This study attempts to describe the contribution of the Abimelech narrative for the theology of Judges. It is claimed that the Gideon narrative and the Abimelech narrative need to be viewed as one narrative that focuses on the demonstration of YHWH'S superiority over Baalism, and that the deliverance from the Midianites in the Gideon narrative, Abimelech's kingship, and the theme of retribution in the Abimelech narrative serve as the tangible matter by which the abstract theological theme becomes narratable. The introduction to the Gideon narrative, which focuses on Israel's idolatry in a previously unparalleled way in Judges, anticipates a theological narrative to demonstrate that YHWH is god. YHWH's prophet defines the general theological background and theme for the narrative by accusing Israel of having abandoned YHWH despite his deeds in their history and having worshipped foreign gods instead. YHWH calls Gideon to demolish the idolatrous objects of Baalism in response, so that Baalism becomes an example of any idolatrous cult. Joash as the representative of Baalism specifies the defined theme by proposing that whichever god demonstrates his divine power shall be recognised as god. The following episodes of the battle against the Midianites contrast Gideon's inadequate resources with his selfish attempt to be honoured for the victory, assign the victory to YHWH,w ho remains in control and who thus demonstrates his divine power, and show that Baal is not present in the narrative. Yet Gideon continues the battle against the Midianites on his own in the narrative complication, which culminates in Gideon's establishment of idolatry, shows that YHWH is still in control, and sets the background for the Abimelech narrative. Following the introduction of Israel's idolatry, the focus of the Abimelech narrative on Baal and Shechem defines them as examples of Israel's general idolatry. Abimelech is crowned on a Baalist basis and becomes Baal's chief representative. The theological theme is specified and its effect for the narrative outlined by Jotham as YHWH's representative; Abimelech's success or failure as king will show Baal's power or absence. The following episodes suggest that Baal is not present at all, that Baalism is a selfdestructive religion, and that YHWH is in control of the mutual destruction of the Baal worshippers, who are nevertheless held accountable. By the end of the Gideon-Abimelech narrative the narrator has demonstrated YHWH'S supreme power to deliver Israel from their enemies, his permanent control over the events, the inability of man to accomplish YHWH's work on their own, the absence of other gods, and the self-destructive force of idolatry. Therefore, YHWH is god and should be worshipped as god.

This thesis is basically an exegetical study of two texts in Ex 19:1-24:11 and Dt 4:45-28:69. In Chapter 1 methodological issues about this thesis are considered. Hermeneutical problems of narrative texts in the OT are handled shortly in order to prepare the exegesis of these two texts. In Chapter 2 the Sinai covenant pericope (Ex 191-24: 11) is dealt with. The present context of Ex demands that the covenant making is initiated in Ex 19. The first section (Ex 19: 3-8) concerns the preliminary proposal and acceptance of. the covenant relationship between YHWH and Israel. There is a transitional bridge (Ex 19:8b-10a) between this first section and the second one (Ex 19: 9-25). The second section should be defined, not as the theophany, but as the meeting of the two covenant parties. After God's direct law-giving (the decalogue Ex 20: 1-17), which is the first covenant stipulation, the people demand Moses' mediatorship through which the subsequent laws (Ex 20: 22-23: 33), the second covenant stipulation, are given indirectly. These sections are connected through the prediction (Ex 199a) - fulfilment (Ex 19: 20-25,2018-21) scheme. Further these sections are connected with the final section in, Ex 24 with the macroscopic (Ex 19: 24) - semi-microscopic (Ex 241) - microscopic point of view (Ex 24: 9-11). Ex 24.3-8 is about the covenant ratification ceremony performed through the mediation of Moses by the participation of the junior Israelites (`the youngmen of Israel' Ex 24: 5a), and Ex 249-11 is the audience of the senior Israelites (`the nobles of Israel' Ex 24: 11) with YHWH (`God of Israel') after that ratification of the covenant. In Chapter 3 the Moab covenant pericope (Dt 4:4 5-286: 9), marked by the heading (Dt 4:4 5) and the colophon (Dt 28:6 9), is studied. After the geographical, historical information (Dt 4: 45-49) the law itself is directly introduced (Dt 5ff.). In this section the authority of Moses demanded by the people is justified in order to prepare for the Hauptgebot pericope (Dt 6-11). Dt 26: 17-19 is about the mutual declaration of the covenant relationship 'and this section gives the framework for the following section (Dt 27-28) which is about the variable or cultic element of covenant, the ratification ceremony. Dt 27: 1-8 reports some aspects of that ceremony (offering, covenant document, meal). And here and in Dt 27: 9-10 the elders and the levitical priests, "who speak jointly with Moses, receive the authority to perform the future covenant ceremony in Shechem. Dt 2711-13 is the future pronouncement of the blessing and curse whose text is in Dt 283: -6,16-19A. nd Dt 27: 14-26 contains the oath formula which will be pronounced by the levitical priests and responded by the people., In Chapter 4 a comparative study of both texts is undertaken. In general it is asked whether the covenant is the common theme of both texts. In detail it is investigated whether there is a similarity between the two texts in their themes, theological frameworks, and structure, and also how far the detailed descriptions of each section are different. Finally the historical relationship between the two pericopes is investigated.

