McMaster New Testament Studies Collection (9 vols.)

by Richard N. Longenecker; Stanley E. Porter; Mark J. Boda

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 1997–2009

Overview

The McMaster New Testament Studies series is designed to address particular themes in the New Testament that are of concern to Christians today. Written in a style easily accessible to ministers, students, and laypeople by contributors who are proven experts in their fields of study, these volumes reflect the best of current biblical scholarship while also speaking directly to the pastoral needs of people in today's church.

The nine volumes included in this collection cover a variety of important topics including: parables, Christology, the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, prayer, resurrection, messianism, gospel research, Paul's conversion, and New Testament textual criticism and translation. Together, this series represents the state of New Testament biblical studies, as presented by some of the keenest minds in their respective fields.

With Logos Bible Software, the McMaster New Testament Studies Collection becomes even more valuable. Never before has it been possible to search for exegetical discussion of verses and passages across all nine volumes currently available. Moreover, the entire collection integrates tightly with every other book in your library making biblical research easier than ever.

Key Features

• Valuable surveys of current topics in biblical studies written by expert scholars.
• Each volume begins with an overview of the contents
• Helpful discussions of historical background and interpretation

Product Details

• Title: McMaster New Testament Studies Collection (9 Vols.)
• Series Editor: Stanley Porter
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Volumes: 9
• Pages: 2,818

The Challenge of Jesus' Parables

• Editor: Richard N. Longenecker
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2000
• Pages: 336

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This volume presents a fresh look at the meaning of Jesus' parables for Christian living today through a collection of essays by some of the top contemporary biblical scholars.

The parables recorded in the Gospels are central for an understanding of Jesus and his ministry. Yet the parables are more than simple stories; they present a number of obstacles to contemporary readers hoping to fully grasp their meaning. In this volume, thirteen New Testament scholars provide the background necessary to understand the original context and meaning of Jesus’ parables as well as their modern applications, all in a manner easily accessible to general readers.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "From Allegorizing to Allegorizing: A History of the Interpretation of the Parables of Jesus," Klyne R. Snodgrass
• "The Genre of the Parables," Robert H. Stein
• "Parables in Early Judaism," Craig A. Evans
• "Mark's Parables of the Kingdom (Mark 4:1–34)," Morna D. Hooker
• "Matthew's Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:0–52)," Donald A. Hagner
• "Luke's Parables of the Kingdom (Luke 8:4–15; 13:18–21)," Richard N. Longenecker
• "'Produce Fruit Worthy of Repentance:' Parables of Judgment against the Jewish Religious Leaders and the Nation (Matthew 25:1–22:14 par.; Luke 13:6–9)," Allan W. Martens
• "On Being Ready (Matthew 25:1–46)," Richard T. France
• Parables on God's Love and Forgiveness (Luke 15:1–32)," Stephen C. Barton
• "Parables on Poverty and Riches (Luke 12:13–21; 16:1–13; 16:19–31)," Stephen I. Wright
• Parables on Prayer (Luke 11:5–13; 18:1–14)," Walter L. Liefeld
• "Strange Neighbors and Risky Care (Matthew 18:21–35; Luke 14:7–14; Luke 10:25–37)," Sylvia C. Keesmaat
• "'Everyone Who Hears These Words of Mine:' Parables on Discipleship (Matthew 7:24–27/Luke 6:47–49; Luke 14:28–33; Luke 17:7–10; Matthew 20:1–16)," Michael P. Knowles

Clearly written, stimulating and challenging. The volume as a whole is to be strongly recommended and gives new insights into these fascinating stories.... A welcome addition to the recent literature on the parables.

—The Expository Times

Contours of Christology in the New Testament

• Editor: Richard N. Longenecker
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 359

