Macht - Dienst - Demut

Contradictory to a theologically undifferentiated comparison between power, which is seen as negative, and powerlessness, which is interpreted as positive, Reinhard Feldmeier shows that power is always the issue in the New Testament, from Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God to the Pauline designation of the gospel as the power of God and the reference to the Almighty God in the Revelation of John. In doing so, he distinguishes between the concepts of power: The power which the devil offers Jesus at the beginning has a different quality than the power which God grants to the Risen One in heaven and on earth. In view of the understanding of God's power, the author explains how this is a force which empowers others. In addition, he draws ethical conclusions in view of the way human beings deal with power in the community of believers as well as in the state.