Review: Introduction to the New Testament, Berkhof 1915 Summary

The most important aspect of Berkhof’s Introduction to the New Testament is its construction and style. It is simple, straight-forward and methodical in its approach to the Book. It is free of sentimentality and all extraneous philosophical and theological questions that have proliferated over the years, as scholars seek to read into the texts of Scripture to find a new or deeper meaning that has not been elucidated before. Berkhof does none of them. His method is merely to give the facts of the New Testament in a brief, rigorous and comprehensive manner. Each Gospel and Epistle of the New Testament is described within the parameters of a specific formulation: for the Gospels and Epistles, it consists of description of the contents, characteristics, authorship, composition and canonical significance as well any problems with integrity that have arisen over time. This formulaic approach is perfect for obtaining a tidy and coherent introduction to the New Testament, which is exactly what the book is and how the book is meant to be read.

The book thus takes an overview of the New Testament from a literary and scholarly perspective, providing historical and academic context with a scholastic approach to the material. For example, the differences between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John are discussed at length to address some of the problems of narrative and some of the differences. As Berhkof notes, John’s Gospel and the Synoptics are merely snapshots of the life of Our Lord: they are not meant “to be complete histories of what the Lord did and said during his life in the flesh. If this were its claim, it would be disappoint in the extreme, since all that John narrates happened in a few days. Like the Synoptics the Gospel of John is a pen-picture of the Lord, is a witness to him from a particular point of view, and represents a phase of the apostolic ????????.”[footnoteRef:2] Berkhof also pays similar attention to the Epistles, examining them in general, as he does with the Gospels, before examining them in particular. With each one, he shows how it is divided into parts in accordance with the scholarly and accepted views of those who have come before and provided generations with guidance on how to approach these books. For example, Berkhof notes that the Epistle of Paul to the Romans is divided into “two clearly marked but very unequal parts, viz, the doctrinal (1:1—11: 36) and the practical part (12:1—16: 27).”[footnoteRef:3] He describes the characteristics of the Epistle, evidence of authorship, what the condition of the Roman church was at the time, and so on. Each Epistle is treated in the same manner, and the Gospels receive similar focus. [2: Louis Berkhof, Introduction to the New Testament (Eerdmans, 1915), 23] [3: Ibid 77.]

Every work is examined from these standpoints as well as the standpoints of composition, integrity (whether doxology is genuine or spurious, for instance), and what its canonical significance is. The Epistle to the Corinthians is shown to be divided into five parts. Characteristics, authorship, the condition of the church that received the letter, the composition of the letter (its occasion and purpose, time and place of writing), and its canonical significance are all detailed. One by one, the various epistles are examined in this systematic manner, which makes the reading both easy and familiar once the work has been begun in earnest. The author does not pull any surprises or deviate from this method. Each Gospel and Epistle is examined in the same way: parts, characteristics, authorship, etc., are where the author focuses his attention. When, over the course of history, portions of a particular epistle or gospel have been questioned or their integrity attacked, Berkhof addresses these concerns, as he does, for example, with the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “The integrity of the letter has been attacked especially on two points. It is claimed by some that the verses 6: 14—7: 1 do not belong, where they stand, but form an awkward interruption in the course of thought. A few scholars regard them as a part of the lost letter to which I Cor. 5: 9 refers. Now it is true that at first sight these verses seem out of place, where they stand, but at the same time it is very well possible to give a plausible explanation for their insertion at this point.”[footnoteRef:4]...

[4: Ibid 93.]
If there is a main point to the book, it is simply to introduce the reader to the various texts of the New Testament. There is no overriding theme that may be identified or point or argument that the author is attempting to make. Berkhof himself disappears in the work. His voice is not heard beyond the initial Preface, and even there he only provides himself a few, sparse lines for explaining his purpose in writing the book. It is that purpose, however, that can be most helpful for the reader, for it is like an invitation to more fully engage with and understand this Introduction.

Interpretation

The aim of Berkhof in writing this book was admittedly to “introduce the students to the books of the New Testament, as they have in fact been transmitted to the Church, and not as some critic or other would have them be.”[footnoteRef:5] This is an important point to consider when making an interpretation of the work as a whole. Since the endeavor of the author was to view the New Testament as an accepted work of authority and that the Church viewed as having at its source the divine inspiration, which is how the Church has viewed it since, it must be accepted by the reader that the author’s intention with this work is not to criticize or subvert but rather simply to exhume, exhibit, explain and illuminate—as after 2000 years of history, a great deal of film, grime, dirt and smoke needs to be removed for the texts and the ways in which they are approached for them to become meaningful and full of life, not simply from an academic perspective, the way they were intended to be. Understanding this as the main purpose of Berkhof helps one to better understand whether the work succeeds on its own and whether its merits are sufficient to be rewarded with the reader’s attention. [5: Ibid 2.]

The work overall is quite sufficient with respect to the author’s intention. It does a suitable job focusing on the works of the New Testament, describing their history and how they were received by the Church. It is, however, a work unlikely to be enjoyed by many who do not have a penchant for scholarly approaches. Berkhof traffics a great deal in the ancient terminology, using the Greek to explain historical contexts and meanings that may not be apparent through discussion of the New Testament in translated verse. Berkhof has an encyclopedic knowledge of the canons of Scripture and thus the book reads like an encyclopedia, offering the reader every bit of information about their background and context that might possibly be offered. Berkhof makes extensive use of the ancients, from Tertullian to Eusebius to Tatian to make sense of the various ideas that swirled about centuries ago and what scholarship has uncovered about them since. But as each Gospel and Epistle is utterly unique, there is no one-size-fits-all commentary that can be applied. Thus, Berkhof makes a point to avoid such. His main goal is just to introduce, to give a brief background, to summarize wherever possible, and to indicate what key points the reader should keep in mind.

Berkhof’s method of introducing the reader to the New Testament is both highly appropriate and effective. For example, the first thing the approach allows the reader to grasp is what the specific contents of each text are. Using the Epistle to Titus as an example, one can see how the desired effect is achieved: first, the contents of the Epistle are divided into categories—instruction regarding appointing ministers, directions on what to teach and how the community should live, and brief personal details that give the letter invaluable insight into the personal lives of the actors in this episode in Church History. By giving these details first, Berkhof supplies the reader with elementary context that can be used when reading the Epistle independently. Starting off each chapter in this manner is an excellent way to structure the book to give the reader confidence and courage in approaching the New Testament on his own. Instead of feeling, ignorant and lost were he…