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When the Time Had Fully Come: Studies in New Testament Theology
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
- GenresTheologyBiblical Studies
100 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 11, 2024
first time reading ridderbos
- KOG in gospels: character and nature of kingdom determined by person and way of jesus; jesus reveals mysteries of the kingdom through parables; parables show kingdom is a seed and kingdom will be brought by a sower; jesus’ life shows that the Sower becomes, himself, the seed; discussion on the church in this chapter was interesting too: importance of deeds of God in christ and therefore the apostolic witness as the foundational testimony/witness of these deeds; importance of mission bc the church should not be self-contained bc kingdom of God seeks acceptance in the world as the sower goes forth into the field with his seed
- sermon on the mount: helpful discussion on whether sermon on the mount represents an impossible moral code no one can be expected to follow (it doesn’t), whether it represents obedience as the condition for entry (jesus requires his followers reflect what they’ve received; endowment of the kingdom accomplishes good works in it’s recipients); ORDER IS IMPORTANT, Gods love releases man’s love; also helpful discussion on how we appply sermon on the mount (we can’t reduce application to just the apostles, just the private sphere or just the church; we must read Jesus’ teachings in the context of the whole of the law and prophets remembering righteousness doesn’t require of everyone at every moment and in all circumstances identical responses, the law is many-sided in its application)
- paul’s preaching: discussion on which POV to approach Paul’s teaching, survey of historical views (“justification by faith” and “being-in-christ”/union w christ), presents a balanced view of both and emphasizes that Paul doesn’t contradict Christ on the kingdom but explains the eschatological reality of the kingdom (less a reformer, more so a witness of revelation of Christ)
- law of god & paul: against those who say Paul has a purely negative view of the law (in contrast to christs positive view), Paul is contrasting judaistic interpretation of the law; law of God continues to be the expression of the will of God in the life of the believer but in regards to righteousness our dependence is not on the law but on the Spirit who’s work consists of working out the law of God in the life of the believer.
- history of redemption & scripture: recovers the importance of a verbal inspiration and the importance of the Apostles (as foundational witnesses), the Holy Spirit (as witness which finds its expression through the prophets and apostles), “tradition” (defined as authoritative preaching of the apostles), and “canonicity” (not that the church makes the writings selected authoritative, but that the Scriptures themselves are normative/authoritative for the church which recognizes/affirms that authority); additionally helpful discussion on the purpose of the gospels and the need to avoid making them something they’re not: they are written “that ye may believe that jesus is the christ, the son of god; and that believing ye may have life in his name” not written to be some reconstructable historical or psychological list of facts/events
- KOG in gospels: character and nature of kingdom determined by person and way of jesus; jesus reveals mysteries of the kingdom through parables; parables show kingdom is a seed and kingdom will be brought by a sower; jesus’ life shows that the Sower becomes, himself, the seed; discussion on the church in this chapter was interesting too: importance of deeds of God in christ and therefore the apostolic witness as the foundational testimony/witness of these deeds; importance of mission bc the church should not be self-contained bc kingdom of God seeks acceptance in the world as the sower goes forth into the field with his seed
- sermon on the mount: helpful discussion on whether sermon on the mount represents an impossible moral code no one can be expected to follow (it doesn’t), whether it represents obedience as the condition for entry (jesus requires his followers reflect what they’ve received; endowment of the kingdom accomplishes good works in it’s recipients); ORDER IS IMPORTANT, Gods love releases man’s love; also helpful discussion on how we appply sermon on the mount (we can’t reduce application to just the apostles, just the private sphere or just the church; we must read Jesus’ teachings in the context of the whole of the law and prophets remembering righteousness doesn’t require of everyone at every moment and in all circumstances identical responses, the law is many-sided in its application)
- paul’s preaching: discussion on which POV to approach Paul’s teaching, survey of historical views (“justification by faith” and “being-in-christ”/union w christ), presents a balanced view of both and emphasizes that Paul doesn’t contradict Christ on the kingdom but explains the eschatological reality of the kingdom (less a reformer, more so a witness of revelation of Christ)
- law of god & paul: against those who say Paul has a purely negative view of the law (in contrast to christs positive view), Paul is contrasting judaistic interpretation of the law; law of God continues to be the expression of the will of God in the life of the believer but in regards to righteousness our dependence is not on the law but on the Spirit who’s work consists of working out the law of God in the life of the believer.
- history of redemption & scripture: recovers the importance of a verbal inspiration and the importance of the Apostles (as foundational witnesses), the Holy Spirit (as witness which finds its expression through the prophets and apostles), “tradition” (defined as authoritative preaching of the apostles), and “canonicity” (not that the church makes the writings selected authoritative, but that the Scriptures themselves are normative/authoritative for the church which recognizes/affirms that authority); additionally helpful discussion on the purpose of the gospels and the need to avoid making them something they’re not: they are written “that ye may believe that jesus is the christ, the son of god; and that believing ye may have life in his name” not written to be some reconstructable historical or psychological list of facts/events
April 9, 2020
Really good foundational book on the nature of the Kingdom of God.
