MTh Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14194/2591

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A Rhetorical Exegetical Study of the Warning Passage in Hebrews Chapter 6 in the Light of Its Old Testament Background
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Simutowe, Alice Nyirenda; Asumang, Annang; Asumang, Annang
Of the difficult warning passages of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Heb 6:4-6 remains one of its most challenging. The debates on the passage range from resolving its exegetical difficulties; disagreement over its inter-textual links, uncertainties over its theological implications, and much more recently, challenges with identification of the rhetorical strategies of the author. While many useful suggestions have been recently made on these issues, few scholars have explored how the author, as a Diaspora Jewish Christian, fused ideas from his Jewish and Greco-Roman rhetorical background to generate his argumentation which sought to persuade his hearers to remain faithful to the Christian faith. This study is a rhetorical exegetical examination of the warning passage of Hebrew 6 in the light of its OT background. The interest is to identify the rhetorical strategies that the author used in his exhortation. The study also aims to identify the OT citations, echoes and allusions, if any, that the author employed in Heb 6:4-6 and how these can help in the exegesis of the passage. The study therefore investigates how rhetorical criticism and inter-textuality contribute to the interpretation of the passage. The other objective is to highlight the benefits and limitations of the applications of Classical Greco-Roman conventions to the Rhetorical Criticism of Hebrews. The thesis identifies that underlying the whole passage was the Kadesh Barneaincident recorded in Numbers. The study also finds that the author skillfully combines ancient Greco-Roman rhetorical tropes with traditional Jewish Rhetorical manouvres to achieve his overall pastoral strategy. Theologically, the exegesis identifies that the passage is addressed to a Christian audience that have eternal security guaranteed. Yet they were in a danger of slackening to a level of failing to grow into maturity of their faith due to some challenges they were facing. The purpose of the author of Hebrews was to spur them to maturity. This has great importance to today’s Christians who think the journey of faith should be taken lightly. The outcome of this study should contribute in the Bible study of the book of Hebrews to a Christian in a local church where the researcher helps in leading Bible study groups.
An Exegesis of Luke 5:12-16 and its Relevance for Shaping Christian Attitude towards People Stigmatized by HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa
(South African Theological Seminary, 2015) Hoy, Barbara-Anne; Asumang, Annang
All three synoptic evangelists narrate a miracle performed by Jesus in the earliest phase of His public ministry in which He was accosted by a leper requesting cleansing, to which He duly responded (cf. Mk 1:40-45; Mt 8:1-4; Lk 5:12-16). A key feature of the socio-cultural and religious experiences of the biblical leper is stigmatization, ostracism, and marginalization from full participation in the life of the community. Several scholars have examined the Synoptic Gospels’ account of the healing of the leper, seeking to identify their relevance and application in contemporary scenarios. Although these discussions have shed significant light on the modern relevance of the miracle, as far as I am aware, none have focused on the specific presentation of the miracle in Luke’s Gospel in relation to people living with HIV and AIDS, who, like the biblical leper, are also often stigmatized and marginalized from full participation in their communities, including church life. This is a significant scholarly omission, given Luke’s heightened interest in the poor, stigmatized, and marginalized. This mini-thesis exegetes the text of Luke 5:12-16 to determine its theological relevance for Luke’s first readers and, by reflective comparison, maps out some of its implications for shaping contemporary Christian attitudes towards people stigmatized by HIV and AIDS. To this end, a historical-grammatical method of exegesis, together with a literary-theological investigation, directed primarily towards historical and philological goals, is employed. In order to paint a broad social and cultural background for a closer study of the Lucan text, the purity laws of first-century Palestine and specifically how they resulted in the ostracism of those diagnosed with leprosy are examined. The study found that in this narrative Jesus gives concrete expression to the inclusive character of the gospel, the kingdom of God, and the Christian community as He deliberately reaches out and touches an ‘untouchable’. Instead of protecting Himself with the purity regulations, Jesus revealed a reformed idea of purity. Moreover, Jesus’ involvement of the priest in the restoration of the leper offers a challenge to the contemporary Church in Southern Africa. His attitude towards this social outcast has much to contribute to a greater understanding of the Christian attitude necessary in facilitating the eradication of HIV-related stigmatization.
