No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Text in English / The central thesis of the present study, entitled Alms or legs? A contextual reading of Acts 3:1-10 in the light of an alternative theory of hwnan development, is that when read contextually, some biblical texts are capable of empowering individuals and small groups for social and structural transformation (Human Development). A contextual reading of the story of the crippled beggar at the Jerusalem temple entrance (Acts 3: 1- 10), within a context of begging and lack of initiative in a small community in the Eastern Cape provides a good example of such texts. The "horizons" of the text's author and the text's present reader are drawn together, in the creation of a "symbolic universe" for the context of underdevelopment. This serves as a vision, a positive alternative for the underdeveloped and non-developed communities. Following an introductory chapter in which the purpose and context of the study are outlined, and methodological problems introduced, the study proceeds, in the second chapter, with an outline of the contextual approach, undergirded by the "alternative theory" of development, namely, a people centered development (as opposed to the "economic growth" approach). This does not only result in a grid or categories against which to read the text, it also provides a broad framework within which subsequent discussions of the subjects of beggars (Chapter 3) and miracles (Chapter 4) respectively, take place. The topics of beggars and miracles, like "alms or legs", are used on the same semantic level, thus suggesting that if beggars constitute a problem, then miracles provide a solution. In communities of antiquity under investigation, no evidence is found to support almsgiving as the basis of Christian social action. On the one hand, Christians advocated charity, which was a reflection of deep friendship and oneness; on the other, miracles in the Christian context served in part, to integrate those on the margins into the community (or church) by transforming their physical and psychological conditions. This makes a developmental reading, which then follows in chapter 5, the main chapter of the study, possible. The conclusions of chapter 5, which amount to a vision for Human Development, lead to the concluding chapter (Chapter 6) in which a way forward for development in the post-apartheid South Africa is suggested. / New Testament / D. Th. (New Testament)

Text in English / The central thesis of the present study, entitled Alms or legs? A contextual reading of Acts 3:1-10 in the light of an alternative theory of hwnan development, is that when read contextually, some biblical texts are capable of empowering individuals and small groups for social and structural transformation (Human Development). A contextual reading of the story of the crippled beggar at the Jerusalem temple entrance (Acts 3: 1- 10), within a context of begging and lack of initiative in a small community in the Eastern Cape provides a good example of such texts. The "horizons" of the text's author and the text's present reader are drawn together, in the creation of a "symbolic universe" for the context of underdevelopment. This serves as a vision, a positive alternative for the underdeveloped and non-developed communities. Following an introductory chapter in which the purpose and context of the study are outlined, and methodological problems introduced, the study proceeds, in the second chapter, with an outline of the contextual approach, undergirded by the "alternative theory" of development, namely, a people centered development (as opposed to the "economic growth" approach). This does not only result in a grid or categories against which to read the text, it also provides a broad framework within which subsequent discussions of the subjects of beggars (Chapter 3) and miracles (Chapter 4) respectively, take place. The topics of beggars and miracles, like "alms or legs", are used on the same semantic level, thus suggesting that if beggars constitute a problem, then miracles provide a solution. In communities of antiquity under investigation, no evidence is found to support almsgiving as the basis of Christian social action. On the one hand, Christians advocated charity, which was a reflection of deep friendship and oneness; on the other, miracles in the Christian context served in part, to integrate those on the margins into the community (or church) by transforming their physical and psychological conditions. This makes a developmental reading, which then follows in chapter 5, the main chapter of the study, possible. The conclusions of chapter 5, which amount to a vision for Human Development, lead to the concluding chapter (Chapter 6) in which a way forward for development in the post-apartheid South Africa is suggested. / New Testament / D. Th. (New Testament)

No description available.

D.Litt. et Phil. / This study began with a premise that there is a need to guide the Christian community in Mozambique to know and put in practice biblical principles to address the scourge of corruption. This is motivated by the belief that the functional moral concerns should be shaped in accordance with the New Testament vision of Christian discipleship. The Church of the Nazarene in Mozambique serves as case study to understand the views and needs of the Christian community in the area of teaching and preaching on issues of material possessions. The intent was to come to exegetical answer on the question posed in this study of the meaning and function of metadidonai and related concepts in the Lukan corpus, not only in theological terms but also in a broader economical framework. There are many people who live in dire poverty in Africa, many through no fault of their own. Most of the poverty is the result of systematic and structural evils. These evils result from human policies designed to increase the profit and power to controlling individuals and corporate bodies. Corruption is one of the major setbacks for alleviation of poverty in Africa. There is no greater scourge that affects the proper functioning of any economic system than corruption. The effects of corruption also have legal ramifications, often undermining the rule of law. But fundamentally, corruption falls squarely in the moral realm because it is symptomatic of the original sin that marks the heart of every person (Gregg and Schenone 2003). I argue in this study that these systematic evils (greed and corruption) are the result of depravation of the heart. Therefore, to address these issues it is necessary to interpret the biblical text with the soteriological agenda. To accomplish this I contend that social scientific approach is vital because it allows the current read to access meaning of the text that can only be understood in light of social context of the original audience and the author of the text. However, beyond the unveiling of the meaning within its canonical context the current exegete must reinterpret the meaning for today. This will require not only the understanding of the meaning of the text in its original context but also the understanding of the current social systems that influence and impact the lives of the people in a particular community. Furthermore the interpreter must be true to his/her theological heritage. Thus, as a Nazarene with a Wesleyan theological heritage I sought to reinterpret metadidonai principle as found in Luke-Acts from a Wesleyan perspective. I emphasise in the study that human kind can not free themselves from depravation of the heart, but by God’s grace humanity has hope for deliverance from sin and from the power of sin (original sin). This is what Africa needs to be freed from corruption. In Luke-Acts text salvation is central motif for discipleship. The soteriological tone sets the frame within which the metadidonai is to be done.