This dissertation investigates the practices of reward, discipline, and installation of leaders in the church as portrayed in 1 Timothy 5: 17-22. The text itself is examined, finding that well-governing congregational leaders were to be honoured for their labour and provided with tangible support, that leaders were to be protected from unsubstantiated accusations, that a leader whose misconduct was established was to be disciplined publicly, and that care was to be taken to put only worthy persons into positions of leadership. These practices are compared to those seen in the disputed and undisputed Pauline texts, the remainder of the New Testament, and the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, establishing significant similarities as well as differences, some of these reflecting the development from itinerant to resident leaders in the churches. The practices of cognate groups such as synagogues, the Essenes, and voluntary associations, seen in Jewish and Greco-Roman literature and inscriptions of the contemporary period (ending with the Apostolic Fathers), are investigated for similarities and differences. The study finds that, although there are some similarities to Jewish practices, these groups substantially differed from the instructions of 1 Timothy 5: 17-22 in their practices of reward, discipline and installation of leaders. In the Gracco- Roman context, in particular, leaders in these cognate groups were essentially immune from accusations made by group members and any resulting discipline. Similarly, the idea that leaders were to receive financial support from those below them was foreign to normal practice in these groups and was deemed not 'honourable'. The conclusion reached is that these congregational practices regarding leaders, while conceptually quite similar to principles given regarding itinerant Christian workers in the undisputed Paulines, are quite distinct from practices employed in the cultural milieu of the Pastoral Epistles. Some of these differences appear problematic, given the Pastoral Epistles' concerns about maintaining a good reputation among outsiders and not hindering the spread of the gospel.

The concept of the election of Israel is one of the foundational doctrines of the Old Testament. The main focus of the theological study of the election of Israel has been the issue of dating and the nature of the concept. When did this concept originate? And is the election of Israel an unmerited grace of God or is it dependent on obedience to Torah? In the study of modem nations, the concept of ethnic election is found to be an important factor in the origin and sustenance of nations. If this is so, then the question arises, whether the concept of the election of Israel was closely linked to the origin and sustenance of the ancient nation of Israel? The question of the relationship of election to nationhood has not been sufficiently explored in theological studies. Therefore, this thesis will study the nature and function of the concept of the election of Israel in relation to ancient Israelite nationhood. The modem ethno-symbolic theory of nationhood is useful in the analysis of ancient nations like Israel because it identifies the concept of ethnic election to be an important influence in the creation and maintenance of both modem and ancient nations. The ethno-symbolic perspective on nationhood takes seriously ethnicity and religion or culture in the formation and maintenance of a nation. The book of Deuteronomy is considered to be a constitution by several scholars and thus relevant to the study of nationhood. It is also the locus classicus of the election theology in the Old Testament. Therefore, selected texts from Deuteronomy will be studied from the principles derived from the ethno-symbolic approach to the study of nationhood. Such a study will give a fresh perspective to our understanding of the concept of the election of Israel. Studied from the perspective of nationhood, the concept of the election of Israel can be interpreted as a symbol of belongingness and loyalty to a nation, a symbol of pride and power, and a boundary marker demanding moral and religious loyalty and affiliation to the nation and its God.

