AbstractMatt 5:17-20 contains four hermeneutical principles which are basic to the understanding of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:3-7:27) as a whole. The Sermon is assumed to be an epitome of the theology of Jesus, originating in a Jewish-Christian congregation around 50 AD. The Sermon has its own distinctive theology, according to which Jesus's interpretation of the Torah was "orthodox" seen from a Jewish (Christian) point of view, and this "orthodoxy" is defended against critics within Judaism on the one hand, and gentile Christianity on the other.

AbstractThis article is a reaction to the contribution by Chris Manus elsewhere in this issue. It departs from his remark that the elevation and status of African kings helps us to understand Mt 28:16-20. This is then placed in the context of contextualisation as a metaphoric activity, especially with a view to the public or cultural context of the text-reading process. An adequate hermeneutic will have to be a critical hermeneutic, recognizing that the theme of kingship is presented in an ironic mode in Matthew, because Jesus embodies the pattern of a king who is rejected, as ruler who is truly a servant. Although one has to acknowledge that any text is determined to a large degree by the discourse which selects and organizes features of the text, one also has to agree that the text, similarly, determines the discourse.

AbstractThe typical critical issues concerning the interpretation of Matthew do not occur that often in the reception of Matthew in Africa.  The issues addressed are especially contextual matters such as liberation and the relevance of God’s kingdom for society and politics.  In the process attention is given to the relationship between Jesus and rural society, in inculturation in the context of Jesus and in Africa, poverty and oppression, martyrdom, dreams, the cosmic implications of the Gospel, marriage customs in Africa, the priestly commitment to the people of God in the local context, love and other values, the church and Christology.

AbstractThe use of Hos 11:1 in Mt 2:15 refers historically to the calling of Israel out of Egypt and prophetically to bringing Jesus out of Egypt, and so highlights the important contribution of Africa to the divine schema of salvation. Mt 2:15 provides the basis for theological orientation in biblical interpretation in Africa.--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA47-2003-1-173

AbstractDrawing on Jungian psychological type theory, the SIFT method of biblical hermeneutics and liturgical preaching suggests that the reading and proclaiming of scripture reflects the psychological type preferences of the reader and preacher. This thesis is examined amongst two samples of curates and training incumbents (N = 23, 27), serving in one Diocese of the Church of England, who completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Firstly, the narrative of the shepherds from Luke was discussed by groups organised according to scores on the perceiving process. In accordance with the theory, sensing types focused on details in the passage, but could reach no consensus on the larger picture, and intuitive types quickly identified an imaginative, integrative theme, but showed little interest in the details. Secondly, the narrative of the massacre of the infants from Matthew was discussed by groups organised according to scores on the judging process. In accordance with theory, the thinking types identified and analysed the big themes raised by the passage (political power, theodicy, obedience), whilst the feeling types placed much more emphasis on the impact that the passage may have on members of the congregation mourning the death of their child or grandchild.

AbstractUsing a postcolonial model, this paper examines Matthew 16:13–23 in order to show that the literary and interpretation processes do not happen in a vacuum. Instead, the processes involve active participation of real people in the historical process of transformation from within particular socio-political and religio-cultural contexts. A close examination of the cultural production, collective memory and literary imagination of the Matthean community, as revealed in Matthew 16:13–23, attest to the fact that biblical hermeneutics, just like other literary discourses, has both socio-historical origins and epistemological contexts. Most importantly, the paper shows that the critical principle of interpretation lies not in the Bible itself, but in the community of readers willing to cultivate dialogical imagination for their own liberation. Critical reading loses its meaning if it cannot be applied within the lived reality of the “subaltern”.

AbstractIn documents that are as well crafted as the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and where the economy of space is of the utmost importance, it is indeed strange for modern readers to encounter extensive genealogies in the opening chapters. One can only assume that such genealogies were of exceptional relevance to the first audiences of the gospel. This paper will apply to the gospel texts some of the suggestions regarding genealogies and lists in general by the classical scholar Lambros Couloubaritsis of the Free University of Brussels in his Histoire de la philosophie anciennne et médiévale (1998). According to him, genealogies are the most primitive narratives and serve, among other things, to regulate honour and shame (social status) and meaning. They serve as master narratives and evoke not only the ancestor spirits, but also the whole narrative world of the community. The special contribution of this paper is to apply these suggestions to the texts of Matthew and Luke, but also to relate this to the social and conceptual realities of the first century C.E. with its peculiar form of oral-manuscript culture. This proves to be a highly productive way of approaching the genealogies. © New Testament Society of South Africa.

