The Pattern of New Testament Truth

by George Eldon Ladd

George Eldon Ladd here addresses the problem of differences and similarities in the theologies of the New Testament writers, and seeks to show in this examination what he calls “the pattern of New Testament truth.” / The author argues against an overemphasis on Gnosticism in the study of the background of the New Testament. Ladd then goes on to consider a philosophical movement, prevalent during the first century, about which much more is known — Greek dualism, especially as expressed by Plato, Plutarch, and Philo. He points out the differences between Greek and New Testament thought, and goes on to contrast the Greek view of reality with that of the Hebrews, which he concludes to be essentially that of the New Testament. / The unity of the New Testament, Ladd believes, is to be found in the Heilgeschichte, the record of the historical dealings of God with man. The diversity between the Synoptics (Mathew, Mark, and Luke), John, and Paul is a result of different perspectives from which this redemptive event of God is interpreted. A chapter is devoted to each of these viewpoints, giving a detailed analysis of the unity and diversity that manifests itself, and demonstrating that differences are a matter of separate strata or levels of theology rather than of conflicting suppositions.

Genres: Theology

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

George Eldon Ladd (1911–1982) was a Baptist minister and professor of New Testament exegesis and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Ladd was ordained in 1933 and pastored in New England from 1936 to 1945. He served as an instructor at Gordon College of Theology and Missions (now Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary), Wenham, Massachusetts from 1942–45. He was an associate professor of New Testament and Greek from 1946–50, and head of the department of New Testament from 1946–49. In 1950–52 he was an associate professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif, becoming professor of biblical theology in 1952.

Ladd's best-known work, A Theology of the New Testament, has been used by thousands of seminary students since its publication in 1974. This work was enhanced and updated by Donald A. Hagner in 1993.

Ladd was a notable, modern proponent of Historic Premillennialism, and often criticized dispensationalist views. His writings regarding the Kingdom of God (especially his view of inaugurated eschatology) have become a cornerstone of Kingdom theology. His perspective is expressed in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, R. G. Clouse, editor (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1977) and the shorter and more accessible The Gospel of the Kingdom (Paternoster, 1959).

Reviews

[Connor Longaphie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academic, meh.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first chapter is a fantastic (worth the price of the book alone) discussion of the difference between the Biblical and the Greek Dualist worldviews. The last chapter is how wonderful, about how Paul shares in the now-but-not-yet eschatology of the Synoptics. Chapters 2 and 3 are on the Synoptic Gospels and John respectively, and how they don't mean what Bultmann thought they meant, but these discussions are very dated and not needed for most seminarians today. Skip the middle two chapters if you want to save time.

[Jay Yousef]

Great, short book about how the synoptic gospels, John, and Paul are all saying the same thing about God and what the New Covenant means. There is no difference in message, no different gospel and a main thrust of Ladd's argument was the new testament presents an eschatological dualism, very much opposed to the greek dualism b/w soul and body, nominal and phenomenal, physical world and spiritual world.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book to give an overview of Hebraic and Greek thought and worldview and then a pass through the Gospels and Paul to show where one could wrongly read the Scriptures through Greek and Platonic thought instead of hearing what the writers actually wrote. Definitely a book I'd like to read back through with a bit more time.