This study explores Paul’s teaching on the role of the Spirit in 1 Cor 2.1– 3.4, and how that role relates to the themes of the cross, wisdom and discernment in that passage and the immediate context of 1 Cor 1–4. By providing a close reading of 1 Cor 2.1–3.4, this dissertation focuses on the reasons why Paul articulates and emphasises the Spirit’s essential role in the proclamation of the cross, in the mediation of divine wisdom and the exercise of communal discernment. This study also investigates how this pneumatological teaching applies to Paul’s further assessment of the Corinthian situation, as articulated in 1 Cor 5–15, and thus why the textual unit in which it appears occurs at such an early stage in Paul’s argument. After an introductory chapter surveying previous scholarship and situating a study of 1 Cor 2.1–3.4, chapter 2 shows how Paul is addressing a situation in Corinth which emerged after his initial sojourn and in which the Corinthians employ what he sees as faulty criteria of judgment, drawn from the conventions and styles of Graeco-Roman rhetoric, in assessing the apostles as heralds of God’s wisdom and themselves as wise, spiritual people. Paul counters these by arguing that the Corinthians’ original acceptance of the gospel came not through persuasive speech but by the Spirit working powerfully in the message he proclaimed. Chapter 3 explores Paul’s perception that the Corinthians have misconstrued the notion of revelation by defining it as a process by which one comes to know and receive divine wisdom through human ability or effort. This chapter then examines Paul’s corrective response and its assertion that divine wisdom can only be know and received through divine mediation, and that the Spirit is the means by which this occurs. Chapter 4 focuses on the topic of discernment. It investigates Paul’s perception that the Corinthians form their assessments by relying on human wisdom, why he holds this to be inappropriate for those who are in Christ and recipients of God’s wisdom, and why he underlines that Spirit-guided discernment is the only appropriate means for judging divine wisdom and those who proclaim it. A final chapter asks whether and how the issues examined in 1 Cor 2.1– 3.4 play out in 1 Cor 1–4 as a whole and then in the rest of the letter. The Corinthians’ failure to rely on God’s wisdom and Spirit-guided discernment and an internal stratification based on their own perceptions of wisdom and spirituality are seen as contributing to the social and ecclesial problems discussed later in the letter. At the same time what Paul has argued in 1 Cor 2.1–3.4 continues to inform his response, as he appeals for lives shaped by the wisdom of the gospel of the cross and for a community united in its discernment, both made possible by the Spirit.

This dissertation examines the concept of torah in final-Isaiah (FI) towards a construal of the intentio operis, understood as the model author’s aim to produce model readers who are servant-disciples (Isa 54:13, 17). It develops with attention to the contribution of Marvin A. Sweeney, and asks whether the prophetic book subserves Ezra’s reforms or has a separate program for the restoration and reform of Judah and Jerusalem. To surmise the intentio operis, linguistic, literary, and rhetorical approaches are used as appropriate to a holistic theological reading of the received text. Research focuses on passages where the term hrwt appears; its range of meaning is assessed within the broader lexical and conceptual framework of FI, and associated terms, concepts, and images are handled within properly defined units as parts within the larger whole. The investigation observes profound intra-textual connections signaling a bond between prophet and disciples, and a solidarity connecting the servant, herald, and servants, concluding that the conception and use of hrwt in FI is inextricably bound to servant-discipleship and the correlative theme of righteous-suffering. Though hrwt never has a technically precise sense in FI, it has legal, didactic, and sapiential connotations (analogous to the deuteronomic model of catechesis) and refers primarily to the words and acts of Isaiah and YHWH’s servant. Since hrwt does not refer to the giving or interpretation of a fixed (external) corpus, but corresponds to the Mosaic model, it is illegitimate to reduce/restrict FI to propaganda literature for Ezra’s Mosaic Torah-oriented reform measures. Instead, FI urges the community taught by God to accept God’s purpose and adopt God’s ways according to a distinct Isaianic ‘logic’. Independent of Ezra’s reforms and without subordination to Mosaic Torah (or wisdom torah), FI is a prophetic guide for life suitable for interpreting Israel’s traditions, fashioning its communal identity, and defining its vocation in the world. As torah in servant-form, FI summons and shapes disciples who humbly seek YHWH, abandon evil ways, and serve God in the hope of hastening the fulfillment of its programmatic vision for a day marked by international peace and cosmic order.

