Understanding the Times: New Testament Studies in the 21st Century: Essays in Honor of D. A. Carson on the Occasion of His 65th Birthday [Hardcover]

Andreas J. Kostenberger (Editor), Robert W. Yarbrough (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2011

First Chronicles speaks of “men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” In our rapidly changing, postmodern culture, we desperately need Christian leaders who understand the times and can guide us in our work as the body of Christ. D. A. Carson is such a man. Renowned as a gifted speaker, writer, theologian, and pastor, Carson has written extensively and persuasively on a wide range of topics, particularly in the field of New Testament studies. He has taught for over thirty years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where he has influenced many students, a large number of whom have become pastors or scholars themselves.

In appreciation of Carson’s lifework, editors Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert Yarbrough have assembled a team of his former students and colleagues to produce this volume of essays on contemporary New Testament studies. The book explores New Testament studies as they relate to special topics and ancillary disciplines, and it surveys the state of New Testament scholarship around the world. Readers will benefit not only from the example of Carson, as one who understands our times, but also from the high quality of essays produced for this volume.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Don Carson is one of the most productive and capable evangelical scholars in the English-speaking world, and this volume by former students and teaching colleagues reflects the breadth of his interests and especially his concern for the development of biblical studies in a global context. Alongside fresh personal contributions to New Testament study, there are informative surveys of developments in New Testament studies in Africa and Asia, as well as in North America and Europe. This solid volume thus offers not only a worthy tribute to its honoree but also valuable assessments of the state of New Testament scholarship worldwide.”
—I. Howard Marshall, Professor Emeritus, University of Aberdeen, Scotland

“D. A. Carson is the Renaissance man of North American evangelicalism. He is a biblical scholar of the highest caliber, a preacher and evangelist of renown, and a theologian of unswerving commitment to the gospel. His teaching ministry has spanned the globe; in fact, I’ve heard his sermon on Matthew 27 on three different continents and found it equally stirring each time. This book is a snapshot of issues in the international New Testament scene as it stands today. This erudite collection of essays is rightly dedicated to one who has committed his life to serving the global church.”
—Michael F. Bird, Lecturer in Theology, Ridley Melbourne College of Mission and Ministry

“This lively book of essays represents a fitting tribute to the life of Don Carson, one of the liveliest and most learned biblical scholars of our time. It will only suit its honoree, however, if it leads its varied readers to the Scriptures he has studied for so long, increasing devotion and fidelity to the gospel they proclaim. I pray that God will make this so for Jesus’ sake.”
—Douglas A. Sweeney, Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought, Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“This is a remarkable series of studies in honor of a remarkable man. Carson’s influence has been extraordinary, and this book explores a number of his particular interests with great skill.”
—Simon Gathercole, Senior Lecturer in New Testament, University of Cambridge

About the Author

ANDREAS J. KÖSTENBERGER (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of New Testament at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, the editor of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and the author of numerous books and articles in the field of New Testament studies.

ROBERT YARBROUGH (DPhil, University of Aberdeen) is professor of New Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary after serving for many years as chair of the New Testament Department at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of several books, including Engaging the New Testament.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Crossway (April 12, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433507196
• ISBN-13: 978-1433507199
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #994,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars D.A. Carson Honored By His Colleagues May 4, 2011

By David P. Craig TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

BR: Understanding the Times edited by Andreas J. Kostenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough

I love to be encouraged; encourage others; and see others encouraged as well. In this collection of essays honoring D.A. Carson (on the occasion of his 65th birthday) I hope that he is encouraged by his Colleagues in honoring perhaps the premier evangelical New Testament scholar in this past generation. I am reminded of the author to the Hebrews words of encouragement to faithful workers like Carson, "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do (Hebrews 6:10)." Thank you scholars for paying tribute to such a wonderful gift to the church - at 65 - I hope he lives many more fruitful years so as to continue disseminating outstanding Biblical Theology that benefits the Church and helps strengthen students of the Bible to make a difference in our culture for the glory of Christ.

