Peter Oakes' Review in its entirety

In terms of NT scholarship, this London School of Theology PhD thesis is essentially a defence of a Lloyd Gaston-type reading of πρῶτον in Rom. 1.16, combined with a Wirkungsgeschichte of the term in relation to Christian mission to Jews. The book is in four main sections. The first is the Wirkungsgeschichte which concludes that, until 1809, this πρῶτον was interpreted temporally, with or without a theological overlay that the gospel had gone to Jews first because of their election as a people. The 1809 formation of The London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews (also called The London Jews Society) saw the first use of the πρῶτον as expressing the idea of a permanent priority for mission to Jews, a usage that later became particularly popular in the Jews for Jesus organization, from its foundation in 1973. The second section is a survey of scholarship on arguments (from various biblical texts) that have been used to support what Fritz calls the ‘missional priority’ reading of πρῶτον. The third section is exegesis of Rom. 1.16-17. The kernel of the book is a 14-page study of πρῶτον. Fritz particularly favours 3.2 as a clue to interpreting 1.16. He supports Gaston’s view that Paul’s stress is actually on ‘but also to the Greek’, i.e., defence of mission to the Gentiles, and that the preceding clause can be rendered ‘To the Jews of course’ (cf. Gaston, Paul and the Torah, p. 118) or, with Calvin, ‘to the Jew especially...’, although without losing the idea that it had actually happened – been already given to the Jews first. Romans 3.2 then provides Paul’s justification for this point: the Jews were entrusted with the gospel beforehand (cf. Gal. 3.6-9) in the scripture. The fourth section is an exegetically and theologically rather broader and looser defence of Christian mission to Jews based especially on Rom. 9–11 and the ‘first’/‘last’ sayings in the gospels.

Fritz has worked for Jews for Jesus (although he is not a Jew) but arrived at a central exegetical conclusion contrary to the organization’s normal use of Rom. 1.16. His arguments for doing so look reasonable, although are not especially original. Fritz also somewhat undermines missional use of that verse by tracing that back only to 1809. Most interest in this book will probably be in the Wirkungsgeschichte itself. Many libraries will be interested to have evidence of this usage brought together and analysed, a task that Fritz has tackled very effectively.

Peter Oakes, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 37.5, August 2015

Review Extract - Extrait de Recension

Another review has been published in the Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 37.5, August 2015. Here is an excerpt:

"Most interest in this book will probably be in the Wirkungsgeschichte ['History of the Effect', or how the expression 'to the Jew first' was understood throughout history, according to different contexts] itself. Many libraries will be interested to have evidence of this usage brought together and analysed, a task that Fritz has tackled very effectively." 

Peter Oakes, Greenwood Senior Lecturer in the New Testament, The University of Manchester


Une autre recension a été publiée dans le Journal for the Study of the New Testament 37.5 en Août 2015. En voici un extrait :

"Le plus intéressant dans ce livre est probablement la 'Wirkungsgeschichte' ['Histoire de l'Effet', ou comment l'expression 'au Juif premièrement' a été comprise au travers de l'Histoire, selon les différents contexts]. De nombreuses bibliothèques seront intéressées d'avoir les attestations de l'utilisation de l'expression, rassemblées et analysées très efficacement par Fritz."

Peter Oakes, Professeur de Nouveau Testament, Titulaire de la chair de Greenwood à l'Université de Manchester

Not to us first - Non à nous premièrement

Through my studies, I have been constantly reminded how much the Bible had not been written first to us. Sure, at the Seminary, I have often been told that each text should be considered in its context, but at the same time there were this traditional evangelical approach which was encouraging us to read the Bible as if God had addressed it directly to us. It is right too, but let's be reminded that it had not been written first to us, and let's consider how the people it had been written to were reading it, in their own historical context. Having done this, I am sure that the Bible will speak to us too!

Mes études doctorales m'ont constamment rappelé combien la Bible n'avait pas été écrite premièrement pour nous . Bien sûr, à la Faculté de Théologie, nos professeurs nous disaient souvent que chaque texte devait être considéré dans son contexte ; en même temps, l'approche évangélique traditionnelle nous encourageait à lire la Bible comme si elle s'adressait directement à nous. Ceci est aussi vrai, mais n'oublions pas qu'elle n'a pas été adressée premièrement à nous. Considérons donc les destinataires de celle-ci, dans leur contexte propre historique. Ce faisant, je suis sûr que la Bible nous parlera aussi à nous !