Case Studies on New Testament Passages

Why this matters

Case studies are where your method turns into mastery. Instead of memorizing lists, you’ll practice moving from text → context → theology → discipleship across multiple genres (Gospels, Acts, Paul, General Epistles, Revelation). The competency exam will press you to do exactly this under time pressure. Think of the following studies as worked examples you can imitate.

Method you can reuse (4 steps):

1. Locate the text: literary unit, immediate context, book purpose.

2. Observe features: structure, repeated words, OT echoes, key Greek terms.

3. Interpret: what the author does with the text for that audience.

4. Integrate: connect to NT theology (Christology, kingdom, salvation, church, eschatology) and name 1–2 concrete practices.
   (Carson & Moo, 2005; Gorman, 2017; Keener, 2012; Hays, 2016).

Case Study 1 — Mark 2:1–12 (Healing the Paralytic): Authority to Forgive, the Kingdom Revealed

1) Locate

In Mark’s opening cycle (1:1–3:6), Jesus’ authority confronts religious leaders. 2:1–12 sits in a controversy sequence (2:1–3:6) climaxing with a plot to kill Jesus (3:6). Mark’s Gospel aims to show the Messiah-Son of God revealed paradoxically at the cross (1:1; 8:31–38).

2) Observe

• Structure: Crowds (vv. 1–2) → friends’ audacious access (vv. 3–4) → pronounced forgiveness (v. 5) → scribal objection (vv. 6–7) → authority claim verified by healing (vv. 8–12).

• Key terms: exousia (“authority,” v. 10); “Son of Man” (Dan 7 echo).

• Imagery: The roof opening dramatizes faith’s persistence; the bed carried out signals holistic restoration.

• Subtext: In 2:7 the scribes object using a divine prerogative category: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

3) Interpret

Mark presents Jesus exercising God’s own prerogatives (forgiveness), validating the claim by a visible sign (healing). The Son of Man title fuses authority (Dan 7) with the suffering path later revealed (8:31). Faith is corporate (the friends’ faith) and audacious. Conflict is theological, not merely therapeutic (Burridge, 2004; Carson & Moo, 2005).

4) Integrate

• Christology: Jesus is inside the divine identity (Hurtado’s devotion pattern; Bauckham’s identity thesis).

• Kingdom: God’s reign invades with forgiveness and restoration.

• Salvation: Not less than pardon, more than healing—new life under Jesus’ authority.

• Church: Communities carry people to Jesus; faith is intercessory and communal.

• Practice: Build ministries where confession and healing belong together (Jas 5:14–16).
  (Burridge, 2004; Hurtado, 2003; Bauckham, 2008; Gorman, 2017).

Exam sketch (30 seconds): In Mark 2:1–12 Jesus publicly claims and demonstrates authority to forgive sins—a divine prerogative—signaling the kingdom’s arrival and provoking conflict. The Son of Man exercises Danielic authority through merciful restoration, calling for faith that acts and a church that carries others to Christ.

Case Study 2 — Luke 4:16–30 (Nazareth Manifesto): Jubilee Fulfilled, Salvation’s Social Texture

1) Locate

Early in Luke, after Spirit-anointed baptism and testing, Jesus returns to his hometown. Luke’s purpose: narrate God’s saving plan from Israel to the nations, highlighting Spirit, prayer, table, and the poor (Luke–Acts as two-volume work; Keener, 2012).

2) Observe

• Reading: Isa 61:1–2 (+ Isa 58 echoes): good news to the poor, release, sight, Jubilee.

• Claim: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21).

• Turn: Initial admiration turns to rage when Jesus cites Elijah/Elisha blessing outsiders (vv. 25–27).

• Violent rejection: Attempted cliff-throw foreshadows the cross.

3) Interpret

Luke frames Jesus as Spirit-anointed herald of Jubilee whose mission includes outsiders, reconfiguring expectations of insider privilege. Nazareth typifies Israel’s mixed response—praise until gentile inclusion and moral challenge offend (Wright, 1996; Keener, 2012).

4) Integrate

• Christology/Kingdom: Jesus embodies the Isaianic Servant; the kingdom’s arrival is liberative.

