The Bauer-Ehrman thesis contends that “orthodoxy” is not a first-century phenomenon but only a later concept that allowed the Roman church to squelch alternate versions of Christianity. We have seen that Bauer virtually ignores the New Testament evidence while believing to find evidence for early heresy and late orthodoxy in various urban centers of the second century. Ehrman, likewise, makes much of second-century diversity and assigns the notion of orthodoxy to later church councils. The precursors of the orthodox, Ehrman calls “proto-orthodox,” even though it must, of course, be remembered that at the time this group was not the only legitimate representative of Christianity according to Ehrman, which renders the expression anachronistic.

What are we to say about this way of presenting things? In essence, the argument is circular. Once “orthodoxy” is defined in fourth-century terms as ecclesiastical doctrine hammered out by the various ecumenical councils, any doctrinal core preceding the fourth century can be considered “proto-orthodox” at best. Thus the validation of the Bauer-Ehrman thesis becomes in effect a self-fulfilling prophecy. Bauer, Ehrman, and others have cleverly recast the terminological landscape of this debate, most importantly by narrowing the term “orthodoxy” to a degree of doctrinal sophistication only reached in subsequent centuries, so that everything else falls short by comparison. Then they put “diversity” in place of what was conventionally understood as orthodoxy.

As we will see below, however, the New Testament presents instead a rather different picture. What we find there is not widespread diversity with regard to essential doctrinal matters, most importantly Christology and soteriology, but rather a fixed set of early core beliefs that were shared by apostolic mainstream Christianity while allowing for flexibility in nonessential areas. In matters of legitimate diversity, there was tolerance; in matters of illegitimate diversity (i.e., “heresy”), no such tolerance existed, but only denunciation in the strongest terms. What is more, as we have seen in the previous chapter, this early agreement on the fundamentals of the Christian faith in no way precludes subsequent theological formulation.

For this reason Christian orthodoxy for our present purposes can be defined as “correct teaching regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ, including the way of salvation, in contrast to teaching regarding Jesus that deviates from standard norms of Christian doctrine.” Defined in this way, the questions then become: Is it meaningful and appropriate to speak of the notion of “correct teaching regarding the person and work of Christ” in the first century? Were there standards in place by which what was “correct” and what was “incorrect” could be measured? As we will see, when framing the issue in this manner, the answers that emerge from a close study of the New Testament present themselves quite differently from those given by Bauer-Ehrman thesis.

One final point should be made here. As in many places, Ehrman places the conventional view in a virtual no-win situation. If the New Testament is held to be essentially unified, this, according to Ehrman, proves that it was “written by the winners” who chose to suppress and exclude all countervailing viewpoints. If the New Testament were to exhibit a considerable degree of diversity, and an unsettled state of affairs as to which theological position represents the standard of orthodoxy, this would be taken as evidence that the Bauer-Ehrman thesis is correct and diversity prevailed in earliest Christianity. Either way, Ehrman is right, and the conventional understanding of orthodoxy wrong. As a debating tactic, this is clever indeed. But will it work?

An excerpt from The Heresy of Orthodoxy: How Contemporary Culture’s Fascination with Diversity Has Reshaped Our Understanding of Early Christianity.

In the course of world history many have devised ways of salvation. Virtually all man-made religions have one thing in common: they are based on human self-effort. Among the major religions, Christianity is unique in that while typically the emphasis is on what a person must do to be saved, Christianity focuses on what one man has done for all humans—Jesus Christ—and what is now available for all on the basis of simple trust in Christ.

Thus Paul’s words ring out in his letter to the Romans: “But now, apart from law, God’s righteousness has been revealed—attested by the Law and the Prophets—that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:21–24).

In his day, Jesus was asked by religious Jews, “What can we do to perform the works of God?” (John 6:28). This has always been, and will always be, the misguided human quest to please or placate God by human self-effort. But what was Jesus’ response? It was this: “This is the work of God: that you believe in the One he has sent” (John 6:29). Jesus and Paul concur: trust in Jesus for salvation on the basis of his work on the cross is all that is required.