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Contours of Christology in the New Testament features first-class biblical scholars who steep readers in the biblical texts about Jesus. These essays focus on the New Testament writers’ various understandings of Jesus, their differing emphases seen as contours in the common landscape of New Testament Christology. Sweeping in scope, the volume begins with a look at early Christology and covers the whole of the New Testament from the Gospels to Revelation.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "Jewish Messianism and Early Christology," William Horbury
• "Jesus as the Alpha and Omega of New Testament Thought," Ben Witherington III
• "Christological Materials in the Early Christian Communities," Richard N. Longenecker
• "'Who Can This Be?' The Christology of Mark's Gospel," Morna D. Hooker
• "The Vindicated Son: A Narrative Approach to Matthean Christology," Terence L. Donaldson
• "The Christology of Luke's Gospel and Acts," I. Howard Marshall
• "Monotheism and Christology in the Gospel of John," Richard Bauckham
• "The Christology of the Early Pauline Letters," Douglas J. Moo
• "The Christology of the Prison Epistles," Ralph P. Martin
• "Christology in the Letters to Timothy and Titus," Philip H. Towner
• "The Son of God as Unique High Priest: The Christology of the Epistle to the Hebrews," Donald A. Hagner
• "Catholic Christologies in the Catholic Epistles," J. Ramsey Michaels
• "Stories of Jesus in the Apocalypse of John," David E. Aune

A stellar cast of New Testament scholars brings fresh energy to the question “Who is Jesus?” Informed by recent scholarship, these writers move beyond academic disputations and arrive at findings useful to ministers, students, and all others who would like to sharpen their grasp of the identity of the Christ. The studies are up to date but not trendy, theologically rich but not simplistic. Few careful readers will digest this book without multiple “Aha!” moments leading to new insights, better understanding, and even enhanced worship.

—Robert W. Yarbrough

Especially oriented to analyzing the biblical materials concerned with the theological importance of Jesus of Nazareth, Contours of Christology exhibits the exceptional virtue of combining accessibility with profound learning. It will serve as a valuable point of entry into the significance of the person and work of Jesus in the New Testament and its world.

—Joel B. Green

Hearing the Old Testament in the New Testament

• Editor: Stanley Porter
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 330

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How does the New Testament echo the Old? Which versions of the Hebrew Scriptures were authoritative for New Testament writers? The appearance of concepts, images, and passages from the Old Testament in the books of the New raises important questions about textual versions, allusions, and the differences between ancient and modern meaning.

Written by ten distinguished scholars, Hearing the Old Testament in the New Testament first lays out significant foundational issues and then systematically investigates the use of the Old in the New Testament. In a culminating essay Andreas Köstenberger both questions and affirms the other contributors’ findings. These essays together will reward a wide range of New Testament readers with a wealth of insights.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "Introduction: The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament," Stanley Porter
• "The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament as a Rhetorical Device: A Methodological Proposal," Dennis L. Stamps
• "Biblical Texts and the Scriptures for the New Testament Church," R. Timothy McLay
• "Scripture, History, Messiah: Scriptural Fulfillment and the Fullness of Time in Matthew's Gospel," Michael P. Knowles
• "The Beginning of the Good News and the Fulfillment of Scripture in the Gospel of Mark," Craig A. Evans
• "Scripture Justifies Mission: The Use of the Old Testament in Luke-Acts," Stanley Porter
• "'They Saw His Glory and Spoke of Him:' The Gospel of John and the Old Testament," Paul Miller
• "Written Also for Our Sake: Paul's Use of Scripture in the Four Major Epistles, with a Study of Corinthians 10," James W. Aageson
• "In the Face of the Empire: Paul's Use of Scripture in the Shorter Epistles," Sylvia C. Keesmaat
• "Job as Exemplar in the Epistle of James," Kurt Anders Richardson
• "The Use of Scripture in the Pastoral and General Epistles and the Book of Revelation," Andreas J. Köstenberger
• "Hearing the Old Testament in the New: A Response," Andreas J. Köstenberger

The editor is to be praised for gathering such a fine set of authors. The book offers an excellent survey of the use of the Old Testament in the New, clarifying methods, summarizing results, and indicating where further research is required. It is destined to become a major textbook in the field.

—Steve Moyise

Stanley Porter's collection of essays Hearing the Old Testament in the New Testament certainly is a welcome compendium of the latest viewpoints in this regard and makes an invaluable contribution on several aspects in this complex field.