This book is into three sections that cover the breadth of Carson's areas of expertise as a prolific writer and speaker:

Part 1: New Testament Studies and Ancillary Disciplines

1) Greek Linguistics and Lexicography by Stanley E. Porter
2) Hermeneutics and Theological Interpretation by Grant Osborne
3) The Church: A Summary and Reflection by Mark Dever
4) Evangelical Self-Identity and the Doctrine of Biblical Inerrancy by John D. Woodbridge

Part 2: Special Topics in New Testament Studies

5) Lifting up the Son of Man and God's Love for the World: John 3:16 in its Historical, Literary, and Theological Contexts by Andreas J. Kostenberger
6) Justification in Galatians by Douglas J. Moo
7) God as the Speaking: "Theology" in the Letter to the Hebrews by Peter T.... O'Brien
8) The Language of Baptism: The Meaning of Baptizo in the New Testament by Eckhard J. Schnabel

Part 3: New Testament Studies around the World

9) New Testament Studies in Africa by Robert W. Yarbrough
10) New Testament Studies in North America by Craig L. Blomberg
11) New Testament Studies in Asia by David W. Pao
12) New Testament Studies in Europe by Robert W. Yarbrough

Appendix: D.A. Carson: His Life and Work to Date

Selected Writings of D.A. Carson

I think this is an excellent collection of essays. I enjoyed all the essays immensely - especially the ones in Part 2 and the Appendix written by Kostenberger. I particularly enjoyed the tribute as not only a testament to the great scholar that Carson is, but also to his integrity and character as a godly man who happens to have a great mind, but also a shepherd's heart for nurturing the flock for whom our loving Savior died. I think that any one who loves D.A. Carson's work will love him even more after reading this book. I am so grateful for his labors and pray that he is encouraged and others will be motivated to follow in his steps as he has followed in the steps of Christ. Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthy Book in Honor of D.A. Carson September 8, 2011

By Richard Hogaboam

Format:Hardcover

I want to thank the fine folks at Crossway for this review copy of a much-deserved festschrift for scholar D.A. Carson. Carson is one of the most influential Evangelical scholars of our time and that each essay in this book is written by a former student is confirmation enough of his influence on Evangelical scholarship.

My first introduction to Carson's writings was through his work, "Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14". I appreciated his honest and fair treatment of the text. He is an "open but cautious" guy regarding the charismatic gifts, and that's saying quite a bit considering his background. He had much to offer for both sides of the argument. I knew right away that Carson was a credible scholar who was irenic in tone and was concerned about the Gospel above all and promoting as much unity as possible around the Gospel. Carson's recent involvement with the Gospel Coalition evidences the heart of a statesman for the Gospel who is able to speak to a broad spectrum within Evangelicalism.

Now, to the book. I actually think the book is a bit pricey in that it will primarily appeal to those who have a heightened interest in NT studies, who will likely only be drawn to a handful of the essays within the book. That being said, the essays are worthwhile to those who have interest in the disciplines dealt with. I was particularly drawn to the following essays:

Hermeneutics and Theological Interpretation by Grant Osborne

Evangelical Self-Identity and the Doctrine of Biblical Inerrancy by John D. Woodbridge

Lifting Up the Son of Man and God's Love for the World: John 3:16 in Its Historical, Literary, and Theological Contexts by Andreas J. Kostenberger

Justification in Galatians by Douglas J.... Moo

The Language of Baptism: The Meaning of BAPTIZO in the New Testament by Eckhard J. Schnabel

Appendix: D.A. Carson: His Life and Work to Date by Andreas J. Kostenberger

It's a daunting task to review so many scholarly articles, so I will confine my review to only 2 of the essays that I found to be the most personally edifying, the ones by Osborne and Moo.

Osborne's essay was an extremely helpful assessment of the lay of the land regarding the role of theological interpretation within the discipline of hermeneutics. There are many schools of thought concerning this. Many exegetical scholars would state that it is not their role or responsibility to do theology and that such a task is left for theologians and the church. There has been a wedge of sorts between the respective disciplines. Osborne advocates the need for harmonization and the fallacy of doing exegesis with total theological neutrality.

Osborne advocates the primacy of Scripture and the supplemental value of tradition, "The thesis of this essay is that Scripture has absolute primacy, and tradition is supplemental, informing us and providing models for the way Scripture has been utilized through the centuries, but not determining our present system" (2011:84).

Osborne advocates the use of four components that provide the ingredients for a wholistic understanding of Scripture: Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason. He says,

Tradition, experience, and reason together form our preunderstanding, that set of hermeneutical awareness and beliefs that guide us when we study a text and draw theological meaning from it. This compendium of the reader's strategies must be consciously held, lest they become an a priori that determines the textual meaning rather than a perspective from which we make decisions. Once again, the competing schools of thought are our friend, for they force us away from presuppositional readings (2011:84).

Osborne has advocated for a model that will prove useful in the construction of theology in the church which is not entirely dismissive of the role of historical theology as codified in ancient creeds and the understanding of such throughout the centuries. Osborne also views experience as part of the equation. Of course experience does not trump other components, but it does play a valid role within the whole. Who would dare suggest that Luther's experiences had nothing to do with his emphasis on justification by faith and other emphasized doctrines in the reformation? The NT epistles themselves are occasional in nature and responsive to the experiences of the church. All in all, Osbrone's essay is incredibly helpful and I didn't even scratch the surface on all that he has to say.

