Catholic Epistles

This study represents a revised doctoral dissertation, originally submitted to the Department of Ancient History at Macquarie University, that approaches the polemic in the Epistle of Jude through comparative analysis. More specifically, Robinson seeks to "show to what degree Jude has been influenced by Greco-Roman invective and Jewish judgment oracles," which is accomplished "by examining the structure, aims, themes, and style of various Greco-Roman and Jewish polemical texts" (4).

In 1 Pet. 4:11a, those who exercise χαρίσματα involving speech acts are instructed to carry out their tasks ὡς λόγια θεοῦ. Two interpretations of this phrase have gained prominence within Petrine scholarship. Some claim that Scripture is being referenced to establish a standard for regulating the use of communicative gifts in the church. Others contend that the verse sets up a hypothetical comparison designed to emphasize the appropriate manner in which the spoken word should be performed. The problem is that both of these positions have left crucial questions unattended. The purpose of this study is to provide a close examination of the three issues which most significantly impact the interpretation of 1 Pet. 4:11a: (1) the meaning of λόγια; (2) the reconstruction of verbal elision; and (3) the Petrine author’s view of divine revelation through human mediation. In the end, we suggest that the verse is intended to convey a direct correspondence between the comparative image (i.e., one who delivers oracles from God) and the ministry of those who exercised speaking gifts within the Anatolian congregations. That is, when Christians rendered service to the community through various forms of verbal communication, they were understood to be dispensing divine revelation.

This study, an extended earlier version of a chapter later published in Apostasy in the New Testament Communities (Vol. 3), engages apostasy and restoration in the Epistle of James and engages the book of Job in relation to the themes of suffering, wisdom, and poverty

This paper deals withAlcuin ofYork.'e thinking and personality reflected in bis Jetters. It is an analysis of tbe different types of Alcuin's epistles: doctrinal, friendship, otlicials (according to bis roles as an abbot, a royal ccnut fiinctianary and an educator), and other author's lettere. lt is possible to discover in tbese letters many aspecte of tbe political, ecclesiastical and theological matters in the Charlemagne's age as well as a human and personal face of Alcuin of York. adef e.e.

The present paper seeks to explain a new method being used to edit the standard editions of the Greek NT used by scholars, students, pastors, and translators. Known as the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method, it has been used to edit the Catholic Epistles and is set for further use in editing the remaining books of the NT. Unfortunately, the method has so far induced incomprehension more than it has critical engagement. This is due in part to the density of current explanations of the method. The modest aim of this paper is to address this misunderstanding by offering a simple introduction. After setting the CBGM in the context of previous genealogical methods, the article explains the basic features of the method, the new tools it provides, and the preliminary results of its use. The conclusion suggests that the CBGM holds promise for editing the text of the NT and that it therefore deserves greater attention from NT scholars. An appendix offers an index of variants discussed in relation to the CBGM.

Dubbed ‘the ugly stepchild’ of the New Testament due to its alleged aporias, the lucidity of 2 Peter’s unique voice may be best perceived not with primary reference to extrabiblical Jewish or Hellenistic sources, nor even to Jude, but to scriptural wisdom reread in light of the Lord’s coming in the person of Jesus. Confronted with false teachers in the form of seductive, foolish ‘mockers’ (3:3), 2 Peter invokes Proverbs’ voice to exhort Christ-oriented wisdom attributes such as ἐπίγνωσις (‘knowledge’), εὐσέβεια (‘godliness’, ‘piety’) and ἀρετή (‘virtue’) so that God’s people remain on the true ὁδός (‘way’, ‘path’) of ζωή (‘life’). Though the controversial question of authorship will not be addressed directly in this essay, this ‘scriptural’ reading of 2 Peter might explain how one author could generate two distinct styles—each letter invokes different voices from God’s ‘living and enduring’ word, and each elegantly fit for purpose. First, the essay explains how 2 Peter leads us to examine Scripture and Proverbs most particularly, as a dominant influence. Second, texts from Proverbs 1–9 and 2 Peter are compared to suggest further examination may reveal significant resonance of structure, style and theological themes. To conclude, four questions raised in 2 Peter scholarship are cursorily addressed with a wisdom hermeneutic.

