Thesis (M.A.R.)--Cincinnati Christian University, 2009. / Includes abstract and vita. Bibliography: l. 101-104.

Prosperity theology is a variegated movement that overlaps both the Charismatic and non-Charismatic spectrums. This theology certainly has a Charismatic flavouring, but it is by no means limited to Pentecostalism. The prosperity message is being preached world-wide on TBN Television, radio and printed media. This gospel focuses on human potential for successful living, emphasizing health and wealth. There is a clear shift notable from theocentric providence to anthropocentric prosperity in the theology. The advocates which claim that it is God’s will for every believer to be prosperous are: Oral Roberts, evangelist, radio and TV personality in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the late Kenneth Hagin (1917-2003), pastor of the Rhema Bible Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma and founder of Rhema Bible Training Center; Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, founders of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas; Joel Osteen, pastor of the Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas and Jerry Savelle, evangelist and associate of Kenneth Copeland. The major emphasis of the prosperity movement is: “how to be healthy and wealthy”. According to the “health and wealth gospel” it is never God’s will for anyone to be sick. Roberts explains that God wants every believer to be healthy. He says that God wants not only to heal every believers body, but also wants him to live in a state of physical health (1960:8). Sarles notes that the provision of healing, according to the prosperity gospel, “…is found in the Atonement” (1986:331). A trilogy of Scripture is used to support this notion. The first is Isaiah 53:4-5. The interpretation of this passage is that through the cross of Christ, healing is as readily available as forgiveness of sin. Matthew 8:16-17 is a confirmation of Jesus’ healing ministry as fulfilling what Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 53:4. Hagin explains: “Matthew says he is quoting Isaiah. If you check the reference, you will find he is quoting Isaiah 53:4. I like to say it this way: Jesus took my infirmities and bore my sicknesses” (1979:8). The conclusion is drawn that since Jesus healed all who came to him in his day, he still does the same today. Hagin confirms this notion: “It is God’s will to heal you, because healing is in His redemptive plan” (1979:7). The third reference of Scripture is 1 Peter 2:24. Hagin elaborates as follows: “Thus, Isaiah, Matthew, and Peter – three witnesses – tell us that not only did Jesus shed His blood for the remission of our sins, but with His stripes we are healed” (1979:8). The possession of healing according to these advocates is through the exercise of faith. Mark 11:23–24 is the backbone of these advocates to support their view on faith. By interpreting these verses literally faith then is defined as speaking or confessing something with authority in the full expectation that what is spoken by the believer will happen. Hagin (1978:21) says the following on Mark 11:24: “Jesus said it – and what He said is so! I believe it. If I believe it – then I’ll have it”. With this kind of exegesis certain phrases like “name it and claim it” and “believe and receive” made their way into the prosperity movement. In the case of sickness the believer would normally be motivated to talk to the disease with authority. Saying would be the command to be healed while confessing the healing is to receive the promise of the healing. According to the prosperity theology, the purpose of wealth is philanthropic. Sarles explains that each believer is to give of his material benefits to help meet the needs of those in need (1986:333). According to Copeland is genuine prosperity the ability to use God’s power to meet the needs of man in any area of life (1974:26). When the believer “gives” to others as an act of obedience and faith, more will be given by God in return. This will start a prosperity cycle, in which one gives and receives more in return and allowing him to give even more. Copeland explains this cycle: “The more you give, the more you will get; the more you get, the more you will have to give” (1974:34). Scriptures are cited in support of the law of compensation, known also as the law a “sowing and reaping”. Old Testament Scriptures cited by these advocates are normally Joshua 1:8; Psalm 91:14–16 and Nehemiah 2:20. New Testament Scriptures are John 10:10; Matthew 7:7–8 and John 16:23. The most prominent New Testament verse on the subject is 3 John 2. Roberts says the following on 3 John 2: “Jesus Christ did not come with a life-shortening suggestion but with a life-saving power. His highest wish is for us to prosper materially and have physical health equal to his peace and power in our soul” (1957:15). Sarles rightly notes that the promise of wealth, the fundamental principle for the prosperity movement, is clearly seen in several Scripture passages interpreted from a prosperity vantage point (1986:333). The provision of wealth as God’s will for all believers’ centres on the application of the Abrahamic Covenant. Hagin explains it as follows: “When the Lord God appeared to Abram, what He actually said in Hebrew was, “I am El Shaddai …” El Shaddai is