The problem underlying this study is the slow but steady decline in membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Numerous missionary efforts in the past have not been able to change this trend. However, an approach that summarizes…
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Problem. The Epistle to the Hebrews is the only document in the New Testament that explicitly describes Jesus as a high priest. The purpose of this dissertation is to ascertain whether or not the book of Revelation, in particular, in John's description of the "one like a son of …
Many Christians either champion the kingdom or cling to the cross, yet Scripture presents a mutually enriching relationship between the two that draws significantly from the story of Israel and culminates in the crucifixion of Christ the king. In short, the kingdom and the cross…
The dissertation falls into two parts. Part one deals with the Problem of Unity in Indonesian Society and its Christian Churches. The first chapter sets forth the Indonesian's major problem which is the unity of the nation amidst the astounding diversity of its political orienta…
This dissertation explores how Matthew's Gospel employs texts drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures in his portrayal of Jesus. Six passages (1:1–2:23; 4:1–11; 5:1–8:1; 8:16–9:38; 17:1–9; 28:16–20) provide the basis. What scriptural texts are selected? What are characteristics of thei…
This dissertation identifies how a first-century reader may have interpreted the characterization of the women in the Fourth Gospel and includes a feminist critique. The hypothesis is that the women's primary literary function is to support the characterization of Jesus as the m…
The Fourth Gospel affords a unique perspective on the person of Jesus, functioning as a healer, remaining distinct from the Synoptic Gospels. The first chapter of this thesis elucidated the narratological methodology used in the analysis, as well as explicated the intent for the…
The temptation narrative (Matthew 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13) has long been a crux criticorum in the document known as Q. In the recent past, sophisticated literary and sociological theories have suggested it to be a scribal legitimation of Jesus the sage, demonstrating his skill in re…
Once a year, on the annual feast day of Atonement, ancient Israel's high priest was permitted to enter the holy of holies in the Temple, bringing with him a blood sacrifice to the God of Israel. After exiting the inner sanctum, he cast lots over two goats, the first of which was…
This dissertation is a full-scale investigation of Matthew's soteriology embedded in his Gospel from literary-critical and historical-critical perspectives. This dissertation consists of five main chapters. My investigation begins by reconstructing the Sitz im Leben of Matthew a…
Much attention has been paid to the religious practices and ideas of early Christianity. A fuller and more accurate picture of this religious community can be had by paying close attention to social values and behavior. One area in which Jesus and his followers taught substantia…
Of the 60,000 scholarly studies of the life of Jesus that appeared in the 19th century, one of the most unusual and fascinating was Friedrich Nietzsche's The Antichrist . Unfortunately, a number of factors combine to virtually ensure that Nietzsche's reflections not only on Jesu…
Recent trends in historical Jesus scholarship and Christian ethical discourse have paid increased attention to Jesus and his proclamation of the kingdom of God. In particular both fields have re-examined Jesus' kingdom proclamation in light of his first-century Jewish Palestinia…
Christianity originated in what has often been described as an honor-shame culture. In Mediterranean antiquity, society, rather than the individual, defined both worthy behavior and a person's worth. While who and what was honored varied according to location and community, the …
This is a narrative critical study centered around the Gospel of Matthew's use of Isa 6:9–10 and related Isaianic texts. This study seeks to demonstrate the purposeful use of these Isaianic texts within a larger discussion of Matthew's use of the concept of idolatry. Chapter 1 s…
The concept of Jesus as a virtue ethicist is not a new one. Most philosophical thinkers in the ancient world were virtue theorist in one way or another, even the Buddha and Confucius were not inconsistent with the belief that character was central to ethos (or ethikos ). Among t…
This project developed an intercessory prayer ministry to begin and support an evangelism ministry in a local church. Chapter 1 introduces this project by identifying its goals, context, rationale, and definitions and limitations. First Baptist Church Roanoke, Texas, is in a cri…
The topic of this study is how early Christians imagined, constructed, and promoted Jesus as a deity in their literature from the first to the third centuries CE. My line of inquiry focuses on how ancient Mediterranean conceptions of divinity informed this construction. “Mediter…