The introduction of the concept of intertextuality into the critical discourse in the late 1960s transformed the discussion of all kinds of literature, including biblical literature. 'Intertextuality' is currently a hot topic among biblical interpreters. When evaluating early Jesus traditions within the New Testament, the letters of James, First and Second Peter may not immediately come to mind. Instead, it is often materials from the gospels -and usually the Synoptic Gospels -that one thinks of first, as these narratives focus upon Jesus' life and teachings. In recent times, the Letters of James, Peter, Hebrews, and Jude have been given more attention, and close studies of rhetoric and intertextuality emerged in part through methodological advancements, have placed the presence and function of 'Jesus traditions' within these 'catholic' epistles under the microscope. Concentration on shared Jesus traditions also opens up questions about the roles of Judean and Graeco-Roman influences upon the sayings, portrayals, and memories of Jesus that are incorporated into subsequent literature. How do other traditions from the ancient context

The class introduces students to the Catholic epistles of the New Testament and the Book of Revelation. The class will discuss the historical development of the literary form, questions of authorship, audience, and dating of each. This will serve as the foundation for the more in-depth analysis of the liturgical imagery and major theological themes of each, including notions of sacrifice and the priesthood. Special attention will be paid to the Letter to the Hebrews, both in its context and its importance in the history of Christian theology. The course will also examine the question of the authorship of Hebrews and its connection to the Pauline texts.

Durante mucho tiempo, el centro de atencion en los estudios dela primera carta de Pedro fue la estrategia propuesta por el autor a sus destinatariospara que, sin renunciar a su fe, superaran la hostilidad de la queeran victimas. El presente articulo intenta responder a la pregunta por el rolde la teologia en la estrategia de 1 Pe, aportando como resultado una perspectivaalternativa a las tesis ya conocidas de aculturacion y conformidad, poruna parte, y de resistencia, por otra. El estudio corresponde a la segundaparte del trabajo publicado anteriormente bajo el titulo “Los destinatariosde la primera carta de Pedro en la sociedad greco-romana del siglo i”. Palabras clave: 1 Pedro. Teologia y etica. Buena conducta. Epistolas catolicas.Cristianismo primitivo. Aculturacion.    Theology and Strategy in the First Letter of Peter Abstract: For a long time, the centre of attention in the studies of 1 Peter wasthe strategy proposed by the author to his addressees, in order to overcome thehos...

Does God test His people? Nicholas Ellis examines the interplay between theological conviction and biblical hermeneutic, starting from the Epistle of James, and opening into a wide-ranging study of ancient convictions and hermeneutics in Jewish and Christian literature.

Written prior to the completion of my book, Churches under Siege of Persecution and Assimilation: The General Epistles and Revelation. Apostasy in the New Testament Communities, Vol. 3 (Eugene: Cascade/Wipf & Stock, 2012). The book covers my own interpretation of the Hebrews warning passages on pp. 3-70. About this article: the interpretation of the warning passages in Hebrews has long been disputed, especially 6.4-6. Discussions on the issue over the last several decades frequently remain in dialogue with the theologies of Calvinist-Reformed and Arminian traditions, and intrigue about the passages often centers on whether or not the recipients of the message are 'genuine' believers and able to abandon their salvation because of apostasy. Recent methods of interpretation have opened up new ways of looking at the warnings and bring them into sharper relief. Such methods include historical-critical, socio-rhetorical, social-scientific, intertextual, and oral-critical methods. This article addresses studies of the warnings in Hebrews relevant to such approaches, and it also surveys recent interpretations that integrate Calvinist or Arminian viewpoints.

Des éléments de haute christologie apparaissent dans l'Épître de Jacques. Le nom de Jésus-Christ ou ses attributs y figurent à plusieurs reprises dans des expressions qui ne sont pas anodines, et le ce texte produit une image du Christ et du mode de vie qu'il préconise sans se limiter à l'explicitation des termes synthétiques d'une confession de foi, mais en proposant une perspective plus existentielle. Quelques expressions peuvent être interprétées comme un réseau de références particulièrement significatives faites à la personne du Christ : le « beau Nom », la « Loi de liberté », le « visage originel », la « Parole implantée ».

Over the years, one of the most important considerations for dating 1 Peter has been the nature of suffering. Interpreters have attempted to connect the conflict with instances of Christian persecution recorded in other sources. What is often overlooked in this discussion is the impact of pseudonymity on the representation of suffering. The aim of this essay is to consider whether scholars are justified in reading the descriptions of conflict as a window into the circumstances of the actual readers, given that the letter was designed as a literary deception. This question will help to determine the extent to which historical evidence like the nature of persecution can be used as a means of dating 1 Peter.