September 27, 2024
Keep Google Translate handy! With insight and a proclivity for Latin and German words, which he may or may not translate for you, and an assumption that the reader is very familiar with Kant and Barth, Ridderbos offers a very broad and brief survey of New Testament theology in under 100 pages.
Ridderbos examines the theme of the Kingdom of God throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, as well as how the early church viewed this issue. Although Ridderbos tries to limit himself to the topic of the Kingdom of God, he seems to veer off-topic at times. This fact coupled with his high and lofty language can make it a bit hard to follow. While still being a good book, I can appreciate the insight and study Ridderbos has given to this very complex and important topic.
In chapter one, He briefly traces the idea that in the early church, there was great anticipation for the return of Christ and his establishment of the kingdom. But as the centuries wore on, this expectation slowly waned until the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church, which replaced the kingdom concept with that of focusing more heavily on the organized church itself (page 9-10). Catholicism emphasized the role of the Church now, in place of the expectation of the Kingdom of the future.
Ridderbos continues to trace the decline of the theology of the Kingdom by pointing to the Reformation period. In this time, he says that John Calvin and, by extension, Reformed theology, promoted a theocentric theology, presumably overly focusing on who God is, as opposed to waiting eagerly for Christ’s Kingdom to come. He states: “their viewpoint was theocentric, but in a rather static manner” (page 10). It is true in my experience that Reformed theology in general has a dim view of the power of the Kingdom in the here and now. He goes on to talk about liberal theology and its emphasis on love and peace, overemphasizing the role of the Kingdom either in the individual person or in society at large. This view intended to only see the positive results of the Kingdom here on earth, that is, until the First World War changed that perspective.
Turning to the text of the Gospels, Ridderbos looks at the different marks of the Kingdom of God. He uses the parable of the Sower to illustrate his point (page 15). Within this parable we have “different ways in which the word of God can be heard.” This Kingdom will be defenseless and weak. The birds of the air are able to eat and devour it. The thorns can choke it. The sun can burn it. And, Ridderbos says, “sometimes it can hardly be distinguished from the tares. That is the secret of the Kingdom” (page 16). Ridderbos is quick to remind us that this spiritual nature of the Kingdom is happening right now, just like many liberal scholars have said, but it is indeed still future, because this “sowing” implies a harvest. This harvest will happen in the last days. But in addition to this is the fact that the power of the Kingdom lies within Jesus Christ himself. Ridderbos says that this “hidden greatness” of Jesus is the point of the Gospels.
I appreciated how Ridderbos tied together the three “ideas” of the Kingdom, the Messiah and the Church, which are inseparable in the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. In chapter 2, Ridderbos details Jesus’ sermon on the mount. He points out that this long oration basically outlines how one is to live in the Kingdom of God. And within this sermon, we are reminded that this kingdom is not merely future, but, in fact, present. These observations on the behalf of Jesus deal not just with outward behavior, but certainly with internal attitudes as well.
Beginning in chapter 3, and continuing half-way through chapter 4, is where, I believe, Ridderbos starts to go off-topic. He is attempting to prove that Paul’s theology and mission was very much in sync with that of Jesus’. And I agree, but there begins to take place a long discussion about justification and the difference between Paul and Luther’s theology, that made me forget about what it was I was ultimately reading about. I was confused how this related to the kingdom concept. Ridderbos continues to point out Paul’s view of the law and how the entire law can be summed up in the requirement to love. This, he says, parallels Jesus’ message of the sermon on the mount. I felt that these two chapters had much more to do with soteriology specifically than with the kingdom.
Finally, in chapter 5, Ridderbos slowly comes back to the kingdom concept. But first, he addresses some objections to the authority of Scripture by some then well-known scholars. He rightly points out that the Bible is the historically accurate, yet Spirit-inspired book, and must be understood as such. Then, near the end, he addresses Paul’s apostolic authority and that of the other apostles, which is meant to give validity to the message of the kingdom of God. This message of the kingdom, by the apostles, did not originate in the imagination of humans but was proclaimed by Christ himself, who then appointed particular men to announce this to others. This fact, Ridderbos says, is not just an ordinary tradition but an apostolic one.
Ultimately, I appreciated the care that was given to refuting many secular/liberal scholars who had gained influence (at least during his time), and shown that the Word of God is, and has always been, an authoritative book, inspired by God and whose message can be trusted. Perhaps I was expecting more of a systematic approach with more application, in which Ridderbos would discuss the actual details of the kingdom of God. For the modern reader, I think there are better books that are less lofty and more relevant, yet retain the “classic” feel, for example, John Bright’s The Kingdom of God (1953).
