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Described as an "invaluable reference work" (Classical Philology) and "a tool indispensable for the study of early Christian literature" (Religious Studies Review) in its previous edition, this new updated American edition of Walter Bauer's Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments builds on its predecessor's staggering deposit of extraordinary erudition relating to Greek literature from all periods. Including entries for many more words, the new edition also lists more than 25,000 additional references to classical, intertestamental, Early Christian, and modern literature. In this edition, Frederick W. Danker's broad knowledge of Greco-Roman literature, as well as papyri and epigraphs, provides a more panoramic view of the world of Jesus and the New Testament. Danker has also introduced a more consistent mode of reference citation, and has provided a composite list of abbreviations to facilitate easy access to this wealth of information. Perhaps the single most important lexical innovation of Danker's edition is its inclusion of extended definitions for Greek terms. For instance, a key meaning of "episkopos" was defined in the second American edition as overseer; Danker defines it as "one who has the responsibility of safeguarding or seeing to it that something is done in the correct way, guardian." Such extended definitions give a fuller sense of the word in question, which will help avoid both anachronisms and confusion among users of the lexicon who may not be native speakers of English. Danker's edition of Bauer's Wörterbuch will be an indispensable guide for Biblical and classical scholars, ministers, seminarians, and translators.… (more)
User reviews
This lexicon is invaluable for doing Greek word studies.
As a layman struggling to teach myself Greek, I find it a great place from which to launch my Greek word studies. It contains more than 15,000 references to classical, intertestamental, early Christian and
This edition contains more elaborate definitions of Greek terms than other lexicons I have seen. The benefit of these, to me, is that it helps give me a fuller sense of the word being studied and helps me to avoid anachronisms.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is the lexicon for serious Greek students.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who plotted to kill Hitler although he was an ordained Lutheran minister, and in fact
The issue for a believer, also in the same context, is in Romans 13:5, suneidesin (conscience). The State for Bonhoeffer, as for many Christians, is what to do when the State is not repentant and in fact evil, i.e., Nazism. Bonhoeffer concluded his righteous act, acting as a faithful God-fearing Christian, was to plot and kill Hitler.
For many Christians our opposition to the State is not quite as dramatic as Bonhoeffer, who eventually was hung for his efforts to kill Hitler, although his point is still valid. Our conscience dictates that we must at times oppose the State. Otherwise, one could argue for example if a Christian lives under a legitimate God-appointed State ruler, such as a Christian living under sharia law, Christians ought to convert to Islam. Surely there are places and times where Christians will live in a non-repentant, evil regime and the duty of the Christian is to resist the regime. Christians must have opposed Roman authorities or Christianity would have had a short existence.