From beginning to end, the epistle of 1 Peter is concerned with responding to the conflict in which the Anatolian readers have presently become involved. Nevertheless, throughout the history of Petrine scholarship the nature of this problem has generated significant disagreement. Within the most recent discussion, however, a general consensus has been reached. Virtually all commentators now tend to agree that this conflict is a kind of unofficial, local hostility which arose sporadically out of the disdain from the general populace and which was expressed primarily through discrimination and verbal abuse. Ultimately, though, this position rests on a number of undemonstrated contentions which have never been examined through comprehensive and detailed socio-historical inquiry.

The present study is intended to take up the question afresh and to thereby rectify the significant missteps through which the topic has been previously approached. Our purpose is to determine the nature of suffering in 1 Peter by situating the letter against the backdrop of conflict management in first-century CE Asia Minor. To do so, we seek to understand the different means by which conflict was dealt with in Roman Anatolia and how the persecutions of 1 Peter fit into this larger context. Part of this goal is to examine how conflict affected different social groups within the community as a way of determining the various forms of suffering to which specific members may have been prone. Therefore, our efforts consist of an attempt to differentiate the readers’ troubling experiences by providing a detailed “social profile” of the letter’s recipients and to contextualize the conflict situation by locating the problem and its subsequent resolution strategies within the world of first-century CE Asia Minor.

6 is moved to write informally some weighty words of counsel to them." 15 Also, he is certainly right in stating that "one of the most clearly marked features of the Epistle certainly is the stress which James lays on the absolute necessity of cultivating the Christian graces, of cultivating practical godliness." 16 Richard Bauckham is convinced that, although James cannot be accused of incoherence, the disposition of his letter's content does follow the common and expected fluency, and it seems hardly "arranged in entirely random order, [but] if this were the case, it would not necessarily impede James' overall goal in his work." 17 Recently, William Varner proposes "By applying the techniques of cohesion, prominence, peak, and grouping to the text of James … that James 3.13-18 is the peak of his discourse." 18 Varner arrives at that conclusion because in this particular passage "general dissimilarity from the co-text; rhetorical underlining; concentration of participants; heightened vividness; change of pace; and change of vantage point" 19 indicate that this is the peak of James's argumentation. He is admittedly following others before him such as Herman Cladder, 20 James M. Reese, 21 and, particularly, Patrick Hartin who argues that every other periscope of James orbits or is "forming and embracing around [James 3.13-18]." 22 James 3.13-18 does not seem to encapsulates the totality of James' argumentation. Despite the themes of "wisdom" and "two ways," which can be taken as James's clear emphasis throughout his letter, other obvious 15

The earliest interpreters of 1 Peter unanimously understood the letter as originating from the apostle Peter. There are multiple instances in which ancient writers in the late-2nd century and early 3rd century CE attribute a particular word, phrase, or verse to this epistle or, more specifically, to the ascribed author (see Tert. Scorp. 12.2; Clem. Paed. 1.6.44; Cyp. Ep. 6.3). But the first explicit attribution of the letter to the apostle Peter is found in the writings of Irenaeus of Lyon (c. 180 CE). In Against Heresies (4.9.2), he prefaces a citation from 1 Pet 1:8 with the words, Petrus ait in epistula sua ("Peter said in his epistle"). Nevertheless, indications that 1 Peter was known and being read predate this reference by decades. An awareness of 1 Peter seems to be indicated in 2 Peter. In this pseudonymous letter-perhaps dating to the mid-2nd century CE-the author notes: "This, beloved, is now the second letter I am writing to you" (2 Pet 3:1). Most regard the first (or earlier) epistle as 1 Peter, despite the fact that the author of 2 Peter makes no attempt to create any type of verisimilitude by which a connection with 1 Peter might be indicated. Slightly earlier attestation is provided by Polycarp of Smyrna's Letter to the Philippians (see Achtemeier, 1996, 44-45; Schlosser, 2011, 29), which can be dated during the early 2nd century CE. One of the clearest indications that Polycarp was drawing from 1 Peter is found in Pol. Phil. 1.3, where Polycarp echoes and simplifies 1 Pet 1:8. The most striking feature of this allusion is the reference to χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ καὶ δεδοξασμένῃ ("with inexpressible and glorious joy"). Within earlier Greek literature, this combination only appears in 1 Peter. While few would dispute the connection between 1 Peter and Polycarp, considerable disagreement surrounds the attestation of 1 Peter in the late-1st-century CE work of 1 Clement. Those who question the relationship between the epistles often point out that the overlapping portions only amount to a few words; thus, the similarities are normally attributed to shared tradition (Goppelt, 1993, 31-32). But there may be more to these parallels than have been acknowledged (see Aejmelaeus, 2011, 145-146, who claims, unpersuasively, that 1 Peter borrowed from 1 Clement). Of particular interest are those instances in which the textual affinities go beyond shared language and into shared textual alteration. One place where such modifications occur is 1 Clem. 49:5 (ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν, "love covers a multitude of sins"), which parallels 1 Pet 4:8 exactly. Because the sentence is similarly referenced in Jas 5:20 and a few early church fathers (e.g. 2 Clem. 16:4; Clem. Paed. 3.12.91), most believe that the Petrine author was employing an early Christian tradition. The saying is thought to be a maxim or possibly even an agraphon of Jesus (Elliott,

