Berkhof's Introduction to the Bible

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] By focusing on the New Testament texts with this systematic, standardized and methodical approach, Berkhof reduces all the noise associated with the New Testament over the centuries and presents the Book to the reader cleanly and effectively, tersely summarizing its points and making plain that which might be otherwise confusing for one uninitiated. [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 to open the New Testament without any sense of what is inside, Berkhof’s Introduction is a practical means of initiating the reader.
Following a description of the contents, Berkhoff devotes a few words to the characteristics of the Epistle. This is helpful because it describes the tone and style of the letter as well as what is important about it. However, after a while this method does become repetitive and almost overdone. As many of the Epistles tell similar messages, one begins to wonder why they are all included in the Bible and why each one was deemed necessary for inclusion. This point is made clear in the final section of each chapter, which discusses the Canonical Significance of the Epistle; yet, Berkhof is essentially repeating himself at times—especially in the Epistle to Titus, as this is a relatively brief Epistle and does not contain a great deal on doctrine, though a few important verses are highlighted that relate to the Church’s teaching.
The point here is that this is not meant to be an examination into the finer details of the New Testament: it does not expound on the doctrines or discuss verses at length. It does not go into detail about the particular significance of a concept or teaching. It is basically a dust-jacket entry into each book of the Bible in the New Testament. What starts off as fresh and helpful quickly loses its flavor midway through. The exercise is no longer novel and becomes to feel tiresome and tedious. I myself found that I was wishing I was rather reading the New Testament instead of Berkhof’s summary. The summary was useful in the beginning for drawing important generalizations about the Gospels and the Epistles, a point which serves to satisfy curiosity rather than to assist in one’s understanding of the New Testament. Towns’ Journey through the Old Testament at least introduces the reader to some of the characters and discusses them with a bit of commentary.[footnoteRef:6] Of course, commentary is not Berkhof’s aim. That is the book’s main strength—but also its main weakness, for after a while, the monotony of summary demands commentary. As a reader, I found myself wanting to know more of what Berkhof as a person thought. This is a legitimate criticism, I feel, because summary by itself can be inadequate in bringing the person to the New Testament; theory is necessary at times.[footnoteRef:7] As Pike points out, understanding Christianity is essential in forming one’s character, and simply summarizing the New Testament as a means of introducing one to the Book risks reducing the effectiveness of Scripture’s impact on the mind, heart and soul.[footnoteRef:8] Likewise, Smith points out that Christianity has an emotional attraction: the words of Scripture often appeal to the heart[footnoteRef:9]—yet in Berkhof’s work there is no real indication of this fact. Facts are very often presented without a real distillation of their essence. Sheen, for instance, captures the visceral thrill that is inherent in Scripture. Berkhof reduces it to a mere rotation of facts, names, dates, places, doctrines and motifs. There is very little of human interest to keep the book feeling fresh, inspired or relevant. That is why I feel it is best as a resource rather than as a manual for understanding or being introduced to the New Testament—especially if it is a first introduction for a reader. One does not wish for one’s first introduction, after all, to be overly boring, buried under dry facts. This is not to say the book needs a great deal of commentary. It is not in the same vein as Barth’s Humanity of God, Cone’s Black Theology of Liberation or Douglas’s Stand Your Ground.[footnoteRef:10] Each of those are far more focused on interpreting Scripture and the Church’s doctrines. Berkhof is not focused on interpreting the New Testament. Nor is he focused on preaching the way others who approach the New Testament so frequently are.[footnoteRef:11] His focus is simply on summarizing the facts about it so as to make it more understandable contextually speaking. [6: Towns, Elmer L., "A Journey Through the Old Testament" (1989). Books. Paper 8. http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/towns_books/8] [7: Klink III, Edward W., and Darian R. Lockett. Understanding biblical theology: A comparison of theory and practice. Zondervan, 2012.] [8: Pike, Mark A. "Christianity and character education: Faith in core values?." Journal of Beliefs & Values 31, no. 3 (2010): 311-321.] [9: Smith, Christian. "Why Christianity works: An emotions-focused phenomenological account." Sociology of Religion 68, no. 2 (2007): 165-178.] [10: Barth, Karl. The Humanity of God. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1960; Cone, James. A Black Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2010; Douglas, Kelly Brown. Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2015.] [11: Chapell, B. (2005). Christ-centered preaching: Redeeming the expository sermon. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
]

