Review
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Title: New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (4 vols. + index vol.)
Revision Editor: Moisés Silva
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: New Testament Studies, Bible Dictionaries
Year Published: 2014
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN10: 0310276195
ISBN13: 978-0310276197
Price: $249.95
Reviewed by Bryan Buchanan for the Association for Mormon Letters
I’m a word guy—I love to see where they come from, how they’re used, what they mean and so on. This is particularly the case with biblical texts—I enjoy seeing how the writers crafted their narratives. Thus, I was excited to see an updated edition of “New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis” (hereafter NIDNTTE) edited by Moisés Silva (published by Zondervan). This five-volume set replaces the original (titled “The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology” ed. by Colin Brown and published from 1975 to 1978) which was, in turn, a revision and expansion of a German-language two-volume set and immediately becomes a very useful resource for unpacking New Testament word usage.
Acquiring a set of the “Theological Dictionary of the New Testament” made for a very happy day in my library. Though this set has been criticized (among other things) for being more “theological” than “dictionary,” it still remains an oft-cited standard. Anyone who has ever used TDNT will immediately recognize the same format used here in NIDNTTE: Greek word and definition in a box followed by usage notes (Greek literature, Jewish literature and New Testament) and then commentary on the way the word is employed by the New Testament writers. Finally, a bibliography (which can be quite extensive if the word is of particular importance) gives additional sources to which one can turn to better understand the term. These sources are helpfully organized in a chronological format so one can see the progression of scholarship where the word is concerned. The entries interact with these sources (including TDNT), surveying different perspectives and pushing back against some conclusions. The scholars who contributed to the first edition (oddly, the entries are not signed or identified in any way) come from conservative backgrounds—notable authors include R. T. France, D. A. Carson, R. K Harrison and F. F. Bruce—and their commentary will not be too jarring for Mormon readers for the most part.
To give a sense of the nature of the dictionary, I will discuss three terms of interest to a Mormon reader:
“bapto”, etc (dip, wash, baptize)
The verb “bapto,” referring to dipping, pops up occasionally in earlier literature (Homer and contemporaries)—in the New Testament it appears but never referring to a ritual baptism. The related verb “baptizo,” though it appears less frequently in the Septuagint, obviously occurs more commonly in the New Testament where it describes a particular ritual. In fact, many observers conclude that the Greek term “baptisma” was a creation of the early Christian community (the article on “baptism” in the Anchor Bible Dictionary, for example)—Silva notes that, at the very least, “baptizo” “has a specialized sense for Christian writers.” He discusses ritual bathing at Qumran but cautions that “it is disputed whether their washing rituals should in any sense be classed with Christian baptism, seeing that the lustrations were perpetually repeated and baptism is received but once.” The discussion of infant baptism will also be of interest—Silva notes the back and forth opinion as to whether it can be reliably traced back to the apostolic era.
“aphistemi” (turn away, fall away)/“apostasia” (rebellion, apostasy)
The Greek term “apostasis” appeared as early as the 6th century BCE, usually meaning a revolt or defection. The alternate form “apostasia” shows up several centuries later but does not see wide usage until the Septuagint is produced (these are usually political contexts). Silva discusses the eschatological component of the term in Pauline writings—i.e. that “this event [occurs] in an anti-Christian period directly preceding the return of Christ.” Obviously, the Mormon understanding of this term does not quite line up as the period of apostasy precedes a final restoration of things rather than the second coming of Jesus.
“zoe” (life)/“anazao” (return to life)
The widespread belief in resurrection within Judaism is located in the Maccabean period onward. However, the influence of Hellenism seems to have caused the concept to be “largely replaced by the doctrine of the immortality of the soul.” Silva notes the primary role Paul plays in the development of the NT doctrine of resurrection, with “Christ as the very embodiment of God’s living power, conquering death and raising the dead.” A Mormon reader will be interested to see the perspective of this entry: “it will be a bodily life…it will involve seeing face to face…but above all it means being with Christ forever.”