one of seven covenant names through which God revealed Himself to Israel. In Hebrew, El Shaddai means “the All-Sufficient One” or “the God who is more than enough” (1980:1). Prosperity teachers conclude that the personal blessings God bestowed on Abraham by the covenant he made with him are extrapolated as benefits for all believers today. Justification for applying Abraham’s promised prosperity to believers today is sought in Galatians 3:14. God’s blessings bestowed on the believer today include physical, material and financial provisions according to the prosperity message. For the believer to achieve these blessings he needs to turn a few “keys”. The first key is to know the “Word”. The emphasis on knowing the Word, especially concerning prosperity is of utmost importance. Copeland explains in his book The Laws of Prosperity that the believer who is unaware that prosperity is his is like the passenger on a cruise ship who ate only cheese and crackers because he did not know that meals were included in the price of the ticket (1974:41). “Obedience” is the second key to becoming prosperous. Strite explain: “An essential key to financial success is obedience to what God is saying to you. In fact, it’s the only way to success. This pattern is consistent throughout the Bible. Obedience puts you in a place for God’s provision” (2000:66). The third key is “faith”. Faith is exercised in the same way as in achieving health. Just as it is God’s will for no one to be sick, it is also His will for no one to live in poverty. Wealth and riches are available to all believers. All that the believer has to do is to “demand” what he wants. The prosperity message in our time and age is very strong and is being preached worldwide through television, radio and print media. It comes from a certain group within the church with a simple message – God wants everyone to be prosperous. If you are not blessed materially there is something wrong with your faith. The researcher is convinced that prosperity theology in some circles today can do more harm than good to the believers. To the researcher, the central issue of the prosperity message is that God becomes the servant to man. The prosperity message treats God as a tool which can be used to reach certain financial goals. The whole message is man-centred and not God-centred. Believers are considered to be “God-like creatures”. Believers become super beings because of the indwelling of the Spirit. This research deals with the legitimacy of the so-called prosperity theology. The exegetical methods used by these advocates, as well as their theology and ethics will be critically evaluated. The researcher is convinced that through this research a balanced Biblical view can be presented on “money” and “material blessings”. / Prof. J. A. du Rand

D. Litt. et. Phil / The purpose of this research was to answer the following question: The funding of the church according to the book of Acts: Socialistic or capitalistic? Can this model of giving be developed and defended that promotes and integrates the believer and his material possessions while at the same time respecting the believer as an autonomous agent, who, as such, may be led by the Holy Spirit to give up all his possessions in support of the work of the Lord? In order to answer the research question a discourse analysis of selected verses in the Sermon on the Mount (SM) regarding possessions is undertaken as well as an analysis of verses selected from the book of Acts regarding money and possessions. The ethical guidelines as presented in the SM, can serve as a guideline for each believer as the SM presents God’s standard in a practical manner. Due to the social environment during the first century A.D., which could have had an influence on the manner in which the early believers used their material possessions to support the work of the Lord, a social scientific investigation of the first century A.D. is undertaken. The introduction to the research as well as an Old Testament (OT) background regarding the role possessions played in worshiping the deity is presented in the opening chapters. The conclusion reached was that money and possessions have always played a vital role in the relationship between the believer and the deity. It was also established that specific laws concerning “giving” developed over a period during OT times, which was meticulously followed by Israel. The New Testament (NT), however, takes on a new direction when it comes to giving, and this new standard of giving is investigated against the backdrop of the social and religious environment of the first century A.D. The question as proposed in the study is answered in chapter 5. Guidelines regarding “giving” are submitted in which I hope would free many believers from the legalism clearly evident in many teachings. Chapter 6 contains a critical evaluation of the two “giving” philosophies, presented by scholars. This study xiv reveals that much of what is being taught and practised among believers today with regard to giving to God, is based on the prescriptive patterns of the OT examples of giving. Most of these models or theories fail to provide specific guidelines for the believer to make the crucial distinction between autonomous choices and choices dictated by the Holy Spirit. Chapter 7 concludes with a synthesis of the entire study.

