Bulletin of Biblical Studies, vol. 16, January-June 1997, year 26, p. 94.
The January-June 1997 issue of the Bulletin of Biblical Studies contains five (5) articles.
A. Tsortou presents the content of her paper about the sotiriology of the Coptic manuscript of Nag Hammadi ΤρίμορφηΠρωτέννοια and its possible relation with the Prologue of the D gospel. The writer analyses the Gnostic sense of Πρωτέννοια (First-meaning) and its three forms (Tρίμορφη) and the meaning of the latter for the Gnostic significance of salvation. Next, she explains the five stages of the salvation of the Gnostic and, finally, she investigates the meaning of the Christological passage of TρίμορφηΠρωτέννοια and its relation with the sotiriology of John.
J. Charlesworth tries to pinpoint the ways by which it is possible to discern whether Jesus knew and was likely influenced by some ideas of the Essenes that are included in the Manuscripts of the Dead Sea. In this context, he refers to the similarities and differences between Jesus and the Essenes and to Jesus’ Judaism under the light of the Manuscripts. Finally, he examines the incomprehensible saying of Jesus in the parallel passage Luke 12, 7 and Matthew 10, 30, referring also to the Damascinian Manuscript, in order to investigate Jesus’ possible relation with the Essenes.
S. Agouridis presents the volume that Gr. Stanton supervised, titled The Interpretation of Matthew, 2nd edition, T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh 1995. The volume is a new edition of representative studies of his time as to the interpretation of Matthew’s gospel. The writer of the article, motivated by the introductory text of Stanton where he makes observations or expresses reservations about the opinions expressed in the studies of the volume, moves on to a brief, yet concise presentation of the most basic points and views presented in the nine studies of important biblical scientists, contained in the volume.
G. Korting analyses the dynamic structure of John’s Letter A and indicates the changes that exist between the relations of different persons with each other. So, in the first part of the letter (1, 1-2, 17) Jesus occupies the central position, in the second (2, 18-3, 24) the people and in the third and last (ch. 4-5) the Holy Spirit.
G. Korting investigates the likelihood of elaborating on the D gospel as a drama, in terms of its literature structure, and the relations and influences of the gospel by ancient-greek dramas and tragedies. The writer of the article maintains that the drama in the specific gospel evolves in three successive dramas, each one of which consists of five acts and he analyses its structure in this perspective.
Following are reviews of H. Karakolis on the book Johannesstudien by O. Hofius and H. - C. Kammler, Tubingen 1960 and of S. Agouridis on the books The Sermon on the Mount, An Exegetical Commentary by G. Strecker, Matthew: Structure, Christology, Kingdom by J. D. Kingsbury, London 1975, Solomon, the King of Women by C. Rappe, trnsl. Athens 1996, The Man who became God by G. Messadie, trnsl. Athens 1995, and, finally, The Family as a working unit of the people of the Old Testament, (Sociological research, Work with Family Type Solidarity Relations), Athens 1997 by P. Sinopoulos.