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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, 2^nd 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.  

Bulletin of Biblical Studies, vol. 16, July-December 1997, year 26, p. 128.

          The July-December 1997 issue of the Bulletin of Biblical Studies contains six (6) articles.

        S. Agouridis, referring to the influence of the paulian theology on the European culture, briefly presents the contribution of ap. Paul to the formation of a new understanding of history, of the freedom of man and the unity of the human community, elements that had a determining role in the formation of the European culture.

       K. Zarras investigates the relationship between the angels Seraphim and Heruvim, the way it results mainly from the calling visions of the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. He especially examines the similarities and differences of the presence of these heavenly creatures in the two visions and the possibility that they might come from respective traditions of neigboring areas.

        J. M. v. Cangh examines woman's position and role in the narrative parts of Luke's gospel. In order to achieve his purpose the writer initially examines woman's position in the O. T. and during Mishna's time. Next, he submits a board with Luke's passages that concern women and moves on to the analysis of Jesus' revolutionary attitude towards women, the way it is presentsd in the specific parts, without, however, leaving out the comparison with reports from other new-testament texts.

     Chr. Karakolis examines whether the expression “συνέρχεσθαιεπίτοαυτό” (gathering in one place) of the Barnabas Letter (4, 10b) has a eucharistic meaning and if it has been influenced from the paulian theology and tradition. To answer this question the writer examines how much the situation of the community of Baranaba's Letter and the terminology and, generally, the theology of the broader context of the specific verse is connected to ap. Paul's theology and especially that of his A' Letter to the Corinthians.

       Y. Nahmia presents two different readings of Jonas' book. The first reading takes place from Freud's point of view and the second from Fromm's. Initially, the writer  briefly mentions Jonas' story and then he quotes both the freudian reading of the particular text and the frommian one. Finally, from the perspective of each one, he develops an interpretation , following each time the respective direction, and shows why these interpretations are compatible with their frame of mind.

            At the end, V. Nikopoulos analyzes two basic notions of the Law of contract, the “debt” and the “debtor”, the way these appear in ap. Paul's Letters and are used by himself as objects of processing the Law with a view to readjust them to the new “by revelation” reality. In this frame, the writer, referring to the broad use of legal terms and institutions by ap. Paul, briefly describes in the beginning of his study the purposes and ways of this use. Next, he explains the basic meaning of the notions in the Law of contract and, finally, he analyzes their importance in the Letters.    

Bulletin of Biblical Studies, vol. 17, January-June 1998, year 27, p. 128.

     The January-June 1998 issue of the Bulletin of Biblical Studies contains six (6) articles.

     S. Agouridis examines the issue of the calling of the twelve apostles, the names, the mission as well as the terrible difficulties they will encounter in their missionary work, the way it appears in chapter 10 of Matthew's gospel. In this frame, the writer presents the thematology of the chapter and the deeper problems of Matthew's Church that made its writing and its placing in the specific context of the gospel imperative.

      D. Kaimakis deals with certain translation problems of the text of the O' in the new Greek language and presents the data that characterize the content and the language of the text and the data that make its translation particularly difficult. He places particular emphasis on the problems that arise from the perspective of the verb and the use of the infinitive and the participle.

     I. Karavidopoulos presents certain new directions and trends of the Biblical Hermeneutic that are noted from the decade of the '70s and onwards. Those that are presented here are the ones that have been created mainly by liberal biblical theologians as a result of the criticism they made on the dominant historical-critical method. In this frame, there is a reference to the rhetorical analysis of biblical texts, the narrative analysis – narratology, the reader's response method and, finally, the method of deconstruction. At the end of his article, the writer makes a short general assessment of the newer post-structuralist hermeneutic trends.

       D. Arkadas refers to the issue of the eschatology of John's gospel and the levels through which it develops. In this frame, there is first talk of the historical version and the post-historical perspective of John's eschatology and the new eschatological center, in which the believer lives the partly and expects the catholic-situation of “engagement”. The writer tries to detect this “liturgical eschatology”and the liturgical character of John's gospel, the way these are presented in the eschatological facts of the Second Coming, the Resurrection and eternal life as well as the Judgement.

        The text of T. Dune consists of the “conclusions” of a broader study of his on Rom. 15, 19.

       G. Rigopoulos,  hermeneutically approaching John 12, 20-26, moves on to the investigation of the relationship between Jesus and the “Greeks”. In this frame, he initially examines the meaning and use of the term “Greek” in the O. T. (O') and in the N. T. and presents the views of the Fathers and younger interpreters on who D' evangelist implies as “Greeks” in John 12, 20. Next, the writer turns his interest on Jesus' answer so that the meaning of the term and the significance of Jesus' attitude towards the “Greeks” may be understood. The article continues in the BBS, vol. 18, Jan.-June 1999, year 28, pp. 40-52.

         Following are the book reviews of Chr. Karakolis, S. Agouridis and I. Karavidopoulos.