The relationship between Law and Gospel remains something of a conundrum for biblical scholarship. A significant factor contributing to this difficulty is the interpretation of Matthew 5:17, and in particular what is meant by Jesus’ having come “to fulfil” the Law and the Prophets. What precisely is meant by “to fulfil the Law and the Prophets” is an exegetical enigma. Utilizing an eclectic array of methods, including literary, historical, and theological approaches, this study attempts to articulate the nature of fulfilment in Matthew 5:17. We begin by surveying a selection of previous contributions, from which we deduce four possible interpretations. Next, we outline the historical, literary, and theological contexts, in order to provide the background for the exegetical and theological discussions that follow. This leads us into a thorough exegesis of Matthew 5:17-20, with special attention directed towards the key term ω. We argue that ω is best understood in light of its usage elsewhere in Matthew, highlighting its salvation-historical significance. In addition, we argue that the focus on the Law and the Prophets, Matthew’s understanding of the prophetic function of the Law (11:13), and the so-called antitheses of 5:21-48, lead us to understand “to fulfil” as the realization of what the Law and the Prophets – the Old Testament – pointed towards. When Jesus says that he has come to “fulfil” the Law and the Prophets he means that all that they anticipated has now come about in him. But it is important to move beyond regular historical-critical methods of exegesis and also to examine the passage in light of its biblical-theological significance: what did the Law and Prophets anticipate? Our study attempts to advance discussion of ω in this passage by considering how ‘biblical theology’ might aid us in understanding what precisely was pointed towards by the Old Testament. We therefore discuss the bearing of a theology of the kingdom of God on Matthew 5:17. The significance of the concept of the kingdom of God/heaven – mentioned three times in Matthew 5:17-20, central in both Matthew’s Gospel and the Sermon on the Mount, and descriptive of Jesus’ mission (4:17) – has often been overlooked in the interpretation of this passage. In addition to regular arguments made on the basis of historical-critical exegesis – including discussion of the nature of ω in Matthew’s Gospel, the sense in which the Law prophesies, and the contribution of the so-called antitheses of 5:21-48 – we argue that the biblical-theological theme of the kingdom of God clarifies a salvation-historical reading of these verses. The concept of the kingdom of God provides a helpful lens through which to understand the nature of the fulfilment brought about by Jesus. When the theme of the kingdom of God in the Old Testament is considered, it is seen that this concept summarizes the Jewish hope – it is what the Law and the Prophets pointed towards. Therefore, when it is said that Jesus has come “to fulfil” the Law and the Prophets, an eschatological or salvation-historical reading shows that what the Law pointed towards has arrived in the teaching and ministry of Jesus. But a biblical-theological reading of the kingdom of God helps us to add a measure of precision to this statement. Jesus “fulfils” the Law and the Prophets by bringing into being what they anticipated: the kingdom of God, to which the Old Testament looked forward, has come. What the Law and Prophets anticipated was the arrival of the kingdom of God. “Fulfilment”, then, should be construed in terms of this motif. Jesus fulfils the Law and the Prophets by inaugurating the kingdom of God, which they anticipated. This bypasses discussions over whether it is primarily Jesus’ teaching or Jesus’ life that is in view, since the kingdom of God is inaugurated through both. / MA (New Testament), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The relationship between Law and Gospel remains something of a conundrum for biblical scholarship. A significant factor contributing to this difficulty is the interpretation of Matthew 5:17, and in particular what is meant by Jesus’ having come “to fulfil” the Law and the Prophets. What precisely is meant by “to fulfil the Law and the Prophets” is an exegetical enigma. Utilizing an eclectic array of methods, including literary, historical, and theological approaches, this study attempts to articulate the nature of fulfilment in Matthew 5:17. We begin by surveying a selection of previous contributions, from which we deduce four possible interpretations. Next, we outline the historical, literary, and theological contexts, in order to provide the background for the exegetical and theological discussions that follow. This leads us into a thorough exegesis of Matthew 5:17-20, with special attention directed towards the key term ω. We argue that ω is best understood in light of its usage elsewhere in Matthew, highlighting