Jesus and the logic of history

JESUS AND THE LOGIC OF HISTORY
By Paul W. Barnett
Apollos. 182 pages. £12.99

This book is the third volume to be published in the Apollos series, New Studies in Biblical Theology, under the general editorship of Don Carson. The author is Bishop of North Sydney, Australia, and has a PhD from London University.

Despite a title which may seem too scholarly, philosophical, or simply obscure for the palates of non-theologians in the church, this is a book which deserves to be widely read.

At a point in time when the evangelical church seems in grave danger in many quarters of abandoning the life of the mind in favour of a blind faith rooting itself either in experience alone or in a rigid and self-justifying doctrinalism, work such as that of Dr. Barnett is a salutary reminder that there is such a thing as sanctified Christian scholarship, and that our faith is built upon firmer foundations than emotional highs or the mere repetition of the words of previous generations.

Dr. Barnett's case is sound: he argues that there are good external grounds for believing that the New Testament documents are reliable, and that attempts to separate the Jesus of the gospels from the Jesus portrayed in the letters are ill-founded. Indeed, the letters provide a coherent picture of Christ which can then be used to make sense of the witness of the gospel accounts: the Jesus who claims sonship, who prays to 'Abba', and who self-consciously sets himself and his ministry in the context of the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy can only be really understood when his full theological significance (as developed in the letters) is taken into account.

While the arguments for the reliability and unity of the New Testament accounts form the book's main focus, there is also a wealth of other information provided on early church culture, the political and social context, and the reception and impact of early Christianity. Particularly useful and informative is the discussion of the turmoils within the Roman and Jewish worlds of the time, turmoils which helped to shape Christianity and knowledge of which should deepen our appreciation of the New Testament in terms of its background.

While the price may be a little steep for some pockets, this book is important and is worth the investment. It will prove useful to many: for those who view scholars with implacable suspicion, it should reassure them that there are some who 'have not bowed the knee to Baal'; for those seeking to develop a more articulate faith by knowing more about the New Testament and its background, it is a useful starting point and resource; and for all of us who sometimes need reassurance that our faith is not built on sand, it provides a good defence of the historical basis for the Christian faith.

Carl R. Trueman,
Dept of Theology, University of Nottingham

Jesus and the logic of history

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