PREFACE 13
PREFACE
The primary focus of this book is on what used to be called "special introduction”— that is, on historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, destination, and the like. Not a few recent books devote more space than we do to literary form, rhetorical criticism, and historical parallels. We do not minimize the importance of such topics and have introduced them where they directly bear on the subject at hand. In our experience, however, they are better given extended treatment in courses on exegesis, especially the exegesis of particular books, and we fear that too much focus on these topics at the expense of traditional questions of introduction tends to divorce the New Testament books from their historical settings, and students from some important debates in the first centuries of the Christian church. This also means that we have often referred to primary sources. In debates over such questions as what Papias means by "John the elder,” we have tended to cite the passage and work through it, so that students may see for themselves what the turning points in the debate are (or should be!).
Although the emphasis of this book is on "special introduction,” we have included a brief outline or resume of each New Testament document, sometimes providing a rationale for the choices we have made. In each case we have provided a brief account of current studies on the book and have indicated something of the theological contribution that each New Testament document makes to the canon. Our ultimate concern is that new generations of theological students will gain a better grasp of the Word of God.
We have tried to write with the first- and second-year student of seminaries and theological colleges in mind. Doubtless in most instances the material will be supplemented by lectures. Some teachers will want to use the material in some order other than that presented here (e.g., by assigning chapters on Matthew, Mark, and Luke before assigning the chapter on the Synoptic Gospels). Bibliographies are primarily in English, but small numbers of works in German, French, and other modern languages appear. These bibliographies are meant to be brief enough not to be daunting, and comprehensive enough not to be reductionistic. Lecturers may provide guidance as to what in these lists is especially useful in particular contexts.
Not least important, we have restricted the length of this Introduction so that it can be used as a textbook. One or two well-known introductions are so long that only relatively short parts of them are assigned to students. This means it is possible to graduate from a seminary without ever having read a single New Testament introduction right through. Although the brevity of this volume precludes detailed discussion of many topics we would have liked to pursue, we hope the constraints we have chosen will enhance its value.
Confessionally, the three authors are Evangelicals. Doubtless that heritage biases our readings somewhat but (we hope) not too greatly our awareness of our biases, and no more, we suggest, than other New Testament students are influenced by their heritage.
If we have tried to eschew obscurantism, we have nevertheless sometimes raised possibilities and questions that are too quickly turned aside in some introductions. We have tried to engage a representative sampling of the vast amount of current literature, sometimes following traditional paths, and at other times suggesting a fresh way of looking at an issue. Where the evidence seems entirely inconclusive to us, we have left questions open.
Each of us has written about a third of this volume and offered written critiques of the work of the other two. One of us has tried to reduce stylistic and other differences to a minimum. In two or three instances, references in the text betray the individual author. Elsewhere, readers are warmly invited to identify the redactor and the individual sources.
Soli Deo gloria.
D. A. Carson Douglas J. Moo
Leon Morris