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Book Reviews Dialogue with Trypho. By Justin Mar- theology with Greek philosophy, tion, not simply with a word study tyr, trans. Thomas B. Falls, rev. by sometimes in unhelpful ways. This of the Hebrew, but with a thoroughly Thomas P. Halton, ed. by Michael volume demonstrates, however, how theological investigation of the Slusser. Washington, DC: Catholic anchored to the text of Scripture Jus- nature of the prophecy in redemptive University of America Press, 2003, tin could be. Justin appeals to Trypho history. Other objections by Trypho 229 pp., $24.95 paper. on the basis of the Old Testament read like those of contemporary Jung- Scriptures, noting that the Christ ian scholars such as Joseph Campbell. Given the controversies of recent event is the fulfi llment of the new Trypho, for instance, points out com- years, it is tempting for some to covenant promises of the fathers and mon features between the Christian believe that Jewish evangelism is the prophets. Noteworthy is Justin’s story and pagan mythologies—such an innovative concept, pioneered hermeneutic, which is typological as virginal conceptions. Centuries by Southern Baptists. Justin Martyr and Christocentric. Thus, Justin before C. S. Lewis, Justin claims was no Southern Baptist. He was does not simply point Trypho to a these archetypal counterfeits actu- a first-generation Christian in the few isolated messianic prophecies. ally confi rm, rather than unravel, the second-century Roman Empire who Instead, he shows him how Jesus of Christian truth claims. sought to engage paganism, Hellenic Nazareth makes sense of all of the At other times, Trypho seems to philosophy, and Judaism with the Old Testament. In so doing, he treats argue like a classical dispensation- truth claims of Christian theology. the Bible as an organic unity, and alist evangelical—arguing for the This new revision of his Dialogues takes seriously the implications of restoration of a political Israelite serves to remind Christians of the divine authorship and the historical theocracy as the touchstone of the ancient Great Commission mandate unfolding of the mystery of the gos- messianic kingdom. Centuries before of a robust, clear, and Christocentric pel. It is all too easy for contemporary George Eldon Ladd, Justin employs defense of the gospel before all peo- evangelicals to dismiss fathers such an “already/not yet” schema of ple—including the Jewish people. as Justin for being “allegorical” and kingdom fulfi llment. Indeed, Justin In the Dialogue, Justin seeks to per- “fanciful.” A reading of Justin him- points to the Old Testament prophe- suade a prominent Jewish thinker of self, however, will show that Justin’s cies as themselves teaching a ten- the reality of Christian truth claims. hermeneutic may be quite different sion between the inauguration and Reading the Dialogue is much like from that of Walter Kaiser, but it is consummation of Davidic promise listening to a one-sided telephone remarkably similar to that of the at the end of the age. Justin carefully conversation. All that we have are apostles Peter and Paul. explores the meaning of “Israel”—a Justin’s arguments. But he so thor- Some of Trypho’s objections read meaning that is found in union with oughly deconstructs Trypho’s objec- like those of twentieth-century Prot- the Jewish Messiah, not in genetic tions that it is not diffi cult at all to see estant liberals. Justin responds, for bloodlines. This does not mean, both sides of the debate shaping up instance, to Trypho’s assertion that however, that Justin “spiritualizes” throughout the work. What contem- the prophet Isaiah does not foresee a the Old Testament promises. Indeed, porary evangelicals may be surprised “virgin birth” but a “young woman” he argues cogently and forcefully to see is how little the debates over giving birth as a sign. Clearly, this for the cosmic, material, and politi- Christian theology have changed in discussion did not originate with the cal aspects of the redemption of the the past two thousand years. translation of the Revised Standard world. Thus, he considers the idea Justin Martyr is well known for Version in the mid-twentieth century. that salvation means a heavenly, his attempts to integrate Christian Justin expertly answers this objec- disembodied existence to be “blas- 112 phemy” against the God of Abraham, was instigated at several points by that this points to the existence of Isaac, and Jacob. Justin presents the confl icts, such as Marcion’s attempt a specific “publisher” of the New implications of the Christian hope of to reduce the canon and Montanus’s Testament. This “publisher” must bodily resurrection, and argues for a efforts to expand it by incorporating be early since these nominae can be literal and premillennial understand- his own prophecies. Still, the process found in second