Glorious gospel! Wonderful news! For if it depended on us, we could never do enough to overcome our sinful nature or make amends for our sin. Not only did Jesus, the God-man, die a perfect, sin-atoning death, he lived a perfect, sinless life. In a wonderful exchange, Jesus’ life and death are credited to the account of those who trust Christ: “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor 5:21).

If the first generation of the Christian church proves anything, it is this: the power of God is infinitely greater than any human obstacles in its way. A humble Galilean craftsman, who suffered an untimely death and accumulated no earthly possessions, wrote no books, and left behind nothing but a small band of disheartened followers, spawned a movement so powerful that it took the Roman empire by storm.

How was this possible? There is only one satisfying answer: the same Jesus who was crucified on a hill outside of Jerusalem rose again from the dead three days later and was exalted to the right hand of God. As Peter proclaimed at Pentecost, “God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear” (Acts 2:32–33).

The rest of the Book of Acts records the amazing, astounding, breathtaking, irresistible progress of the Christian gospel in a world where the Jews fiercely oppose the early church’s mission and where, ironically, the Romans protect Paul and the early Christians from certain death. Internal obstacles, whether dishonesty or potential disunity, are overcome, as are persecution and various external threats. Not clever strategy, but humble trust in God and faithful witness to him empower the early Christians, who prove victorious again and again.

Luke’s account of the spiritual exploits of the early church can serve as a mighty inspiration to the church of all ages which is faced with the same challenge of bearing witness to the living, resurrected Christ in a world hostile to the gospel message. As we continue this godly legacy, we must make sure our trust, as that of the first Christians, is in the same God who raised Jesus from the dead and for whom no obstacle is too great if we only put our trust in him and his awesome power rather than in our own ability to overcome the obstacles we face.

Tyndale House has recently compiled a list of very useful Online Bible Study Resources. Their website named Tyndale Tech serves as a one stop shop for electronic Bible programs that can greatly enhance your time of study. They also provide a Facebook link that will allow you to track their progress as they continue to create user friendly programs. Their aim is to support the new generation of able scholars and new converts in the Majority world, who often miss out on Western riches, so they are concentrating on things which work with intermittent internet connections. To get started click here.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned people against false prophets. With simple logic, Jesus pointed out that “every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit … So you’ll recognize them by their fruit” (Matt 7:17, 20). For not everyone who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of his Father in heaven (Matt 7:21).

Later on toward the close of his ministry, Jesus challenged his followers with similar words. There earlier had been those who appeared to place their trust in Jesus, but Jesus was not fooled by outward expressions of faith that were unaccompanied by obedience (John 2:23–25). The many who had believed in him, he urged, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples” (John 8:31). Sadly, most did not heed Jesus’ words.

So on his way to Gethsemane Jesus reiterated his challenge once again: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples” (John 15:7–8). Are we easily satisfied with out new status in Christ and slack in our obedience? Let us not forget that it is by our fruit that we prove to be Jesus’ followers and glorify our Father in heaven.

Stephen M. Vantassel’s  review of A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters: The Word, the Christ, the Son of God, which was recently written for Bible Study Magazine:

Andreas J. Kostenberger focuses on John’s argument for belief in Christ (John 20:31).

In Part 1, Kostenberger addresses the historical questions: authorship and the trustworthiness of John’s writings. After engaging scholarship, Kostenberger concludes (in opposition to the views of several scholars) that John wrote the books named after him.

The literary aspects of John’s writings are investigated in Part 2. Kostenberger looks at John’s use of irony and symbolism. Almost 100 pages of this volume is a careful reading of John’s writings based on their literary structure and various theological themes.

Almost half the book (Part 3) investigates the major themes of John’s theology. Themes addressed include John’s: worldview, use of Scripture, ideas about creation, view of the trinity, understanding of community, and love.

Kostenberger’s work is written for theologically-trained readers. But it is accessible via his straightforward writing, numerous indices, and detailed table of contents. Preachers who want their church members to recognize the larger ideas contained in John’s writings should read this book.

