The Indelible Image: The Theological and Ethical World of the New Testament, Vol. 1: The Individual Witnesses

"Scholar at Work" would be an appropriate cover sticker for this book. This might also be the most important reason for reading it. I watch in admiration when a scholar like Ben Witherington III employs the tools of his trade to examine Scripture.In this first volume on New Testament theology, he focuses on exegetical work. What qualifies him for such a task? Prior to this project, he took on the rather daunting challenge of writing a substantial commentary on every book of the New Testament. This exercise served him well as he works in chronological order through the writings (and in the case of Jesus, the teachings) of all who contributed to the New Testament canon. In his effort to get at the heart of the major themes, he defines words and looks at their usage. He provides historical background, and he frequently resorts to extrabiblical writings to provide context.He has an amazing grasp of these outside writings, and I wish he had explained their importance, but from his use it is plain that they provide corroborating evidence in support of the Scriptures. Again, the most valuable learning is watching Witherington attempt to determine the original meaning of texts. What we end up with is a multitude of Bible resources rolled into one. With extensive name, subject and verse indexes in the back, this is an extremely valuable reference, one that should be in any theological library, particularly those that support higher education in biblical subjects.Even the most learned may find new insights in the wealth of exposition. One interesting example in his discussion of Matthew 19:1-12, where Jesus seams to permit divorce in the case of "adultery," or "immorality." Witherington states that the original term translated "adultery" comes from a word that means "prostitute." He writes that the exception could be in a case where the wife has taken up prostitution. The word can also refer to the sin of incest. Jesus may have been commenting "on the very situation that John the Baptizer was beheaded for protesting against: the incestuous marriage of Herod Antipas to his brother's wife." If the exception is in the case of incest, a devout Jew would not see this as a proper marriage.Since the word "porneia" can refer to a wide variety of sexual aberrations, translating the word in the normal way would seam to make Jesus more lenient than some ancient Jewish teachers in regard to divorce. The disciples reaction to all of this, "If that is the way it is between a man and a woman, it is better not to marry," supposes a stricter view. Witherington suggests that what is meant "is either `except on the grounds of prostitution' or more likely `except on the grounds of incest.'" He believes this makes good sense when compared with Mark 10, "where Jesus' teaching is said to be `no divorce,' and also 1 Corinthians 7, where Paul says that Jesus' teaching was `no divorce.'"In this survey, one major theme that continually emerges is Witherington's view that salvation is not ironclad. He finds manifold support against the position of "once saved, always saved." I wondered if being a Methodist scholar shaped his interpretations, but he displays a careful fidelity to the Scriptures, even if some finer points are arguable.Further, he is not teaching the Wesley doctrine of sinless perfection, only that Christians must work out their salvation with fear and trembling. He seems to concede that it may be hard to lose one's salvation, but it is possible.It's almost startling how clear this possibility of loss becomes. It probably serves as a much-needed correction to the idea that what comes after salvation is not as important as conversion. Witherington emphasizes the two-sided nature of salvation: faith and works. Somewhere over the course of time the latter has been uncoupled from the former. Highlighting so many passages that seem to show salvation is conditional is somewhat novel and unsettling, but we need to know the truth. More than once I wished that this kind of careful analysis would filter down into our pulpits.Calvinists and others might take issue with Witherington's Arminian positions. I encourage them to read him. He provides strong support for his views, and if they follow his logic with an open mind, they will at least come away with a better understanding of an opposing argument. Believers in Christ should not be afraid to hold up their beliefs to scrutiny and change them if needed.Could this book be shorter? Maybe, but the length is what makes this so comprehensive. In this first volume he gives voice to all of the individuals whose thought, actions and writings comprise the New Testament. The second volume will be a synthesis that will focus equally on belief and behavior. Witherington repeatedly shows that there is no separating the two.

It is an impossible feat for a short review to do justice to Ben Witherington's massive (856 page!) work The Indelible Image: The Theological and Ethical Through World of the New Testament (IVP, 2009). Witherington sets out in the first of his two-volume project to investigate each individual New Testament witness through integrative theological and ethical analysis. In doing so, he seeks to correct a lamentable weakness of New Testament studies: the separation of theology and ethics, belief and behavior, into two different spheres, with ethics taking backseat to theology (23). In contrast to this bifurcation, Witherington demonstrates the organic relationship and blending of theology and ethics in each New Testament book, ultimately converging in Christology: the contemplation of and conformation to the indelible image of Christ (53-54).The Indelible Image progresses chronologically through the New Testament, exploring each book in its context. Before launching into the Pauline corpus, however, Witherington begins with Jesus, examining his beliefs and behaviors. To understand Jesus and the stories that he told, of course, we need to understand Judaism (68). Likewise, in order to grasp the thought world of Paul, it is necessary to understanding "the five stories that shook and shaped Paul's worldviews," including the story of God, humankind, God's people, Christ, and Christians (182-203). Witherington gives a few hints toward the turn to performance and improvisation in Christian theology and ethics, affirming that these stories have a complete outline, but they have a plot that needs to be performed in the present (180). Ethical discernment, therefore, is a matter of improvisation (251). Overall, this ethical discernment involves imitating Christ, walking in the Spirit, and living as a community in unity (244). Witherington also highlights the dependence and closeness of Paul's theology and ethics on Jesus, which are both driven by grace (271-274).But Jesus and Paul are only the starting point, and it is refreshing for Witherington to demonstrate that Christian theology and ethics should not be based on Paul alone (327). The theology of James, for example, has been insufficiently developed, since "New Testament scholars have not labored long enough in the sapiential vineyard to acquire a taste for its wine. In short, they do not understand how this sort of literature works in the service of theology and ethics" (298-299). Witherington demonstrates how the other NT books "work" in this regard, highlighting themes such as the "christotelic" hermeneutic of Peter (341), the remarkable fusion of theology and ethics in Hebrews (461), the mystery of God's sovereign love and free human response in John nestled in narrative theology and ethics (568, 599), the eschatological theology and ethics of Mark (639), the sapiential Christology of Matthew (646f), the holistic theology and ethics of Luke-Acts (672), and the intertwining of heavenly and earthly realities in Revelation (742).The Indelible Image is immense both in sheer size and quality of theological-ethical reflection on the New Testament. Written in clear, simple prose, the book reads like a commentary and may be best used for this purpose. A comprehensive Scripture index will guide the reader to find relevant passages, although sometimes the reader will be surprised by passages Witherington chooses to pass over (like John 10). Little rationale is given for this selectivity, and one hopes it is not based on theological preference, especially since it seems that Witherington dismisses Reformed theological perspectives too quickly. Despite this suspicious selectivity, Witherington demonstrates a fitting balance between scholarly exegesis and practical reflection. Footnotes are sparse, which motivates readers to run to his commentaries (and other suggested reading lists at the end of each chapter) for more articulate arguments and insight.Even though Witherington deals with each New Testament voice on its own, common themes continue to appear, most notably the interrelationship and interdependence of theology and ethics, at the heart of which is the person and work of Jesus Christ. These and other common themes among all New Testament writers prime the pump for the next volume of the Indelible Image series due out in April, focusing on the collective New Testament witness. You won't want to miss it! This first volume has left an indelible mark on our understanding of the theological and ethical thought world of the New Testament.