Models of Scripture
ISBN 978 1894667 41 8
436 pages.
Published 1/1/2004
£30.00
Paperback
This work looks at the task of interpreting Scripture as “witnessing tradition,” “authoritative canon,” “inspired word,” and “experienced revelation.” The diversity of interpretive approaches implied by the use of these four models of Scripture is carried further by a methodological catholicity and openness within each of the four major divisions of the book. Throughout, Goldingay also continually moves toward the interpreter’s final task- communication to others of what has been gained in interpretation.
JOHN GOLDINGAY is David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is the author of numerous scholarly books and commentaries on Daniel (Word Biblical Commentary) and Isaiah (New International Biblical Commentary). He has also written several more popular expositions such as After Eating the Apricot and Men Behaving Badly.
This is a book that will make all who think they know what they are reading when they read the Bible, think again.
Richard Bauckham
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Scripture’s Varied Forms 1
Categories for a Doctrine of Scripture 1
Models for Scripture 7
Reconsidering Models for Scripture 12
PART I
SCRIPTURE AS WITNESSING TRADITION 19
2. Witness and Tradition 21
The Nature of Scriptural Faith and the Nature of Scripture 21
Biblical Narrative as Witness and Tradition 25
3. The Factuality Involved in Witness 29
As Witness Scripture Asks to Be Investigated Critically
( Even If It Implies a Critique of Criticism) 30
Investigating the Witness of the Second Testament 34
Investigating the Witness of the First Testament 39
Living in Trust and Living with Ambiguity 42
As Witness Scripture Invites Us to Learn from the Events
Themselves to Which It Points 46
4. The Interpretation Involved in Witness 49
The Gospels as Interpretative Witness 49
Witness and Tradition: Fact and Interpretation 52
The Theological Nature of the Witnessing Tradition’s
Interpretation 58
5. Witness in the Form of Story 61
History and Story: How Stories Work 61
The Place of “Fiction” in a Historical Story 67
The Witness of “Pure” Fiction 71
6. Scripture as a Whole as Witnessing Tradition 77
The Authoritative Canon as Witness 78
The Inspired Word as Witness 78
The Experienced Revelation as Witness 80
PART II
SCRIPTURE AS AUTHORITATIVE CANON 83
7. Authority in Scripture 85
Worshipping by Scripture and Living by Scripture: Psalm 119 87
Worshipping by Scripture and Living by Scripture:
The Example of Jesus ( Matthew 4:1-11) 89
The Bible’s Approach to 8iblical Authority 93
8. Scripture as a Whole as Authoritative Canon:
Narrative and Prophecy 99
“It Is Written” 99
Scripture and Canon 102
Biblical Narrative as Authoritative Canon 108
The Inspired Word as Authoritative Canon 115
9. Scripture as a Whole as Authoritative Canon:
Norms for Christian Doctrine 117
The Crisis of Authority 117
Authority and Scripture 121
The Experienced Revelation as Authoritative Canon 125
The First Testament as Authoritative Canon for Jesus
and the Second Testament Writers 131
Contents lX
10. The Development of a Canon of Jewish Scriptures 138
From the Beginnings to the Persian Period 138
Jewish Canons in the Greek and Roman Periods 142
Developments during the Christian Era 145
11. The Development of a Second Testament 151
The First Two Christian Centuries 151
The Crises of the Late Second Century 155
The Catholic Church’s Response 158
A Canon of Second Testament Scriptures 164
12. The Bounds of the Canon 168
Which Books Belong in the First Testament? 168
Criteria for Inclusion: Canon, Prophets, and Apostles 171
The Determination and the Openness of the Canon 177
13. Scripture as Resource and Norm 183
Tradition 183
Reason and Secular Thought 187
Human Experience 189
Our Commitments 194
Scripture as Resource and Norm 196
PART III
SCRIPTURE AS INSPIRED WORD 199
14. The Words of God in Human Words 201
The Word of God at the Critical Moment: Jeremiah 36 201
Prophecy as the Inspired Word of God 204
15. An Effective and Meaningful Word 209
The Word of God: Certain to Come About 209
The Inspired Word: Significant beyond Its Original Context 215
The Inspired Speaker of God’s Word 219
16. Forms of Inspiration 222
Inspiration as God Using an Instrument 223
X CONTENTS
Inspiration as God Dictating to a Messenger 227
Inspiration as God Standing behind a Prophet’s Own Words 231
17. Understanding the Inspiration of a Text 237
The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of the
Incarnation 238
The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of the
Spirit’s Involvement in the Church 241
The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of
Creative Inspiration 244
The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of the
Nature of the Sacraments 246
The Inspiration of Scripture in the Light of
God’s Acts in History 248
18. Scripture as a Whole as Inspired Word 252
Extending the Model of Inspired Word of God:
Its Application to Narrative 252
Authoritative Canon and Experienced Revelation
as Inspired Word of God 257
19. Inspiration and Inerrancy 261
Attitudes to Factual Accuracy over the Centuries 261
The Nineteenth-Century Elaboration 266
Difficulties with Inerrancy and Approaches to Solving Them 268
Difficulties in Principle and Disadvantages in Practice 273
The God-Givenness of a Broadly Accurate Text 279
PART IV
SCRIPTURE AS EXPERIENCED REVELATION 285
20. Revelation in Theology and in Scripture 287
Revelation as a Theological Theme and as a Scriptural Theme 288
Revelation in the Apocalypses 292
21. Revelation: Personal, Propositional, Historical,
and Reasonable 299
Personal Revelation? 299
Propositional Revelation? 302
Revelation in History? 304
Revelation and Reason 311
22. The Truth of Revelation 314
The Place of Imagery in Scripture 314
The Logic of Scripture’s Language about God 319
The Truth of Daniel 10-12 322
The Symbolism of Patriarchy 326
23. Scripture as as a Whole as Divine Revelation 329
Revelation Elsewhere in Scripture 329
Diversity and Unity in the Scriptural Revelation 332
Theological Inerrancy 338
Progressive Revelation and Divine Condescension 341
The Clarity of the Scriptural Revelation 345
24. Human Experience and Theological Reflection
in the Two Testaments 348
Human Experience in Scripture 348
The Experience of Israel and Christian Experience 351
Theological Reflection and the Christ Event 355
25. Scripture as a Manual of Theological Reflection 360
The Reflective Nature of Scripture as a Whole 360
Modes of Theological Reflection in Scripture 364
Abbreviations 372
Bibliography 374
Index of Authors 404
Index of Scriptural and Other Ancient Jewish
and Christian Writings 412