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Since the 1970s the application of narrative analysis to the Joseph Story has enriched its reading. But those who apply this method to the narrative produce significantly different results in terms of what its theme is. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the reasons for this and to articulate as objectively as possible the theme of the Joseph Story. Chapter One establishes the context of this investigation by evaluating the major narrative readings of the Joseph Story. It reveals that those who apply narrative methodologies to the story come to different conclusions about what its theme is. It notes that the different results could be due to different narrative approaches, the literary context of the narrative, and the complex nature of the text itself. We choose Humphreys, Longacre, and Turner as our dialogue partners because they represent different narrative methods of reading the Joseph Story. The reference terms `narrative criticism' and `theme' are then defined. Chapter Two argues that the way to overcome the confusion concerning the theme (s) of the Joseph Story is to use a methodology that addresses the limitations of the literary approaches applied to the narrative and takes note of the wider literary context of Genesis and the rich nature of the text. This chapter then proposes a narrative methodology of `triangulation' that comprises plot analysis, text-linguistics and poetics. Chapters three, four and five apply this methodology to the entire narrative in Genesis 37-50 via a detailed analysis of Genesis 37,44-45, and 49-50, the beginning, middle and end of the narrative, respectively. The motifs that emerge from our analysis are family breakdown, power, providence, blessing, and land. Chapter six concludes that each of these motifs is a key concern of the Joseph Story but none by itself adequately articulates the story's theme. It is the ecology of these motifs that enunciates the theme: God's providential work with and through Jacob's dysfunctional family, preserving it and blessing others.

This thesis seeks to contribute to the theory and practice of theological interpretation by explicating the inner coherence of B. S. Childs' "canonical approach" and by exemplifying that approach in an interpretation of Psalm 24. Part 1 concerns the theory. In this section I argue that Childs' approach rests upon a particular understanding of the nature of the Biblical text. In short, it has a twofold function, that of witnessing to the reality of God and that of shaping the community of faith in light of that reality. The God to whom it witnesses is himself involved in this witnessing activity in that he both evokes and infuses the tradition with his Spirit so that he may be known. The hermeneutical implication is that interpretation must attempt to grasp the reality "behind" the text while respecting the particular form in which that reality has been rendered. The result is a multi-level approach to interpretation involving a continuous dialectic between the witness (verbum) and its content (res). The affirmation of the nature of Scripture as an ongoing vehicle of revelation also implies the significance of the history of faithful Christian interpretation. Part 2 seeks to exemplify this approach by showing how such a multi-level interpretation of Psalm 24 is both possible and fruitful for our understanding of the reality to which it witnesses. I achieve this by moving through several stages. After reviewing contemporary methodology, I first provide a poetic analysis of the Psalm and conclude that it witnesses to the economy of God in a bid to call Israel to realize its true identity. I then provide a hypothesis of how the final form of the psalm is a result of a tradition historical process with its roots in the pre-exilic temple liturgy. This historical perspective not only clarifies the poetic shape of the psalm, it provides a bridge to discussing the question of the nature of the reality experienced within Israel's cult. I conclude that there is a parallel between the structure of this reality and the shape of Ps 24. I then both confirm and attempt to deepen our understanding of this reality by following canonical pointers internal to the psalm to three other bodies of text: Samuel, the Psalter, and Isaiah. Key to this broader context is the agency of the David found in Ps 24's superscription. I conclude my analysis by suggesting how a better grasp of the divine economy in the light of Christ may help us better understand the inner unity of Ps 24 itself.

This thesis examines the importance, in the search for justice and liberation in Malawi, of reading the bible through the eyes of women and the oppressed. Serious questions have been raised in Malawian Church and Society concerning the inferiority and subordination of women and the oppressed, particularly the poor and marginalised groups and their role and place in the holy ministry. Since the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Malawi nearly 130 years ago, women and the oppressed groups have been discriminated against in various ways. They have not taken an active share and responsibility in the whole community life of society, and have not participated fully and more widely in the various fields of the Church’s structures. The thesis critically challenges the patriarchal reading of the texts which oppresses and marginalises women, and seeks to bring respect and dignity to them by employing a historical critical reading that leads to a liberative reading. Since patriarchal reading of the texts does not bring justice and liberation to women, the thesis engages in a liberative reading that traces and restores women’s history in Mark. Our liberative reading claims that the Christian past is not just a male past where women participated only on the fringes or were not active at all, but it is as well a women’s own past. Hence, the readings of Mark 5:24-43 & 7:24-30 provide sufficient indicators for such a history of women as followers of Jesus and leading members of the early Christian communities. Thus our historical critical reading seeks to transform patriarchal reading of the texts to liberative readings that incorporate all people, men and women, upper and lower classes, different cultures and races, the powerful and the weak.