its salvation-historical significance. In addition, we argue that the focus on the Law and the Prophets, Matthew’s understanding of the prophetic function of the Law (11:13), and the so-called antitheses of 5:21-48, lead us to understand “to fulfil” as the realization of what the Law and the Prophets – the Old Testament – pointed towards. When Jesus says that he has come to “fulfil” the Law and the Prophets he means that all that they anticipated has now come about in him. But it is important to move beyond regular historical-critical methods of exegesis and also to examine the passage in light of its biblical-theological significance: what did the Law and Prophets anticipate? Our study attempts to advance discussion of ω in this passage by considering how ‘biblical theology’ might aid us in understanding what precisely was pointed towards by the Old Testament. We therefore discuss the bearing of a theology of the kingdom of God on Matthew 5:17. The significance of the concept of the kingdom of God/heaven – mentioned three times in Matthew 5:17-20, central in both Matthew’s Gospel and the Sermon on the Mount, and descriptive of Jesus’ mission (4:17) – has often been overlooked in the interpretation of this passage. In addition to regular arguments made on the basis of historical-critical exegesis – including discussion of the nature of ω in Matthew’s Gospel, the sense in which the Law prophesies, and the contribution of the so-called antitheses of 5:21-48 – we argue that the biblical-theological theme of the kingdom of God clarifies a salvation-historical reading of these verses. The concept of the kingdom of God provides a helpful lens through which to understand the nature of the fulfilment brought about by Jesus. When the theme of the kingdom of God in the Old Testament is considered, it is seen that this concept summarizes the Jewish hope – it is what the Law and the Prophets pointed towards. Therefore, when it is said that Jesus has come “to fulfil” the Law and the Prophets, an eschatological or salvation-historical reading shows that what the Law pointed towards has arrived in the teaching and ministry of Jesus. But a biblical-theological reading of the kingdom of God helps us to add a measure of precision to this statement. Jesus “fulfils” the Law and the Prophets by bringing into being what they anticipated: the kingdom of God, to which the Old Testament looked forward, has come. What the Law and Prophets anticipated was the arrival of the kingdom of God. “Fulfilment”, then, should be construed in terms of this motif. Jesus fulfils the Law and the Prophets by inaugurating the kingdom of God, which they anticipated. This bypasses discussions over whether it is primarily Jesus’ teaching or Jesus’ life that is in view, since the kingdom of God is inaugurated through both. / MA (New Testament), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Despite the fact that scholars regularly overlook the theme of the kingdom in Paul’s letters, the thesis of this work is that the kingdom is a foundational component of God’s saving work in Christ in 1 Corinthians. This thesis can be demonstrated by observing three primarily lines of evidence: (1) the relationship of the kingdom to the effects of Christ’s death, resurrection, and saving reign, (2) the consistency of Paul’s kingdom references with respect to his inaugurated eschatological schema, and (3) the connection between the kingdom and Paul’s ethical teaching, or what might also be referred to as the transforming work of the Spirit. Chapter 1 provides a history of research concerning the different approaches to Paul’s theology of the kingdom in modern scholarship. Relatively few scholars have addressed the topic in a comprehensive way, and where the kingdom has been addressed, it has commonly been suggested that Paul has replaced it with another theme. Chapters 2 through 4 examine Paul’s references to the kingdom in the following texts: 1 Corinthians 4:8, 20; 6:2-3, 9-11; 15:20-28, 50. In addition to examining Paul’s use of words in the βασιλ– word group, these chapters also focus on Paul’s use of kingdom-related concepts, such as the reign of Christ, the reign of believers, and the future judgment of the saints. A number of connections are also drawn between the kingdom and related eschatological themes. Chapter 5 compares Paul’s kingdom theology in 1 Corinthians with the rest of his epistles. It is argued that there is a consistency to the apostle’s theology of the kingdom, even as different contexts require different aspects of the kingdom to be emphasized. The conclusion in chapter 6 provides a summary of the findings in the previous chapters, including a recap of how the thesis has been demonstrated. Also included are some limitations and implications of this work, along with suggestions for further study on this topic.

Thesis (M.A.B.S.)--Denver Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-109).