HT:Koinonia Blog

For more reviews visit:

Jim Hamilton’s Blog: http://jimhamilton.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/kostenbergers-new-theology-of-johns-gospel-and-letters/

Reformation 21: http://www.reformation21.org/shelf-life/a-theology-of-johns-gospel-and-letters.php

This second edition of God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation, provides the reader with more than just an updated package. This edition introduces new sections on the theology of sex and the parenting of teens and a new chapter on marriage, family and the church, including an evaluation of the “family-integrated church movement.” The authors have added summaries of recent debates on corporal punishment, singleness, homosexuality, and divorce and remarriage, and responses to several recent articles and monographs on marriage and family. The second edition also includes updated bibliographies and notes.

Jewish rabbis in Jesus’ day typically avoided women and stayed away from Samaritans. Thus the Samaritan woman who came to the well in Sychar had at least two strikes against her. Add to this her immoral lifestyle, and Jesus had every reason to evade contact with this woman. Even the woman herself was surprised that Jesus was talking to her: “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (John 4:9). And the evangelist added, “For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.” Jesus’ disciples, too, upon their return from grocery shopping in town, “were amazed that he was talking with a woman” (John 4:27).

By contrast, everyone in Jesus’ day would have been honored to engage in conversation with Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Ruling Council. Jesus calls him “Israel’s teacher” (John 3:10 NIV). This teacher visited Jesus by night to inquire tacitly as to the nature of his teaching. Similarly, the Jewish authorities had looked into John the Baptist’s activities (John 1:19). Later, the high priest asked Jesus about his disciples and his teaching at the Jewish trial preceding Jesus’ crucifixion (John 18:19). Yet when Nicodemus showed up on Jesus’ doorstep, Jesus was not intimidated. To the contrary, he challenged him to be born again.

Ever since NT times, the church has had trouble treating the rich and the poor alike. Paul and James both exhorted believers not to give preferential treatment to the wealthy (1 Tim 6:17–19; Jas 2:1–7). By not showing partiality, Jesus exhibited a divine trait, for God is no respecter of persons. You and I should not think that because of our status—say, as a seminary professor or as an upright citizen of our community—we will be treated by God any differently than anyone else. As God told Samuel, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7).

The  books of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, are commonly referred to as the ”Pastoral Epistles.” However, the role of Timothy and Titus was not actually that of permanent, resident pastor of a church. Rather, these two men served as Paul’s apostolic delegates who were temporarily assigned to their present locations in order to deal with particular problems. For this reason the Pastorals are not so much advice to younger ministers or generic manuals of church order as they are Paul’s instructions to his special delegates, issued toward the closing of the apostolic era at a time when the aging apostle would have felt a keen responsibility to ensure the orderly transition from the apostolic to the postapostolic period.

For more information on this subject consult Dr. Kostenberger’s chapter, “Hermeneutics and Exegetical Challenges in Interpreting the Pastoral Epistles” in the recently published Entrusted with the Gospel: Paul’s Theology in the Pastoral Epistles. http://www.amazon.com/Entrusted-Gospel-Theology-Pastoral-Epistles/dp/0805448411/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269952640&sr=8-1

Few of Jesus’ miracles, attested in all four canonical Gospels, is as astounding as his walking on the water (e.g. Mark 6:45–52). Like his turning a large amount of water into wine, this nature miracle defies human explanation. Not that unbelievers have not tried to account for the event by supplying some naturalistic explanation. Just recently, for example, someone suggested that Jesus was simply skipping from rock to rock, hidden just barely beneath the surface of the water. This may get first prize for imaginativeness, but it is so transparent an attempt to explain the unexplainable that is instantaneously self-defeating and tells us more about the unbelief of the person proposing the “solution” than about what most likely happened.

            Ever since the so-called period of the “Enlightenment,” Deists and other anti-supernaturalists have sought to devise mere cause-and-effect scenarios that drained the miraculous from Scripture. One of them was one of the founding fathers of the United States,

Thomas Jefferson, who set forth the “principles of a pure deism” supposedly taught by Jesus, “omitting the question of his deity.” The Jefferson Bible, not published until 1895 by Jefferson’s grandson, begins with an account of Jesus’ birth omitting all mention of angels, prophecy, miracles, the Trinity, or the deity of Jesus. The account concludes with the words, “Now, in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus. And rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.” End of story! No resurrection.