• Salvation: Not only forgiveness, also release from captivity and sight—personal and social.

• Church: Spirit-filled communities practice Jubilee economics (generosity, hospitality, Acts 2:42–47).

• Practice: Discern where hometown familiarity resists Jesus’ inclusive mission; teach table practices that cross status lines.
  (Wright, 1996; Keener, 2012; Gorman, 2017; Hays, 2016).

Exam sketch: Luke 4 declares Jubilee fulfilled in Jesus. Salvation is Spirit-powered and socially textured; the scandal is God’s grace to outsiders. The church lives Jubilee in generous hospitality and mission beyond comfort zones.

Case Study 3 — Acts 15:1–21 (Jerusalem Council): Scripture-Shaped Unity in a Multiethnic Church

1) Locate

After the Gentile inrush (Acts 10–14), a crisis erupts: must Gentiles be circumcised and keep the law of Moses? Acts aims to show the risen Jesus continuing his mission by the Spirit to the nations (1:8; Keener, 2012).

2) Observe

• Problem: Some from Judea require circumcision (15:1,5).

• Process: Apostles and elders meet; Peter recounts the Spirit’s work; Paul & Barnabas report signs; James cites Amos 9:11–12 (with LXX wording) to frame inclusion.

• Decision: No Torah boundary markers; a minimal table-fellowship code (vv. 19–21) to preserve unity.

3) Interpret

Authority in the early church is triangulated: Spirit’s activity, Scripture’s story, apostolic discernment. James reads Amos figually: David’s tent restored = Messiah’s people rebuilt, so Gentiles may seek the Lord as Gentiles (Hays, 2016).

4) Integrate

• Christology/Kingdom: The risen Davidic king is gathering a people for his name.

• Salvation/Church: Inclusion by faith/Spirit, not ethnic boundary markers; unity requires mutual accommodation (1 Cor 9:19–23).

• Practice: In diverse churches, ask: what concessions secure table fellowship without re-erecting boundary walls?
  (Keener, 2012; Gorman, 2017; Hays, 2016; Wright, 2003).

Exam sketch: Acts 15 models Spirit-Scripture-community discernment. The gospel forms one new family where Gentiles belong without becoming Jews; unity is safeguarded by pastoral concessions, not legalism.

Case Study 4 — Romans 3:21–26 (+ 5:1–11): God’s Righteousness, the Cross, and Justifying Grace

1) Locate

Romans unfolds God’s covenant faithfulness (righteousness) revealed in Messiah Jesus for Jew and Gentile, producing a worship-shaped people (1–11 → 12–15). 3:21–26 is the thesis paragraph for justification (Carson & Moo, 2005).

2) Observe

• “But now” (v. 21) = eschatological shift.

• Righteousness of God apart from the law yet attested by Law/Prophets.

• Christ as hilastērion (“mercy seat”/atoning sacrifice).

• Purpose clauses: To show God’s justice and justify the one of faith in Jesus.

• 5:1–11 shows fruits: peace, hope, reconciliation, love poured out by the Spirit.

3) Interpret

Paul weaves law-court (justification), cultic (mercy seat), and participatory horizons (developed in ch. 6). God remains just while justifying the ungodly through Jesus’s faithful obedience and atoning death (Schreiner, 2008; Dunn, 1998).

4) Integrate

• Christology: Jesus is place and means of atonement.

• Salvation: Justification by faith brings peace and reconciliation; it creates Jew–Gentile unity (Rom 3:27–30).

• Church: A new status forms a new social body (Rom 14–15).

• Practice: Ground assurance in God’s action, not performance; make churches where status walls collapse.
  (Carson & Moo, 2005; Schreiner, 2008; Dunn, 1998; Gorman, 2017).

Exam sketch: Romans 3:21–26 declares God’s righteousness revealed apart from Torah, in Christ as mercy seat, so God is just and justifier. The result is a reconciled people who live peace and hope by the Spirit (5:1–11).