century mss. His ing of the apostle John’s vision of the was long and drawn-out and was third argument is that the use of thousand-year reign of Christ. marked by serious disagreements the codex points in the direction of Contemporary evangelicals have over the status of such writings as a Canonical Edition (19-21). Codices been plagued with a reputation Revelation, Hebrews, and 2 Peter, were in existence outside the New for chasing after novelty. The theo- as well as the question of whether Testament, but they were very rare. logical fads that blow through our to include The Shepherd of Hermas. Very early, though, the codex became circles point to the shameful truth Trobisch stands this interpretation on the form of choice for New Testament of at least part of this reputation. If its head. He contends that a Canoni- publication. Trobisch contends that evangelicals seek to engage secular- cal Edition (Endredaktion) was com- this is likely because the Canonical ism, paganism, and the objections of pleted by the mid-second century Edition was itself a codex, and later world religions with a wisdom that and that this edition was exactly the mss. sought naturally to copy the predates the Evangelical Theologi- same New Testament as that used by original. cal Society, a new reading of Justin’s the church today. Fourth, the author contends that Dialogue is a good place to start. Trobisch’s argument is very com- the uniformity of the titles of the vari- pact. Only about a hundred pages of ous documents in the ms. tradition Russell D. Moore this book feature the text—the rest of points to an early standard (38-43). the volume is end-notes. Here is his He notes that the phrase “Euaggelion The First Edition of the New Testament. case. Several features of early manu- kata Markon” (and Matthaion, etc) is By David Trobisch. Oxford: Oxford scripts demand the conclusion that not a common Greek usage, but that University Press, 2000, viii + 175 pp., an early canonical edition existed. it is universally used in the mss. as $35.00. Manuscripts of the New Testament titles of the Gospels. It is not likely are almost always divided into four that the autographs uniformly used This little volume by Bangor Theo- sections—Gospels, Praxapostolos, such titles, but is more likely that logical Seminary professor David Letters of Paul, the Revelation (pp. an early “publisher” employed this Trobisch constitutes an attempt at 21-38). (The General Epistles are form, and that it then became uni- a literary coup d’etat in the circle of included in the Praxapostolos and versal. The same can be said of the scholars who have argued for an Hebrews is in the Pauline Letters.) General Epistles, the book of Acts, evolutionary development of the Early manuscripts are nearly always Pauline letters, and Revelation. New Testament canon. The “received consistent in this organization, as are In chapter three Trobisch delves interpretation,” handed down espe- the later ones. Since this organization into the heart of his argument, cially from Westcott, Zahn, and Har- can be found in the third and fourth though he includes much rehashing nack in the later nineteenth century, centuries, it must hark back to an of the previous material. Here he is that the canon was slowly but earlier moment. posits the notion that some “authors” surely recognized over several cen- Second, the presence of the nomi- may be attributed to New Testament turies, culminating in Athanasius’s nae sacra is relevant (11-18). These documents primarily for editorial famous Easter Letter in AD 367 in abbreviations of sacred names can be reasons. He makes it clear that he which he listed all twenty-seven of found in manuscripts of each of the is not taking a specifi c position on the documents which constitute the four sections of the New Testament, the authenticity of the Gospels or New Testament canon. This process and from all periods. Trobisch argues of the disputed Pauline letters (60). 113 It does not matter either way for historical data. The fact that some of proceeds to argue that Paul locates his argument. But neither does he the New Testament documents were salvation only in the atonement of consider it important to argue in disputed and that writings such as Christ, so that reliance upon the law favor of the authenticity of these Hermas were defended as canonical for salvation is excluded. documents. The important matter by certain elements within the early In chapter three the situation of for his argument is that the editors church do not constitute defeaters of Jews in Rome is considered. Claudi- of the Canonical Edition insisted this proposal. It might be expected us’s decree to expel Jews from Rome, that “the documents promoted in that some persons would later ques- says Das, should not be interpreted their collection are authentic” (60).

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