The Remaining NT BooksHebrews ~~ James ~~ 1 Peter ~~ 2 Peter ~~ 1 John ~~ 2 John ~~ 3 John ~~ Jude ~~Revelation |
HebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnRevelationNotes on HebrewsNot quite a letterThis text, not entirely in epistolary form, was put among the Pauline epistles when the canon of the Scriptures was fixed by church synods in the fourth century. The Beatty papyrus (P46 2nd-century), our earliest preserved text of the Pauline epistles, sets it after Romans. Unlike Paul's writings, it has no opening salutation giving the name of writer and the addressees, although it does have admonitions and warnings, call the readers "brethren," and exhorts them (13:1ff), request their prayers (13:18), and refers to "our brother Timothy" (13:23). Its genre is homiletical and theological treatise, not letter. Raymond Brown aptly comment that Hebrews "begins like a treatise, proceeds like a sermon and closes like an epistle" (Intro. N.T. 690.) Theme: Superiority of the Gospel
AuthorshipBy whom and for whom was it written, and when? Hebrews is "anonymous" in the sense that no claim is made within it about its writer. Its style is notably different from Paul's, as was already recognized by Origen in the 3rd century. Its outlook and content also differ from him. The notion of Christ as high priest does not occur in Paul; nor would Paul, who insists on his reception of the Gospel directly from God (Gal 1:11-12) have happily declared that the message was "attested to us by those who heard" (2:3); furthermore, the resurrection which is so important for Paul it is barely mentioned here (13:20, in a subordinate clause). It has been variously attributed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos and Clement of Rome. But the great Origen held that only God knew who wrote Hebrews, and Brown remarks on the irony that the most sophisticated rhetorician and elegant theologian of the NT is an unknown. Strongly Jewish IdiomOur author seems to think that some Christians over-value Israel's cultic heritage, and fail to appreciate the changed situation brought about by Christ, the bringer of a new covenant. The thoughts, metaphors, and ideas of Hebrews are quite distinctive, with detailed and critical interest in the old Jewish sacrificial system, echoes of Stephen's speech to the Jewish Council (Acts 7:39-49). He proposes to prove the finality of God's revelation in Jesus Christ and the perfection of Christ's sacrifice of himself once for all, which supersedes the older religion of Israel. The author encourages his readers through the example of Christ the great mediator, our "merciful and faithful high priest," who gives us free access to God and the promise of eternal rest. Its intellectual milieu has some parallels to Philo, with its great skill in allegory and in the imaginative transposition of established biblical themes. This author "is less thorough in terms of philosophy and of Platonism than is Philo; but he had at least a popular acquaintance with ideas of his time" (R.E. Brown) He addresses people who knew and cared a great deal about the Temple priesthood and sacrifices--presumably Judaeo-Christians, nostalgic for a system from which they were now excluded, either by decree of the Jewish authorities or (more likely) because the Temple had been destroyed during the sack of Jerusalem (70 A.D.) The location of the readers may be Alexandria (where the Philonic style was so popular); but it could be any major city in the empire, which had a sizeable Jewish and Jewish-Christian population. Recently, many incline to the view that it was addressed to the Christians in the area of Rome, some time between the fall of Jerusalem and the persecution under Domitian in the 90's. Persuasive reasons in support of this view are marshalled by R.E. Brown (N.T. Intro., 699-701), who notes that knowledge of Hebrews is more attested at Rome than anywhere else, and "If Hebrews was written to Rome, addressing a generation later than that which received Romans and just before the generation reflected in the first epistle of Clement, we have an insight into the ongoing struggles of a Christian community that proved to be one of the most important in the history of Christianity." OutlineA. Introduction (1:1-4) B. The Son Higher than the angels (1:5-2:18)
C. Jesus, merciful and Faithful High Priest (3:1-5:10)
D. Jesus' Eternal Priesthood and Eternal Sacrifice (5:11-10:39)
E. Jesus' Sacrifice, Motive for Perseverance (10:1-39)
F. Examples, Discipline, Disobedience (11:1-12:29)