This study analyses the social function of glossolalia in the narrative world of the book of Acts. In so doing, it addresses the lack of scholarship related to treating glossolalic references from social scientific perspectives. Particularly noted is the absence in the literature of adequate treatments of the Ephesian disciples pericope in Acts 18:24–19:7, which this study seeks to correct. Through application of Berger and Luckmann’s sociology of knowledge models, this study argues that reading Luke-Acts as the author’s legitimation of the Jesus movement’s social world is a valid, even preferred reading of the literature. Tracing the development of Luke’s legitimation conceptual machinery reveals the social conflict background that to a large degree motivated its writing and organized its content. The purity-related conflicts between circumcision loyalists and Jesus followers from the Gentile world that dominate the second half of Acts is of particular interest to this research. This study demonstrates how Luke uses glossolalia as a divinely initiated marker of Gentile purity status to legitimate new social boundaries that supersede circumcision. These new social boundaries, marked by glossolalia, represent an integral component of the Jesus movement’s revised purity map, relative to temple-centred Yahwism. The legitimation reading, including Luke’s construction and validation of the Jesus group’s symbolic universe and its conclusions regarding the social function of glossolalia, is applied to the Ephesian disciples pericope. This study argues that the events narrated in this passage represent a continuing social conflict between circumcision loyalists and Gentile converts. Luke narrates the events in Acts 18:24–19:7 in order to correct a deviant baptism teaching (John’s baptism) that was propagated with the intent, based on purity concerns and prejudice, to marginalize Gentiles from full social integration into the Jesus community. Demonstrating that glossolalia functions as a social boundary marker that supersedes circumcision and that this best informs our interpretation of the Ephesian disciples pericope fully integrates this narrative event into Luke’s literary programme. / New Testament / D. Th. (New Testament)