At times, the overly brief and summary aspect of the book can become a bit overbearing. Every chapter feels like a brief encyclopedic take on the subject, one nearly indistinguishable from the next, so that the reader begins to wonder if the Introduction could have been more effective as a short article, with a general overview of the Gospels, Epistles and a few highlights of particular Epistles given in the footnotes to the New Testament. The book serves better as a source of reference than as a thoughtful and provoking work to facilitate in meditation alongside contemplation of the New Testament. It could be useful, in other words, for the reader of the New Testament, who has a question about a particular Gospel or Epistle and would like to know a bit more about the background. That is where Berkhof’s book could really be valuable. Since it does not provide any criticism or commentary of its own but rather distills the facts of the texts of the New Testament down to their bare bones and provides a bit of context to bring them to life, the book is not really a supplement as it is more a reference tool.
The method works in so far as it is exactly what the author aimed to do—yet for the reader it can grow tiring rather quickly. That is why this book is best considered as an encyclopedic source of information on the New Testament. When one reads the Gospel of Luke or is about to read that Book, one can open up Berkhoff, jump to the chapter on the Gospel of Luck, gain a quick and keen insight into what the Gospel is about, how it is organized, and what the main points are, before heading into the Gospel on one’s own. It is like reading a movie review of a film before watching it. Berkhof’s Introduction effectively supplies the reader with what the reader needs to feel more comfortable about approaching the Scriptures.
Conclusion
Where others are likely to find this book helpful and effective is, as I have said, when it is used as a reference. It will be particularly helpful for novice students of the New Testament but also for those at the intermediate level, who may have read through the New Testament already and now have a bit more interest in gaining a scholarly perspective. In this sense, the Introduction is actually more of an introduction to the scholarly approach to the New Testament than it is to the New Testament itself. Fulton Sheen’s Life of Christ could easily be taken as an equally valuable introduction to the New Testament as well[footnoteRef:12]—but its difference is that it is constructed in a narrative form, with the life of Christ serving as the subject (which, of course, is the subject of the New Testament as well to a significant degree). Yet Berkhof does not aim to give a narrative impression of the New Testament. His aim is to present each book within the New Testament as a complete whole in and of itself. Each chapter, therefore, comes across as a valuable guide for the novice reader who lacks an understanding of the context in which the letter or gospel or prophecy was written. The facts of each are presented summarily and this provides the reader with a sense of the main points of the text, any issues that have cropped up that have created controversy about the text’s integrity, and how the text has contributed to the Church’s teachings. What makes Berkhof’s book important, for that reason, is simply that it is able to convey a great deal of resourceful information to the reader in a tidy manner. That is why it is a good resource book, even if it lacks a compelling narrative structure. For a student who simply needs to look up relevant information about a particular text, Berkhof’s book is a great place to start. Thus, any newcomer to the New Testament or any student of Scripture will likely find Berkhof’s Introduction a valuable resource to have on hand. [12: Fulton Sheen, Life of Christ (Martino Fine Books, 2016).]

Bibliography
Barth, Karl. The Humanity of God. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1960.
Berkhof, Louis. Introduction to the New Testament. Eerdmans, 1915.
Chapell, B. (2005). Christ-centered preaching: Redeeming the expository sermon. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Cone, James. A Black Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2010.
Douglas, Kelly Brown. Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2015.
Klink III, Edward W., and Darian R. Lockett. Understanding biblical theology: A
comparison of theory and practice. Zondervan, 2012.
Pike, Mark A. "Christianity and character education: Faith in core values?." Journal of
Beliefs & Values 31, no. 3 (2010): 311-321.
Sheen, Fulton. Life of Christ. Martino Fine Books, 2016.
Smith, Christian. "Why Christianity works: An emotions-focused phenomenological
account." Sociology of Religion 68, no. 2 (2007): 165-178.
Towns, Elmer L., "A Journey Through the Old Testament" (1989). Books. Paper 8.
http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/towns_books/8