Download or read book Divine Instruction in Early Christianity written by Stephen E. Witmer and published by Mohr Siebeck. This book was released on 2008 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stephen E. Witmer investigates an important aspect of early Christian self-understanding: the conviction of some early followers of Jesus that they had been, and were being, taught by God, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophetic promises (especially Isa 54:13 and Jer 31:33-34). While concentrating upon the idea of divine instruction in the Johannine corpus, he also gives attention to the Pauline writings and to Matthew. This allows for an analysis of the way in which multiple early Christian communities understood the concept; both the unity and diversity of NT developments of the idea are noteworthy. The author argues that the early Christian communities re-interpreted the prophetic promise of eschatological divine instruction in light of the teaching of Jesus and the Spirit.