Moo's essay on justification in Galatians was actually quite surprising. Moo engages judiciously with the text and is not interested in validating certain individuals in the whole modern justification debate. He interacts with all parties and humbly advocates his understanding of the text on its own merit. Moo therefore says things that align closely with N.T. Wright at times, while also criticizing things that have been advocated by Wright.

Moo contends that the doctrine of our union with Christ would help resolve a lot of the tension in the justification debate about its forensic and moral implications. Moo clearly advocates a forensic nature to justification while at the same time acknowledging that it is sometimes used in a moral sense and in an eschatological sense. He says (2011:176-7),

Following the lead of Calvin and many others in the Reformed tradition, it does much better justice to Paul if we connect forensic justification with transformation by viewing both as inevitable and necessary products of our being "in Christ." While not explicitly taught in Galatians, the idea that our union with Christ produces these two inseperable but distinguishable benefits is clearly hinted. Being "in Christ" is foundational...

He adds (2011:177),

As I would argue is the case throughout his letters, union with Christ, not justification, lies at the heart of Paul's theology.

Regarding the timing of justification, Moo is to be praised for his admission of its eschatological nature, and not just within the traditional interpretation of vindication alone. He says (2011:190),

N.T. Wright is surely correct to stress that eschatology is one of the key lenses through which justification must be viewed. Indeed, it is traditional to assert that justification in Paul is a basically eschatological verdict, with his focus on the initial verdict then being seen in light of his typical "realized" perspective. I have no quarrel with this way of viewing the matter...

Moo continues (2011:190),

A future element in justification does not fit entirely comfortably within my own Reformed tradition. It is messy. But it appears to be biblical.

In the conclusion of the essay, Moo suggests a couple topics worthy of further conversation: the future aspect of justification and the relationship of works with justification. Moo, having already stated that these topics are "messy" within the Reformed tradition, nonetheless encourages further dialogue around these polarizing topics. He says (2011:193),

First, the focus on the future aspect of justification in Galatians raises difficult questions about the nature of this event, especially in light of its relationship to "initial" justification. Piper, reflecting the main line of Reformation teaching, argues that future justification is a declaration and not a "saving act."

He continues,

This way of putting the matter would seem to be the inevitable logical deduction from a conviction that initial justification is a definitive act; and may well be the best way of handling all the biblical data involved. Yet one has to wonder whether Paul would give the future aspect of justification the kind of prominence it has in Galatians if it was a matter simply of public declaration. The importance he attaches to the Galatians' continued reliance on faith and the Spirit - see especially Galatians 5:2-4 - suggests that more may be involved.

Moo encourages further study on what this "more" might entail. Moo proceeds to mention the second topic of works (2011:194),

Second, granted that "by faith alone" is, indeed, taught in Galatians, what of "works"? What role do they place in the believer's ultimate justification? In keeping with the balance that typifies all of Paul's letters, Galatians highlights, along with faith, the necessity of works for entrance into eternal life...

Moo directs attention to Galatians 6:7-9. I would add that the implications of Galatians 5:19-21 is relevant to Moo's acknowledgement of works being related to final judgment. Traditionally the Reformed tradition has advocated works as an evidence of justification and union with Christ through the Spirit, but never as the basis for justification. Moo is not suggesting that we ditch this traditional Reformational understanding but rather we reassess the language and perhaps modify and qualify our terms a bit better.

All in all, very stimulating essays from this book (as was expected). Recommend the essays to those who are very interested in the field of NT studies. Read more ›

4.0 out of 5 stars Fitting tribute June 18, 2011

By Joel Holtz VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This is an outstanding tribute to D.A. Carson, in honor of his upcoming 65th birthday.

The essays by Carson's friends and colleagues are of course well written, but almost completely academic and in most cases will probably appeal only to seminary students and those who have at least a rudimentary understanding of hermenuetics and Greek. The chapter on Baptism, for instance, contains several Bible verses written in the original Greek.

Andreas Kostenberger, one of the editors of the book, elaborates on the headiness of the book in his excellent tribute to his friend in the appendix (one of the best, if not the best chapter in the book), when he at one point mentions Carson's "massive erudition."

The book also has a few words that most of us average readers will undoubtedly struggle with.. "monosemous," "contrapuntalism," and "solipsistic," to name just a few.

The chapters on New Testament studies around the globe are all excellent though, and the one about Africa is perhaps the best.

Just be forewarned, this is not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination.
But kudos to Crossway for publishing a great tribute to one of the most respected scholars of our time, who in turn helps us understand the times.