M.A. / We live in a world, that is basically spiritually and morally bankrupt. The tidal wave of crime and thorny issues like aids and abortion, are only some of the consequences of this moral decay. Even the Church has not been able to avoid this decay and the very high divorce rate amongst Christians is proof of this moral regression. Pastoral counsellors are often stunned and amazed by the immorality that oftentimes occurs in Christian circles. Is there an answer? The ethical guidelines as found in the Sermon on the Mount, offers a solution. Can ethical guidelines, pronounced 2000 years ago, offer any solutions in this post-modern century? Are these not outdated norms, applicable in an ancient milieu, offering no solution for today? Can it still have any hermeneutical value? These are the questions addressed in this research. The ethical guidelines, as offered by the Sermon on the Mount, can be approached in two different ways. It can be viewed as an outdated ancient principle, with no normative value in a post-modern century, or as a guideline that withstood the test of time and still counts as the will of God, for every believer in his ethos. To maintain standards at the centre of God’s will, is an exalted ideal for every believer that earnestly views his Christianity. The ethical guidelines in the Sermon on the Mount, puts the standards of God in a practical manner, but in such a way that it brings every Christian to the realisation of his incapacity, to live it in practice. The result of this study has shown that the living of the Sermon on the Mount (especially the figurative language components contained in it) in a Christian ethos, is not a utopian dream, but relevant guidelines, that with the assistance of the residing Holy Spirit, can be lived as normative ethical principles in a Christian ethos.

This thesis examines Erasmus’s interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount in his Paraphrase on Matthew. The argument is that Erasmus offers a particularly rich reading of the Sermon through his use of the church fathers, his intratextual interpretive habits, and his exegetical insights. Chapter 1 briefly surveys major contributions for the study of the Paraphrases and provides a general introduction to the Paraphrases. Chapter 2 examines Erasmus’s frequent use of the church fathers throughout the Sermon and suggests that he shapes their works to meet his rhetorical needs. Chapter 3 surveys the intratextual connections Erasmus makes within the Sermon itself and between the Sermon and the rest of Matthew. Chapter 4 presents a couple passage-level insights from Erasmus and a discussion of his tripartite structure through the center of the Sermon as reflections from exegetical history. Chapter 5 concludes with a summary of the argument.

Luke's gospel is not infrequently referred to as the gospel of mercy. This declaration has rarely, if at all, been seriously subjected to a critical investigation of its validity and the appropriateness of such a nomenclature. In particular, there has been little recognition of subtle and significant distinctions that can be made between mercy and compassion. This thesis therefore seeks to lay bare how the evangelist employed gospel source materials and his own literary talent to create and compose a sequence of narrative moments that lends itself to what is proposed here, especially a proper articulation of compassion as revealed by Luke's Jesus. Limiting its broader investigative focus to Lk 3:1-9:50 this study is primarily interested in Lk 6:36, its role within the oft neglected Sermon on the Plain (Lk 6:20-49), its significance for the content and composition of Lk 7, and then secondarily its connection with the narrative blocks found either side of Lk 6-7, where of particular note is the programmatic sermon of Lk 4:16-30. In this purview a keen eye on detail and patterns relative to word(s) and deed(s) makes it possible to discern certain key theological and Christological authorial assumptions. Specifically, it is through this purposeful depiction of God and Jesus in relation to humankind that Luke insightfully initiates the reader into the mission and ministry of the Christ and his chosen disciples. Observing closely what this Jesus says and does sheds light on the import of extended meaning attaching itself to Luke's writing. To comprehend this better it proves helpful to analyse the meaning and force of Lk 6:36 in its Sermon context, in Luke's larger narrative and within the broad spectrum of ideas that derive from biblical, linguistic, philosophical and theological discussions. Lk 6:36 in translation thus becomes the point of departure for a more expansive treatment of this sometimes elusive theme. Attempting to find the right, appropriately nuanced word in English helps establish an appreciation for the richer strands of meaning that attach to the mercy/compassion