G. Final Exhortation, Blessing, Greetings (13:1-25) BrieflyThis text, which is not written consistently in the letter form, was listed among the Pauline epistles when the canon of the Scriptures was fixed by the church authorities in the fourth century. The 2nd-century Beatty papyrus (P46), our earliest preserved text of the Pauline epistles, places it after Romans. But unlike Paul's writings, it has no opening salutation giving the name of writer and the addressees, although its many admonitions and warnings, its reference to the readers as "brethren," its final exhortations (13:1ff), request for prayers (13:18), blessing (13:20ff) and greeting including reference to "our brother Timothy" 13:23 do have resemblance to Paul, and may explain why he was thought to be the author. In genre it is more a homiletical and theological treatise than a letter. Raymond Brown notes how Hebrews "begins like a treatise, proceeds like a sermon and closes like an epistle" (Intro. N.T. 690.) Clearly, the author thinks that some Christians over-value the cultic heritage of Israel, not properly appreciating the enormously changed situation brought about by Christ, the author of a new covenant. His thoughts, metaphors, and ideas of Hebrews are quite distinctive, with adetailed and critical interest in the old Jewish sacrificial system, rather reminiscent of Stephen's speech to the Jewish Council (Acts 7:39-49). It sets out to prove the superiority and finality of God's revelation in Jesus Christ and the perfection of his sacrifice of himself once and for all, which supersedes and makes obsolete any other system of religion. The author encourages his readers through the example of Christ the great mediator, our "merciful and faithful high priest," who gives us free access to God and the promise of eternal rest. Its intellectual milieu has some parallels to Philo, with its great skill in allegory and in the imaginative transposition of established biblical themes. This author "is less thorough in terms of philosophy and of Platonism than is Philo; but he had at least a popular acquaintance with ideas of his time" (Brown) By whom and for whom was it written, and when? Hebrews is "anonymous" in the sense that no claim is made within it about its writer. Its style is notably different from Paul's, as was already recognized by Origen in the 3rd century. Its outlook and content also differ from him. The notion of Christ as high priest does not occur in Paul; nor would Paul, who insists on his reception of the Gospel directly from God (Gal 1:11-12) have happily declared that the message was "attested to us by those who heard" (2:3); furthermore, the resurrection which is so important for Paul it is barely mentioned here (13:20, in a subordinate clause). It has been variously attributed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos and Clement of Rome. But the great Origen held that only God knew who wrote Hebrews, and Brown remarks on the irony that the most sophisticated rhetorician and elegant theologian of the NT is an unknown. It is addressed to people who knew and cared a great deal about the temple priesthood and sacrifices - presumably Judaeo-Christians, nostalgic for a system from which they were now excluded, either by decree of the Jewish authorities or (more likely) because the temple had been destroyed during the sack of Jerusalem (70 A.D.) The location of the readers may be Alexandria (where the Philonic style was so popular); but it could be any major city in the empire, which had a sizeable Jewish and Jewish-Christian population. Recently, many incline to the view that it was addressed to the Christians in the area of Rome, some time between the fall of Jerusalem and the persecution under Domitian in the 90's. Persuasive reasons in support of this view are marshalled by Brown (N.T. Intro., 699-701), including the fact that Hebrews is more attested at Rome than anywhere else, and he observes that if Hebrews was written to Rome, addressing a generation later than that which received Romans and just before the generation reflected in 1 Clement, then it provides "an insight into the ongoing struggles of a Christian community that proved to be one of the most important in the history of Christianity." Notes on the Epistle of James
Slow to gain AcceptanceAbsent from the Muratorian canon, it appears that James was not considered canonical in the West before the year 200. Raymond Brown suggests some reasons why it was so slow in gaining acceptance--Did some who knew it fail to recognize that the "James" of 1:1 was who he claimed to be? Did its circulation primarily in Christian circles loyal to the Law make it suspect to the larger church? Did its lack of christology make it unacceptable as a General (Catholic) Epistle? Theme: Piety and Social JusticeThe object of this writer was to enforce the practical duties of the Christian life. The service of God, he warns them, consists in active love and purity of heart and tongue. The great lesson he teaches them is patience, in trial (1:2), in good works (1:22-25), under provocation (3:17), under oppression (5:7), under persecution (5:10); and the basis to sustain