Thesis (M. Div.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tennessee, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-51).

Thesis (M. Div.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tennessee, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-51).

Thesis (doctoral)--Uppsala University, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [168]-173).

Thesis (D.Lit.(Antieke tale, Grieks)--Universiteit van Pretoria, 2005) / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Uppsala University, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [168]-173).

This thesis looks at the role of Peter and Judas in the four canonical gospels, seeking to answer the question of why two such dramatic examples of failure in discipleship became, from so early on, an established and central part of the gospel narrative. The first chapter discusses the literary context of the gospels, considering issues such as the oral medium, the gospel communities, and the genre of the gospels. The second chapter examines the historical Peter and Judas, discussing the evidence in the rest of the New Testament and elsewhere in Christian tradition, followed by a range of parallel disciple figures in ancient literature, from the followers and debate partners of Plato’s Socrates to the students of the neo-Platonic philosopher Plotinus, making the case that a literary archetype for a disciple exists and is made use of in all of these texts. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters look at each of the gospels in turn, discussing the way in which Peter and Judas correspond to the literary archetype and the ways that this archetype interacts both with the actual events of Jesus’ career and arrest, and potentially ongoing or recent events in each evangelist’s own community.

M.A. / The theme of this thesis is mainly on the essence of repentance as exclusively revealed by the Synoptic Gospels. As a starting point, repentance is looked at against the backgrounds of the Old Testament and the Inter-testamental periods, which in this case are represented by JoIm the Baptist. Its climax and fulfilment are realized in and through the person and works of Jesus Christ, who embodies the kingdom of God. The Synoptics show a watershed in the history of repentance. According to them the difference came with the coming of the long awaited Messiah and the kingdom of God. They managed to demonstrate through their two main characters, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, how repentance was first introduced and then fulfilled. The Synoptists have been realistic and honest in reporting the personal belief of John the Baptist about the awaited apocalyptic kingdom. It it is human and realistic for a person so to believe. Probably unaware, the Synoptics reveal the fallibility that people in general seem to have. Although there were personal human misunderstandings and misconceptions about the main message, repentance was constantly proclaimed. It is interesting how the Synoptists show the manner in which John's belief was later corrected by Jesus. The three Synoptists succeeded individually to show how John the Baptist made a follow-up on the Old Testament repentance and also introduced the fulfilment of it. Through John the Baptist's humble attitude towards Jesus, they commonly reflect the unfulfilled nature of repentance which requires a personal relationship with the Messiah. On the other side the Synoptists also go on to demonstrate the full magnitude of repentance in and through the person, works and teachings of Jesus Christ amongst the people. Here, they show a new meaning that repentance carries when looked at against the background of the kingdom of God. In the light of the latter, both the indicative and the imperative aspects of repentance are equally maitained. God's acts of love and compassion towards people challenge and expect people to respond in a similar fashion towards other people and God himself Their protagonist, Jesus, did acts of love out of concern for people and he in turn instructed every person to do likewise. Thus, according to the Synoptists, repentance should be both productive and maintained. The magnitude of repentance is further confirmed by the way the Synoptists display how Christ demonstrates in real situations and parables concepts like, "faith," "love," "discipleship" and "obedience to the commandments." In this case the Synoptists ought to be credited for showing the depth, width and height of repentance in a concrete way. To sum it up, repentance is finally shown by the Synoptics as are-orientation of a person's attitude towards both other people and God.

The preface to Luke's gospel (Lk. ill-4), when properly exegeted, says this: "(1) Since many have undertaken to draw up a narrative account of the things that are well-established among us, (2) just as those who from the beginning have been eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, (3) I have decided, for my part, having been a follower of them all for a long time, to write an accurate narrative for you, most excellent Theophilus, (4) in order that you may know what is certain with regard to the matters in which you have been instructed." Luke's claim to have been a follower of the apostles (vs. 3), and thus conversant with their oral gospel tradition (vs. 2), is confirmed by an ecclesiastical tradition that can be traced back to one of those very apostles. Luke implies that he did not use written sources in the composition of his gospel, for unlike ancient historians who did use written sources, he does not acknowledge any use of his predecessors' narratives. In writing "an accurate narrative" he would not have relied upon what he considered to be the inaccurate narratives of his predecessors. Luke indicates that his gospel records the oral tradition that he has learned directly from the apostles. The leading theories of synoptic origins tend to collapse into an oral theory under the weight of Luke's literary independence. The arguments hitherto advanced against the oral theory are inadequate. The oral tradition consisted of a basic narrative tradition (which is reconstructed) and a body of independent tradition. Luke and Matthew drew upon both traditions, but Mark confined himself to the former. Our two-tradition theory is corroborated, especially in comparison with the standard two-source theory, by various literary and stylistic phenomena.

This dissertation is intended as an exposition of the examples and precepts of prayer in the life of Jesus, as recorded in the four Gospels

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