theologians, effectively represents the sum total of the accumulated biblical exegesis of the Christian church. It is not on a par with Scripture—some of it may even mislead us—but we neglect it at our peril and use it to our great advantage. I make no attempt in what follows to reinvent the exegetical wheel. I engage in close biblical exegesis where it is necessary to consider a matter more thoroughly. This is where the common misunderstanding of the post-Reformation slogan sola Scriptura can be