their patience is faith that the coming of the Lord is near, which will right all wrong (5:8). This work, called by Martin Luther an epistle of straw, has come into its own in our time as the most social-justice oriented writing in the NT. Though claiming authorship by James (the brother of the Lord) is was quite possibly written well after his death, (in the 80s or 90s), by one who admired James as the Christian leader most loyal to his Jewish heritage. Good News for the PoorBut in more recent times, with the heightening of the Christian sense of social morality, Paul's reticence about changing social structures (e.g., his tolerating slavery) came under increased criticism from those of the Liberation Theology school, whereas James has their enthusiastic favour. His maxim, "What does it profit if someone says he or she has faith and does not have works?," exemplified by supplying clothes for those who are poorly clothed, and food for the hungry (2:14-16) was seen as a significant corrective for socially insensitive Christianity. Even his lack of explicit christological affirmation might be seen in a positive light today, as a means of translating christology into meaningfulness for Christian living, as did Jesus himself, who shared the good news of the Kingdom with the poor, the hungry and the persecuted. Brown therefore concludes that "Many would disagree sharply with the claim that James is an epistle of straw. This change of outlook is an enduring warning about depreciating one or the other NT work as inferior. What one generation despises, another generation may esteem as the heart of the gospel." (NTI, 745). Notable Passages
OutlineA. Address and Greetings (1:1)B. Endurance For God's Sake (1:2-18)
C. Faithfully acting upon the Word of God (1:19-5:6)
D. Waiting for the Coming of the Lord (5:7-20)
BrieflyJames' main objective in writingr was to reinforce the need for practicing the duties of Christian living. The service of God, he urges, consists in active love as well as purity of heart and tongue. The great lesson he teaches is patience in trial (1:2), in good works (1:22-25), under provocation (3:17), under oppression (5:7), under persecution (5:10); and the basis to sustain their patience is faith that the coming of the Lord is near, which will right all wrong (5:8). Because of its challenge to do good works- so apparently in conflict with justification by faith alone (Jas 2:18-26) - this epistle was denounced by Martin Luther as "an epistle of straw" (eine stroherne Epistel). However, it has come into its own in our time as the most socially conscious writing in the NT. Though claiming authorship by James (the brother of the Lord) is was probably written well after his death, (in the 80s or 90s), by one who admired James as the Christian leader most loyal to his Jewish heritage. Notes on the 1st Letter of PeterDate and originIf written by Peter, some time between 60-63 AD; but more likely between 70 and 75 AD, by a disciple carrying on the heritage of Peter in Rome. It was written to an area in northern Asia Minor, probably evangelized by missionaries from Jerusalem. We should probably date it within ten years of Peter's martyrdom and not long after the fall of Jerusalem. In his fine commentary on this epistle, J. H. Eliott designates its authorship as follows: "Speaking in the name of their martyred leader, this Petrine branch of the family of God in 'Babylon' assured fellow members of the household dispersed through Asia Minor of the bonds of suffering, faith and hope which united the worldwide Christian brotherhood." Arguments against Petrine AuthorshipWhile not overwhelming, the main arguments are: 1. The fine quality of its Greek, and its citation of the LXX form of the OT make it unlikely to be composed by a Galilean fisherman. 2. Its dependence on the Pauline writings would not reflect the historical relations between Peter and Paul. 3. References to a fiery ordeal (4:12) endured throughout the world (5:9) may refer to a universal imperial persecution, which had not yet occurred in Peter's lifetime. 4. The church organization implied in 5:1, with established presbyters, seemingly appointed and salaried, would better fit the period after Peter's time. 5. The author's calling himself simply "Peter" rather than "Simon" or "Simon Peter" may be the work of a disciple, wishing to avail of the authority implicit in his master's name. Notable Passages
Main Sections
