Christ And The Future In New Testament History

Christology and eschatology form a double-core conception in the New Testament that enables one to understand other themes radiating out from it. The present volume addresses fifteen topics within this central core, seven on 'the person of Jesus', and eight on 'this age and the age to come'. The essays interact with and further discussion on disputed topics in contemporary New Testament Studies, including the historical Jesus and the Gospels; deity christology in the Synoptics and in the Pauline writings; the meaning of resurrection in the teaching of Jesus, the Sadducees and Qumran; eschatology in Luke's writings and the structure of Pauline eschatology; New Testament teaching on hell; and other christological and eschatological motifs. Three concluding pieces provide the historical and hermeneutical framework from which the theological studies proceed. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details.

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.

Enormous confusion exists today concerning the Bible's teaching about the future. Millions of contemporary Christians are caught up in "rapture" fever, evidenced by the phenomenal success of the Left Behind novels. At the opposite end of the spectrum are those, such as the leaders of the Jesus Seminar, who believe that Jesus did not teach about the approaching Kingdom of God. In God's Time offers an alternative to these two poles in the debate, an alternative that is at once faithful and sane, readable and scholarly. Author Craig C. Hill encourages Christians both to take seriously and to think sensibly about the hope of God's ultimate victory. His new book includes chapters on the nature of the Bible, the history of prophecy, the meaning of apocalyptic writings, the interpretation of Daniel and Revelation, the expectations of Jesus, and the hopes of the early Christians. It also includes an appendix ("Not Left Behind") on the subject of the rapture. Endorsed by a wide array of top scholars and church leaders, In God's Time is a reliable guide to this often bewildering but always fascinating subject.

Jesus' statements about the future provoked conflict among his own people and reprisal from the Romans; they remain controversial even today. Some readers of the New Testament study Jesus' words for specific predictions, searching for a road map to the future. Others transform Jesus' words into spiritual truths with little current relevance. This book challenges the reader to understand the historical realities that Jesus addressed. How did his message interpret Israel's hope in the midst of the ominous events of his time? How did his declaration of God's reign redefine the meaning of the present and the future of humanity and the world? Important passages concerning the future are examined in close connection to their real life contexts. Special attention is given to the book of Revelation.

After sketching the history of modern criticism, this work examines the dating of New Testament books and their techniques of biblical citation, Paul's mission to Spain, the hypothesis of 'innocent' apostolic pseudepigrapha, and the use of preformed traditions in Paul's christology.

'Prophecy and Hermeneutic in Early Christianity' was written with the conviction that the New Testament presents to its readers not merely the opinions of Christian writers, but also the message of God mediated through faithful prophets. These prophets initiated and interpreted the first proclamation of the Christian faith - a proclamation that continues to enlighten and to guide the church, for it provides a key to the church's history and theology. The prophets in this study are the pneumatics, those early Christians who are characterized by spiritual gifts of inspired speech and discernment, who are coworkers of Paul engaged in preaching and teaching. While some were perverting their gifts and thereby causing strife in the church, Paul's companions had an active role in its missionary enterprise. Dr. Ellis examines the dispute between the two parties which threatened to destroy the unity and faith of the church. The pneumatics were involved in the formulation of a Christian theology of the Old Testament through their exposition and application of Scripture. Dr. Ellis describes and elaborates upon the interpretative principles which they used. He concludes with a critique of the older form criticism of the gospels and suggests some new directions for understanding the history of the transmission of the teaching of Jesus.

Over half of Americans believe in a literal heaven, in a literal hell. Most people who hold these beliefs are Christian and assume they are the age-old teachings of the Bible. Ehrman shows that eternal rewards and punishments are found nowhere in the Old Testament, and are not what Jesus or his disciples taught. He recounts the long history of the afterlife, ranging from The Epic of Gilgamesh up to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. Ehrman shows that competing views were intimately connected with the social, cultural, and historical worlds out of which they emerged. -- adapted from jacket