Textual Criticism Definitions

• The following terms are defined:

In Front of the Text

• Personal presuppositions when reading a text
• For example, preconceived notions when reading the law

In the Text

• Includes the words and literary context
• Focuses on the literary context within the text itself

Behind the Text

• The historical context of the text
• Uses the text to look through a window
• For example, using the text of Matthew to describe first-century Sadducees

Canon #1

• Involves a fixed list of 66 books
• Includes the Gospel of John
• Excludes the Gospel of Thomas
• Established in AD 367

Canon #2

• Rule of Faith measures things for the standard
• Operative from the beginning through the church
• Canons shape the church, and vice versa

Tradent/Redactor

• Redactor describes individuals who interpret based on different referents, as final editors
• Tradent preserves and brings the past into the present, shaping the Old Testament and oral traditions

Tradent Definition

• Someone who brings the past into the present, specifically a biblical text
• Includes scribes, translators, commentators, preachers, and teachers
• Responsible for preserving and passing on oral tradition

Redactor Definition

• Individuals who interpret based on different referents according to their understanding of reality
• Interprets the Bile within a literary framework, reinterpreting it differently from its original meaning
• Brings the present to the past

“Narrative Substructure”

• An idea from Richard Hays that interprets text based on the narrative structure in the Bible

Worldview-Story

• NT Wright attempts to recreate the worldview present when the writer wrote the words
• Understand how NT authors considered their world and texts as a whole
• Interpret Paul by trying to understand his perspective

“Bits-&-Bobs” Approach

• This is a way of reading the Bible
• Reads the Bible as fragmented stories and messages
• Rather than an unbroken grand story of redemption

D.A. Carson’s View of Biblical Theology As A “Bridge” Discipline

• One must start with exegesis: what the author meant
• Moves toward Biblical Theology by putting the author's meaning in the context of the canon
• This leads to Systematic Theology.
• Systematic Theology compiles the info to make
• You cannot do Systematic Theology without Biblical Theology

D.A. Carson’s Definition of Systematic and Biblical Theology

• Systematic theology is further removed from the biblical text than biblical theology
• Biblical theology seeks out the rationality and communicative genius of each literary genre
• Systematic theology tends to be a culminating discipline
• Biblical theology tends to be a bridge discipline

Typology

• The events, institutions, or people foreshadow future things
• The earlier thing is the "type."
• The later thing is the "antitype."
• The connections are made with a key within the normal matrix of information when used to interpret the meaning
• Moves from Old to New Testament, is one-directional

Allegory

• A passage says one thing to say something else
• Says one thing but means another
• Uses external information to understand the information/passage

Figural Reading

• Not figurative language
• Opens a connection/correspondence between an Old Testament and New Testament figure (events/persons)
• Does not only move in one direction and is not limited to people, places, institutions, or events
• Scripture not only reflects development outside the Bible, while God encapsulates all historical reality

Christocentric

• Jesus is at the heart and center of the Bible
• The Bible's main message is about Jesus Christ
• The central meaning of the Bible is Christ

Christomorphic

• Argues that Christ is found in the "form" of the Old Testament
• Greg Beale argues that there is a "forward looking" reference to Jesus Christ in the grammatical historical form of the Old Testament
• Lane Tipton says the Gospel is trans-testamental: in the Old Testament as much as in the New Testament
• Releases on the Westminster confession
• They reject allegory and figural reading
• Only accepts typology, including vertical typology to the God-head

Christotelic

• Christ is the end of all portions of the Bible
• Two-step reading process: read the Old Testament as the original audience did, then read it as a Christian with the New Testament in mind
• Christ is present in the Old Testament
• The literal sense of the Old Testament cannot attest to Christ
• Old Testament authors are not aware of Christ
• Fuller meaning is found by looking back
• The Old Testament would not be aware of the fuller meaning that readers today understand.
• Fuller meaning is made by the divine author, not the historical author.
• Christotelic is only seen in retrospect as older texts are studied in light of newer texts
• For example, the Old Testament finds its fulfillment in Christ only after a second reading
• Two readings: first reading limits you to what the Old Testament authors and audience could have known, second reading interprets the Old Testament in light of the New Testament
• The Old Testament finds its "end," "goal," or "fulfillment" in Jesus Christ
• The Old Testament points to its fulfillment in Christ
• Jesus is present only tentatively.
• The Old Testament says, “Look over there" and points to New Testament
• Rather than a deeper meaning, the Old Testament needs a second reading