Case Study 5 — Philippians 2:5–11 (Christ Hymn): Cruciform Lordship and Communal Ethic

1) Locate

Paul writes from prison to a loyal partner church, urging unity and humility. The Christ hymn grounds ethic in Christology (Gorman, 2017).

2) Observe

• Descent → Ascent: pre-existence, self-emptying (kenōsis), obedient death, exaltation and name above every name.

• Isa 45 allusion: YHWH’s unique name and universal homage now ascribed to Jesus.

• Frame: “Have this mind among yourselves” (v. 5).

3) Interpret

Paul presents Jesus’ self-giving as the pattern for communal life; the hymn enacts Bauckham’s “divine identity” thesis—Jesus participates in the unique divine sovereignty (Bauckham, 2008).

4) Integrate

• Christology: Highest: Jesus receives the divine name.

• Church: Unity through downward mobility; leadership is self-emptying service.

• Practice: Build habits (confession, mutual honor, shared mission) that perform the hymn.
  (Gorman, 2017; Bauckham, 2008; Dunn, 1998).

Exam sketch: Phil 2:5–11 links ethic to identity: the church’s unity flows from Christ’s kenotic lordship—God exalts the servant. The result is cruciform community and missional credibility.

Case Study 6 — Hebrews 10:19–25: Priestly Access and the Necessity of Assembly

1) Locate

After expounding Jesus’ once-for-all priestly work (7–10:18), the author turns to exhortation (10:19–13:25). The community is tempted to drift under pressure (deSilva, 2004).

2) Observe

• Since… therefore structure: access through Jesus’ blood; great priest over God’s house.

• Triad of imperatives: Draw near, hold fast, consider one another to stir up love and good works.

• Assembly command: Don’t neglect meeting; encourage “as you see the Day drawing near.”

3) Interpret

Soteriology is corporate: priestly access creates a worshiping, mutual-provoking community. Perseverance is not private grit but assembled encouragement (Lane, 1991; deSilva, 2004).

4) Integrate

• Christology: High priest mediates new-covenant access.

• Church: Assembly is essential to salvation’s practice.

• Eschatology: The Day motivates rhythms of meet/encourage.

• Practice: Anchor communities in gathered disciplines (Word, table, hospitality, intercession).
  (Lane, 1991; deSilva, 2004).

Exam sketch: Heb 10:19–25 argues that priestly access demands public assembly for mutual perseverance. Draw near, hold fast, stir up—this is how pilgrims make it home.

Case Study 7 — 1 Peter 2:9–12: Exilic Identity and Public Witness

1) Locate

To scattered believers facing marginalization, 1 Peter supplies identity scripts and household ethics (Jobes, 2005).

2) Observe

• Identity cascade: “Chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, people for God’s possession” (Exod 19; Isa 43 echoes).

• Purpose clause: “That you may proclaim his excellencies.”

• Conduct: As sojourners/exiles, abstain from passions; keep conduct honorable so outsiders may glorify God.

3) Interpret

Peter fuses priestly and exilic motifs: holiness becomes missional apologetic—visible goodness under scrutiny (Jobes, 2005).

4) Integrate

• Church: A temple-people whose works proclaim the gospel.

• Kingdom/Ethics: Honor, service, and submission for the Lord’s sake (2:13–17) are public witness.

• Practice: Catechize identity; train civic virtue without idolatry.
  (Jobes, 2005; Gorman, 2017).

Exam sketch: 1 Pet 2:9–12 names the church as royal-priestly exiles, charged to proclaim and display God’s excellencies so that slander turns to glory on the visitation day.

Case Study 8 — Revelation 21:1–5 (with 22:1–5): New Creation Descends

1) Locate

After Babylon’s fall and the Lamb’s victory, John sees new heaven and new earth, the holy city descending. Revelation is apocalypse, prophecy, and letter to seven churches in Roman Asia (Koester, 2014).

2) Observe

• “New heaven and new earth”; no sea (chaos).

• City-bride imagery; dwelling (skēnē) of God with humans.

• Five “no mores”: tears, death, mourning, crying, pain; “I am making all things new.”

• 22:1–5: River of life, tree of life, healing of nations, they will reign.

