‘Qui se ressemble s'assemble’: le proverbe exprime bien les forces d'attirance et de convenance mutuelles qui agglomèrent peuples, sociétés et communautés. Ces forces sont bien connues des sociologues dont la science consiste précisément à analyser les lois de cohésion ou de répulsion qui régissent les groupes, à identifier intérêts, idéaux, totems ou principes qui aimantent les assemblages. Sur ce point la Novi Testamenti Societas n'échappe pas à la règle.

The various questions which are raised by the opening chapters of I Corinthians have been extensively examined in recent years. Among the problems is that of Paul's reference to ‘the rulers of this age’ in relation to wisdom. It is with this phrase in its context that the present paper is concerned. Why did Paul insert it here? To whom does he refer? What does the mention of the archons contribute to the argument of these opening chapters of the letter?

o. Der Abschnitt Matth. xvi. 17–19 ist in der Exegese des NT überdurchschnittlich häufig behandelt worden. Selbst die zusammenfassenden Arbeiten gehen über das gute Dutzend weit hinaus. Auch innerhalb der neueren Untersuchungen zum Petruswort divergieren die sprachliche, die historische und die formgeschichtliche Einordnung so sehr, daß eine erneute Untersuchung lohnt.

In a recent article on the interpretation of the Old Testament in the New Testament Traugott Holtz takes as his point of departure the twice repeated kata tas graphas of I Cor. xv. 3, 5. C. H. Dodd took the same words for the title of his influential book, According to the Scriptures. So we may suitably start with this for our consideration of the place of the Old Testament in the formation of New Testament theology. Paul's use of this phrase in the credo of I Cor. xv is remarkable. For one thing, it is the clearest possible case in the New Testament of appeal to the scriptures in order to provide the basis of a theological interpretation of the Christ-event. This at once alerts us to expect the importance of the Old Testament for New Testament theology to be in the realm of christology, or rather of the person and work of Christ. It can be expected to be the most important factor in the primitive church's understanding of its own faith. But another point about I Cor. xv. 3, 5 is even more significant. In this instance Paul does not even consider it necessary to adduce the relevant texts. It is implied that he could do so, if he wished, and scholars have made various suggestions about which texts he actually had in mind. But the point is that he can presuppose that it is sufficient for his argument merely to allude to the possibility of adducing scriptures. And this implies that they are common ground between him and his readers. The scriptures are, then, an agreed basis for discussion. They have an authority which is unquestioned. Consequently it can be taken as axiomatic that they will play a most important, indeed indispensable, part in the formation of New Testament theology.