OutlineA. Introduction: Address and Greeting (1:1-2) B. Dignity and Duties of the Christian Vocation (1:3-2:10) 1. The Christian Vocation (1:3-25) a) Salvation, by the Triune God (1:3-12) b) Exhortation to Holiness (1:13-25) 2. Responsibilities of this Vocation (2:1-10) a) Exhortation: Live as God's Children (2:1-3) b) The New Household of God (2:4-10) C. Witness of Christian life (2:11-3:12) 1. Conduct in a Pagan World (2:11-12) 2. Practical Catechesis (2:13-3:7) a) Toward civil authority (2:13-17) b) Domestic Code (2:18-3:7) 3. Above All, Love and Humility (3:8-12) D. Christians under Persecution (3:13-5:11) 1. Spiritual Approach to Persecution (3:13-4:11) a) Confidence in Persecution (3:13-17) b) Christ is the Basis for Confidence (3:18-4:6) 2. The Parousia is Near (4:7-11) 3. Practical Advice, under Persecution (4:12-5:11) a) Share in Christ's Sufferrings (4:12-19) b) To the Elders, Shepherd the Flock (5:1-5) c) To the Faithful-Trust in God! (5:6-11) E. Conclusion: Stand Firm in the Grace of God (5:12-14) Summing u[The First Epistle of Peter is addressed to "the strangers scattered abroad," i.e., to the Jews of the Dispersion (the Diaspora). Its object is to confirm its readers in the doctrines they had been already taught. Peter has been called "the apostle of hope," because this epistle abounds with words of comfort and encouragement fitted to sustain a "lively hope." It contains about thirty-five references to the Old Testament. While not overwhelming, the main arguments against Petrine authorship are: 1. The excellence of its Greek, and its citation of the LXX form of the OT make it unlikely to be composed by a Galilean fisherman. 2. Its dependence on the Pauline writings does not match the historical relations between Peter and Paul. 3. References to a fiery ordeal (4:12) endured throughout the world (5:9) suggest a universal imperial persecution which did not yet occur in Peter's lifetime. 4. The church organization implied in 5:1, with established presbyters, seemingly appointed and salaried, fits better in the period after Peter's time. 5. The author's calling himself simply "Peter" rather than "Simon" or "Simon Peter" suggests the work of a disciple who wishes to stress the authority implicit in his master's name. We may date it not long after Peter's martyrdom and the fall of Jerusalem. In his fine commentary on this epistle, J.H. Eliott designates its authorship in this way: "Speaking in the name of their martyred leader, this Petrine branch of the family of God in 'Babylon' assured fellow members of the household dispersed through Asia Minor of the links of suffering, faith and hope which united the worldwide Christian brotherhood." Notes on 2 PeterLast New Testament BookThere is a strong case for treating this letter as a pseudonymous work and as chronologically the last of the NT books to be written, although it has been in our times "the subject of acrimonious debate" (R.E. Brown, Intro NT, 761). Its probable date is around 130 A.D., written from Rome to a general audience of eastern Mediterranean Christians who would have known the Pauline writings and First Peter. "In Persona Petri"Written in the persona of Peter, the chief apostle, at the moment of his facing martyrdom, it leaves as his testimony a strong exhortation to virtue, an assurance that the Gospel was based on things seen and experienced, a certain priority of Peter's knowledge over Paul's, and yet a guarded approval of Paul's writings as valuable for Christian instruction. Perhaps its best-known text is the affirmation that: "So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. (3:15-16) Notable Passages
OutlineA. Introduction: Christian Living, its Rewards (1:1-11)B. Peter's Testament (1:12-2:22)
C. Last Days and End of the World (3:1-16)
D. Closing Greetings (3:17-18)BrieflyPeter, Second Epistle of - The question of the authenticity of this epistle has been much discussed, but the weight of evidence is wholly in favour of its claim to be the production of the apostle whose name it bears. It appears to have been written shortly before the apostle's death (1:14). This epistle contains eleven references to the Old Testament. It also contains (3:15, 16) a remarkable reference to Paul's epistles. Some think this reference is to 1 Thess. 4:13-5:11. A few years ago, among other documents, a parchment fragment, called the "Gospel of Peter," was discovered in a Christian tomb at Akhmim in Upper Egypt. Origen (obiit 254 A.D.), Eusebius (obiit 340), and Jerome (obiit 420) refer to such a work, and hence it has been concluded that it was probably written about the middle of the second century. It professes to give a history of Jesus's resurrection and ascension. While differing in not a few particulars from the canonical Gospels, the writer shows plainly that he was acquinted both with the synoptics and with the Gospel of John. Though apocryphal, it is of considerable value as showing that the main facts of the history of Jesus were then widely known. This work was chronologically the last NT book to be written. Its date may be as late as around 130 A.D., written from Rome to a general audience of eastern Mediterranean Christians who would have known the Pauline writings and First Peter. Written in the persona of