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189

The Introduction (in vol. 1) is impressive and helpful. It covers the

epistle's authenticity, unity, the interim events between the writing of
1 Cor. and the first of the letters contained in 2 Cor., and the chronology presupposed in the commentary. The epistle is divided into 6 sections. Part III is a long section ("Defence of the Apostolic Ministry
2.14-7.4") and alone has 2,102 footnotes. Linguistic and textual notes
are given proper attention, but matters concerning translation are not
given particular prominence-we are after all interpreting the Greek
text. Contemporary scholarship is given appropriate recognition and
space, especially on disputed matters, such as the nature of the thorn
in the flesh. (Thrall favours migraine as the most likely definition.)
There are 7 excursusin vol. 1 and nine in volume 2, ranging from
the cultural background of 2 Cor. 11:6 to the rhetoric of 2 Cor. 10-13.
Dr. Thrall deserves our congratulations for having written a major
and sympathetic commentary on this most problematic epistle by a
writer whose views here are often difficult to be sympathetic with. One
may confidently predict that this will be a commentary that will stand
the test of time.
J.K. ELLIOTT

HEINZ-WERNER NEUDORFER and ECKHARD J. SCHNABEL, eds., Das

Studiumdes Neuen Testaments(2 vols.; Wuppertal: R. Brockhaus,

1999-2000/Giessen: Brunnen, 1999-2000), Vol. 1: 439 pp.; Vol.
2: 373 pp. ISBN 3-417-294343-7 and 3-7655-9434-2 (Vol. 1);
3-417-29462-2 and 3-7655-9462-8 (Vol. 2).
The two volumes that comprise this handsomely produced work
contain twenty-seven essays by sixteen different authors. Neudorfer is
a pastor in Weil im Schonbuch, Germany; Schnabel teaches New
Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois. Both are
members of the Arbeitskreis fur evangelische Theologie and have
designed these volumes primarily for evangelical students of theology
in German-speaking seminaries and Bible schools. The editors' avowed
goal is "to present the classical and newer methods of New Testament
exegesis" (Vol. 1; p. 4). Volume 1 treats methods, while volume 2
handles special issues in New Testament interpretation. In the first
volume, each essay has the same basic contents: (1) a short sketch of
? Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2002
Also available online - www.brill.nl

Novum Testamentum XLIV, 2

190

BOOK REVIEWS

the historical development of the method under discussion; (2) a brief

presentation of the most influential exegetes and their contributions to
that method; (3) a discussion of the method itself; (4) a treatment of
the method's explicit and implicit presuppositions; and (5) a discussion
of the relevance and practical worth of the method for New Testament
exegesis.
Volume 1 contains: "The Interpretation of the New Testament in
History" (H.W. Neudorfer and EJ. Schnabel); "The Text and Its
Meanings" (EJ. Schnabel); "Textual Criticism" (G. Horster); "Linguistic
Aspects" (H. von Siebenthal); "Historical Analysis I: The Jewish
Background" (R. Deines); "Historical Analysis II: The Graeco-Roman
Background" (V. Gackle); "Tradition History" (W. Haubeck); "Literary
Analysis" (H.W. Neudorfer); "The Synoptic Comparison" (A.D. Baum);
"Form- and Genre-Analysis" (EJ. Schnabel); "Rhetorical Analysis"
(EJ. Schnabel); "The Redaction-Historical Method" (A.D. Baum); "Formulation of a Scriptural Exegesis" (H.W. Neudorfer); and "Sermon
Preparation and Preaching" (G. Maier).
Volume 2 contains: "New Approaches to Scriptural Exegesis"
(E. Hahn); "Reception-EstheticAnalysis" (M. Mayordomo); "Sociological
Analysis"(Chr. Stenschke);"The Author and His Addressees:Introductory
Questions" (A. Baum); "Geography, Archeology, Epigraphy, and
Numismatics" (R. Riesner); "The Authenticity of the Synoptic Words
of Jesus" (A. Baum); "Pseudepigraphy and Literary Falsification"
(A. Baum); "The Use of the Old Testament in the New" (EJ. Schnabel);
"Diversityand Unity in the New Testament" (A. Kostenberger);"History
of the New Testament Canon" (U. Swarat); "The Effectiveness of New
Testament Texts" (M. Baumert); "Processes of Contextualization"
(N. Schmidt); and "The Understanding of the New Testament, the Holy
Spirit, and the Church of Jesus Christ" (H.-W. Neudorfer). Each volume appends a listing of contributors, an index of ancient sources
(both from the New Testament and elsewhere), and an index of topics
and persons.
Despite a few misprints, and a title error in the table of contents
to Volume 2 (where chapter 4 is given as "Der Verfasser und seine
Adressaten: Einleitungsfragen," while in the text itself the title is given
as "Die Einleitung in das Neue Testament"), this is a useful collection
of essays and may well help German-speaking students better understand current methods and issues in New Testament studies. The
approach is consciously evangelical and conservative, though by no
means obscurantist. For the most part, explanations are simple and
brief and are frequently illustrated by biblical texts. In this reviewer's