—Gert J. Steyn, Review of Biblical Literature

Into God's Presence: Prayer in the New Testament

• Editor: Richard N. Longenecker
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 305

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The Christian life cannot be fully understood or experienced without first grasping the importance of prayer. Yet prayer, as it is found in the Christian scriptures, has received limited attention as a topic of study. Into God’s Presence explores the nature and use of prayer throughout the entire New Testament. Written by twelve leading biblical scholars with diverse confessional perspectives, this insightful volume first discusses Christian prayer in relation to prayer in the Old Testament, the Greco-Roman world, first-century Judaism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The rest of the book takes an instructive look at prayer as it appears from Matthew to Revelation, with special attention given to Jesus as an exemplar and teacher of prayer.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "Prayer in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible," Christopher R. Seitz
• "Prayer in the Greco-Roman World," David E. Aune
• "Prayer in Jewish Life of the First Century as Background to Early Christianity," Asher Finkel
• "Prayer in the Dead Sea Scrolls," Eileen M. Schuller
• "The Canticles of Luke's Infancy Narrative: The Appropriation of a Biblical Tradition," Stephen Farris
• "Jesus—Example and Teacher of Prayer in the Synoptic Gospels," I. Howard Marshall
• "The Lord's Prayer as a Paradigm of Christian Prayer," N. T. Wright
• "God's Name, Jesus' Name, and Prayer in the Fourth Gospel," Andrew T. Lincoln
• "Persevering Together in Prayer: The Significance of Prayer in the Acts of the Apostles," Joel B. Green
• "Prayer in the Pauline Letters," Richard N. Longenecker
• "Finding Yourself an Intercessor: New Testament Prayer from Hebrews to Jude," J. Ramsey Michaels
• "Prayer in the Book of Revelation," Richard Bauckham

This is a thoroughly researched yet wonderfully accessible account of a regrettably ignored subject. Nicely detailed, yet profound and spiritually enriching, Into God’s Presence is sure to become a significant resource for scholars and pastors alike.

—Max Turner

A splendid collection of essays by a distinguished group of scholars. It is without doubt the best survey of its subject now available.

—Dale C. Allison Jr.

Life in the Face of Death: The Resurrection Message of the New Testament

• Editor: Richard N. Longenecker
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 1998
• Pages: 324

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Life is for living, but there is also a dark side of life — the mocking specter of death that permeates every facet of human activity and invades every corner of our consciousness. But death is not the final chapter for the people of God. The New Testament proclaims a message of resurrection life that is victorious over death. This volume, written by eleven first-class scholars, brings into focus the resurrection message of the New Testament. Much more than just biblical exposition, these essays demonstrate how the resurrection both provides the basis for joyful living now despite the shadow of death and undergirds the Christian belief in a future after death.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "Life, Death, and the Afterlife in the Ancient Near East," Edwin Yamauchi
• "Life, Death, and the Afterlife in the Greco-Roman World," Peter G. Bolt
• "Life, Death, and the Afterlife in Second Temple Judaism," Richard Bauckham
• "Gospel, Kingdom, and Resurrection in the Synoptic Gospels," Donald A. Hagner
• "'I am the Resurrection and the Life:' The Resurrection Message of the Fourth Gospel," Andrew T. Lincoln
• "Resurrection and Immortality in the Pauline Corpus," Murray J. Harris
• "Is There Development in Paul's Resurrection Thought?" Richard N. Longenecker
• "Resurrection and the Christian Life in Paul's Letters," G. Walter Hansen
• "'Witnesses of His Resurrection:' Resurrection, Salvation, Discipleship, and Mission in the Acts of the Apostles," Joel B. Green
• "Living the Life of Faith in the Face of Death: The Witness of Hebrews," William L. Lane
• "Witness and the Resurrection in the Apocalypse of John," Allison A. Trites

This book provides a gold mine of information to anybody who is interested in the theme of death and resurrection as it is described and treated in the New Testament. . . . The information is treated and presented in a responsible way, which makes the book reliable and therefore a valuable tool for research.

—Jan G. van der Watt, Review of Biblical Literature

If you thought scholarly discussions could not be edifying, this book proves you wrong. In keeping with the stated purpose of this series, this book attempts to bridge the gap between academic study and the life of the church. It does an admirable job of both. There is a wealth of information and discussion, but there is an impressive pastoral bent to many of the chapters.

—Online Reviewer

The Messiah in the Old and New Testaments

• Editor: Stanley Porter
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2007
• Pages: 282

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When the ancients talked about "messiah", what did they picture? Did that term refer to a stately figure who would rule, to a militant who would rescue, or to a variety of roles held by many? While Christians have traditionally equated the word "messiah" with Jesus, the discussion is far more complex. This volume contributes significantly to that discussion.