            How different is this from the eyewitness accounts concerning Jesus included in Scripture! It is highly unlikely that anyone would have fabricated the kind of story where Jesus walked on the water, plus told Peter to come out of the boat to walk on the water toward him, unless he actually remembered this event. Walking on the water, in turn, would clearly have invoked the memory of Scripture, according to which God “alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). Upon seeing Jesus, his followers were so startled they thought he was a ghost and screamed. Afterward, as Mark tell us, “[t]hey were completely astounded,” and “their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:51–52). Yet when Jesus breathes his last, the Roman centurion at the cross cries out, “This man really was God’s Son!” (Mark 15:29).

            “What kind of man is this?—even the winds and the sea obey him!” (Matt 8:27).

After a lengthy period during which scholars paid relatively little attention to the Pastoral Epistles, a spate of studies has suddenly appeared in print. However, except for a small number of commentaries, critical scholars have by and large neglected evangelical scholarship on these letters. To fill in this gap, this volume offers a collection of important essays written by evangelicals on 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. The book aims to inform readers of the history of scholarship on these letters and examine thoroughly Paul’s theology in the Pastoral Epistles.

Contributors include several scholars who have done previous advanced work on these letters: I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen, Scotland; Recent Study in the Pastoral Epistles), Andreas Köstenberger (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary[SEBTS]; Hermeneutical and Exegetical Challenges), Terry L. Wilder (B&H Publishing Group; Authorship), F. Alan Tomlinson (Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary [MBTS]; Purpose/Stewardship), Greg Couser (Cedarville University; Doctrine of God), Daniel L. Akin (SEBTS; Christology), Ray van Neste (Union University; Cohesion and Structure of the PE), B. Paul Wolfe (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Use of Scripture), Ben Merkle (SEBTS; Ecclesiology), George Wieland (Carey Baptist College, New Zealand; Soteriology), Thor Madsen (MBTS; Ethics), and Chiao Ek Ho (East Asia School of Theology, Singapore; Missiology).

This book should be in stores by the end of March. For more information visit: http://bhpublishinggroup.com/academic/books.asp?p=9780805448412

On February 2, 2010, Dr. Köstenberger was interviewed by Kevin Boling on the radio program, “Knowing The Truth,” to discuss his latest book entitled; A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters.  Follow this link to hear the interview in its entirety via live stream: http://knowingthetruth.org/content/view/749/26/

I recently contributed a chapter entitled “The Gospel for All Nations” to a book called Faith Comes by Hearing: A Response to Inclusivism (edited by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson (InterVarsity). Here are my five concluding observations:

1. Divine, not human: The gospel is God’s saving message to a world living in darkness and a humanity lost in its sin. The gospel is not a human message, nor was its conception a function of human initiative, but its origin and its impetus derive solely from God. For this reason our role with regard to the gospel is not that of evaluation, criticism or reformulation, but that of grateful acceptance and obedience. Humans are not equal partners with God as far as the gospel message is concerned; they are rather his commissioned representatives, charged with proclaiming the gospel in the exact form in which they received it (e.g., John 17:20; 20:21; 1 Cor 15:3–4).

2. Required, not optional: Acceptance of the gospel is not optional for salvation but rather required, owing to pervasive human sinfulness. As the Book of Hebrews states, “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment”; “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time . . . to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Heb 9:27–28). Apart from believing in Jesus Christ, “God’s wrath remains” on people (Jn 3:36), and they are spiritually dead (Jn 5:24; Eph 2:1). People must be “born of God” (Jn 1:12; 3:3, 5; 1 Jn 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18), that is, be spiritually regenerated (Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 1:3). As Paul writes in his epistle to the Ephesians, “[a]nd you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit . . .” (Eph 1:13). Inclusion in Christ comes only by hearing and believing the gospel.

3. Christological, not merely theological: The gospel is not vaguely theological, as if it were amenable to various ways of salvation depending on a person’s belief in a particular kind of god, or depending on the degree to which people were able to hear the gospel presented in a clear way; it is decidedly and concretely Christological, that is, centered on the salvation provided through the vicarious cross-death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence Paul is able to speak of “the gospel . . . regarding his [God’s] Son . . . Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 1:2–4). Significantly, this gospel is not a New Testament novelty but was “promised beforehand through his [God’s] prophets [such as Habakkuk, Rom 1:17 citing Hab 2:4] in the Holy Scriptures” (Rom 1:2). Abraham already had resurrection faith (Romans 4; Galatians 3; Heb 11:8–12).