BOOK REVIEWS

191

opinion, the most important essays are those on linguistic aspects, literary analysis, rhetorical analysis, sociological analysis, pseudepigraphy
and literary falsification, and diversity and unity in the New Testament.
The greatest drawback involves the brevity of some of the essays.
This is seen, for example, in the discussion of textual criticism. Here
the reader is exposed to the history of textual criticism, book production in the ancient world, the manuscripts of the New Testament,
sources of errors in the transmission of the text, rules for making textcritical decisions, examples for practice, and a bibliography-all within
the compass of 16 brief pages! Each of these topics is handled superficially
at best. Especially troubling to this reviewer was the author's failure
to expose students to current approaches to New Testament textual
criticism. There is no mention of thorough-going eclecticism, nor is
there any discussion of the Majority text debate. The praxis of textual criticism is discussed in but two short pages! Here the rules that
have been set forth in Aland and Aland (Der Text des NeuenTestaments)
are presented without question or discussion. Finally, the only advice
offered in terms of actually using textual criticism in interpretation is
an encouragement to read the preface to NA27 and to examine three
texts (John 5:4; Rom 5:1; and Mark 16:9-20) on one's own without
any further guidance. In short, this essay is not likely to provide
sufficient information to enable readers either to understand this fundamental method of New Testament criticism or to apply it in any
meaningful way.
Perhaps these shortcomings are due to a larger problem, namely,
the fact that few of the authors are specialists in the areas they discuss. Indeed, few of them can be considered experts in New Testament
studies. Other than Schnabel, von Siebenthal, Maier, and Kostenberger,
the contributors have published very little in the field. One might contrast this with similar collections of essays on New Testament methods written for theological students, including New Testament
Interpretation
and
The
Testament
and Its
New
(I.H. Marshall, ed.; Eerdmans, 1977)
Moder Interpreters
(EJ. Epp and G.W. MacRae, eds.; Fortress/Scholars,
1989). Here the essayistsare all noted experts who have made significant
scholarly contributions to their respective areas of study.
In an era of biblical scholarship in which more and more is written about less and less, Das Studiumdes Neuen Testamentsis a worthy
undertaking. The editors address big issues, but in doing so they have
taken big risks. In the final analysis, these essays evoke responses of
both praise and skepticism-praise, because of their worthy goal of
introducing beginning students to the essential issues and methods

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BOOK REVIEWS

currently being discussed in New Testament studies; and skepticism,

because numerous topics are treated so superficially as to do more
harm than good in the long run. On the other hand, a handful of
essays are of sufficient depth and breadth that readers who take the
time to wade through these volumes will be richly repaid. The 85page essay on "SprachwissenschaftlicheAspekte" in Volume 1 is a case
in point. This essay is meticulous, clear, well-designed, and convincing,
showing extensive research in both the primary and secondary literature; and it is a model that might well have been followed by several
of the other contributors.
DAVID ALAN BLACK

TIMOTHYFRIBERG, BARBARAFRIBERG,and NEVA F. MILLER, Analytical

Lexiconof the GreekNew Testament

(Grand Rapids, Baker, 2000), 439
pp., ISBN 0-8010-2135-9.
This modern lexicon of the Greek New Testament attempts to offer
the reader the best scholarship available at the present time in the
areas of New Testament Greek, translation theory, linguistics, and lexicography. The editors are all experienced language scholars. Timothy
and Barbara Friberg are field linguists and teachers of linguistics working in Southeast Asia. Until her recent death, Neva Miller was a
research consultant for the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Dallas,
Texas and had taught Greek for 30 years at Vennard College in
University Park, Iowa.
More than fifteen years in preparation, the AnalyticalLexiconof the
GreekNew Testament
(ANLEX) is largely the work of the last-named editor, being developed out of her decades-long experience in teaching
and researching New Testament Greek. It is aimed at users who want
a handy New Testament lexicon with meanings and definitions, yet
who do not require the more technical discussions that are found, for
example, in BADG or Kittel. Several features of the lexicon make it
an extremely useful work in this reviewer's opinion. First, each entry
consists of a keyword (or lemma) by which the form is uniquely
identified. The first part of the lemma is the minimal identifying form
and is reproduced as the "home base" form that is always printed in
the right hand column. This is followed by the larger lemma, which
gives more than this minimal identification. For nouns, the nomina? Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2002
Also available online - www.brill.nl

Novum Testamentum XLIV, 2