“telos” (end, conclusion)/“teleios” (complete, perfect)
The latter term has come up in an infinite number of Mormon Gospel Doctrine class discussions. What exactly did Jesus mean by “be ye, therefore, perfect?” Silva briefly addresses the words’ etymology (concluding that the progression is murky) and notes the “great, even bewildering diversity” of usage in pre-NT literature. Interestingly, he comments on the common use of “teleios” in the Septuagaint with “kardia” (heart) in the sense of a heart “wholly turned toward God.” In the NT era, Matthew was the only gospel to use the term “teleios.” Silva postulates that:
One should avoid weakening the sense of the term [in Mt. 5:48] to something like “mature.” The language used here is no doubt intended to counteract the tendency, found among some Pharisees and rabbis, to lower the divine standard of conduct (cf. 5:19-20). In the light of the context, however, the summons probably focuses specifically on the need to be compassionate and loving to friend and foe. Indeed, the paragraph in Luke 6:36 reads, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
This entry is a fine example of how this dictionary would helpfully inform Mormon discussions of the NT within the confines of a reasonably comfortable vocabulary.
“Pharisaios” (Pharisee)
Coming from a background in Hebrew and rabbinical literature, I always attempt to give more nuance to a discussion of those inveterate NT “sinners,” the Pharisees. This entry demonstrates the inclusion of helpful historical context in the dictionary. Silva notes that the term seems to appear for the first time in the NT (being a transliteration of the Aramaic term, though the Hebrew term is always used in rabbinic writings). He also notes the primary role that Josephus plays in providing information on the nature of the Pharisees (perhaps a word or two of caution on the traditional reliance on Josephus here would have been helpful).
“euangelion” (good news, gospel)/”euangelistes” (proclaimer of good tidings, evangelist)
Another common element of a New Testament year in Mormon Sunday School is pointing out the similarities between positions in the NT and Mormon hierarchy. The brief analysis of the term “euangelistes” here provides helpful information for guiding such a discussion. Silva notes that the term is unattested prior to the NT and appears three scant times in the NT itself. (There is one occurrence in a fragmentary inscription on Rhodes that Jack Welch cited in a brief discussion in the “Ensign”—due to an incorrect citation, it took some time to track down a transcription). Likely due to the fragmentary nature of the inscription (discussed in the entry in TDNT), Silva does not discuss the text which is the only—extremely tenuous, in my opinion—Nibley-esque “parallel” to the Mormon usage of the term.
Silva, as revision editor, is an excellent choice. A well-established, respected scholar, he brings a conservative, albeit critical, eye to the task. For example, in the discussion of Pharisees above, he is not afraid to address the historicity of Jesus eating with self-identified zealous Pharisees. For Mormons who have encountered at least some decent biblical scholarship, his tone will be a good balance, I think. The breakdown of the dictionary into usage in Greek and Jewish literature is very helpful for giving some context to the NT occurrences of a particular term.
Several elements of this revised edition merit mention: the entries are now in alphabetical order but in Greek (rather than the English translation). An extensive topical index—included at the first of each volume—gives lexical headings (all entries dealing with “life,” for example) for important topics. The amount of new entries required an additional volume to accommodate them all. My one concern with the set relates to the physical books themselves: the bindings are glued rather than sewn which always concerns me (especially with thicker books) and the paper doesn’t seem to be very high quality.
For the average reader, this set will require a bit of stretching. While the terminology is not overly technical, it does employ basic theological vocabulary, some of which may be foreign. However, it is worth the effort. The discussion of usage, particularly in classical Greek and the Septuagint, is very helpful (as is the Hebrew “equivalent” of the Greek term). The linguistic commentary is well-informed and does not stray into speculative territory. For a Mormon reader, some of the commentary will require some assessment of traditional paradigms (the discussion of infant baptism being a good example). A Mormon Sunday School instructor consulting this set for some in-depth analysis of even a few key terms would result in much better informed lessons. The scholarship of Silva and the original contributors is solid and the resulting reference work is a very worthy addition to a New Testament studies library.