4. No other gospel: The messianic motif pervading all of Scripture and centering in the Lord Jesus Christ coupled with the risen Jesus’ “Great Commission” for his followers to go and disciple the nations inextricably link an understanding of the gospel as the exclusive message of salvation in Jesus Christ with the church’s mandate to engage in missionary outreach. This is clear especially from the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, John, the book of Acts, and several of Paul’s writings. Conversely, any messages proclaimed in the name of Christ that feature a “different gospel” or a different Christ (such as compromising his simultaneous full humanity and deity, e.g. 1 John 4:2–3) are rejected. The church must engage in missions, because “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). If anyone confesses with his mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead, he will be saved (Rom 10:9; see also vv. 10–13).

5. No other name but Jesus: In light of the clear biblical passages mentioned above and in view of the strong and pervasive trajectory of scriptural references to the gospel there is no proper foundation for arguing for salvation apart from explicit faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture makes clear that humanity is universally sinful, and that God’s wrath remains on every individual who has not placed his or her trust in Jesus Christ on the basis of his substitutionary death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection. While there may be philosophical or larger theological objections to such a notion (such as the difficulty experienced by some of reconciling this notion with the love of God), while there may be commonsense concerns on the basis of human conceptions or “fairness” or other similar considerations, there can be little doubt that Scripture nowhere teaches, or easily allows the implication, that there is a way to salvation other than through explicit faith in Jesus Christ during a person’s lifetime (e.g., Heb 9:27–28). In fact, this is not an obscure topic; it is the central contention of the biblical message concerning the gospel, that “[s]alvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

For Further Study, read the entire essay in Faith Comes by Hearing, pp. 201–19. See also my book, co-authored with Peter T. O’Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission (New Studies in Biblical Theology edited by D. A. Carson; InterVarsity).

“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18). Who is the man who can claim to have been given all authority in heaven and on earth? Has a more amazing statement ever been made, a more startling claim ever been registered? In the climactic moment in Matthew’s entire Gospel, here is Jesus, with the Eleven, in Galilee, ascended onto the mountain, uttering what has become known as “the Great Commission”: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19–20).

How can Jesus have all authority in heaven and on earth? In the context of Matthew’s Gospel, the reader is reminded of the gambit proposed to Jesus by “the tempter,” the devil, Satan, who took Jesus “to a very high mountain” and showed him all the kingdoms of this world and their splendor and said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:8–9). Jesus refused, rebuking the devil, “Go away, Satan!” Later in the Gospel, Jesus tells his closest followers that he must suffer, and be killed, and be raised the third day, and when Peter takes him aside and begins to rebuke him, denying the necessity of the cross, Jesus, in similar terms, tells Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matt 16:21–23).

So it is only after the crucifixion that Jesus claims to have all authority in heaven and on earth. It is the risen Christ who, in the manner of a conquering, victorious general, ascends the mountain and commissions his followers to go and conquer the worlds, similar to Alexander the Great and other military leaders who set out to subdue the universe and subject it to their will. But Jesus’ will be a gentle conquest, in keeping with his invitation, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28–30).

And as his followers go into all the world in order to disciple the nations, Jesus himself, Isaiah’s Immanuel, which is translated “God with us” (Matt 1:23), will be with them: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” How, then, can the church’s mission possibly fail, if Jesus, the risen Christ, the conquering general, will himself be present with his people in the power of the Holy Spirit? Indeed, “This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come” (Matt 24:14). In the original scene, as Matthew tells us, “When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted” (Matt 28:17). Will you and I worship, or will we doubt?

Biblical Foundations will be following a new schedule for 2010.  Three days out of the week new material will be posted that will include devotional, academic, and Q&A material.  We are very excited to hear some of your theological questions, so watch for the Q&A post that will allow you the opportunity to send in your questions for Dr. Köstenberger to answer.  We at Biblical Foundations hope to provide you with resources that will strengthen both your personal relationship with Christ and your ministry within the church.