Jesus Tradition – early Christian traditions from and about Jesus - plays an important role in New Testament letters, not only in the Gospels and Corpus Paulinum, but also in the seven Catholic Epistles. This dissertation revolves around the relationship between the Catholic Epistles and the traditions about Jesus that have informed the Gospels. Based on the research, two important observations can be made.
First of all, there is a fundamental unity in the witness of the Catholic Epistles regarding their reliance upon and appropriation of Jesus Tradition. The same Jesus can be recognized throughout all Catholic Epistles (with the possible exception of Jude, since its brevity does not supply enough information for clarity about its relation to Jesus Tradition), and this Jesus is not merely a theological construct, but a historical person, very much in line with the Jesus from historical Jesus-research.
Second, a fundamental unity is observable between the canonical Gospels, Corpus Paulinum and the Catholic Epistles. All three corpora are consciously witnessing to Jesus. Each corpus has its own distinct way of doing this, and the Catholic Epistles can be seen as witnessing Jesus from an apostolic perspective.

The book of Hebrews is full of fascinating mysteries that have puzzled many researchers and scholars throughout history. It is a difficult riddle, one which many people have tried to decipher with various degrees of precision and success. We cannot know for sure who the author was, nor the exact audience, nor even the date in which it was written. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that the literary genre and structure of Hebrews would be a case of great dispute and controversy. It is indeed a great challenge for anyone who wishes to analyze it.
With this research paper I intend to thoroughly study several options in which, literarily speaking, Hebrews has been placed into. 1) In the first section I will quickly present a historical analysis of the genre of Hebrews and show how it has been classified, from the time of the early church fathers until today. 2) In the second section I will examine the characteristics that could make Hebrews be considered an epistle. What features does it have that would qualify it as a letter? 3) The third section will focus on the linguistic and rhetorical features that support the idea that Hebrews is actually a sermon/homily. 4) Finally, in the fourth and last section I will share a few other possible genres for Hebrews. Some alternatives include: an exhortation, a speech, a midrash, and a treatise.
I humbly admit the complexity of the text and do not aim at drawing a definite and clear answer to the literary genre applied by the author. My main goal with this analysis is simply to better understand Hebrews as a whole.

The New Testament is a great treasure, it is the gospel of
life, given by God’s inspiration in the first century and ever
spreading since then. It is a joy to study and to teach it.
Jesus Christ the central hero of the New Testament is out-
standing. He is unique. According to the testimony of the prob-
ably eight apostles and prophets or chosen ones who wrote the
New Testament Jesus is the Christ, the Son of Man, the Savior
of Israel and the world, the high priest in heaven, the King of
kings, the Lord of lords, not only a prophet, but the Word of God
in person whose Spirit was in the prophets of the Old Testament,
the eternal Son of God who was the beloved of the Father even
before the foundation of the world, that is the second person of
the Holy Trinity.
The purpose of this book is to encourage people to study the books of the
New Testament, appreciate its contents and worship its hero.

A short article on the origin and development of the longer Trinitarian text of 1 John 5:7-8 as found in the Textus Receptus. The typos that are present in this draft will be corrected before the final version is submitted for publication. These include: Lachman > Lachmann; 1881 > 1831; Montifortianus > Montfortianus; [Ayuso] Ionneum > Ioanneum; [Bludau 1903-1] Bibeldruchen > Bibeldrucken; [Bludau 1919-1] den Glaubensbekenntnis > dem Glaubensbekenntnis; [Fischer] pseudo-autustinischen > pseudo-augustinischen; obiectarum. > obiectarum.’; [Rivière] es trois > des trois. Thanks to Jeff Cate, Peter Gurry, and especially Jan Krans for alerting me to these when it was originally posted on academia in 2015. The data of this DRAFT will also fully updated and footnoted in the 2020 peer-reviewed version in "Early Christianity."