An Exegetical, Theological and Pastoral Analysis of New Covenant Pneumatology in Romans 8:1-17
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Du Preez, Chris Louis Henry Jr. 1985; Asumang, Annang; Asumang, Annang
In Romans 8, Paul writes exhaustively about the Holy Spirit. However, there is one title that he (Paul) gives Him (the Holy Spirit) which is the theme in Romans 8:1 –17. He calls the Holy Spirit πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς “the Spirit of life”. This title that Paul gives to the Holy Spirit unveils one aspect of Paul’s New Covenant Pneumatology, that is, the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing the new covenant into effect. Therefore, I proposed an exegetical, theological, and pastoral analysis of Paul’s New Covenant Pneumatology in Romans 8:1 –17. Based on the research problem that I have established; I proposed the hypothesis that Paul’s reference to the Holy Spirit as “Spirit of life” serves to comprehensively depict Christian existence as a new covenant pneumatic existence and this served as a basis for his subsequent account in the letter of the Christian’s practical life. In this regard Romans 8:1-17 makes a unique contribution to understanding Paul’s new covenant pneumatology. To prove my hypothesis, I have undertaken an exegetical research project just as it was set out by Smith, Kevin G.. Firstly, I examined the context of Paul’s letter to the Romans to establish what Paul’s purpose for writing was and what theological themes he covered in the entire letter. Secondly, I examined Old Testament passages, Second Temple Judaism writings and New Testament passages to determine whether they do teach their readers about the role of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant. Thirdly, I have done in depth exegetical analysis as well as a theological analysis on Romans 8:1-17 to determine what Paul wrote to his original readers and what his original meaning was with regards to the Holy Spirit’s role under the New Covenant. I finally did a pastoral analysis to establish how these findings would affect the teachings within the AFM which is the largest Pentecostal denomination within Southern Africa. Based on the research that was done, the findings that were made are: (1) the Holy Spirit liberates believers in Christ from sin and death by giving them life; (2) the Holy Spirit enables the believer to obey God’s law by making it a reality through His indwelling; (3) believers receive the ability to put their minds on the things of God rather than the things of the world. Some of these findings may inspire the academics within the AFM to review what they teach about the Holy Spirit, and it should also be inspiration for further study in the broader field of New Covenant Pneumatology.
Improving the Constitutional Document titled, “The List of Qualifications for Electing Bishops” in the Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Zambia (PAOGZ): An Integrated Theological Analysis of a Contemporary Challenge
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Chabu, Humphrey; Asumang, Annang
Abstract: This mini-thesis employs the innovative methodology of Integrative Theology to analyse and propose improvements to the constitutional document which regulates the election of bishops in the Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Zambia, hereafter called PAOGZ. The purpose of the project is to attempt to improve the PAOGZ constitutional document titled, “The List of qualifications for electing bishops,” and make it Bible-based, Christocentric and missional. The objective of the research is to determine what the PAOGZ needs to do to ensure that its praxisin relation to the election process is faithful to God and relevant to its context.Critical examination of the outlined qualifications for electing bishops revealed that they are not explicitly dependent on Scriptures. Using insights from exegetical, biblical and historical theological analysis, a theory of action was formulated to improve the document. In that theory of action, the suggestion made was that the PAOGZ may include the qualifications outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 in the governance document. More qualifications were also proposed from other passages of the Bible as outlined in appendix two. This theory of action was recommended in the belief that all theological reflection and Christian doctrine should be based on Scripture as the primary source. The formulation of the theory of action was followed by designing a communication and implementation action planusing Habermas’s theory of communicative action (Smith 2013:89-91). This communicative plan recommends use of dialogue and negotiation.The findings through the Integrated Theological approach showed that the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 area standard and universal norm. Recommendations are made in a draft proposed replacement document which improves the existing one by being more biblical, Christocentric and missional. The key contribution of the mini-thesis is that it demonstrates a structured application of the versatile integrated theological methodology for addressing a practical contemporary challenge in the Church.
'Let us Hold Fast to our Confession’: The Role of the Theme of Faithfulness in the Rhetorical Strategy Employed by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews to Address the Pastoral Problems of the First Hearers
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Mzebetshana, Mzayifani; Asumang, Annang; Asumang, Annang
The epistle to the Hebrews is a paranaetic homily written with the specific purpose of addressing the socio-historical situation of the first hearers. These first hearers started their Christian faith with zeal, determination and a strong commitment to the new-found faith. However, this resulted in their persecution by an unbelieving society to the extent that they even lost their property. Consequently,after an extended period of hardships and sufferings, some succumbed to the social pressures. Hence,they were demoralised, lacked zeal and suffered spiritual malaise. Therefore, the author of Hebrews’goal was to counteract this situation by refocusing the believers’ attention to their eternal destiny and the associated rewards. He exhorted them to renewed commitment to the faith with a hope of better future.They had to endure sufferings and focus on what the eternal future held for them.The objective of this study is,therefore,to establish the role of the theme of faith in the author’s rhetorical strategy to address the believers’ socio-historical situation. To achieve this objective,insights from classical rhetoric combined with traditional historical-grammatical are adopted as method to investigate relevant passages. The first task is to establish the theology of faith in Hebrews. This is achieved in two steps. The first step is a grammatical and linguistic analysis of the faith-related words throughout Hebrews. The second step is the detailed exegesis of Hebrews 2:1-4, with specific focus on the theology of faith. The overall impression is that the believers’were called to faith and endurance even in the midst of sufferings. They were given two choices coupled with consequences. Either they hold fast to the confession of faith or neglect and/or reject the faith. The first choice would guarantee the m inheritance of salvation. The second would result in eternal judgement and possible eschatological death. Through the interplay of the categories of classical rhetorical handbooks, the author of Hebrews effectively and persuasively argued that it was better for these listeners to recommit to their faith. The author’s specific focus on the eternal destiny had rhetorical force to convince the listeners to remain faithful and obedient till the end. Faith and endurance was only their hope for a better eternal future, in the city of God.