What It Meant...What It Means

• Historical meaning of the text is the modern-day meaning
• The Bible can never mean what it never meant

Heilsgeschichte

• Special History
• Salvation History experienced and interpreted by a group of people (Israelites)
• Includes "History that has been divinely interrupted by God."

Historie

• Chronological factual record
• “Objective, critical, empirical history."

Geschichte

• History, not just as a chronological record,
• Salvation history experienced and interpreted by a believing community

Twighlight Saga

• Inner History where narrators communicates values of a people group
• The story given is one that's important
• Mt. Moriah→ Gen 22

Redactor Definition (For Von Rad)

• Added in later to clarify the story
• Based on later revelation or information
• Someone who brought the first six books of the Bible (Hexateuch) into a theology, broke it down, and combined it with other sources for the purpose of theology
• Inner commentary based also on later revelation

Biblical Theology Type 1 Relation to the Old Testament

• No proper relation between the Old Testament and New Testament
• By historical standards they are separate documents

Biblical Theology Type 1 HD vs Theological Unity

• The category of history disallows an externally applied theological unity
• Diversity

Biblical Theology Type 1 Scope and Sources

• The subject matter is the historical event behind the text
• Any source that aids in its access from inside or outside the canon is welcome
• Priority is given to any source that best describes the actual historical

Biblical Theology Type 2

• They are related by special history
• Redemptive history after individual acts of God
• Unified by thematic-typology

Biblical Theology Type 2 Details

• Special history allows for a theological unity linked as primarily historical in nature
• Special history only allows for a general unity that also must demand a large amount of historical diversity
• Use of extra biblical sources is warranted to bridge between exegesis
• The canon however serves as a filtering guide

Biblical Theology Type 3

• Relates by larger narrative or story scripture
• from the outset the two testaments are assumed
• Uses narrative and worldview categories to serve to unify parts of the Bible into one grand story with controlling emphasis
• Historical diversity is perceived as related acts of the unfolding biblical drama
• Scope rooted in the canonical story line of the biblical narrative
• Resources may include whatever to interpret the metanarrative of scripture
• Theatrical backdrop for the biblical narrative outside the canon

Biblical Theology Type 4

• Old Testament and New Testament are related, unified witness without loss of discrete voices
• Does not go beyond historical sequence moving discourse plane
• Testaments create dynamic relationship between historical-critical
• Category of canon is able to diversity historic alongside theo unity
• Emphasizing both historic can message by heard

Biblical Theology Type 4 Focus

• Historical locations Bible locations Eclessial location

Biblical Theology Type 5

• Relation includes not only chronological, New matures Old
• Biblical not on chronological
• Category of Christian beginning
• Theology includes categories

Biblical Theology Type 5 Details

• Employs what is not qualitative,
• Theology is mainly Christian based and scriptural
• Christian tradition uses both traditions and history

Defining Exegesis, Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology

• Exegesis unpacks the meaning of the text
• Biblical Theology shows the thelogical development through time
• Systematic Theology involves the use of philosophy

Differences Between Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology

• Approaches a topic to get revealed throught with the bible
• BT2 thinks will topics reveals over time
• Where S helps us understand them philosophers
• Both are equally distance distance

The Bridge Model

• Incomplete understanding the BT and ST.
• Assumption in using exegesis to get BT

Historical Diversity: BT1

• Bible's meaning back past
• Event through cultural is history
• No ecclesial theological history or academy investigation

Special History BT2

• Christ is both frequently
• Requires what is exegetical, method movements and theological theoloical
• Academy to support church

BT 3 Subject Matter

• Reading text connection a
• Stories text
• The academy connects church's living script

Typology-Related Points

• Fulfillment is greater, negative to positive
• God directs scripture with purpose history of God in his larger purpose