Ten expert scholars here address questions surrounding the concept of "messiah" and clarify what it means to call Jesus "messiah." The book comprises two main parts, first treating those writers who preceded or surrounded the New Testament (two essays on the Old Testament and two on extrabiblical literature) and then discussing the writers of the New Testament. Concluding the volume is a critical response by Craig Evans to both sections. This volume will be helpful to pastors and laypersons wanting to explore the nature and identity of the Messiah in the Old and New Testaments in order to better understand Jesus as Messiah.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "The Messiah: Explorations in the Law and Writings," Tremper Longman III
• "Figuring the Future: The Prophets and Messiah," Mark J. Boda
• "The Messiah in the Qumran Documents," Al Wolters
• "Messianic Ideas in the Apocalyptic and Related Literature of Early Judaism," Loren T. Stuckenbruck
• "Jesus as Messiah in Mark and Matthew," I. Howard Marshall
• "The Messiah in Luke and Acts: Forgiveness for the Captives," Stanley Porter
• "Remembering Jesus: John's Negative Christology," Tom Thatcher
• "Divine Life and Corporate Christology: God, Messiah, Jesus, and the Covenant Community in Paul," S. A. Cummins
• "Messianic Themes of Temple, Enthronement, and Victory in Hebrews and the General Epistles," Cynthia Long Westfall
• "The Messiah in the Old and New Testaments: A Response," Craig A. Evans

The book reflects careful thought and intense study of many publications on Jewish messianism.

—James H. Charlesworth

Overall, this collection of papers is a helpful introduction to the messianism of the New Testament. The essays by Porter, Thatcher, and Cummins were particularly helpful expositions of the Christologies of the New Testament and how they focused on Jesus as Messiah.

—Michael F. Bird

Reading the Gospels Today

• Editor: Stanley Porter
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 229

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As ancient documents, the New Testament Gospels can seem distant from contemporary life or irrelevant to modern society. Further complicating the task of reading the Gospels is the way they seem to introduce differing, if not competing, pictures of Jesus. Reading the Gospels Today is meant to help Bible readers understand—and move beyond—the difficulties involved in interpreting Scripture in our current context.

In these insightful studies several biblical scholars explore the content of the Gospels while also discussing how to read these writings in relation to each other and in terms of today’s world. Some chapters consider issues that vex Gospel criticism; others look at particular texts or Synoptic themes; still others demonstrate how one’s immediate interpretive context helps to raise the issues and shape the answers that are found when we read the Gospels. Well organized, thoughtfully written, and widely accessible, this volume will serve to draw readers into the exciting field of contemporary Gospels study.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "Introduction: Reading the Gospels as a Hermeneutical Issue," Stanley Porter
• "Sorting Out the Synoptic Problem: Why an Old Approach Is Still Best," Craig A. Evans
• "Reading the Gospels and the Quest for the Historical Jesus," Stanley Porter
• "Reading Matthew: The Gospel as Oral Performance," Michael Knowles
• "Reading Mark 11:12–25 from a Korean Perspective," Yong-Eui Yang
• "Salvation Today: Reading Luke's Message for a Gentile Audience," Allan Martens
• "Reading John: The Fourth Gospel under Modern and Postmodern Interrogation," Andrew T. Lincoln
• "The Gospels in Early Christianity: Their Origin, Use and Authority," Lee Martin McDonald
• "Reading the Gospels Canonically: A Methodological Dialogue with Brevard Childs," Al Wolters

These eight writers each bring a measure of common sense to a field sometimes plagued by technical jargon and faddism. Their no-nonsense approach should make this book a valuable supplementary text for beginning or advanced students of the Gospels in colleges and seminaries.

—J. Ramsey Michaels

The Road from Damascus: The Impact of Paul's Conversion on His Life, Thought, and Ministry

• Editor: Richard N. Longenecker
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 1997
• Pages: 269