Ridderbos examines the theme of the Kingdom of God throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, as well as how the early church viewed this issue. Although Ridderbos tries to limit himself to the topic of the Kingdom of God, he seems to veer off-topic at times. This fact coupled with his high and lofty language can make it a bit hard to follow. While still being a good book, I can appreciate the insight and study Ridderbos has given to this very complex and important topic.
In chapter one, He briefly traces the idea that in the early church, there was great anticipation for the return of Christ and his establishment of the kingdom. But as the centuries wore on, this expectation slowly waned until the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church, which replaced the kingdom concept with that of focusing more heavily on the organized church itself (page 9-10). Catholicism emphasized the role of the Church now, in place of the expectation of the Kingdom of the future.
Ridderbos continues to trace the decline of the theology of the Kingdom by pointing to the Reformation period. In this time, he says that John Calvin and, by extension, Reformed theology, promoted a theocentric theology, presumably overly focusing on who God is, as opposed to waiting eagerly for Christ’s Kingdom to come. He states: “their viewpoint was theocentric, but in a rather static manner” (page 10). It is true in my experience that Reformed theology in general has a dim view of the power of the Kingdom in the here and now. He goes on to talk about liberal theology and its emphasis on love and peace, overemphasizing the role of the Kingdom either in the individual person or in society at large. This view intended to only see the positive results of the Kingdom here on earth, that is, until the First World War changed that perspective.
Turning to the text of the Gospels, Ridderbos looks at the different marks of the Kingdom of God. He uses the parable of the Sower to illustrate his point (page 15). Within this parable we have “different ways in which the word of God can be heard.” This Kingdom will be defenseless and weak. The birds of the air are able to eat and devour it. The thorns can choke it. The sun can burn it. And, Ridderbos says, “sometimes it can hardly be distinguished from the tares. That is the secret of the Kingdom” (page 16). Ridderbos is quick to remind us that this spiritual nature of the Kingdom is happening right now, just like many liberal scholars have said, but it is indeed still future, because this “sowing” implies a harvest. This harvest will happen in the last days. But in addition to this is the fact that the power of the Kingdom lies within Jesus Christ himself. Ridderbos says that this “hidden greatness” of Jesus is the point of the Gospels.
I appreciated how Ridderbos tied together the three “ideas” of the Kingdom, the Messiah and the Church, which are inseparable in the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. In chapter 2, Ridderbos details Jesus’ sermon on the mount. He points out that this long oration basically outlines how one is to live in the Kingdom of God. And within this sermon, we are reminded that this kingdom is not merely future, but, in fact, present. These observations on the behalf of Jesus deal not just with outward behavior, but certainly with internal attitudes as well.
Beginning in chapter 3, and continuing half-way through chapter 4, is where, I believe, Ridderbos starts to go off-topic. He is attempting to prove that Paul’s theology and mission was very much in sync with that of Jesus’. And I agree, but there begins to take place a long discussion about justification and the difference between Paul and Luther’s theology, that made me forget about what it was I was ultimately reading about. I was confused how this related to the kingdom concept. Ridderbos continues to point out Paul’s view of the law and how the entire law can be summed up in the requirement to love. This, he says, parallels Jesus’ message of the sermon on the mount. I felt that these two chapters had much more to do with soteriology specifically than with the kingdom.
Finally, in chapter 5, Ridderbos slowly comes back to the kingdom concept. But first, he addresses some objections to the authority of Scripture by some then well-known scholars. He rightly points out that the Bible is the historically accurate, yet Spirit-inspired book, and must be understood as such. Then, near the end, he addresses Paul’s apostolic authority and that of the other apostles, which is meant to give validity to the message of the kingdom of God. This message of the kingdom, by the apostles, did not originate in the imagination of humans but was proclaimed by Christ himself, who then appointed particular men to announce this to others. This fact, Ridderbos says, is not just an ordinary tradition but an apostolic one.
Ultimately, I appreciated the care that was given to refuting many secular/liberal scholars who had gained influence (at least during his time), and shown that the Word of God is, and has always been, an authoritative book, inspired by God and whose message can be trusted. Perhaps I was expecting more of a systematic approach with more application, in which Ridderbos would discuss the actual details of the kingdom of God. For the modern reader, I think there are better books that are less lofty and more relevant, yet retain the “classic” feel, for example, John Bright’s The Kingdom of God (1953).
June 6, 2022
Great. I pretty accessible overview of Herman Ridderbos' broader theology. He in someways is very stereotypically reformed but in other ways helpfully challenges the reformed consensus as he does very engaging redemptive-historically driven theology.
September 4, 2013
This is a light book that contains a heavy content. By no means an easy one to read, but well worth the effort, especially for those who want to defend their faith in a meaningful way.
October 27, 2015
Fantastic. Helped solidify a paradigm-shift for me.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews