What it takes to write New Testament Theology

From D. A. Carson:
Those who write NT theology should ideally:
  1. Become intimately acquainted with the text of the NT
  2. Develop a profound grasp of the historical frameworks in which the NT books were written
  3. Maintain and sharpen the horizon provided by the entire canon
  4. Foster literary skills that permit varied genres to speak for themselves 
  5. Spot literary devices and correctly interpret them
  6. Learn to fire imagination and creativity in a disciplined way
  7. Acknowledge and seek to accommodate and correct cultural and theological bias
  8. Maintain all of these elements in appropriate balance, nurtured by
    1. A love for God
    2. A fear of God, and
    3. A growing hunger to serve his people.
—D. A. Carson, "New Testament Theology," in Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments, 810. (pdf)

Oh, is that all? 

D. A. Carson
July 16, 2010
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