realm of language and that with certain conditioning have been either overshadowed or lost sight of altogether. Acquiring that orientation to the biblical concept evoked by Lk 6:36 can only be gained by an investigation that attentively inspects the palette of Hebrew and Greek terminology. A surprising array of interconnected yet distinct words, emphases and associations of image come as a result. When closely examined alongside the linguistic and historical data Luke's composition confirms that the "compassion" Jesus voices / enacts is thoroughly relational; at its core is a personal, life-giving parent-child kinship; God is its primary reference point (invoking the notions of imitatio Dei, imago Dei); its paradigm figure is Jesus whose words and deeds integrally reveal its extravagant, boundary-free, risk-laden outreach to human beings of all sorts; and by natural inclination it redresses suffering and oppression without impossible conditions. To be, feel and act for another in this way is measured ultimately not by a human but a divine standard. The investigative method of this thesis is a redaction-critical / composition-critical analysis of Lukan gospel material where "compassion" is best examined, defined and demonstrated. As a matter of course this approach accepts that Luke is both redactor of received materials (holding to the majority hypothesis on Synoptic sources) and author of a narrative with its own foci, emphases and theological character. Thus to define "compassion" through the words and deeds of the Lukan Jesus is to enter a narrative world virtually unexplored until now.

The word δηθαηνζύλε occurs 92 times in 86 verses in the Greek New Testament. With regard to the four gospels, its incidence is the highest (70%) in Matthew. Among the other synoptic writers, only Luke uses it, and only once. The word δηθαηνζύλε occurs seven times in the Gospel of Matthew, and five of these occurrences are found in the Sermon on the Mount. It is clear that righteousness constitutes an important concept in the Gospel. With the term δηθαηνζύλε as the key element, the Gospel shows a structure in which the Sermon on the Mount with its five occurrences of δηθαηνζύλε is framed by 3:15 and 21:32, each one of these containing δηθαηνζύλε once. Matthew emphasises the enduring validity of the law and its fulfilment, of which the consequence is referred to in 5:20 as righteousness that could be described as more abundant righteousnessi. Therefore, to Matthew the relationship between law and righteousness is indicated by ἐληνιή in 5:19. The righteousness proposed by Matthew must comply with the will of God and the demands of the “kingdom of heaven”. From 6:1, it is clear that this is righteousness before your father. Matthew wants to impress it on the reader that righteousness must not be practised before people but before God eventually. I would appear that Matthew and Paul use the term δηθαηνζύλε in different ways. The aim of this study was therefore to ascertain what meaning Matthew wants to convey by δηθαηνζύλε in the Gospel, and in what way he applies this meaning to his arguments in the Gospel. In Chapter 1, the background and the problem statement are set out. The objective of Chapter 2 was to ascertain if Matthew‟s use of the concept of righteousness was influenced by the situation that gave rise to the Gospel of Matthew coming into being (Sitz im Leben der alten Kirche). It was concluded that Matthew wanted to present a more abundant δηθαηοζύλε to the community in Antioch in order to assist them in defining their identity. In Chapter 3, the meaning of the word δηθαηνζύλε outside the Gospel of Matthew was investigated. It was found that context plays an important role in establishing the meaning of the word. It also became clear that δηθαηνζύλε is a wide concept that comprises both the meanings of “ethical action by man” and “gift of God”. The objective of Chapter 4 was to ascertain what δηθαηνζύλε meant to Matthew. It was concluded that he used the term in an ethical sense. In Chapter 5, the statement that there might be a tension between the Sermon on the Mount and the rest of the Gospel was investigated in order to find out in what way Matthew applied his interpretation of righteousness in his arguments. The conclusion was that there is no tension between the Sermon on the Mount and the rest of the gospel. It was also found that Matthew and Paul do not differ from each other theologically with regard to the meaning of the word δηθαηνζύλε; indeed, they are close to each other in this respect. In Chapter 6, a final conclusion was made regarding the use of δηθαηνζύλε in the Gospel of Matthew, viz. that Matthew and Paul complement each other in their semantic interpretation of the word δηθαηνζύλε in such a way that the result is a comprehensive concept of righteousness. It was found that Matthew‟s presentation of the concept