Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Resurrection in Hebrews

A recent issue of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology  has an article on resurrection in Hebrews. The full issue is available as a pdf download. Downloads of individual articles are also available.

David Schrock. "Resurrection and Priesthood: Christological Soundings from the Book of Hebrews." The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 18.4 (2014): 89–114.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Mosser Reviews Calaway's, The Sabbath and the Sanctuary

In the latest round of RBL reviews Carl Mosser reviews Jared Calaway's monograph:

Jared C. Calaway. The Sabbath and the Sanctuary: Access to God in the Letter to the Hebrews and Its Priestly Context.


Manson Article Added

Now added to the Articles and Essays page:

Manson, T. W. “The Problem of the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Bulletin of the John Rylands Library 32 (1949): 1–17.

Monday, April 20, 2015

New Book on Hebrews . . . in Catalan!

Jordi Cervera, professor at the Facultat de Teologia de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, has informed me that his book on Hebrews is coming out soon:

Jordi Cervera i Valls. Jesús en la Carta als Hebreus: Una cristologia de Matriu Jueva. Col·lectània Sant Pacià 110.

Abstract:
"El discurs de la Carta als Hebreus s’escriu esguardant el cel i convidant a fer el mateix, eixamplant horitzons i mostrant el destí final dels creients. El cel d’Hebreus no és informe i eteri, sinó a manera de santuari on reposa—en el lloc més sagrat— l’excelsitud de la Majestat divina amb Jesús assegut a la seva dreta. Els destinataris són convidats a pujar vers aquests espais, aprofitant el decisiu moment escatològic: són els darrers temps inaugurats amb l’encarnació de Jesús, uns temps messiànics que romanen oberts gràcies a la seva ascensió al cel i que es clouran amb el seu retorn definitiu. Els  creients han d’aprofitar l’avinentesa d’aquest apropament excepcional entre cel i terra, que obre un camí segur i directe a Déu i que passa per Jesucrist. Es tracta d’un recorregut que comença d’una manera responsable i compromesa en els espais terrenals i que culminarà en les altures, al costat del qui ha inaugurat aquest accés. Hebreus esdevé una aturada per reagrupar els creients i cohesionar-los, per encoratjar-los a la perseverança tot admirant el gran sacerdot Jesucrist, que els facilita el camí mitjançant la seva intercessió, i els espera a la fi del trajecte amb les portes del cel obertes."

My rough translation:
The discourse of the Letter to the Hebrews is written gazing towards heaven and inviting (others) to do the same by broadening horizons and showing the final destiny of believers. The heaven of Hebrews is not formless and ethereal, but rather a sanctuary where rests—in the holiest place—the sublimeness of the divine majesty with Jesus sitting on his right hand. The recipients are invited to ascend towards these spaces, taking advantage of the decisive eschatological moment: they are in the last times beginning with the incarnation of Jesus, a messianic time that remains open thanks to his ascension into heaven and that ends with his final return. Believers must take advantage of this unique approach between heaven and earth, which opens a sure and direct path to God and which happens through Jesus Christ. It is a journey that begins in a responsible and committed way in earthly spaces and culminates in the heights, to the side of the one who opened this access. Hebrews becomes a stop to regroup believers and unite them, to encourage them to persevere while admiring the great priest Jesus Christ, who facilitates the way through his intercession, and awaits at the end of the journey with the gates of heaven opened.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Problem of Peak in Hebrews

The NT journal Neotestamentica has a new article on Hebrews: 

Heath, David M. “The Problem of Peak in Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 48.2 (2014): 405–16.

Abstract:
"Scholars use various terms for the phenomenon of discourse peak. Only in the last forty years have some scholars suggested different types of peak. This study explores the application of multiple types of peak in the book of Hebrews. The problem of peak in Hebrews is evident by the diverse assertions concerning linguistic peaks by Neeley (1987), Guthrie (1994), and Westfall (2005) and the discrepancies of these peaks with the chiastic centre in Hebrews 8 as asserted by Vaganay (1940), Vanhoye (1977, 1989), Neeley (1987, 63), Gelardini (2009) and Heath (2011). Until more refinement of the notion of discourse peak and uniformity of terms emerges, it may be helpful to analyse the peaks of biblical texts in light of their natures (thematic peak, climax, and apex)."

Neotestamentica Articles Added

I have discovered that the African Journal Archive contains archives of Neotestamentica through the year 2000. Neotestamentica published an issue dedicated to Hebrews in 1971. Here are the articles, which have been added to my Articles page:


Fensham, F. C. “Hebrews and Qumrân.” Neotestamentica 5 (1971): 9–21.

Combrink, H. J. B. “Some Thoughts on the OldTestament Citations in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 5 (1971): 22–36.

Pretorius, E. A. C. “ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 5 (1971): 37–50.

Vorster, W. S. “The Meaning of ΠΑΡΡΗΣΙΑ in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 5 (1971): 51–59.

Lombard, H. A. “Katápausis in the Letter to the Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 5 (1971): 60–71.

Floor, L. “The General Priesthood of Believers in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 5 (1971): 72–82.

Waal, C. van der. “‘The People of God’ in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 5 (1971): 83–92.


In addition, Neotestamentica has published other articles on Hebrews through the years:


Wiid, J. S. “The Testamental Significance of διαθήκη in Hebrews 9:15–22.” Neotestamentica 26.1 (1992): 149–58.

Punt, Jeremy. “Hebrews, Thought-Patterns and Context: Aspects of the Background of Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 3 (1997): 119–58.

Steyn, Gert Jacobus. “A Quest for the Vorlage of the ‘Song of Moses’ (Deut 32) Quotations in Hebrews.” Neotestamentica 34 (2000): 263–72.


For articles published after 2000, check my Articles page. 

Repetition in Hebrews

Nicholas Moore has informed me that his thesis has now been published. Congratulations to him!

Nicholas J. Moore. Repetition in Hebrews: Plurality and Singularity in the Letter to the Hebrews, Its Ancient Context, and the Early Church. WUNT II 388. Mohr Siebeck, 2015.