J. Louis Martyn

This collection of essays on John by J. Louis Martyn gathers four additional Johannine essays into a single volume, augmenting the three published earlier in The Gospel of John in Christian History (1978). In addition to the essays published in the third edition of History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel (2003), these two volumes preserve for later generations the complete set of Martyn' published works on John. In a timely way, the publication of this volume follows the 50th anniversary of the publication of History and Theology (1968), which John Ashton regarded as the most important single Johannine monograph since the commentary of Rudolf Bultmann. It also follows the 40th anniversary of the publication of his second Johannine book, which serves as the core of the present volume. --From the Editor's Preface ""J. Louis Martyn's History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel significantly altered the landscape of Gospel studies. The Gospel of John in Christian History now collects Martyn's additional works on the Johannine community, allowing ready access to the further development of Martyn's insights. Alan Culpepper's masterful foreword sets the stage for readers, depicting the situation in Johannine studies prior to 1968 as well as the afterlife of Martyn's work. Students of John--from novices to accomplished specialists--will find far more than glimpses await them in this important volume."" --Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Baylor University ""Rudolf Schnackenburg used to say that Johannine studies are like working in a Chinese rice field: every little corner is worked over again and again through the years, so breaking new ground is really a challenge Nevertheless, every now and then, someone does exactly that, deeply influencing the Johannine field for many years to come, and such a person is J. Louis Martyn. His influence on Johannine studies and debates runs deep, covering both historical and theological issues. Introduced brilliantly by Alan Culpepper, this volume, gathering together the remainder of Martyn's essays on John, ensures that valuable 'Johannine intellectual gold' does not disappear in the sands of time."" --Jan van der Watt, Professor of Source Texts of Christianity, the Radboud University of Nijmegen, Netherlands J. Louis Martyn served as the Edward Robinson Professor of Biblical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York City until his retirement in 1987. R. Alan Culpepper is Dean and Professor Emeritus at the McAfee School of Theology and Research Fellow at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Paul N. Anderson is Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies at George Fox University and Extraordinary Professor of Religion at the North-West University of Potchefstroom, South Africa.

This collection of essays on John by J. Louis Martyn gathers four additional Johannine essays into a single volume, augmenting the three published earlier in The Gospel of John in Christian History (1978). In addition to the essays published in the third edition of History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel (2003), these two volumes preserve for later generations the complete set of Martyn' published works on John. In a timely way, the publication of this volume follows the 50th anniversary of the publication of History and Theology (1968), which John Ashton regarded as the most important single Johannine monograph since the commentary of Rudolf Bultmann. It also follows the 40th anniversary of the publication of his second Johannine book, which serves as the core of the present volume.--From the Editor's Preface

Although the closing decades of the twentieth century have seen a revitalized interest in Paul the theologian, insufficient attention has been paid to the discovery of numerous and pervasive apocalyptic themes in Paul's letters. Surprisingly, the apostle is still being studied somewhat in isolation, almost as though he had neither comrades nor competitors. One of the results, argues Martyn, is that Paul is being credited with views that were actually held by his theological opponents. The fruit of decades of research, the picture of Paul that Martyn paints in this major work is arresting. Both horrified and thankful to find in the crucifixion of God's Christ the death of the old cosmos and the birth of the new one, Paul was able to preach the decisive and liberating newness of Christ while avoiding two lethal distortions. On the one hand, knowing that the God of Jesus Christ was also the God of Abraham, Paul did not slip into the anti-Judaism that was shortly to be propounded by Marcion (second century). On the other hand, he avoided his opponents' reduction of Christ to a mere episode in the epic of Israel's history. It is in sensing Paul's distinctiveness, Martyn argues, that we can begin to discern what the uncompromising apostle called 'the truth of the gospel'.

As the early church took shape in the mid-first century a.d., a theological struggle of great consequence was joined between the apostle Paul and certain theologians who had intruded into the churches founded by the apostle in Galatia. Writing his letter to the Galatians in the midst of that struggle, Paul was concerned to find a way by which he could assert the radical newness of God’s act in Christ while still affirming the positive relation of that act to the solemn promise God had made centuries earlier to Abraham. With the skill of a seasoned scholar and teacher, J. Louis Martyn enables us to take imaginary seats in the Galatian churches so that we may hear Paul’s words with the ears of the early Christians themselves. Listening in this manner, we begin to sense the dramatic intensity of the theological struggle, thus coming to understand the crucial distinctions between the theology of Paul and that of his opponents. We can therefore see why Galatians proved to be a momentous turning point in early Christianity: In this letter Paul preached the decisive and liberating newness of Christ while avoiding both the distortions of anti-Judaism and his opponents’ reduction of Christ to a mere episode in the epic of Israel’s history. Like the Galatians of Paul’s day, we can begin to hear what the apostle himself called “the truth of the gospel.” As its predecessors in the Anchor Bible series have done Galatians successfully makes available all the significant historical and linguistic knowledge which bears on the interpretation of this important New Testament book. A personal letter written by Paul in the mid-first century to friends in the churches emerging in the region of Galatia, where it was circulated, Galatians is down to earth and pragmatic. This biblical book requires the modern reader to take a seat in one of the Galatian congregations, to listen to Paul's letter with Galatian ears, and discern the contours of Paul's theology. That is exactly what Dr. Martyn makes possible in his marvelous commentary, with its careful translation and creative interpretation of Galatians. Though relatively brief, Paul's letter is filled with complex theological and historical issues that demand a thorough treatment. Readers will not be disappointed in Dr. Martyn's sensitive handling of difficult passages, and all will be delighted to have a fresh translation that makes sense to our modern ears. All in all, this volume will stand out as a shining example of top notch scholarship written for the general reader.

This volume, a part of the New Testament Library series, surveys the scholarly work that has been done concerning the book of John. J. Louis Martyn also provides his own reading of the forth Gospel. The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.