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Those who follow the research of the last century concerning verbal aspect, will realize the importance of this topic for the understanding of the input of the author / speaker in the written or spoken word, because verbal aspect gives the specific view of the author / speaker on an action. However, the input of the author is not unqualified, but takes place within certain grammatical and contextual parameters. Within these parameters the author has the freedom to give actions which occur within the written or spoken word, a specific colour. As a result of short definitions of the aspect of the different Greek tenses, I was able to identify six different aspectual uses for both the aorist and the imperfect which agreed with the chosen definitions. The Acts of the Apostles was used to test the tenability of the definitions and the aspectual uses. Only with extensive analysis can the theory be confirmed. Apart from the fact that Acts is an extensive book, it has the additional advantage that the writer regularly alternates between different genres (narrative and speech). In this way the analysis of the theory can be concentrated further by investigating whether aspectual changes occur between the different genres. Analysis of the proposed theory demonstrated firstly that the author does not use the Greek tenses haphazardly, but that he consciously makes use of the aorist and imperfect indicative. The aorist is used especially to represent events or acts in totality and as completed; the imperfect is used to represent events or acts in progress and as processes. The analysis also confirmed that the author applies the aorist and the imperfect in different ways. The identified aspectual uses of both these tenses could be recognized throughout the whole book. Although the author probably did not work with definitions and aspectual uses, he was clearly aware of verbal aspect and the different ways in which an action can be portrayed. The analysis finally demonstrated that a change in genre (from narrative to speech or the other way round) often also effects a change in verbal aspect. In this way the author portrays his specific view on actions within their context. The most frequent aspectual use of the aorist, is the aorist used to portray acts as completed actions in their totality (in both narratives and speeches) and the aorist to portray the key moments of the story (largely in narratives). The most frequent aspectual use of the imperfect, is the imperfect to show actions in progress (often in narratives) and the imperfect to sketch the background (largely in narratives). From the above we can draw the conclusion that the author of Acts uses the aorist and imperfect aspectually, while also considering the alternation between genres. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wie die navorsing van die laaste eeu oor verbale aspek in die Griekse werkwoord nagaan, kry 'n besef van die belang van hierdie onderwerp vir die verstaan van die skrywer / spreker se inset in die geskrewe of gesproke woord. Verbale aspek gee naamlik die spesifieke perspektief van die skrywer / spreker op die handeling weer. Die inset van die skrywer is egter nie ongekwalifiseerd nie, maar vind plaas binne bepaalde grammatikale en kontekstuele merkers. Binne hierdie merkers het die skrywer die vryheid om aan handelinge, wat binne die geskrewe of gesproke woord voorkom, 'n spesifieke kleur te gee. Na aanleiding van kort definisies van die aspek van die verskillende Griekse tydvorme, spesifiek die aoristos en die imperfektum, was ek in staat om ses aspektuele gebruike onder beide die aoristos en die imperfektum te identifiseer wat in ooreenstemming was met die gekose definisies. Handelinge van die Apostels moes dien as toetsingsmateriaal vir die houdbaarheid van die definisies en die aspektuele gebruike. Slegs deur omvangryke analise kan die teorie bevestig word. Behalwe dat Handelinge 'n omvangryke boek is, het dit verder die voordeel dat die skrywer op 'n gereelde basis tussen genres (narratief en redevoering) wissel. Op dié manier kan die analise van die teorie verder toegespits word om te ondersoek of daar aspektuele veranderinge optree tussen die verskillende genres. Die analise van die voorgestelde teorie het eerstens aangetoon dat die skrywer nie slegs lukraak van Griekse tydvorme gebruik maak nie, maar bewustelik met onderskeidelik die aoristos en die imperfektum indikatief omgaan. Die aoristos word veral gebruik om gebeure of handelinge in totaliteit weer te gee en as voltooid voor te stel; die imperfektum word gebruik om gebeure of handelinge in hul voortgang weer te gee en as proses voor te stel. Die analise het tweedens bevestig dat die skrywer beide die aoristos en die imperfektum aspektueel verskillend aanwend. Die geïdentifiseerde aspektuele gebruike van beide hierdie tydvorme kon deur die hele boek herken word. Alhoewel die skrywer waarskynlik nie met definisies en aspektuele gebruike gewerk het nie, was hy duidelik bewus van verbale aspek en die verskillende maniere waarop 'n handeling weergegee kan word. Die analise het derdens getoon dat 'n verandering van genre (van narratief na redevoering of andersom) meestalook 'n verandering van verbale aspek te weeg bring. Op hierdie manier gee die skrywer dus sy spesifieke perspektief op handelinge binne hul konteks weer. Die mees frekwente aspektuele gebruike vir die aoristos is die aoristos om handelinge as voltooide aksies in hulle totaliteit weer te gee (verdeel tussen narratiewe en redevoerings) en die aoristos om die hoofmomente van die verhaal weer te gee (grotendeels in narratiewe). Die mees frekwente aspektuele gebruike vir die imperfektum is die imperfektum om voortgaande aksies aan te toon (dikwels in narratiewe) en die imperfektum om agtergrond te skilder (grotendeels in narratiewe). Ons kan dus die gevolgtrekking maak dat die skrywer van Handelinge die aoristos en imperfektum aspektueel aanwend, en daarbyook afwisseling tussen verskillende genres in ag neem.

This study analyses the social function of glossolalia in the narrative world of the book of Acts. In so doing, it addresses the lack of scholarship related to treating glossolalic references from social scientific perspectives. Particularly noted is the absence in the literature of adequate treatments of the Ephesian disciples pericope in Acts 18:24–19:7, which this study seeks to correct. Through application of Berger and Luckmann’s sociology of knowledge models, this study argues that reading Luke-Acts as the author’s legitimation of the Jesus movement’s social world is a valid, even preferred reading of the literature. Tracing the development of Luke’s legitimation conceptual machinery reveals the social conflict background that to a large degree motivated its writing and organized its content. The purity-related conflicts between circumcision loyalists and Jesus followers from the Gentile world that dominate the second half of Acts is of particular interest to this research. This study demonstrates how Luke uses glossolalia as a divinely initiated marker of Gentile purity status to legitimate new social boundaries that supersede circumcision. These new social boundaries, marked by glossolalia, represent an integral component of the Jesus movement’s revised purity map, relative to temple-centred Yahwism. The legitimation reading, including Luke’s construction and validation of the Jesus group’s symbolic universe and its conclusions regarding the social function of glossolalia, is applied to the Ephesian disciples pericope. This study argues that the events narrated in this passage represent a continuing social conflict between circumcision loyalists and Gentile converts. Luke narrates the events in Acts 18:24–19:7 in order to correct a deviant baptism teaching (John’s baptism) that was propagated with the intent, based on purity concerns and prejudice, to marginalize Gentiles from full social integration into the Jesus community. Demonstrating that glossolalia functions as a social boundary marker that supersedes circumcision and that this best informs our interpretation of the Ephesian disciples pericope fully integrates this narrative event into Luke’s literary programme. / New Testament / D. Th. (New Testament)