Wissenschaftliche Monographien Zum Alten Und Neuen Testament – serie

Paul Creevey considers the central question: Can one simply assume that the story of the burial, empty tomb, and appearance narratives in John's Gospel are a literary unity? There are many issues in coherence and cohesion that have led to a wide number of interpretations given to many different aspects of the text that is John 19:37-20:29. It is also widely recognized that John's retelling of these events are distinctive. Creevey analyses the text of John 19:37-20:29, showing that the Johannine Evangelist has created a two-part tripartite defense of two central aspects of Christian faith: the case for the empty tomb and the case for the appearance narratives. Using internal literary evidence as well as external evidence from the earliest extant manuscripts he argues that this text has been created to show that the testimony and witness of those first disciples is true and is the basis of any future Christian belief. This work addresses all the issues in the apparent lack of cohesion and coherence in the text to show that each part of the text is connected to an overall defense of belief in these two central aspects of faith. Finally, what is at the heart of these two events is the need to accept that it is the relationship that one has to Jesus and the Father that is central to acceptance of this narrative as an inspired narrative that offers hope for all people.

In his book, Rebwar Audish Basa follows the canonical exegesis and focuses on a group of Psalms (113-118) which is traditionally known as a unit called "the Hallel" and is used on the major Jewish liturgical feasts. The author examines the hypothesis that Pss 113-118 form a single canonical unit with Ps 118 not only belonging to it but also being the climax of all the psalms of this group. A thorough investigation evaluates the unity of the Hallel and its function and message. The research concludes with the affirmation that the psalms of the Hallel are not put together arbitrarily but with a very precise intention, deep significance and main theological message. Actually, beside the uniqueness of each psalm, Basa affirms the unity of this group and the flow and the development of its themes and ideas. In the last chapter and in the conclusion, some important points regarding the unity of the Hallel are presented together with some of its significant characteristics.

Chrys C. Caragounis considers that the key to a correct interpretation of Revelation is what he calls the supra-historical approach. So far, in the scholarly world, Revelation has been approached as a purely historical document, but this approach has led to the failure to make full sense of the contents of the book. The case is rather that the author of Revelation writes within the historical framework in which he lives but that his point of reference is not history but supra-history. He does not describe the events taking place around him in ordinary historical terms, but looks beyond history to the ultimate causes behind these events, causes that determine history. In this he shares fully in the standpoint of the Jewish apocalyptists, although in difference to them, his work is not pseudepigraphic and it is Christian in orientation.This perspective has been influencial in apocalyptic writing and it is in this tradition that the author of Revelation stands. Consequently, Caragounis’ approach ought to be considered as a fresh and independent contribution to the exegesis of Revelation.

Judas is characterized in all the Gospels as "one of the twelve" - ​​not like the others as "one of his disciples". Siegfried Bergler's thesis is that "the disciples" and "the twelve" designate two different groups: the former, in different numbers, were Jesus' disciples; On the other hand, the fixed lists of twelve names testify to a post-Easter body/presbytery of the early Jerusalem community, which, due to a Christophany, saw itself as representing eschatological Israel. Former disciples of Jesus and Judas (also) belonged to this quorum. Hence the title Judas and the post-Easter Twelve. In addition to the exegesis of all Judas appearances, the monograph includes a consideration of all twelve passages in the NT - beginning with 1Cor 15:5 ("appeared to the twelve") to the finding of the logia source ("... sitting on twelve thrones", Matthew 19 .28 par Lk 22.30) up to Apk 21 (twelve cornerstones). There is also a critical appraisal of the ambivalent image of Judas in the Gnostic Gospel of Judas. Judas, who exercised a prominent function in the church (cf. Acts 1:20: "his supervisory office"), may have renounced the belief in Jesus' divine origin or messianship, turned back to Judaism (cf. Joh 6:64,66,71) and thereby contributed to the dissolution of the Twelve. He was demonized, declared dead (cf. the three different "deaths" of the ungodly: Mt 27, Acts 1, Papias) and finally projected back into the Life of Jesus as his "betrayer", correctly: "deliverer". .