AbstractQu’est-ce qui compte dans l’évangile de Matthieu: les disciples de Jésus doivent-ils tenir aux recommandations de leur maître qui, dans le cadre du discours d’envoi en mission leur interdit strictement de prendre le chemin des païens et d’entrer dans une ville de Samaritains et qui limite par contre leur mission uniquement «aux brebis perdues de la maison d’Israël» (Mt 10,5f) ou alors doivent-ils suivre l’invitation du Jésus ressuscité qui les envoie dans «le monde entier», c’est-à-dire leur ordonne de «faire de toutes les nations des disciples et de les baptiser» (Mt 28,19)? Ces deux ordres de mission de Jésus qui, à première vue s’excluent mutuellement, constituent le cadre de notre dissertation intitulée: L’exclusion des Païens et la Dimension universelle du Salut dans l’Évangile de Matthieu. La thématique ainsi formulée est très alléchant. Il n’ y a qu’à considérer l’état de la recherche que nous avions fait pour découvrir l’intérêt que les chercheurs porte sur cette problématique. Dans notre essai de solution, nous avons choisi d’analyser de manière détaillée un éventail de textes du premier évangile que sont: Les femmes non-juives dans la généalogie de Matthieu (Mt 1,1-17); les mages devant le roi des Juifs (Mt 2,1-12); l’aire géographique de l’activité de Jésus (Mt 4,23-25); le centurion de Capharnaüm (Mt 8,5-13); la concentration de la mission sur Israël (Mt 10,5f); la femme cananéenne (Mt 15,21-28); la prophétie de la proclamation universelle de l’évangile (Mt 24,14); la femme de Pilate (Mt 27,19) ainsi l’ordre de mission universelle auprès des nations (Mt 28,16-20). A l’issue de cette analyse, nous sommes aboutis aux résultats selon lesquels les Païens se trouvent non seulement depuis le commencement dans l’horizon de l’activité de Jésus, mais encore ils sont présentés comme des figures paradigmatiques dans l’évangile de Matthieu, comme nous pouvons le voir clairement dans la péricope de mages, le centurion païen de Capharnaüm ainsi que la femme cananéenne. Ensuite nous avons différencié les deux concepts de mission dans l’évangile de Matthieu sous la terminologie de «petite» et «grande mission» qui correspondent en fait à la différence entre le Jésus terrestre et le Jésus ressuscité. Le dernier diffère du premier par « l’autorité au ciel et sur la terre» que Dieu procure. Enfin, nous avons avec grand intérêt essayé de classifier les différentes positions de la communauté matthéenne par rapport à la question de la mission auprès des Païens. C’est ainsi que nous avons distingué trois directions: (1) La position intermédiaire reste ouverte aux Païens, mais n’exerce de manière active aucune activité missionnaire auprès de ces derniers, l’initiative devant venir plutôt des Païens eux-mêmes. Les péricopes telles que Mt 2,1-12; 8,5-13 et 15,21-28 reflètent sans conteste ce modèle. (2) La position radicale est hostile à l’accueil des Païens dans la communauté. Les partisans de cette position se réfèrent à Mt 10,5f et Mt 15,24. (3) La position libérale soutient par contre une politique offensive: il ne suffit pas, d’après le modèle du pèlerinage eschatologique des peuples, d’attendre la venue des Païens, c’est plutôt la communauté matthéenne qui devrait prendre l’initiative d’aller vers eux (Mt 28,16-20). Ces trois positions reflètent en fait une communauté matthéenne en discussion. Aussi avons nous vu en définitive que la tension entre le particularisme et l’universalisme relève d’un apophtegme du milieu sociologique dans lequel est enracinée la communauté de Matthieu. No abstract available

AbstractAfter discussing the context of Mt 12:31-32 in 12:31-37 and its structure, the article investigates forgiveness in the OT and early Jewish writings, the time concepts "this world" and "the world to come," and the understanding of forgiveness among the Igbo of southeast Nigeria. The sin against the Holy Spirit is the refusal to repent. Such refusal to abandon sinning will not be forgiven in the world to come.--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA38-1994-1-160

AbstractThis article challenges popular interpretations of the parable of the talents, which underlie economic views blaming poverty on laziness. It carefully compares the versions in Matthew and Luke and argues that the more original version is the one in Luke. This is based on a historical incident, linked to Archelaus, the son of Herod the Great, and makes sense as a story told in the context of Herod-ruled Galilee after the execution of John the Baptist. It argues for the parable as a story of open resistance with a dual message: a “public” and a “hidden” transcript. © New Testament Society of Southern Africa.

AbstractLike wild wind the Church is now engulfed by prosperity preaching, which is the approach of material procession fromGod through positiveconfession induced by Christian preachers. This contemporary religious phenomenonin African Church society calls forconcern in the mind of believers. Today,it is like God reacts in man’s favour when He is given surprising huge money called seed of faith as thoughthere are gifts that can set God on his heels no matter who gives it. A critical contrast with Jesus’ response to Judas Iscariots reaction against His anointing shows that there is something wrong with this idea that sound as if God is a money doubler or that God made a mistake in not creating all fingers equal.And that the size and carriage of one’s God depends on his ability to make one wealthy, healthy and prosperousnegating the fact that God had created a situation where all things must glorify Him; likecaring for the poor.This research appliedcritical exegetic examination of Matt.26:6, related literature, journal and internet materials found that extreme Prosperity preaching runs contrary as (a) Biblical truth as it places material possession as a yard stick for measuring the kind of God the believer is serving; (b) it draws a thick line between the relatively poor and the very rich brethren in the same faith. This research recommends for a return tothe standard gospel that focuses on salvation than prosperity preachingto eradicatethe commercializationof the Church.

AbstractAny proper evaluation of a Bible translation depends on the nature or type of version being prepared in a specific sociocultural and ecclesiastical context. The article describes and evaluates the pros and cons of several translation techniques in terms of a continuum that ranges between formal correspondence and functional parity, with comparative reference to a "relevance theory" approach. The illustrative material is selected from prominent Greek rhetorical features in the Sermon on the Mount and with respect to some possible renderings in Chichewa, a major Bantu language of south-central Africa.--D.J.H. Abstract Number: NTA49-2005-1-77

AbstractLa naissance de l’Enfant Jésus a suscité tant d’interrogations : Qui est véritablement son père ? Que peut-on dire de Joseph ? Où se situe la paternité de Joseph par rapport à la naissance de Jésus ? Peut-on dire que sans Joseph, rien n'aurait

AbstractPeu d'animaux pourraient disputer au loup le triste privilège d'inspirer tant de haine et de frayeur, jusqu'à notre époque où il est caricaturé comme un animal cruel et bien souvent considéré comme inutile à l'homme.