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Conversion is intrinsic to the Christian religion. The most remarkable conversion recorded in the New Testament is that of Paul, and most Christians consider Christ's encounter with Paul to be a prototype of Christian conversion generally. This collection of eleven essays gives Paul's conversion a firmer rootage in the biblical materials while also emphasizing personal application. The contributors examine the nature of Paul's Damascus Road experience and the impact of that experience on his thought and ministry, and explore how Paul's experience functions as a paradigm for Christian thought and action today.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "Interpreting Paul's Conversion—Then and Now," Bruce Corley
• "A Realized Hope, a New Commitment, and a Developed Proclamation: Paul and Jesus," Richard N. Longenecker
• "A New Understanding of the Present and the Future: Paul and Eschatology," I. Howard Marshall
• "Israelite, Convert, Apostle to the Gentiles: The Origin of Paul's Gentile Mission," Terence L. Donaldson
• "Paul and Justification by Faith," James D. G. Dunn
• "God Reconciled His Enemy to Himself: The Origin of Paul's Concept of Reconciliation," Seyoon Kim
• "Contours of Covenant Theology in the Post-Conversion Paul," Bruce W. Longenecker
• "Sinai as Viewed from Damascus: Paul's Reevaluation of the Mosaic Law," Stephen Westerholm
• "Paul's Conversion as Key to His Understanding of the Spirit," Gordon D. Fee
• "Paul on Women and Gender: A Comparison with Early Jewish Views," Judith M. Gundry-Volf
• "Paul's Conversion and His Ethic of Freedom in Galatians," G. Walter Hansen

In short, while this work does not treat every major topic in Pauline thought, it forms a helpful primer on numerous key topics and their origins, admirably meeting the objectives of the series.

—Craig L. Blomberg, Denver Seminary Journal

Translating the New Testament: Text, Translation, Theology

• Editor: Stanley Porter
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 384

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Stanley Porter and Mark Boda here bring together a group of respected theologians to provide an up-to-date assessment of translation of the New Testament in terms of textual criticism, translation theory, and theology. Each section includes theoretical essays on the interface of a given area with particular issues in translation, followed by applications of the theory to a common passage — the story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31. Advocates of different positions note the translational implications that follow from choosing a particular textual tradition or type over another. These differing perspectives allow for both theoretical diversity and concrete differences in the practice of translation.

Contributions to this volume include:

• "New Testament Textual Research, Its Methods and Its Goals," Barbara Aland
• "Rule 9, Isolated Variants, and the 'Test Tube' Nature of the NA27/UBS4 Text: A Byzantine-Priority Perspective," Maurice A. Robinson
• "The Significance of the Papyri in Revising the New Testament Greek Text and English Translations," Philip Comfort
• "The Text of Luke 16," Barbara Aland
• "The Rich Man and Lazarus—Luke 16:19–31: Text-Critical Notes," Maurice A. Robinson
• "Two Illustrations of Scribal Gap Filling in Luke 16:19," Philip Comfort
• "Assessing Translation Theory: Beyond Literal and Dynamic Equivalence," Stanley Porter
• "A Translation That Induces a Reading Experience: Narrativity, Intratextuality, Rhetorical Performance, and Galatians 1–2," Alain Gignac
• "Hebrew 10:32–39 and the Agony of the Translator," Luke Timothy Johnson
• "Comparative Discourse Analysis as a Tool in Assessing Translations, Using Luke 16:19–31 as a Test Case," Stanley Porter and Matthew Brook O'Donnell
• "Synchronic Observations on Luke 16:19-31 as Preparation for a Translation," Alain Gignac
• "Narrative Perspectives on Luke 16:19–31," Luke Timothy Johnson
• "Mistranslation and the Death of Christ: Isaiah 53 LXX and Its Pauline Reception," Francis Watson
• "On Probabilities, Possibilities, and Pretexts: Fostering a Hermeneutics of Sobriety, Sympathy, and Imagination in an Impressionistic and Suspicious Age," Edith M. Humphrey
• "An Intertextual Reading of Moral Freedom in the Analects and Galatians," K. K. Yeo
• "A Latin American Rereading of Romans 7," Elsa Tamez
• "To Squeeze the Universe into a Ball—Playing Fast and Loose with Lazarus?" Edith M. Humphrey
• "A Confucianist, Cross-cultural Translation of Luke 16:19–31: Ethics, Eschatology, and Scripture," K. K. Yeo
• "A Rereading of Luke 16:19–31," Elsa Tamez
• "Quo vadis? From Whence to Where in New Testament Text Criticism and Translation," Richard N. Longenecker

About Stanley Porter

Stanley Porter is president, dean, and professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario. He is the author of several books, including Idioms of the Greek New Testament, Verbal Aspect in the Greek of the New Testament, Paul in Acts, and The Criteria for Authenticity in Historical-Jesus Research. Porter is also the editor of more than forty other books.