associated with the term δηθαηνζύλε provides important ethical values that could be applied the South African society. / Thesis (MA (New Testament))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The word δηθαηνζύλε occurs 92 times in 86 verses in the Greek New Testament. With regard to the four gospels, its incidence is the highest (70%) in Matthew. Among the other synoptic writers, only Luke uses it, and only once. The word δηθαηνζύλε occurs seven times in the Gospel of Matthew, and five of these occurrences are found in the Sermon on the Mount. It is clear that righteousness constitutes an important concept in the Gospel. With the term δηθαηνζύλε as the key element, the Gospel shows a structure in which the Sermon on the Mount with its five occurrences of δηθαηνζύλε is framed by 3:15 and 21:32, each one of these containing δηθαηνζύλε once. Matthew emphasises the enduring validity of the law and its fulfilment, of which the consequence is referred to in 5:20 as righteousness that could be described as more abundant righteousnessi. Therefore, to Matthew the relationship between law and righteousness is indicated by ἐληνιή in 5:19. The righteousness proposed by Matthew must comply with the will of God and the demands of the “kingdom of heaven”. From 6:1, it is clear that this is righteousness before your father. Matthew wants to impress it on the reader that righteousness must not be practised before people but before God eventually. I would appear that Matthew and Paul use the term δηθαηνζύλε in different ways. The aim of this study was therefore to ascertain what meaning Matthew wants to convey by δηθαηνζύλε in the Gospel, and in what way he applies this meaning to his arguments in the Gospel. In Chapter 1, the background and the problem statement are set out. The objective of Chapter 2 was to ascertain if Matthew‟s use of the concept of righteousness was influenced by the situation that gave rise to the Gospel of Matthew coming into being (Sitz im Leben der alten Kirche). It was concluded that Matthew wanted to present a more abundant δηθαηοζύλε to the community in Antioch in order to assist them in defining their identity. In Chapter 3, the meaning of the word δηθαηνζύλε outside the Gospel of Matthew was investigated. It was found that context plays an important role in establishing the meaning of the word. It also became clear that δηθαηνζύλε is a wide concept that comprises both the meanings of “ethical action by man” and “gift of God”. The objective of Chapter 4 was to ascertain what δηθαηνζύλε meant to Matthew. It was concluded that he used the term in an ethical sense. In Chapter 5, the statement that there might be a tension between the Sermon on the Mount and the rest of the Gospel was investigated in order to find out in what way Matthew applied his interpretation of righteousness in his arguments. The conclusion was that there is no tension between the Sermon on the Mount and the rest of the gospel. It was also found that Matthew and Paul do not differ from each other theologically with regard to the meaning of the word δηθαηνζύλε; indeed, they are close to each other in this respect. In Chapter 6, a final conclusion was made regarding the use of δηθαηνζύλε in the Gospel of Matthew, viz. that Matthew and Paul complement each other in their semantic interpretation of the word δηθαηνζύλε in such a way that the result is a comprehensive concept of righteousness. It was found that Matthew‟s presentation of the concept associated with the term δηθαηνζύλε provides important ethical values that could be applied the South African society. / Thesis (MA (New Testament))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

M.A. / Since the 19th century, scholastic biblical hermeneutics mushroomed in competition with other critical disciplines within the human sciences, and this resulted in the emergence of the historical critical approach. This is an umbrella-term which describes a plurality of methods. These approaches include the textual criticism; literary criticism; form criticism; redaction criticism; source criticism and many others. The historical critical approach dominated biblical interpretation for the last one hundred and fifty years. The socio-scientific critics used the expression “context” to understand the importance of the life-situation; the economic; social; political; historical; cultural, gender and psychological “context” to bring back the full picture of “human context" of the Bible. Representatives such as Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh read and interpret the New Testament from a modernized industrial perspective with certain presumptions and assumptions from the reader’s own culture and background. New Testament scholars have made attempts to use the aspects of the social world of ancient Israel to investigate the origin, development, and/or function of these societal