The motif of worship, prayer, and prophecy in Luke 1:5-25 as a bridge between the Old Testament and the Gospel of Luke
(Stellenbosch University, 2024) Aryeh, Daniel N.A.
This article provides an exegetical contribution to the proposition by David E. Garland that the Old Testament period of the promise foundfulfilment in the New Testament. The specific contribution of this study is the elements/traces of a bridge between the Old Testament and the annunciation/nativity narrative of Luke 1:5-25. The Gospel of Luke is characterised by people worshipping, praying, and fulfilling prophecy, as evidenced in the first two chapters of the book. There have been studies on the nativity narrative of the Gospel of Luke which usually took a historical comparative approach between the birth narrative of Jesus and that of John, and investigations into the uniqueness of the story to Luke. It leaves out the thematic discussion of some ethoses of the annunciation narrative that seeks to provide an unflinching link to the Old Testament. This article examines worship, prayer, and prophecy in the annunciation and nativity narrative in Luke 1:5-25 to draw possible relationships to the Old Testament. The diachronic narrative-semantic method is used for the study. The findings are that the narrative alludes to Old Testament stories of worship, prayer, and fulfilment of prophecy and suggests a link or bridge between the Old and New Testaments.
Intercultural interpretation of scripture : evaluating the approach of Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole for interpreting the Bible in Africa
(Stellenbosch University, 2024) Aryeh, Daniel N.A.
Intercultural methods of biblical interpretation are gradually gaining popularity and are preferred for biblical studies in the African context. Appropriate methods or approaches for biblical interpretation are critical if the objective of the interpretation is to engage the receptors’ or the target audience’s cultural features and that of the text for a mutual understanding of cultural values in a text to shape contemporary cultural issues. Intercultural criticism of scripture has been variedly engaged by biblical scholars for the interpretation of biblical passages. In this study, I explore the proposition of intercultural mediation by Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole and how he employed it to interpret scripture for the benefit of Africans. It emphasises the uniqueness and the weakness of the approach modelled by Loba-Mkole towards intercultural mediations and motivate others to consider intercultural mediation for biblical studies.
Once more into the valley of the shadow of death : a reconsideration of Semitic compound nouns including MT
(University of Stellenbosch, 2024-12) Hays, Christopher B.
Every occurrence ofצלמות in the Hebrew Bible is associated in its context with imageryof death, suggesting that the Versions, which overwhelmingly rendered it with “shadowof death”, correctly understood the intention of the original authors. This essay alsodiscusses six different terms in Ugaritic that are most plausibly explained as compoundnouns involving mt, “death”, and suggests that an analogy to theophoric divine namesled all these terms to be transmitted as compound nouns in W. Semitic scribal traditions.The alternative theory, that there was a nounצַלְמוּת/צַלְמוֹת, “darkness”, cannot bedisproven, but the fact that the root ṣlm does not seem to have been productive in IronAge West Semitic languages makes it unlikely.
Comparing two distribution models of Paul's literary techniques : Poisson versus negative binomial
(MDPI, 2025-04) McCauley, Thomas; Robertson, Paul
This article explores how literary features are statistically distributed in the Christian apostle Paul’s letters. While several decades of occasional research have applied statistics to Paul’s letters, most if not all previous such approaches have either assumed that Paul’s language follows a normal distribution or ignored the question of statistical distribution entirely. The nature of feature distribution—be the features vocabulary words or second-order features chosen by the analyst—is a crucial component of any statistical analysis, and the dearth of work in this area therefore forms a major hole in mathematical approaches to Paul’s letters. This paper addresses this hole in scholarship by comparing two possible models for Paul’s various literary techniques: the Poisson distribution versus the negative binomial distribution.