Describing the apostolic period from the perspective of Jerusalem is a challenge, but if it is true that the church of Jerusalem is the mother church of all Christians, it will be worth the effort.
This article has three parts.
To begin with, the centrality of Jerusalem during the apostolic period is highlighted, paying special attention to the written sources, and taking into consideration that Jerusalem, the holy city, was the spiritual heart of the whole world.
Following this, the article looks at the development of Jerusalem after Pentecost; with the northward flight of many Jewish-Christian believers as a result of Stephen’s death by stoning, the mother church gained a daughter in Antioch.
Finally, Jerusalem is explored as the mother church that distributed a number of letters to its children: as a collection, the seven so-called ‘Catholic Epistles’ document the missionary progress that moved outward from Jerusalem. The Jerusalem perspective of two other non-Pauline New Testament books – Hebrews and Revelation – will also be considered.
Thus, an overall picture of the development of the apostolic church from the perspective of Jerusalem is built up.

This is a synopsis of the pre-published version of my monograph with nearly the same name (subtitled Apostasy in the New Testament Communities vol. 3), complete with some concluding observations of apostasy that engage with the other New Testament writings. This synopsis covers the General Epistles (Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, Jude) and Revelation (Since 1, 2, 3 John is covered already in the book,  In the Footsteps of Judas and Other Defectors,  these letters are not covered in this synopsis. For Johannine letters, see "A Synopsis of the Gospels, Johannine Writings, and Acts")

L'épître de Jacques est un écrit atypique du Nouveau Testament. Luther la nommait « épître de paille » pour signifier sa réserve à son égard, car elle lui paraissait s'opposer à la théologie de l'apôtre Paul sur la justification par la foi. Une philologue et un exégète reprennent le dossier pour comprendre ce qui se révèle à travers l'analyse linguistique, littéraire, historique et théologique de cette épître. A l'encontre du consensus exégétique actuel, les deux auteurs démontrent que cet écrit, datant probablement de la fin du premier siècle, développe une authentique christologie malgré deux seules petites mentions du nom de Jésus-Christ dans la lettre. Fortement marquée par le judaïsme, elle n'est pas constituée de sentences décousues, mais laisse voir un style littéraire très maîtrisé en vertu duquel se succèdent et s'entrelacent des considérations marquées au sceau de la dérision, de la véhémence, de la gravité ou de l'humour. Proposant une traduction originale, ce commentaire s'inscrit dans la collection du CNT à partir d'une thèse appuyée sur une expertise scientifique de premier ordre.

This book introduces the Catholic Epistles and discusses the different interpretive approaches that have been used to gain a clearer understanding of them. The first chapter defines the epistles and describes the history of their canonization. Subsequent chapters are devoted to each of the texts. The treatment of the epistles includes discussions of the social-cultural context and historical background, genre, rhetorical and structural devices, purpose of writing, and various interpretive approaches such as postcolonial and feminist perspectives. At the end of each chapter there are suggestions for further reading and a list of reflection questions. Several chapters include a section or two considering a particular interpretive issue especially relevant to the particular text. After taking up each text, Lockett considers again whether the Catholic Epistles should be read as a unified whole or simply as individual voices. Here the book interacts with the ideas of Rob Wall and David Nienhuis regarding the thematic and theological connections running through the texts.

An annotated bibliography on the General Epistles (also known as the Catholic Epistles), from Hebrews through Jude. It lists just five works for each epistle or group of epistles. Each list of five books is meant to provide a balanced set of resources, including at least one non-evangelical work, while keeping to the limit of five so that students will be sure to consult some of the most important reference works.

Scholars have never agreed on who the "him" who does the anointing in I John 2:27, the "him" who teaches the truth. A careful look at the very early Old Syriac Aramaic text suggests the "him" is actually a "her", which makes it quite plain who the person is.

The author analyses three texts in 1 Peter where the subject of suffering appears, and he remarks that in all the texts (1Pet 1,3-8; 3,13-17; 4,12-16) the theme is connected with the reality of joy. Looking in New Testament Literature, the nexus between suffering and joy probably finds its roots in the teaching of Jesus, especially in the last beatitude of the Sermon on the Mount. The enquiry then moves back to the Old Testament and ancient Jewish literature in order to find some similarities with Jesus' words. Even though there are in the Hebrew Bible, in Septuaginta, Qumran and Intertestamental Literature some texts that speak of affliction and difficulties and teach how to cope with them in a positive attitude, we do not find a specific mention of joy in the middle of the proof, as it comes out in the Gospels and some New Testament Letters, with a preference of 1 Peter.