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BOOK REVIEWS
R.E. VAN VOORST,
Jesus OutsidetheNew Testament(Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2000) pp. 248, ?12-99. ISBN 0-8028-436-9.
Anyone who is interested in the question of whether or not Jesus
of Nazareth existed as an historical person will find this book both
informative and thought-provoking. Robert Van Voorst sets out the
content of the non-canonical Graeco-Roman, Jewish and Christian
texts which refer to Jesus, thus providing a useful, easily accessible
resource for students and scholars. More valuable, however, is the rigorous critical evaluation of each source in which the writer engages
and which is supported by excellent footnotes.
This concise and lucid assessment of the evidence about the historical
Jesus does not exhaust the value of the book since it also includes several critiques of the hypotheses of contemporary writers. Among these
is a well-argued attack on the non-existence theory of G.A. Wells and
a balanced though brief examination of the work of those who seek
to establish a direct connection betweenJesus and the Qumran Scrolls,
an exercise which Van Voorst finds implausible. There are also some
scholarly comments on and evaluation of the sources of the four canonical Gospels, which will be useful to students in a general context in
addition to their relevance to the search for the historical Jesus.
This is a most stimulating and well-written book which deserves a
wide readership. I have to say, however, that I was irritated, as I often
am, by the exhaustive and exhausting list of acknowledgements given
as part of the preface. I also think that a more appropriate and appealing painting could have been reproduced on the front cover.
B.E. SPENSLEY

C. THISTLETON, The First Epistleto the Corinthians

(Grand
Rapids and Cambridge: Eerdmans, and Carlisle: Paternoster Press,
2000), pp. xxxiii + 1446. $75. ISBN 0802824498/0853645590.
GreekTestamentCommentaoy).
(= The New International

ANTHONY

? Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2002

Also available online - www.brill.nl

Novum Testamentum XLIV, 2

BOOK REVIEWS

187

on the
MARGARETE. THRALL, A Criticaland ExegeticalCommentary
SecondEpistleto the Corinthians
2 vols. (Edinburgh:T&T Clark, 1994,
I
Vol.
Introduction
and
on II Corinthians
I-VII, pp.
Commentary
2000).
+
on II
xxxvi
501. ?39.95. ISBN 0567096556. Vol. II Commentary
Corinthians VIII-XIII, pp. xvi + pp. 503-978. ?39.95. ISBN
on the Holy
0567085430. (= The InternationalCritical Commentary
the
Old
and
New
Testaments).
of
Scriptures
Both these commentaries on the Greek text of the Corinthian correspondence are thorough and comprehensive. They represent decades
of research, reading and teaching by their authors, and are worthy
additions to the prestige series to which they belong.
Thistleton's is a welcome commentary in English on the Greek text
of I Corinthians. After a short Introduction (52 pages) which covers
Roman Corinth, the Christian community there and the occasion of
the letter, and includes a section on argument and rhetoric, the commentary itself is then divided into seven sections. These sections are
divided into subsections and further numbered or lettered subgroups,
some of which have headings as signposts. Extensive bibliographical
details occur throughout the sections of the commentary proper as well
as in a separate section. Several excursusappear throughout and these
deal with such matters as "The Integrity of the Text of 2:6-16", "Slavery
in the Greco-Roman World" and "The Semantics of 'One Bread...
One Body"'.
Several sections and even one verse (1 Cor. 7:14) are followed by
a study of the history of the interpretation, patristic, medieval, reformation and modern-which concentrates on Western scholarship. This
is not surprising, given Thistleton's known interest in hermeneutics.
Occasionally he allows himself to express an opinion on the supposed
relevance of a passage to modern times, such as in the excursus"Controversy about Divorce and Remarriage for Christians", where he even
quotes from several British ecclesiastical statements on the matter.
Grammar, translation and definition are given appropriate weight
throughout, as too are text critical problems. Although an introduction to the text is not included in the introductory matter, cruxes from
the apparatuscriticusare discussed rather in the manner of Metzger's
Textual Commentary.
In most of these variants Thistleton feels able to
pronounce confidently what the original reading is.
Thistleton's commentary is impressive if for no other reason than
he has read comprehensively and is able to set out and evaluate the

