Understanding the Times: New Testament Studies in the 21st Century; Essays in Honor of D. A. Carson

Written by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, eds. Reviewed By Moisés Silva

The impact of Don Carson's career—through his publications, both scholarly and popular, but also through his classroom teaching, speaking ministry, personal mentoring, and wholehearted involvement in a variety of enterprises—is difficult to overestimate. The present volume constitutes a fitting tribute both to his gifts and to his labors. It is divided into three parts: NT Studies and Ancillary Disciplines (chs. 1-4); Special Topics in NT Studies (chs. 5-8); NT Studies around the World (chs. 9-12). There is also an appendix by Köstenberger on Carson's life and work, as well as a bibliography of his published books (authored or edited) and scholarly articles.

Chapter 1, “Greek Linguistics and Lexicography,” by Stanley E. Porter (pp. 19-61), seeks to assess the extent to which modern linguistics has been employed in the study of NT Greek. After a survey of recent publications, Porter proposes “an alternative orientation to linguistic problems” (p. 43) that he describes as “minimalist formalized semantics” (p. 44). His approach “entails both that there is no difference in meaning or function without a difference in form, and that a change in form indicates a difference in meaning and function” (p. 45; one must wonder, however, whether absolute statements of this sort, since they appear to allow no exceptions, are true to the character of language). This part of the article consists primarily of a severe criticism of Constantine Campbell's views on the perfect tense and of Wallace's treatment of the genitive case.

Chapter 2, “Hermeneutics and Theological Interpretation,” by Grant Osborne (pp. 62-86), clearly describes and analyzes the contemporary debate on the relationship between biblical exegesis and theology. Special attention is given to the roles played by tradition, authorial intention, and biblical theology.

Chapter 3, “The Church: A Summary and Reflection,” by Mark Dever (pp. 87-103), briefly articulates biblical ecclesiology. Because it covers a broad range of controversial topics (e.g., the Lord's Supper and church discipline) in short compass, the author is unable to provide adequate argumentation.

Chapter 4, “Evangelical Self-identity and the Doctrine of Biblical Inerrancy,” by John D. Woodbridge (pp. 104-38), builds on previous work by the author, as well as others, persuasively demonstrating that the doctrine of inerrancy has a long history reaching back to the early centuries of the church.

Chapter 5, “Lifting Up the Son of Man and God's Love for the World: John 3:16 in Its Historical, Literary, and Theological Contexts,” by Andreas J. Köstenberger (pp. 141-59), examines how Jewish writings (specifically the Apocalypse of Abraham, 2 Baruch, 4 Ezra) sought to cope with the destruction of Jerusalem, analyzes the literary context of the Johannine narrative, and assesses the contribution of John 3:16 to biblical theology. The main thrust, in contrast to that of contemporary Jewish thought, is this: “In Jesus as the new temple, there are no particular ethnic, cultural, or religious requirements for being granted access to God” (p. 159).

Chapter 6, “Justification in Galatians,” by Douglas J. Moo (pp. 160-95), is something of a tour de force. Interacting with a bewildering number of publications, Moo provides convincing evidence that the teaching of Galatians “strongly endorses the traditional Reformation emphasis on justification by faith alone” (p. 192). Of special interest is his discussion of the eschatological aspects of the doctrine, which includes this refreshingly candid observation: “our study of Galatians suggests that justification functions in Paul at both the 'already' and 'not yet' poles of his eschatology. A future element in justification does not fit entirely comfortably within my own Reformed tradition. It is messy. But it appears to be biblical” (p. 190).

Chapter 7, “God as the Speaking God: 'Theology' in the Letter to the Hebrews,” by Peter T. O'Brien (pp. 196-216), is a very creative discussion of all the passages in Hebrews that, with a wide variety of terms, represent God as speaking. I don't recall seeing a treatment of this kind before. It proves very illuminating. O'Brien ends by noting the main characteristics of God's word: it is personal, living, clear, trustworthy, and both oral and written (pp. 215-16).

Chapter 8, “The Language of Baptism: The Meaning of Βαπτίζω in the New Testament,” by Eckhard J. Schnabel (pp. 217-46), provides a thorough description and analysis of this term. Schnabel's main concern is that the word should not be translated with English baptize. “The term immerse preserves the meaning of Βαπτίζω quite satisfactorily, and the term cleanse adequately expresses the extended meaning 'removal of moral and spiritual defilement,' which God grants to those who believe in Jesus” (p. 246). But Schnabel's reluctance to accept that the Greek term did develop a semi-technical meaning in Christian speech is disconcerting. Even if, as he suggests, we were to translate Acts 2:38, “Repent and be immersed” or “be cleansed” (p. 234), Peter hardly meant, “Go home and take a bath”; the language would be understood correctly only if English immerse and cleanse themselves had taken on the specialized acceptation, “to undergo a water ceremony administered by a Christian leader and representing a person's entrance into the Christian faith.” The fact that “Βαπτίζω retained the extended and metaphorical senses it had for centuries” (p. 246) has no bearing on this matter—just as the fact that, e.g., νόμος    retained its usual meanings is no argument against the distinct biblical sense conveyed by Torah. And does not the use of the new term βάπτισμα (not discussed by Schnabel) suggest that the Christians needed to coin a noun that would express the distinctiveness of the verb?

The next four chapters discuss “New Testament Studies” in Africa (Robert W. Yarbrough, pp. 249-76), North America (Craig L. Blomberg, pp. 277-99), Asia (David W. Pao, pp. 300-23), and Europe (Robert W. Yarbrough, pp. 324-48). Why a couple of continents were excluded is not clear. The respective authors approach the subject somewhat differently, but they all usefully synthesize the state of scholarship with plenty of helpful bibliographical information.

The present reviewer joins the contributors to this volume in congratulating Don Carson and wishing him many more years of influential ministry.


Moisés Silva

Moisés Silva
Litchfield, Michigan, USA

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