Do the work of an evangelist : the missionary outlook of the Pastoral Epistles
This thesis attempts to fill a void in the study of the Pastoral Epistles. Its aim is to demonstrate a distinct missionary outlook undergirding the writing of the Pastoral Epistles, one which has been overlooked or underplay~d ~y commentators. Its main contention is that in spite of the other contingent concerns within the letters, especially pertaining to the problem with the false teachings, there is an underlying missionary concern for unbelievers to come to the saving truth of the gospel. This challenges the influential view of Baur and Dibelius that the communities within the Pastorals were settling down into a placid existence, that bourgeois Christian morality had begun to take hold, and that evangelistic fervour had waned. The study begins with an examination of the concept of 'household', the life-setting of the communi ties behind these letters. It is found that in spite of the common notion of the household being a private sphere, one common dimension of the first-century Mediterranean household, both Roman and Jewish, was that it possessed a public 'face', viz., it invariably intersected with the wider society. Moreover, early Christian households were shown to function as an important venue for
Ho, Chiao Ek
Evangelistic work
Do the work of an evangelist : the missionary outlook of the Pastoral Epistles. This thesis attempts to fill a void in the study of the Pastoral Epistles. Its aim is to demonstrate a distinct missionary outlook undergirding the writing of the Pastoral Epistles, one which has been overlooked or underplay~d ~y commentators. Its main contention is that in spite of the other contingent concerns within the letters, especially pertaining to the problem with the false teachings, there is an underlying missionary concern for unbelievers to come to the saving truth of the gospel. This challenges the influential view of Baur and Dibelius that the communities within the Pastorals were settling down into a placid existence, that bourgeois Christian morality had begun to take hold, and that evangelistic fervour had waned. The study begins with an examination of the concept of 'household', the life-setting of the communi ties behind these letters. It is found that in spite of the common notion of the household being a private sphere, one common dimension of the first-century Mediterranean household, both Roman and Jewish, was that it possessed a public 'face', viz., it invariably intersected with the wider society. Moreover, early Christian households were shown to function as an important venue for
work evangelist missionary outlook pastoral_epistles attempt_fill void study pastoral_epistles aim distinct missionary outlook undergird write pastoral_epistles overlook commentator main_contention spite contingent concern within letter especially pertain problem false teaching underlie missionary concern come save truth gospel challenge influential view community within settle existence bourgeois christian morality begin take hold evangelistic wan study begin_examination concept household life setting tie behind letter find spite common notion household private_sphere common dimension first_century mediterranean household roman jewish possess public face viz invariably intersect wide society moreover early_christian household show function important venue