3) Interpret

John weaves Isa 60; 65–66; Ezek 40–48; Zech 14 to portray creation healed and God’s presence immediate. New creation is continuity through judgment, not annihilation (Bauckham, 1993; Beale, 1999).

4) Integrate

• Christology: The Lamb-Lord is the city’s lamp.

• Eschatology: Hope is embodied (work, nations, kings), holy (nothing unclean), and communal.

• Church: Live mini-new-creation now: reconciled relationships, just economics, worship that resists Babylon (ch. 18).

• Practice: Preach hope that fuels perseverance and public holiness.
  (Bauckham, 1993; Beale, 1999; Koester, 2014; deSilva, 2009).

Exam sketch: Rev 21–22 shows God coming down to dwell with renewed humanity; judgment cleared the field for healed creation. The church embodies this future in worship, justice, and hope.

How to use these models on the exam

1. Write your 3-line frame first (in pencil): context → claim → consequence. Example (Rom 3:21–26): “Thesis of justification in a Jew-Gentile letter; God’s righteousness revealed in Christ as mercy seat; result = just God, justified people, unified church.”

2. Name one OT echo (even in Paul): e.g., hilastērion → mercy seat (Exod 25).

3. Connect to the five themes in 1–2 sentences.

4. Land with practice: one credible implication for worship, community, mission, ethics.

Additional passages to practice on your own (prompts)

• John 1:14–18 — Word tabernacles: trace Exodus echoes (glory, grace/truth), then land in church presence and mission (Hays, 2016).

• 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 — Table abuse: integrate church as body, economics, discernment; propose concrete table reforms (Gorman, 2017).

• Galatians 3:23–29 — Law as pedagogue; baptismal identity; new creation family beyond boundary markers (Dunn, 1998).

• James 2:14–26 — Faith completed by works; harmonize with Paul by target distortion; propose mercy practices (Moo, 2015).

Use the 4-step method; keep your answers tight but textured.

Review questions (exam prep)

1. Using Acts 15, explain how Spirit, Scripture, and community interact in major church decisions.

2. How does Philippians 2:5–11 ground ethics in Christology? Name the Isaiah 45 echo and its significance.

3. In Mark 2:1–12, how do forgiveness and healing reveal the kingdom and precipitate conflict?

4. Show how Romans 3:21–26 integrates law-court, cultic, and participatory models of salvation.

5. What does Revelation 21–22 teach about the continuity and transformation of creation? Name the OT intertexts that shape your answer.

References (APA)

Bauckham, R. (1993). The theology of the Book of Revelation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Bauckham, R. (2008). Jesus and the God of Israel: God crucified and other studies on the New Testament’s Christology of divine identity. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Beale, G. K. (1999). The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Burridge, R. A. (2004). What are the Gospels? A comparison with Graeco-Roman biography (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Carson, D. A., & Moo, D. J. (2005). An introduction to the New Testament (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
deSilva, D. A. (2009). Seeing things John’s way: The rhetoric of the Book of Revelation. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox.
deSilva, D. A. (2004). An introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, methods & ministry formation. Downers Grove, IL: IVP.
Dunn, J. D. G. (1998). The theology of Paul the apostle. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Gorman, M. J. (2017). Apostle of the crucified Lord: A theological introduction to Paul and his letters (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Hays, R. B. (2016). Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.
Hurtado, L. W. (2003). Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in earliest Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Keener, C. S. (2012). Acts: An exegetical commentary (Vol. 1). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Lane, W. L. (1991). Hebrews 9–13 (Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 47B). Dallas, TX: Word.
Moo, D. J. (2015). The Letter of James (2nd ed., Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Schreiner, T. R. (2008). New Testament theology: Magnifying God in Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Wright, N. T. (1996). Jesus and the victory of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol. 2). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
Wright, N. T. (2003). The resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol. 3). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.

Closing encouragement

Master the method, then practice it on multiple genres. If you can (1) place a passage in its book’s purpose, (2) show how its literary features work, (3) integrate it with the NT’s five themes, and (4) land it in church practice, you’ll be ready for any case study the competency exam throws your way.