Thesis (M.A.)--Denver Seminary, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 223-238).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1910. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 128-129).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Humanities and Languages, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Columbia International University, 2002. / Typescript. "April, 2002." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-156).

Darbe analizuojama Dievo Karalystės sąvoka ir pagrindiniai bruožai, remiantis Šventuoju Raštu, Katalikų Bažnyčios dokumentais ir teologine literatūra. Aptariamas Dievo Karalystės skelbimo aktualumas ir galimybės mokykloje pagal Bendrąją katalikų tikybos mokymo programą. Taip pat atliktas konstatuojamasis, mokomasis tyrimai su 5-6 klasių mokiniais apie jų Dievo Karalystės sampratą ir parengtos metodinės rekomendacijos Dievo Karalystės sampratos gilinimui mokykloje. / This master paper discusses the nation of the Kingdom of God and its educational value while teaching religion to schoolchildren. The aim of the research is to find more effective ways of disclosing the idea of the Kingdom of God as a means towards authenticity of faith.

This study focuses on the social and political dimensions of the "kingdom of God" as it is depicted in Mark's narrative. Simultaneously the author assesses the implications for The Mennonite Brethren Church ofCongo( BCC) which may be attained from such research. The first chapter, consists of 1) an introduction to the motivation for the study, 2) the research methodology used, 3) chapter outlines, the limits ofthe research, and definitions offundamental concepts. In the first chapter, I try to read Mark's narrative with the presuppositions of the struggle over power and authority between classes in Roman-occupied Palestine. The story world of Mark depicts a society divided into two classes: the propertied class and the non propertied class which formed the majority ofthe population. I make use ofthe narrative approach in my exegesis of the text of Mark, while taking the sociol- political context of the text or the "world ofthe text" more seriously. The second chapter investigates the social and political context of Roman-occupied Palestine. The picture attained from this section reveals that Palestine in general, and Galilee in particular, had endured severe political and economic pressure from the Roman authorities and the Jewish local aristocracy. The relationship between the governing class and the majority ofthe population formed by peasants was ofdispossession, oppression and exploitation at the social, economic and political levels. The third chapter focuses on Mark's presentation ofJesus and thus initiates the coretheme ofthe thesis. We deduce there that Mark is using many titles to present Jesus: Son of God, Son ofman, Christ, king and servant. Mark does not seem to base Jesus' title on Davidic lineage. In Mark, Jesus seems to get his legitimacy from the God himself and from the people. He is a popular king who is not a member ofthe Davidic dynasty. The fourth chapter, forms the basis of my argument. Here, I attempt to reveal the social and political dimensions of the "kingdom of God" as depicted in Mark's narrative. The social and political nature ofthe "kingdom ofGod" is confirmed by Jesus' proclamation which reordered power and authority in Jewish Palestine. This is expressed by Jesus' conflict with the established authorities, Jesus' challenge to two basic institutions: the Temple and the Tribute to Caesar. Mark's gospel always shows how the kingdom of God meant liberation ofthe people and their welfare. The "kingdom of God" was a manifestation of power which found expressions in incidents of healing, exorcisms, casting out of demons , feeding of the hungry and revelations of Jesus' power over the forces of nature such as storm and water. The kingdom of God as a social and political reality is preached in a language accessible to the oppressed and reorders social relations among the people by making them egalitarian, non exploitative and nonauthoritarian. The last chapter applies the results ofmy investigations in chapter four to the Mennonite Brethren Church of Congo. After a section on the social, economic and political context of both The Congo and the BCC, and an overview of the Anabaptist theology and ecclesiology, I have deduced the following challenges for the BCC in the light of Mark's narrative: a reconceptualization of power and authority which is the cause ofconflicts in the church; the need for a relationship of partnership and not of patriarchal power between the leadership and the people constituting the grassroots in the BCC; a good management and use ofthe material and fmancial resources ofthe church out to contribute to the welfare ofthe people; a balanced vision on the church-state relations and development which rejects a dualistic church-society division. Equilibrium between social and spiritual ministries is advocated so as to contribute ultimately to the well-being ofthe people. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.