components of the social systems and structures of biblical Israel. The socio-scientific critics feel that every interpretation, giving meaning to a text, derives from a cultural system. They say that using social-science models from Mediterranean cultures is an honest attempt to come to the same understanding, of that of the first century reader and author by applying the same social systems. According to the socio-scientific critics, the modern reader must understand what then made sense to a Mediterranean culture. In this case, they also say that the knowledge of the sociological data of the biblical world is very important for the interpreters. Socio-scientific criticism studies, emphasises the strict relationship between the texts of the Bible and the life actually lived by the early Christian communities. We can therefore conclude by saying that the socio-scientific criticism is indeed that phase of the exegetical task which concerns itself with the social and cultural dimensions of the text and of its environmental context.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T13:46:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 NEVE IONE RIBEIRO GUIMARAES.pdf: 1107478 bytes, checksum: d66520ed027fab2b91051653d70a94f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-14 / This thesis aims to analyze Huberto Rohden s thought, Brazilian Christian philosopher, in his work The Sermon on the Mount , in a, about this teaching by Jesus Christ as described in the Gospel of Mathew (5-7). The author considers the authentic Christianity to be as it was lived in the beginning centuries, as it was lived by the disciples of Christ. The importance of the speech by Jesus Christ, the so called The Sermon on the Mount , is studied under this view by Rohden, as well as the identification of his thought s specific fields, such as the philosophy, the religion, the metaphysics, the mysticism, the intuition and the spiritual reasoning, the great lines of his thought. It is also studied the scientific, philosophical and religious perspectives which have influenced his thought, as well as Rohden s comprehension of the Sermon in relation to other theologians. We emphasize that Rohden unveils in his work Sermon the spiritual Reasoning, category (with no intention of limiting his thought) which makes the spiritual Self experience possible, with the understanding above the analytical understanding and sensorial. The intuition, another characteristic which influences Rohden s thought, is an approach which cannot be set apart from his written productions, as the mystic-intuitive that sought its connection with the Supreme Being. As the mystic, the approach taken in this thesis is connected to his religiosity, as a dimension which shows the divine essence, calling for the consciousness as to how we can experience God. The metaphysical approach, which is the search for the Being, is God in Rohden, the Supreme Reality, and not just, or only, the thought. It must be emphasized, however, that the Being, by its own nature, is unreachable in its transcendentalism, and also unreachable in its essence. / Esta tese tem por objetivo analisar o pensamento de Huberto Rohden, filósofo cristão brasileiro, a partir de sua obra: O Sermão da Montanha , na perspectiva univérsica, sobre este ensinamento de Jesus Cristo descrito no Evangelho de Mateus (5-7). O autor considera como autêntico Cristianismo, a vivência cristã como nos primeiros séculos, assim como foi praticada pelos discípulos de Cristo. A importância do discurso de Jesus: o chamado Sermão da Montanha , é estudado nesta visão de Rohden, como também a identificação do campo específico do pensamento do autor como a filosofia, a religião, a metafísica, a mística, a intuição e a razão espiritual que foram as grandes vertentes de seu pensamento. Também é estudada a perspectiva científica, filosófica e religiosa que influenciou seu pensamento assim como a compreensão de Rohden sobre o Sermão em relação a outros teólogos. Salienta-se que Rohden desvela nesta sua obra (Sermão) a Razão espiritual, categoria (sem querer fechar o seu pensamento) que possibilita a experiência do Eu espiritual, compreendendo-a acima do inteligir analítico e do sensorial. A intuição, outra característica que perpassa o pensamento de Rohden, é uma abordagem que não pode ser separada de sua produção escriturística, como místico-intuitivo que procurou sua ligação com o Ser Supremo. Quanto à mística, a abordagem que se faz nesta tese, está ligada à sua religiosidade, como uma dimensão que mostra a essência divina, remetendo à consciência de como podemos vivenciar Deus. A abordagem metafísica, que é a procura pelo Ser, este Ser em Rohden é Deus a Suprema Realidade e não apenas, ou somente, o pensamento. Saliente-se, contudo que o Ser pela sua própria natureza é inacessível na sua transcendentalidade e inacessível também em sua essência.