New Testament Theology

Speaker: 
Dr. Frank Thielman

Description, goal, and objectives

Our goal in this course, simply put, is to understand the basic theological message of the New Testament both in its diversity of expression and in its fundamental conceptual unity. To accomplish this goal, the course will pursue three objectives. We will begin by laying a historical and philosophical foundation for our understanding of the theology of the New Testament. We will then examine the major theological themes of the three parts of the New Testament canon. We will, finally, study the theological themes that bind the entire New Testament together as a conceptually unified book.

Textbooks

Hengel, Martin. The Four Gospels and the One Gospel of Jesus Christ. Harrisburg, Penn.: Trinity Press International, 2000.

Thielman, Frank. Theology of the New Testament: A Brief Account.

Westerholm, Stephen. Perspectives Old and New on Paul: The “Lutheran” Paul and His Critics. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2004.

Wilken, Robert L. The Christians as the Romans Saw Them. New York: Yale University Press, 1984.

View the class forum.

Class Outline

Introduction
Historical Foundations for the Study of New Testament Theology

An overview of the history of New Testament Theology as a discipline, emphasizing the role of the Reformation.

(40 min. 27 sec.)
Philosophical Foundations for the Study of New Testament Theology

Comparing and contrasting pietist and rationalist approaches to the study of New Testament Theology

(1 hr. 34 min. 44 sec.)
Gospels
Emergence of the Fourfold Gospel

Emergence of the four gospels, summary of their major differences, and efforts of the early church to harmonize them.

(54 min. 48 sec.)
Early Church Acceptance as Authoritative

How the early church emphasized the unity of the four gospel accounts in proclaiming the "one gospel," and considered them authoritative sources for the life and ministry of Jesus, as opposed to the Gnostic gospels and other writings circulated at the time.

(1 hr. 02 min. 31 sec.)
Theological Emphases (part 1)

The four gospels each record the life and ministry of Jesus from a unique perspective while staying true to a single "gospel" message. This lecture focuses the common message and the central themes included in all of the four gospels.
Theological Emphases (part 2)

A discussion of how Matthew portrays Jesus as fulfilling the traditional expectations of the Messiah as well as ways in which he went beyond the traditional expectations. Also, a discussion of specific examples in the four Gospels indicating by the Jewish leadership of Jesus as Messiah.

(1 hr. 02 min. 04 sec.)
Theological Emphases (part 3)

A discussion of why the Jewish leadership rejected Christ, from the perspective of the book of John. Also, an explanation of the meaning and significance of Christ's death.
Jesus as the Suffering Servant

Luke emphasizes how Jesus, in his ministry and death, identified with the "suffering servant" prophesied in Isaiah. Although Luke affirmed the atoning aspect of Jesus' death, he focused on how Jesus' death fulfilled the role of the suffering servant. Jesus' death not only established His church, but, much like the role of the servant in Isaiah, the church's central mission was to gather the nations. This lecture also addresses the type of response each gospel writer attempts to elicit from us as we read it.
Paul
The Nature of Paul's Theology

Paul's writings show that his theology is coherent. Passages in his letters that show different aspects of his theology were written to address specific concerns, not an indication that his theology was in the process of changing. Also, a discussion of the "center" of Paul's theology.
Theological Themes (part 1)

The 5 major theological themes in Paul's letters are based on Pastoral issues that emerged in congregations of believers to whom Paul was writing. By examining these themes, we can understand Paul's theology more clearly, and get a glimpse of what it was like to be a Christian in the first century. This lecture covers the first two themes.

(1 hr. 02 min. 29 sec.)
Theological Themes (part 2)

The 5 major theological themes in Paul's letters are based on Pastoral issues that emerged in congregations of believers to whom Paul was writing. By examining these themes, we can understand Paul's theology more clearly, and get a glimpse of what it was like to be a Christian in the first century. This lecture covers the third and fourth of the 5 themes.
Theological Themes (part 3)

The fifth of five theological emphases in Paul's letters is how he addresses false teaching. This discussion begins by examining how Paul deals with the proper relationship between the visible and invisible world. The second part of the lecture focuses on the basic structure of Paul's theology, as well as some of the similarities and differences in content and style of the last nine books of the New Testament.

(1 hr. 18 min. 26 sec.)
General Epistles
The Unity and Theological Value of Hebrews to Revelation

The last nine books of the New Testament address some critical issues that the early church was facing. These books were written by different authors and from different perspectives but are in fundamental agreement on foundational teachings.

(1 hr. 04 min. 15 sec.)
Conclusion and Summary
The Unified Theological Witness of the New Testament

Beginning with point 2b, Dr. Thielman focuses on five theological themes that are emphasized throughout the New Testament.