Peter facing death, it leaves as his testimony a strong exhortation to virtue, an assurance that the Gospel was based on things seen and experienced, a certain priority of Peter's knowledge over Paul's, and yet a guarded approval of Paul's writings as valuable for Christian instruction. One of its significant texts is the affirmation that: "So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. (3:15-16) Notes on 1 JohnLinks to the Fourth GospelComposed (probably) about 100 A.D., the First Letter of John is so similar to the 4th Gospel in style and vocabulary that it clearly comes from the same tradition. The epistle reflects a time not long after the Gospel, but when the struggle with the synagogue was less urgent than a new division that had arisen within the Johannine Christians themselves. They disagreed about the importance of what Jesus, the Word, had done in the flesh: one group saw him as a moral example to be followed; the other held that believing in him was sufficient for salvation. A schism is imminent. As John's purpose was "that you may believe.." (20:31), so this author writes "that you may know that you possess this eternal life--you who believe in the name of the Son of God" (5:13) Differences from the Fourth GospelWe note these differences between this author and the 4th evangelist: 1. Instead of stressing the personified Word, it speaks of the word of life (message) which was seen and felt through Jesus. 2. He assigns to God features that the Gospel assigns to Jesus, e.g. God is light (1:5), and gives the commandment to love one another (4:21). 3. He never uses the Gospel term "Paraclete" of the Spirit. 4. His eschatology is "final" rather than "realized;" his expectation is for the future parousia, rather than a stress on the continued presence of Jesus. OutlineA. Prologue (1:1-4)B. Walking in the Light (1:5-2:29)
C. Love as the hallmark of God's Children (3:1-24)
D. Commandments to Love and Believe (4:1-5:12)
E. Conclusion (5:13-21)
BrieflyJohn, First Epistle of - the fourth of the catholic or "general" epistles. The purpose (1:1-4) is to declare the Word of Life to those to whom he writes, in order that they might be united in fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. He shows that the means of union with God are, (1) on the part of Christ, his atoning work (1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10, 14; 5:11, 12) and his advocacy (2:1); and (2), on the part of man, holiness (1:6), obedience (2:3), purity (3:3), faith (3:23; 4:3; 5:5), and love (2:7, 8; 3:14; 4:7; 5:1). Notes on 2 John2 John is dated about the same time as 1 Jn (c. 100 A.D.), written to Christians of a Johannine community threatened by the advent of schismatic missionaries. Like the first letter, 2Jn lays emphasis on the love commandment, and insists on the importance of Jesus' coming in the flesh. The members are warned not to welcome into their house (church) those who bring another doctrine and do not remain in the doctrine of Christ. The fact that the presbyter (author) sends not his own greetings but those of a sister church suggests that it is part of the policy of the Johannine "we" which occurs in 1 Jn 1:1-4. OutlineA. Opening Formula (vv 1-3) B. Body of the Letter (vv 4-11)
C. Letter Closing (vv 12-13) Notes on 3 JohnTheme and Origin 3 John, the shortest book of the NT, is similar in style to 2 John, but has some new subject-matter. Written soon after 100 A.D., to Gaius, a Johannine christian friendly to the writer, and against Diotrephes, who has taken over leadership of another once-Johannine church and made it hostile to the author's group. We are here probably witnessing the emergence of the presbyter-bishop structure, promoted with enthusiasm by Ignatius of Antioch after the year 100 AD, but still troubling on the Johannine scene where so little emphasis had been placed on church structure. This writer could represent a situation where there was a Johannine School of tradition-bearers who had no formal authority within their community. Brown suggests that John 21:15ff (the latest element in the Gospel) where Jesus gives Peter pastoral authority over the sheep, may indicate that "Diotrephes ultimately won in his view of what would save Johannine Christianity" (Raymond Brown, Intro. NT, 404) Notes on the epistle of JudeDate of compositionIt is impossible to tell, as the text offers no substantial clues. It might be as early as the 50s, but many scholars now tend to place it in the period 90-100. Written probably from the Palestine area (where the brothers of Jesus were important figures), to Christians under the influence of the Palestinian churches, it conveys a negative and threatening message: They must struggle to maintain the authentic faith against the influence of ungodly intruders. A difficult workIt is a difficult work, which attracts little