Book Review: Berkhof's Introduction to the New Testament

Summary of Berkhof's Approach and Structure

The most important aspect of Louis Berkhof's Introduction to the New Testament is its construction and style. It is simple, straightforward, and methodical in its approach to the text. 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 this. His method is merely to present 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, this consists of a description of the contents, characteristics, authorship, composition, and canonical significance, as well as any problems of integrity that have arisen over time. This formulaic approach is ideal for obtaining a tidy and coherent introduction to the New Testament, which is exactly what the book is and how it 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 the divergences between them. As Berkhof 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 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 [tradition]."¹ 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)."² He describes the characteristics of the Epistle, evidence of authorship, the condition of the Roman church at the time, and so on. Each Epistle is treated in the same manner, and the Gospels receive similar focus.

Every work is examined from these standpoints as well as the standpoints of composition, integrity (whether a doxology is genuine or spurious, for instance), and canonical significance. 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 deviate from this method. Each Gospel and Epistle is examined in the same way: parts, characteristics, authorship, and so on 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 challenged, 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."³ 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 text to the reader cleanly and effectively, tersely summarizing its key points and making plain that which might otherwise be confusing for the uninitiated.

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 to identify, nor any argument the author is attempting to make. Berkhof himself disappears into the work. His voice is not heard beyond the initial Preface, and even there he offers only a few sparse lines explaining his purpose in writing. It is that purpose, however, that can be most helpful for the reader, for it serves as an invitation to more fully engage with and understand the Introduction.

Berkhof's Purpose and Interpretive Framework

The aim of Berkhof in writing this book was, by his own admission, 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."⁴ This is an important point to consider when interpreting the work as a whole. Since the author's endeavor was to view the New Testament as an accepted work of authority — one that the Church has regarded as divinely inspired — it must be understood that his intention is not to criticize or subvert but rather simply to uncover, exhibit, explain, and illuminate. After two thousand years of history, a great deal of accumulated obscurity must be cleared away for the texts to become meaningful and full of life, not merely from an academic perspective, but in the way they were originally intended. Understanding this as the main purpose of Berkhof helps one to better evaluate whether the work succeeds on its own terms and whether its merits justify the reader's attention.

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 those without a penchant for scholarly approaches. Berkhof draws heavily on ancient terminology, using Greek to explain historical contexts and meanings that may not be apparent through discussion of the New Testament in translated verse. His encyclopedic knowledge of the canons of Scripture means the book reads like an encyclopedia, offering the reader as much information about background and context as can possibly be offered. Berkhof makes extensive use of ancient writers — from Tertullian to Eusebius to Tatian — to make sense of the various ideas that circulated centuries ago and what subsequent scholarship has uncovered about them. But because each Gospel and Epistle is utterly unique, no one-size-fits-all commentary can be applied. Berkhof therefore makes a point to avoid such generalizations. His main goal is to introduce, to give a brief background, to summarize wherever possible, and to indicate what key points the reader should keep in mind.

Effectiveness of the Systematic Method

Berkhof's method of introducing the reader to the New Testament is both highly appropriate and effective. 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 the appointment of ministers, directions on what to teach and how the community should live, and brief personal details that lend the letter invaluable insight into the personal lives of the actors in this episode in Church history. By presenting these details first, Berkhof supplies the reader with elementary context that can be applied when reading the Epistle independently. Starting each chapter in this manner is an excellent way to structure the book, giving readers the confidence and preparation to approach the New Testament on their own. Rather than feeling ignorant and lost upon opening the New Testament without any sense of what is inside, the reader is practically initiated by Berkhof's Introduction.

Conclusion: Value and Limitations for Students of Scripture

Where others are likely to find this book helpful and effective is, as discussed above, 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 already read through the New Testament and now have a greater 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 serve as an equally valuable introduction to the New Testament¹¹ — but its difference is that it is constructed in narrative form, with the life of Christ as its subject. 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 a letter, gospel, or prophecy was written. The facts of each are presented summarily, providing the reader with a sense of the main points of the text, any controversies that have arisen about its 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 useful information to the reader in a tidy manner. That is why it functions well as a reference book on the New Testament, 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. Any newcomer to the New Testament or any student of Scripture will likely find Berkhof's Introduction a valuable resource to have on hand.

Bibliography

Barth, Karl. The Humanity of God. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1960.

Berkhof, Louis. Introduction to the New Testament. Eerdmans, 1915.

Chapell, B. Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.

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