Revisiting the early Christians on blessedness : in conversation with Willem S. Vorster’s work on the makarisms
(AOSIS, 2025-05) De Wet, Chris Len; chris.dewet@up.ac.za
In this article, I aim to revisit and extend the work of Willem Vorster on blessedness in early Christianity, particularly his analysis of the makarisms in Matthew and Luke. Vorster’s insightful examination of Stoic and early Christian views on blessedness offers a framework for understanding the wisdom and apocalyptic themes within these beatitudes. His focus on the wisdom-oriented, ethical focus in Matthew and the apocalyptic, eschatological view in Luke provides a dual lens through which to view early Christian thought on happiness and virtue. While Vorster’s analysis is primarily concerned with 1st-century Christian thought, this article extends his framework into the 4th-century, exploring how early Christian thinkers further developed and adapted the makarisms. The reception of these teachings shifted, incorporating more structured and mystical interpretations influenced by the ascetic and monastic movements. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : This article argues that early Christian readings of the makarisms balanced practical wisdom and mystical insight, embracing their potential for multiple meanings – moral, mystical and eschatological. It concludes by examining how Vorster’s approach remains relevant for understanding both early Christian theology and social ethics, emphasising its applicability for contemporary interpretations of Christian moral thought and community life.
Missional leadership from an ethos of vulnerability and love
(AOSIS, 2025-05) Kok, Jacobus (Kobus)
This Festschrift article is dedicated to Professor Nelus Niemandt. The primary objective is to critically reflect, from the perspective of appreciative inquiry, on Niemandt’s work on missional leadership and how his view of mission and theology of place could be brought into dialogue with vulnerability. This is performed by analytical reflection on the critical correlation of past and present experiences, and a critical discussion of Gijsbert Dingemans, Edward Schillebeeckx and Paul Tillich and the implied method used by Niemandt. Thereafter, a continental philosophical discussion on history, narrative and metaphor is conducted via Udo Schnelle’s Theology of the New Testament and Niemandt’s own focus on the role narrative and metaphors play to reimagine a restorative theology of place and mission. Finally, we engage with the latest insights by Kritzinger on mission is/as/through/with/in vulnerability, which reflects the latest shifts in missional theology is the direction of vulnerability. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : This article engages the latest discourses in missional leadership and vulnerability with insights from New Testament Theological methodological considerations to show that vulnerability belongs to the central message of the Gospel and that it challenges hegemony and oppressive structures by providing hope and power amid vulnerability. In the near future, as Kritzinger argues, ‘mission is/as/through/with/in vulnerability promises new ways of reflecting on missional leadership and its ontological (the “is”), epistemological (the “as”), praxeological (the “through”), encounterology (the “with”) and axiology (the “in”)’ dimensions.
Cyclone Idai disaster in Zimbabwe : a New Testament ethical analysis of Matthew 24:37–39
(AOSIS, 2025-02) Chabata, Lovejoy
The ravaging effects of Tropical Cyclone Idai on Zimbabwe’s Eastern border with Mozambique in March 2019 posed a rude awakening for the country to develop strategic disaster management policies. The loss of 340 lives, with many others declared missing, displacement and distress more than 200 and 70 000 people, annihilation of agricultural, educational, health and residential infrastructure, all combined to endorse the need for sustainable disaster risk management strategies in Zimbabwe. Matthew 24:37–39 cast the story of Noah who adopted a disaster response framework in the form of an ark, which was going to float above the floods to prevent loss of fauna and human lives. Through the lens of New Testament Ethical Analysis (NTEA), this article discusses how deployment of ethics of love, selfless service, charity, social responsibility, justice, sharing, care ministry, good neighbourliness, good relationships with self, others, God, environment and climate constitute an effective way of controlling, managing and reducing disaster risks. The article discusses moral exhortations embedded in Matthew 24:37–39 in relation to disaster response frameworks in Zimbabwe. CONTRIBUTION : The article contributes to the ongoing debate on how biblical ethics can be deployed to the catalogue of disaster management and risk reduction strategies in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Suicide ideation in emerging adulthood : contributions of depressive symptoms, religiosity, parenting styles and social support
(Elsevier, 2025-06) Ogba, Kalu T.U.; Chukwuma, Onyekachi Gift; Ituma, Ezichi A.; Ugwu, Collins I.; Ngele, Omaka K.; Obayi, Lovely; Ugwu, Chukwuma F.; Obi-Keguna, Christy; Emeh, Ikechukwu E.