interest today. For most people it is simply "too negative, too apocalyptic and too dated to be of much use" (R.E. Brown, Intro.N.T. 748). Richard Bauckham offers the alternative view that the letter is "rich in content, owing to its masterly composition and its economy of expression, which at times achieves an almost poetic effect" (Oxford Companion to the Bible, 395f);--well, yes perhaps, if you thrill to contorted references to Sodom and Gomorrah, to Korah's rebellion and to the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Enoch! Fallen AngelsThis epistle is the main source for the belief in the struggle between archangel Michael and the devil, and in the punishment of the fallen angels (vv. 6, 9). Its main positive texts are the exhortation to prayerful edification (vv. 20-21) and its beautifully rounded doxology (vv. 24-25). OutlineA. Reason for the Letter (1-4) B. Warnings against False Teachers (5-19)
C. Mercy Practiced by Saints (20-23) D. Doxology (24-25) BrieflyJude, Epistle of - The author is named as "Judas, the brother of James" the Less (Jude 1:1), called also Lebbaeus (Matt. 10:3) and Thaddaeus (Mark 3:18). The genuineness of this epistle was early questioned, and doubts regarding it were revived at the time of the Reformation. Date of composition: this is impossible to tell, as the text offers no substantial clues. It might be as early as the 50s, but many scholars now place it in the period 90-100. Written probably from the Palestine area (where the brothers of Jesus were important figures), to Christians under the influence of the Palestinian churches, it conveys a negative and threatening message - They must struggle to maintain the authentic faith against the influence of ungodly intruders. Raymond Brown remarked that "most people find this brief work too negative, too apocalyptic and too dated to be of much use" and attributed the numerous textual problems in the MSS to the idea that the work was not treated as very authoritative (Intro. 748). Richard Bauckham offers the alternative view that the letter is "rich in content, owing to its masterly composition and its economy of expression, which at times achieves an almost poetic effect" (Companion, 395f); well, yes if you like contorted references to Sodom and Gomorrah, to Korah's rebellion and to the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Enoch! It is the main source of the belief in the struggle between archangel Michael and the devil, and in the punishment of the fallen angels (vv. 6, 9). Its main positive texts are the exhortation to prayerful edification (vv. 20-21) and its beautifully rounded doxology (vv. 24-25). Notes on the Book of Revelation
Title and ThemeThe title "Apocalypsis" suggests that the deep secrets of God for the future of the human race are here unveiled, through visions made to an author named John. This author wants to encourage his suffering fellow-Christians to hold firm to their Christian faith, since Jesus will ultimately triumph, and will reward them, even if they have washed their robes [by martyrdom] in the blood of the Lamb. With its extensive use of visions, symbols, and allegory, this is the only book of the New Testament classified as "apocalyptic" rather than didactic or historical. Authorship and DateFrom various clues within the book, it appears to have been composed under persecution, some time between 92 and 96, toward the end of Domitian's reign as emperor, after ferocious persecution has been suffered by the church in the western part of Asia Minor, around Ephesus. The book purports to have been written by John, "the beloved disciple" of Jesus, at Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. Texts to notice
Apocalyptic StyleThe style used in works of this genre purports to transmit secrets of the supernatural world and of the future, to help interpret tragic and difficult circumstances upon the earth. It has its roots in prophecy, since the prophets also interpret present reality in light of visions they received, regarding the mysterious plan of God. But in apocalyptic, the visions of the otherworldly have become far more florid, even bizarre, and "often accompanied by vivid symbols (ideal temple, liturgical settings, cosmic phenomena, menagerie of fantastic beasts, statues) and mysterious numbers" (Brown, 775). Purpose of this genre of writing: This writing is not divorced from historical events, nor is it meant as generalized prophecy about the end of the world, couched in obscure language. Rather, it responds to a contemporary crisis of faith, probably brought on by (Roman) persecution. The Christians are exhorted to remain steadfast in their faith and hold firmly to the hope that ultimately God will have victory over his (and their) enemies. Old Testament Heritage: Although Christ is the central figure of Revelation, the text presupposes