188

BOOK REVIEWS

views of modern scholars, most conspicuously Schrage. Sometimes,

however, one feels that one is here reading a digest of other scholars'
views rather in the way DocumentaQ marshals modern scholarly opinions, and that Thistleton's own commentary is thereby subsumed. Not
that Thistleton is bashful about promoting his own preferred interpretation. After setting out in meticulous detail in paragraphs numbered from Al to B13 the multiple interpretations of baptism for the
dead in 1 Cor. 15:29 he concludes by stating that he agrees with one
particular solution. At some other places we strain to hear Thistleton's
own voice.
One theme that he has found to unite not only 1 Cor. 8:1-11:1 but
8:1-14:40, sections sometimes thought to be rather haphazard, is the
linking teaching that one should forego one's "rights" for the sake of
respect for "the other" in the light of biblical and shared theological
traditions. That theme is then explained throughout those sections.
The many problem verses in the epistle are treated sympathetically
and often cautiously-Thistleton does not always feel able to push a
particular, definite solution.
This is a praiseworthy commentary and one to which we ought to
turn, especially if we are wanting an easy conspectus of what twentiethcentury scholars have written on aspects of this epistle.
Margaret Thrall's two-volume commentary in the ICC series is the
culmination of a lifetime's study of the Corinthian correspondence.
Although she too pays much attention to other scholars' views, as is
expected in this series, her voice sounds out more prominently than
Thistleton's does in his commentary. And to that extent Dr. Thrall
states in the Preface to the first volume that "What is presented here
is one possible reading of 2 Corinthians" and that she offers her interpretation "simply as a contribution to the continuing debate concerning this highly complex document" (p. xi). But we must not expect
from that a highly idiosyncratic commentary. It is not. It is in the best
traditions of the ICC series-measured and mainstream, a clear and
logically set out presentation, and a magisterial interpretation. She does,
however, take a firm stand on the composition, arguing that the letter as we have it is made up of 2 Cor. 1-8, followed by a separate
ch. 9; then come chs 10-13. And her view of 2 Cor. 2:15-16 (on pp.
202ff.) goes against the commonly held argument about a particular
chiastic structure. Sometimes, as with the identity of the delegates of
8:16-24, Thrall has to conclude (with appropriate honesty) that "No
definite solution is possible".

BOOK REVIEWS

189

The Introduction (in vol. 1) is impressive and helpful. It covers the

epistle's authenticity, unity, the interim events between the writing of
1 Cor. and the first of the letters contained in 2 Cor., and the chronology presupposed in the commentary. The epistle is divided into 6 sections. Part III is a long section ("Defence of the Apostolic Ministry
2.14-7.4") and alone has 2,102 footnotes. Linguistic and textual notes
are given proper attention, but matters concerning translation are not
given particular prominence-we are after all interpreting the Greek
text. Contemporary scholarship is given appropriate recognition and
space, especially on disputed matters, such as the nature of the thorn
in the flesh. (Thrall favours migraine as the most likely definition.)
There are 7 excursusin vol. 1 and nine in volume 2, ranging from
the cultural background of 2 Cor. 11:6 to the rhetoric of 2 Cor. 10-13.
Dr. Thrall deserves our congratulations for having written a major
and sympathetic commentary on this most problematic epistle by a
writer whose views here are often difficult to be sympathetic with. One
may confidently predict that this will be a commentary that will stand
the test of time.
J.K. ELLIOTT

HEINZ-WERNER NEUDORFER and ECKHARD J. SCHNABEL, eds., Das

Studiumdes Neuen Testaments(2 vols.; Wuppertal: R. Brockhaus,

1999-2000/Giessen: Brunnen, 1999-2000), Vol. 1: 439 pp.; Vol.
2: 373 pp. ISBN 3-417-294343-7 and 3-7655-9434-2 (Vol. 1);
3-417-29462-2 and 3-7655-9462-8 (Vol. 2).
The two volumes that comprise this handsomely produced work
contain twenty-seven essays by sixteen different authors. Neudorfer is
a pastor in Weil im Schonbuch, Germany; Schnabel teaches New
Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois. Both are
members of the Arbeitskreis fur evangelische Theologie and have
designed these volumes primarily for evangelical students of theology
in German-speaking seminaries and Bible schools. The editors' avowed
goal is "to present the classical and newer methods of New Testament
exegesis" (Vol. 1; p. 4). Volume 1 treats methods, while volume 2
handles special issues in New Testament interpretation. In the first
volume, each essay has the same basic contents: (1) a short sketch of
? Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2002
Also available online - www.brill.nl

Novum Testamentum XLIV, 2