Suicide, especially among emerging adults, has continued to be a global phenomenon, demanding more in-depth empirical attention. Emerging adulthood is a probable suicidal ideation predisposing period that has received less scholarly attention. We examined the contributions of depression, religiosity, parenting styles, and social support to suicidal ideation among emerging adults. We conveniently sampled 1007 undergraduates comprising 496 (49.2 %) males and 511 (50.8 %) females whose ages ranged from 18 to 30 years with a mean age of 24 years (SD = 2.18). Results of the hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that while depression significantly predicted suicidal ideation, preoccupation and conviction for religiosity did not; guidance and emotional involvement negatively predicted suicidal ideation. Parenting styles (mother and father) were not significant predictors of suicidal ideation. However, support from family, friends, and significant others negatively predicted suicidal ideation. We adopted the Three-Step Theory (3ST) to explain our findings that illustrate the need for government and educational institutions to make governance and educational curriculum less stressful and depressive such that the complimentary religious knowledge, parental teachings, and support from other family members, friends, and significant others can help improve abilities to achieve important (academic) life goals that promote quality of life and healthy living.
In the garden : spatial reflections on Susanna and the Barbie movie
(AOSIS, 2025-03) Potgieter, Annette; annette.potgieter@up.ac.za
The narratives of Susanna and the Barbie film have nothing in common at first glance. However, in both narratives, the garden plays a central role in the plotline. In Susanna, the garden locates the scene where the elders inappropriately approach Susanna who refuses them, setting the court events into motion and the need for Daniel to investigate. In Barbie, the garden scene is the opening scene of the film. Girls break dolls setting the tone for Barbie as a positive role model, exemplifying more possibilities for women than just being mere mothers. This signifies a creation narrative that is set into motion. Both these garden scenes are reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. It is within the intersection of how these narratives are positioned that provides the opportunity to compare them. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : This article aims to investigate the intersection between these narratives as ‘subversive narratives’, but particularly seen in the light of the ‘garden or paradise’ motif. Feminism is used in conjunction with spatial theory as it offers a lens to reflect on the power relations found within the production of space found in the narratives. Accordingly, the article aims to explore the feminism that underpins the notions of space in the narratives.
Comparing and assessing statistical distance metrics within the Christian apostle Paul's letters
(De Gruyter, 2025-01) Luce, Alessandra; Robertson, Paul
This study applies and compares different metrics and statistical methods to Paul’s letters and a variety of roughly contemporary texts also written in Greek. The primary objective is to elucidate the distinctions between several notable metrics and statistical methods of comparison to discern the relative impact of their application on our understanding of Paul’s letters vis-à-vis our comparanda. The secondary objective is to compare the findings from different statistical metrics in order to assess their relative merits as statistical tools for literary analysis. Such analysis extends to determining the statistical significance of different methods’ relative findings and extracting meaningful insights about each metric and method. We aim to determine which metrics are most accurate and provide the most useful information in comparing Paul’s letters to other types of literature such as Greco-Roman philosophy, formal oratory, and so-called Jewish apocalyptic literature. Such findings are especially salient when comparing these quantitative methods to qualitative conclusions from the biblical commentary traditions of literary analysis and comparison.
Paul’s guidelines for church leadership in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 as a template for churches in Nigeria
(Africa Journals, 2024-10) Olajide, Michael D.
The Apostle Paul has been an iconic theologian of the church. As a diverse society and a platform where there is expectation for excellence and orderliness, it is imperative for the church to be led by Christ-like, morally sound, and competent individuals. Based on media reports, most churches in Nigeria are mostly governed by individuals who have character deficit and lack leadership acumen. The church, as the body of Christ, must go back to the status-quo, which is the Holy Bible, for ethical direction. The study employed a socio-rhetorical method of studying 1 Timothy 3:1-7 towards developing theological and ethical guidelines for church leadership in Nigeria. In addition, the study made use of interviews as a research tool in gathering relevant information. The research reveals that Paul’s guidelines in 1 Timothy 3:1- 7 hinge on character, ministerial, spiritual, household, and social criteria which must be considered as standards for choosing anyone into ecclesiastical leadership positions. It is recommended that church leaders in Nigeria should appropriate the spiritual, ethical and social guidelines as stated in 1Timothy 3:1-7 as an evidence of faithfulness to God and excellence in Christian ministry.
Space and sonship : Paul’s familial metaphors in Rom 8
(MDPI, 2024-03-21) Potgieter, Annette; annette.potgieter@up.ac.za
Paul often uses metaphors as a method of persuasion. In Rom 8, Paul’s use of kinship metaphors such as “sonship” and being “heirs” is particularly ubiquitous. Paul writes to an audience situated in Rome where they would have been well aware of kinship metaphors as this inter alia formed part of the Julio-Claudio Caesars’ vocabulary and legitimation of their rule. Paul’s familial metaphors would have resonated with an audience in Rome au fait with the notion of adoption and its implications. The use of the images of “sonship” and “heir” also function as spatial metaphors indicating a vertical and horizontal understanding which the audience would have picked up on. The spatial metaphors contribute to an understanding of “in” and “out”, underscoring an alternative family identity found in Christ. These metaphors play a role in the formation and construction of what is later to be called early Christianity.
Prefigurative peace in Philippians
(MDPI, 2024-08-05) Smit, Peter-Ben A.
Paul refers to peace twice in Phil. 4:7 and 4:9. This paper argues that the peace of God is a prefiguration of the eschatological peace to come in God’s world. It is be proposed that as Philippians is dealing with a social order (i.e., that of life in Christ) that is distinct from the dominant social order of the Roman empire or that of the colony of Philippi, political implications are at the very least a corollary of what Paul is writing to the Christ devotees in this city. The main points that will be argued are that peace is best understood as a key dimension for God’s upcoming new world that is already present “in Christ”. The Philippian community is called upon to stand firm in Christ (Phil. 4:1), which is, due to devotional and ethical practices, to result in the experience of God’s peace or the God of peace. This must be understood as both a present and a future reality. Accordingly, the Philippian community can be seen as prefiguring God’s future world by inhabiting this world now already in their communal life.
Introduction to the special issue : exploring the complexity of identities and boundaries in the New Testament and related literature
(MDPI, 2024-07-22) Williams, H. H. Drake; Kok, Jacobus (Kobus)
No abstract available
An eschatological framework and social identity in 1QM 1:1-15 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
(MDPI, 2025-02) Van Appeldoorn, Gijsbert
In the Qumran War Scroll (1QM) 1:1–15 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11, almost the same eschatological interpretative framework is created with words from the semantic domains of light and darkness, kinship, war, ethics, divinity and time. Although the constructed frameworks in these texts look alike, their impact on the self-understanding of the respective Qumran and Thessalonian communities is different. This article aims to reconstruct these frameworks from the texts by using semantic dictionaries and to reconstruct the probable impact of these frameworks on the self-understanding of the communities by utilizing some insights from sociolinguistics. It shows that although communities around the beginning of the era used almost the same frameworks, the effect on group identities could be significantly different.
Isaiah's apocalyptic myth and the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria
(Routledge, 2024) Agbo, Paulinus Okechukwu; Uwaegbute, Kingsley I.; Okoye, Kingsley; Oji, Cyriacus; Anowia, Wilson
We argue that “Isaiah's apocalyptic myth,” (Isaiah 26:20) was a cushioning effort amidst the corona-virus (COVID-19) pandemic in Nigeria between March and May 2020. Informed conversations frame myths with unhealthy actions leading to the spread of COVID-19. Despite this, Isaiah's apocalyptic myth led to improved behaviours against COVID-19 in Nigeria within the period under study. We relied on a mixed-method approach of data collection and analysis to draw a relation between the “Isaiah” apocalyptic oracle' and the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria between March and May 2020. This discourse presents ways in which superstitions mitigate the spread of pandemic disease.