familiarity with Old Testament language and concepts, especially from the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. The author uses the number seven, for example, in a symbolic sense to signify "totality" or "perfection." References to "a thousand years" (chapter 20) have led some to expect that the final victory over evil will come after the completion of some millennium. Danger and Value of ApocalypseThis book of Revelation is notoriously open to misuse, since interpreters can find in its vague and menacing imagery whatever they already believe. It is sometimes read as giving exact predictions of the future, or condemning [far in advance!] later developements of church structures. With most mainstream scholars, we maintain that the author of Revelation did not know how or when the world will end--and neither does anyone else--nor did he foreclose on any debates that Christian groups would have, in the distant future. What this Book does valuably and dramatically affirm is that at every moment of history, even the most desperate of situations, God is present to save His people. The Lamb "standing as though slain" stands for Christ crucified and risen, and is the visible guarantee of God's powerful care, and that the downtrodden and the oppressed are still safe in God's hands. Main SectionsIntroduction (1:1-10) First Set of Visions (1:12-11:19) John's vision of Jesus (1:12-20) Messages to the Seven Churches (2:1-3:22) The Scroll with Seven Seals (4:1-8:5) The Seven Trumpets (8:2-11:19) Second Set of Visions (12:1-22:5) Visions Revealing Past, Present, Future (12:1-15:4) The Seven Bowls (15:5-19:10) Visions of the Last Things (19:11-22:5) Conclusion (22:6-21) OutlineA. Introduction (1:1-10)
B. First Set of Visions (1:12-11:19)1. John's vision of Jesus (1:12-20) 2. Messages to the Seven Churches (2:1-3:22)
3. The Scroll with Seven Seals (4:1-8:5)
4. The Seven Trumpets (8:2-11:19)
C. Second Set of Visions (12:1-22:5)1. Visions Revealing Past, Present, Future (12:1-15:4)
2. The Seven Bowls (15:5-19:10)
3. Visions of the Last Things (19:11-22:5)
D. Conclusion (22:6-21)
BrieflyProbably written between 92 and 96, toward the end of Domitian's reign as emperor, after ferocious persecution has been suffered by the church in western Asia Minor. The author wants to encourage the survivors to hold firm to their faith, since Jesus will ultimately triumph, and will richly reward them. With its extensive use of visions, symbols and allegory, this is the only book of the New Testament classified as apocalyptic literature rather than didactic or historical. It purports to have been written by John, "the beloved disciple" of Jesus, at Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. This book is not divorced from historical events, nor merely a generalized prophecy about the end of the world, couched in obscure language. Rather, it deals with a contemporary crisis of faith, probably brought on by Roman persecutions. Christians are exhorted to remain steadfast in their faith and to hold firmly to the hope that God will ultimately be victorious over his (and their) enemies. Although Christ is the central figure of Revelation, the text presupposes familiarity with Old Testament language and concepts, especially from the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. The author uses the number seven, for example, in a symbolic sense to signify "totality" or "perfection." References to "a thousand years" (chapter 20) have led some to expect that the final victory over evil will come after the completion of some millennium. This book holds the danger that interpreters can find in it whatever they already believe. It is easily abused, as though it held exact predictions of the future, or condemned in advance certain developements of church structures. With the majority of sound interpreters, we would hold that the author of Revelation did not know how or when the world will end - and neither does anyone else - nor did he foresee controversies and debates between Christian groups in the distant future. What this Book does is to forcefully attest that at every moment of history, even the most desperate of situations, God is present. The Lamb standing as though slain is the ultimate guarantee of God's powerful care, and ultimate deliverance of the downtrodden and the oppressed. Is there a thematic relation between this book and the Gospel of John? Some of the leading ideas of both are the same. "The one gives in a magnificent vision, the other in a great historic drama, the supreme conflict between good and evil and its issue. In both Jesus Christ is the central figure, whose victory through defeat is the issue of the conflict. In both the Jewish dispensation is the preparation for the gospel, and the triumph of the Christ is described in language saturated with the Old Testament." |