Copyright © 2015 Ryan Andrew Brandt
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Copyright © 2015 Ryan Andrew Brandt All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. THE ORGANIC UNITY OF REVELATION: TOWARDS A BIBLICAL, HISTORICAL, AND THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL NATURE OF REVELATION __________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________________ by Ryan Andrew Brandt May 2015 APPROVAL SHEET THE ORGANIC UNITY OF REVELATION: TOWARDS A BIBLICAL, HISTORICAL, AND THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL NATURE OF REVELATION Ryan Andrew Brandt Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ Gregg R. Allison (Chair) __________________________________________ Jonathan T. Pennington __________________________________________ Stephen J. Wellum Date______________________________ To all those who seek TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................... viii PREFACE ........................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1 The Problems to be Avoided: Revelation as External or Internal .......................2 The Eclipse of the Internal Dimension in Evangelicalism ..................................8 The Thesis of the Dissertation ...........................................................................12 The Value of this Dissertation ...........................................................................17 2. A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF REVELATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ...............................................................................19 Introducing the Hebrew Words for Revelation .................................................19 A Biblical Theology of Revelation Through the Covenants .............................24 Creation: The Presumption to the Covenants. ......................................... 25 Adamic Covenant: The Formation of the Covenant ................................ 27 Noahic Covenant: The Continuation of the Covenant ............................. 29 Abrahamic Covenant: The Narrowing of the Covenant .......................... 31 Mosaic Covenant: The Covenant with Israel ........................................... 33 Davidic Covenant: The Kingly Covenant ................................................ 37 New Covenant: The Restoration of the Covenant ................................... 39 Revelation in the Rest of the Old Testament .....................................................42 Historical Books ...................................................................................... 42 Prophetic Books ....................................................................................... 42 iv Chapter Page Poetic Books ............................................................................................ 44 Summary of Revelation in the Old Testament ..................................................47 External Revelation ................................................................................. 47 Internal Revelation ................................................................................... 48 Conclusion .........................................................................................................50 3. A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF REVELATION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ..............................................................................52 Introducing the Greek Words for Revelation ....................................................52 The Gospels .......................................................................................................55 Jesus Embodies and Accomplishes Revelation ....................................... 56 Jesus Points toward the External and Internal Nature of Revelation ................................................................................ 61 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 76 The Apostle Paul ...............................................................................................77 Introduction: Themes in Creation and Conscience .................................. 77 Revelation as Holy Scripture and Holy Spirit ........................................ 82 Conclusion of the Apostle Paul ............................................................... 91 The Rest of the New Testament ........................................................................91 Chapter Conclusion ...........................................................................................94 4. A HISTORICAL THEOLOGY OF REVELATION ...........................................97 The Early Church ..............................................................................................97 The Middle Ages .............................................................................................105 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Eras .................................................113 The Modern Era ...............................................................................................126 Conclusion .......................................................................................................131 v Chapter Page 5. A SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY OF REVELATION ........................................134 The External and Internal Dimensions of Revelation .....................................135 The External Dimension of Revelation ................................................. 135 The Internal Dimension of Revelation .................................................. 137 Summary of Revelation ......................................................................... 142 The Principia Cognoscendi Externum and Internum in General and Special Revelation ...........................................................................144 The Principia of the General Sciences (General Revelation) ............... 146 The Principia of Theology (Special Revelation) ................................... 149 Conclusion: The Principia Cognoscendi and Revelation ...................... 155 The Principium Essendi and Revelation .........................................................157 Chapter Conclusion .........................................................................................161 Objections and Clarifications Briefly Considered ...........................................162 6. A PRACTICAL THEOLOGY OF REVELATION ...........................................167 Theological Prolegomena Includes the External and Internal Dimensions .........................................................................168 The Authority of Scripture Involves the Word and Spirit ...............................170 Hermeneutics, the Word and Spirit, and Humble Posture ..............................173 Hermeneutics and the Word and Spirit .................................................. 173 Hermeneutics and Posture ..................................................................... 176 Theology, the Word and Spirit, and Gospel-Centered Action ........................177 Theology Involves the Word and Spirit ................................................. 178 Theology Entails Gospel-Centered Action ............................................ 180 Conclusion .......................................................................................................181 7. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................182 vi Page Summary of Argument ....................................................................................182 Areas for Further Research ..............................................................................185 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 188 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AB Anchor Bible ABD The Anchor Bible Dictionary ACT Ancient Christian Texts ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 3rd ed. with supplement BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament BEMCT The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought BTCB Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible CED Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words EBC The Expositor’s Bible Commentary EDB Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible EDBT Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology HIBD Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary ICC The International Critical Commentary LCL The Loeb Classical Library LNTS Library of New Testament Studies NAC The New American Commentary NBD New Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed. NCBC New Cambridge Bible Commentary NDBT New Dictionary of Biblical Theology NIBC New International Biblical Commentary NICNT The New International Commentary on the New Testament viii NICOT The New International Commentary on the Old Testament NIDNT The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology NIDOTTE New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis NIGTC The New International Greek Testament Commentary NPNF A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers NSBT New Studies