Exploring the responses of non-churchgoers to a cathedral pre-Christmas son et lumiere
(AOSIS, 2024-05-24) McKenna, Ursula; Francis, Leslie John; Village, Andrew; Stewart, Francis
Two conceptual strands of research within the field of cathedral studies have theorised the capacity of Anglican cathedrals to engage more successfully than parish churches with the wider non-churchgoing community. One strand has explored mobilising cathedral metaphors, and the other strand has explored the notion of implicit religion. Both strands illuminate the power of events and installations to soften the boundaries between common ground and sacred space. Drawing on a quantitative survey among 978 people who attended the pre-Christmas son et lumiere at Liverpool Cathedral during December 2022, the present study analyses the qualitative responses of 123 participants who never attend church services. Three categories of themes emerged from these data, concerning the Cathedral itself, the installation, and discordant experience. CONTRIBUTION : Situated within the science of cathedral studies, this article draws on original qualitative data to illuminate the experiences of participants who never attend church services when engaging with the pre-Christmas son et lumiere at a major cathedral. Conceptualised within the framework of implicit religion, these data confirmed how the son et lumiere succeeded in softening boundaries between the sacred and the secular and provided a deeply moving experience. As one participant said, ‘I am not religious, but I had the best experience ever’.
Assessing the sociological and Pauline insights to the quests for peace and security in Nigeria
(AOSIS, 2024-08) Ukeachusim, Chidinma P.
There are continued quests to achieve and maintain peace and security in the world, with special reference to Nigeria. However, in her history, sustainable peace and security have not been wholesomely consolidated. Nigeria is one of the crises-ridden nations in the world as indicated by the intensifying issues of insecurity, corruption, religious intolerance, multi-faceted ethnic groups, poor economy, poverty, poor education, unemployment, kidnapping cases, leadership, and political interests. Although, the federal and state governments as well as other external and internal agencies and Nigerian citizens may or may not be making adequate efforts to ensure peace and security in Nigeria, the bordering question is whether Nigeria, as a country, ever can achieve sustainable peace and security. The study adopted the exegetical design. This design involves descriptive, analytical, and hermeneutical research exercises related to the exegesis of the studied text, as well as the application of the lessons drawn from the exegesis to the theological and social issues being studied. The study employed the social-scientific method of biblical criticism to study 1 Thessalonians 5:3 and applied its findings to the issue of the world with special focus on Nigeria seeking peace and security, though worldly. This study explored the Nigerian quests for εἰρήνη and ἀσφάλεια, and unveiled the sociological and the Pauline theological insights to the causes and the theological implications of 1 Thessalonians 5:3 to the crises of peace and security in Nigeria. This study found that, like the rest of the world, Nigeria is one of the nations that is in desperate need for peace and security and hence, although worldly, is engaged in the quest for peace and security. In fulfilment of the prophetic utterance of Paul, the world has kept on questing for peace and security; however, achieving and consolidating sustainable peace and security appear to be an illusion. Although worldly, Nigeria is one of the nations in the world that is questing for peace and security. However, the disciples of Jesus should understand that it is in Jesus that they could be bequeathed wholesome, sustainable, and transcending peace and security. CONTRIBUTION: This study unveiled that the 1st-century social-context and Paul’s theology reveal the root causes of the crises of peace and security in the world, with particular reference to Nigeria. This study advances Paul’s theology that, although the world will keep talking about peace and security, εἰρήνη and ἀσφάλεια are obtained through identification with God through Jesus

Browse

Recent Submissions