Southern Baptist Theology in the Late Twentieth Century
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 54, No. 2 – Spring 2012
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Andreas J. Köstenberger. Biblical Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. 652 pages. Hardcover, $39.99.
Andreas Köstenberger is a well-known evangelical scholar who has published a significant body of work on the Gospel of John. Among other significant roles, he serves as Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Köstenberger is the editor of a new series called Biblical Theology of the New Testament. Since A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters is the first volume in the series, Köstenberger is able to describe the distinctive approach of the series and provide the first example of the fruitfulness of the approach.
Having acknowledged that biblical theology is a field that stands in need of definition (26), Köstenberger sees a need for biblical theology that rests upon a solid foundation (45). Biblical theology’s foundation should be both historical and literary. Consideration of historical elements, like “authorship and historical setting,” is important if biblical theology is to maintain a close connection to history (45). Similarly, sensitivity to literary concerns, like genre and pivotal points of the narrative/discourse, connects biblical theology to a “close reading” of the biblical text (26). Attention to literary elements of the text is especially important, because they point to the “programmatic sections” where the author highlights his central theological concerns (47–50). As a result, Köstenberger structures his book so as to build the foundation first and then proceed to his treatment of theological themes. He proceeds from historical foundation to literary foundation in chapters 1–3. Then, chapters 4–5 provide a useful “literary-theological” overview of the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John. These chapters anticipate much of what comes later.
Chapters 6–15 treat central themes of John’s Gospel and Epistles. The ordering of the chapters brings out a correspondence between John’s themes and the “programmatic sections” of his narrative (48–50). Since Jesus as Messiah and Jesus’ signs connect to John’s purpose statement (John 20:30–31), they are considered first (chapter 7). Next comes themes associated with the beginning of John (1:1–18), like new creation and John’s doctrine of God (chapters 8–9). In third place are the themes associated with the “preamble to part two” of John’s Gospel (13:1–3; see pp. 49–50), including ethics and the cross (chapters 13–14). Furthermore, within each chapter, Köstenberger generally follows the development of each theological theme through the major sections of John’s narrative so that one can see how John develops the theme.
The strength of Köstenberger’s plan of organization is clear enough. It shows how John’s theological points are connected to the structure and progress of the narrative. The plan also comes with a couple of liabilities that Köstenberger tries to mitigate. First, Köstenberger’s organization creates the impression of a closer focus upon the Gospel of John and neglect of his epistles. Second, some of John’s themes are not easy to develop by following the narrative of John’s Gospel. Sometimes, John repeats earlier points or provides the central elements of a theme in such a way that it helps to compare the relevant verses side by side, even if they occur several chapters apart. As a result, Köstenberger’s approach works best when he helps the reader to follow a theme through the narrative by drawing special attention to a theme’s high points or by connecting later aspects of a theme to earlier ones. His treatment of the fulfillment of the Passover is a good example (414–20). In some cases, a stronger summary section might help to draw together John’s points related to a particular theme. For example, the section on the Spirit would probably benefit from a stronger summary to help the reader to incorporate the central emphases of John’s theology.
Given the vast scope of the book, Köstenberger covers a lot of ground and does so with clarity and a strategic use of charts. The contents often line up with the emphases of Köstenberger’s own work on the Gospel of John, like his concern for historical issues and John’s use of the Old Testament (chapters 1, 6). One area in which the book seems to be a bit light is in its treatment of John’s teaching regarding the cross. Some of the themes related to the cross are already treated by the time one gets to the cross in chapter 14. Chapter 14 does not do justice to the theme in its own right and could do a better job of drawing together elements from previous chapters. Yet this is really a small criticism of a book that handles so many themes and does so admirably.
As Köstenberger notes early on, the theology of John’s writings has been generally neglected in New Testament scholarship, especially in comparison to Pauline theology (28). Köstenberger here makes a very significant contribution to Johannine theology. His work is carefully crafted and readable. Someone who wishes to preach or teach on the Gospel of John (or his epistles) would benefit from reading Köstenberger’s literary-theological overview (chapters 10, 11). Then, one could use the chapters on theological themes to bring out John’s theological emphases. Köstenberger’s work is an insightful and trustworthy guide for anyone who wants to engage more seriously with the theology of John’s writings.
