The Consequences Of The Covenant

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

I. THE THEOLOGY OF CONQUEST

Introduction

The God of armies

Activistic Ethics

The theology of holy war

Theology in action

The wages of sin

Sabbatical Eschatology

Sabbatical rules

The national debt

The national jubilee

Later eschatology

Ages, generations, and jubilees

Passive Ethics

Eschatology and ethics

Promise and fulfillment

Continuation of Active Resistance

Conquest and captivity

Ashes to ashes

Dust to dust

Continuation of Passive Ethics

Meritorious suffering

Paul's conversion

Jesus' temptations

II. THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Introduction

Reactions to Reimarus

After the first hundred years

NT scholarship

OT scholarship

Reimarus' thesis

Theology and Politics

God's kingdom and God's Son

God's rule and Israel's destiny

God's Rule and the Nation of Israel

God's kingship

King without a throne

God's revelation

The Kingdom and Rome

Promises and obstacles

The yoke of the kingdom

Scribes under surveillance

Reimarus' claim

The New Exodus

The good news

The conflict before the conquest

Promises of the covenant

New heaven, earth, and Jerusalem

Kingdom and community

Before the jubilee

The kingdom and the diaspora

Position in the kingdom

Summary

III. THE LAND OF THE CONQUEST

Introduction

From Dan to Beersheba

From River to River

The Great River

Specific sites

Topography

Dominion on the promised land

The River Euphrates

Eastern extensions

In NT times

Conclusions

IV. LIFE UNDER THE COVENANT

Introduction

Life and Death

Decision for life

Continuous decisions

The Book of Life

Membership list

Court record

The Land of Life

OT testimony

Later interpretation

The suffering servant and the land

The Ethics of Life

The way of life

Wisdom and the word

The Christian spirit

The Christian life

Life in the Future

The world to come

The renewal and the resurrection

Eternal life

Paradise regained

Summary

V. COVENANTAL ASCETICISM

Introduction

Sin in the Old Testament

Adultery

Idolatry

Sin and atonement

Sinners and the angry God

Dietary Laws

The rules

The fence

Leprosy

Uncleanness Among Men

Uncleanness Among Women

Other Ritual Defilement

Midras uncleanness

Corpse uncleanness

Cleanliness in camp

Original Sin

Present doctrine

Universal sin

Adam's fall

The new paradise

Conceived in sin

Christian interpretation

Paul's Bar Mitzwah

Bar Mitzwah tradition

Paul's "life" and "death"

Harlots and Dogs

Descendants of Rahab

A dog's life

The continuation of derision

Sabbath Observance

Foreign influence

The foot in the door

Man for the Sabbath

To be and not to be

Summary

VI. COVENANTAL PROVISIONS FOR FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION

Introduction

Ritual Cleansings

Objects and persons

Cleansing from contacts

Adult Baptism

Ritual baptism for priests and laymen

Baptism and hospitality customs

Proselyte baptism

Defilement and Gentiles

Baptism and a change of garments

The new creation

Baptism and community privileges

Conclusions

Infant Baptism

Current scholarship

Defilement at birth and baptism

Infant defilement and baptism

Christian baptism of infants

Jewish Christian conflicts

The Day of Atonement

Divine justice and human need

The terms of atonement

Forgiveness in the NT

The Christian sin offering

The temple and forgiveness

The heavenly court

Summary

VII. COVENANTAL SECTARIANISM

Introduction

The nature of sectarianism

OT sectarianism

Divisions

Essene Economy

The common fund

Essenc hospitality

Monasticism

The Essenes and biblical regulations

The meaning of "trustworthiness"

Slavery

Essene sense of equality

Biblical rules

Oaths

Divisions

Worship and Theology

Worship

Theology

Scrolls and Essenes

The Community of the Rule

Community discipline

Love and hate

Essenes and the rule sect

The Zadokites

Community discipline

Sectarian similarities

The Pharisees

Normative Judaism

Pharisees in the NT

According to Josephus

Pharisees and rabbinic literature

Sadducees

Sadducean opposition

Possibilities

The Sect of St. Matthew

Legalism and the land

Hospitality

The Sect of the Johannine Epistles

Belonging

Outsiders

Contrasts

Hospitality

The Sect of the Apocalypse

The "worthy"

The outsiders

Summary

VIII. COVENANTAL PRACTICES

Introduction

Initiation Practices

Washing and eating

Essenes

The Community of the Rule

Shammai and Hillel

The associates

Christians of the Egyptian Church Order

Clementine Christians

The meal

Summary

Sectarian Love

Brotherly love

The church and the world

Love and good works

Commanded love

Marital love

Loving and giving

God's love and providence

Parents and children

National and international lovers

The covenant people

Excommunication

New Testament

Unpardonable sins

Essenes

Vine and branches

Social extinction

Forgiveness and excommunication

Summary

Conclusions

Appendix I THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE TETRAGRAMMATON

Appendix II THE MILLENNIUM AFTER THE FALL

Christians After Constantine

The new exodus

Jews and the millennium

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Author Index

General Index