The Nature Of Christ’s Habitation In Ephesians 3:17A: A Philological, Conceptual, Historical, Exegetical and Theological Analysis
(South African Theological Seminary) Connoway, Izaak J. L.; Asumang, Annang
Ephesians 3:16-19 is filled with syntactical oddities. My survey of the scholarly literature indicated that 3:17 has received less attention than the other verses. It is also enigmatic on the issue of the portrayal of Christ’s habitation in their hearts. The grammar seems to indicate a request for Christ to take up habitation (inception), while its context suggests they are already indwelt by Christ (2:22). A majority of the consulted commentators understand the inception of Christ’s habitation and the inception of salvation as being equal. Naturally and sensibly an inceptive interpretation creates a problem for them, and so they interpret the prayer as a request for Christ’s work in the Ephesians. However, the verb κατοικῆσαι is an aorist tense verb, which leads a minority of the consulted commentators to interpret the habitation as inceptive. The majority view favours the context in forming an interpretation, while the minority view favours the grammar. This study seeks to contribute to the literature available on Ephesians 3:17 by inquiring into the nature of Christ’s habitation in this verse. The hypothesis is that the minority view is correct. The first step is a philological analysis of κατοικέω and some cognates in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The second step is a conceptual and historical analysis of divine habitation in Second Temple Jewish Literature and the New Testament. The third step is a theological and exegetical analysis of Ephesians 3:17 and its context. Verbal aspect plays a major role in the exegetical section. Verbal aspect indicates that Ephesians 3:17 is a prayer for Christ to take up habitation, which indicates that the minority view is correct. However, the communicative purpose behind the verbal aspect is in line with a durative reading, lending some credence to the majority view. Paul’s communicative purpose (aim) in asking for Christ to take up habitation in the Ephesian believers was found to be spiritual insight and maturity. The significance of the study is that it contributes to the literature available that specifically focus on Ephesians 3:17 and it also solves the enigmatic contradiction between the grammar and context of κατοικῆσαι in Ephesians 3:17.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Discipleship in a Hostile World: An Exegetico-Theological Analysis of John 16:7-15
(South African Theological Seminary) Boshoff, Rudolph; Asumang, Annang
This thesis examines verses 7-15 in Chapter 16 of the Gospel of John to see if what Jesus said specifically describes the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit in triumphant Christian discipleship in a hostile world throughout the Christian era.The key words Sympherō and Paracleteare capable of translation in different ways, and each different rendering changes the significance of the chosen passage. This is examined in both its historical and literary context, as these have a significant impact on the meaning of the passage. The preferred translations ‘advantageous’ and 'a strong person coming alongside, someone to help in times of trouble, someone summoned to give assistance', have a deep relevance for our understanding of the pericope, Jesus’ last teaching to His disciples, on the role of the Holy Spirit to believers in a hostile world, and its application to our own situation.Believers living in this era of hostility needs to understand what Jesus meant with his farewell discourse and the impact the Holy Spirit has on everyday Christianity.
The Tabernacle as a Heuristic Device in the Interpretation of the Christology of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Asumang, Annang; Domeris, William R.; Domeris, William R.
ABSTRACT: The Christological argument of the epistle to the Hebrews is presented as a series of comparisons and contrasts of Jesus the Son of God and our eternal High Priest, with the angels, Moses, Joshua and Aaron. There is no consensus among Biblical scholars regarding the reasons for these comparisons. Suggestions have ranged from the author’s polemical or rhetorical strategy to dissuade faltering Jewish Christians from defecting back to Judaism, to a pastoral strategy of expounding the glorious honour of Christ in order to encourage suffering and persecuted believers. Examination of the expositions of the epistle shows that each of these comparisons is framed in a space or place. Some of these spaces are real physical places; others are metaphorical, utopian or virtual spaces. Jesus is compared to the angels first in heaven, and then in the world. He is compared to Moses and Joshua in the house of God and to Aaron in the Holy of Holies. Using sociological and literary theories in Spatiality to examine the expositions, this thesis will demonstrate, that the author of Hebrews has organized his argument based on these a priori spaces, that the comparisons are a reflection of the contested nature of spaces and that they exhibit elements of territoriality and hierarchy of personalities based on power and knowledge. The pattern of arrangement of the spaces in the epistle, together with the nature of the theological and figurative argument in each space also indicate that the author uses the spatiality of the Pentateuchal wilderness camp and tabernacle as a typological heuristic device in structuring the exposition. By comparing the expositions of Hebrews with its exhortations through this lens, the thesis will also show, that the author uses the typology of the wilderness tabernacle as his primary vehicle to channel his pastoral teaching aimed at addressing the problems of social liminality and spiritual malaise of the congregation. The implications of this approach for understanding the epistle’s argument and a modern application of the theology of the wilderness tabernacle are also briefly discussed.