BiblicalStudies.org.uk

Blog Interview on-line on the Exiled Preacher's Blog

2009-07-03T12:47:00.002Z

Guy Davies, aka The Exiled Preacher, recently invited me to be interviewed for his Blog. You can read the interview in full here. I think that Guy has a real gift for asking good questions!

I. Howard Marshall on Aspects of the Biblical View of History

2009-07-02T00:01:00.002Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

I. Howard Marshall, "Aspects of the Biblical View of History," Faith and Thought 110.1, 2 (1983): 54-68.

I. Howard Marshall on the Jewish Dispersion in New Testament Times

2009-06-29T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

I. Howard Marshall, "Dispersion in New Testament Times," Faith and Thought 100.3 (1972-3): 237-258.

This article provides some extremely valuable insights into a significant area of New Testament background and early Christian missions.

David Clines on the Theology of the Flood Narrative

2009-06-25T00:01:00.001Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

D.J.A. Clines, "The Theology of the Flood Narrative," Faith and Thought 100.2 (1972-3): 128-142.

Arthur Jones on the Dogma of Evolution

2009-06-22T00:01:00.001Z

The following article is now available in iPaper and PDF:

Arthur Jones, "The Dogma of Evolution," Faith and Thought 98.2, 3 (1970): 25-42.

Table of Contents for Anvil journal now complete from 1984-2008

2009-06-17T00:01:00.001Z

I have completed - with the help of All Nations College Library - a complete table of contents for the Anglican journal Anvil. It can be found on-line here.

New File Format for On-line Articles - Feedback Requested

2009-06-15T12:44:00.002Z

One of the constant challenges when placing material on-line is to produce readable text that can be spidered by search engines, produced quickly and is of a small enough file size to be accessed by those in the developing world using dial-up connections. OK - that's a whole bundle of challenges rolled into one!

I was recently introduced to a new file format - Deja Vu (.djvu) which produces files which combine an image with an OCRed text overlay. Deja Vu is superior to the Adobe equivalent in that the files are much smaller and can be produced from images scanned at only 200 dpi.

I have been testing the new format on articles from the Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society. So far I have been able to upload 2 entire volumes in the same time it would have taken to upload about 4 articles using my usual method of Scan & OCR -> MS Word format -> Print -> Proofread -> PDF.

I will probably add PDF's versions in the course of time, but at least something will be available quickly. You will probably need to download a browser plugin to read the articles - a link is included on the page.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Mark Greene on Aspects of the Samson Story (Judges 13-16)

2009-06-15T00:01:00.002Z

The following article is now available in PDF:

Mark Greene, "Enigma Variations: Aspects of the Samson Story (Judges 13-16)," Vox Evangelica 21 (1991): 53-80.

This is one of the best articles I have read for some time and should provide plenty of inspiration to anyone preparing a sermon on Samson - indeed to anyone remotely interested in the book of Judges - highly recommended.

Frank E. Gaebelein on the Unity of the Bible

2009-06-11T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

Frank E. Gaebelein, "The Unity of the Bible," Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press, 1959. pp.389-401.

J. Norval Geldenhuys on Authority and the Bible

2009-06-09T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now on-line in both iPaper and PDF:

J. Norval Geldenhuys, "Authority and the Bible," Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press, 1959. pp.371-386.

Merrill C. Tenney on Reversals of New Testament Criticism

2009-06-05T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is available in both iPaper and PDF:

Merrill C. Tenney, "Reversals of New Testament Criticism," Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press, 1959. pp.353-367.

N.H. Ridderbos on Reversals of Old Testament Criticism

2009-06-03T00:01:00.002Z

The following article is now on-line in both iPaper and PDF:

N.H. Ridderbos, "Reversals of Old Testament Criticism," Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press, 1959. pp.335-350.

F.F. Bruce on The Transfiguration

2009-06-03T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

F.F. Bruce, "The Transfiguration," Inter-Varsity (Summer 1961): 19-21.

A brief but helpful study of the subject.

F.F. Bruce on Textual Criticism

2009-06-01T00:01:00.001Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

F.F. Bruce, "Textual Criticism," The Christian Graduate 6 (1956): 135-139.

Bruce's study is still useful to the Bible student.

F.F. Bruce on Archaeological Confirmation of the New Testament

2009-05-29T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

F.F. Bruce, "Archaeological Confirmation of the New Testament," Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press, 1959. pp.319-331.

Bruce's article stands the test of time better than Wiseman's in this volume. Well worth reading.

NIV Archaeological Study Bible – A Review

2009-05-28T18:00:00.001Z

Ever since I first read the archaeological supplement in my Thompson Chain Reference Bible I have found the subject of Biblical archaeology fascinating. For that reason I was delighted when Zondervan sent me a copy of the NIV Archaeological Study Bible to review.

The main feature of the Archaeological Study Bible is the inclusion of 500 articles of various lengths (200 words). These are placed under several thematic headings:

Ancient Peoples, Lands and Rulers

These include “The Location of Eden,” “Josiah, Zechariah and Neco II,” “The Annals of Sargon II,” “Babylon,” “Antiochus IV Epiphanes,”

Archaeological Sites

These include: “Beth Shemesh,” “Sheba,” “Hezekiah’s Tunnel,” “Gezer,” "Byblos,” “Thebes,” “Adullam,” “The Pool of Siloam,” “Masada,” “Crete,”

Ancient Texts and Artifacts

These include: “Ancient Creation Narratives,” “The Sumerian King List,” “Ugaritic Liturgy Against Venomous Snakes,” “The Teaching of Amenemope,” “the Apocrypha,”

The Reliability of the Bible

The include: “The Documentary Hypothesis,” “Alternative Theories About The Exodus,” “The Chronology of Ezra and Nehemiah,” “The Canonicity of Esther,” “The Problem of the Septuagint Version of Jeremiah,” “The Unity of Amos,”

Cultural and Historical Notes

These include: “The Golden Calf,” “"The Jewish Calendar,” “The Judges Period,” “Dagon,” “Siege Warfare,” “Idols and Idol Making,” “Baptism in the Ancient World,”

Ancient Voices

Short quotations of ANE writings showing a parallel theme to the passage next to which they are placed.

There are also some helpful charts, a glossary of terms used and the usual complement of maps.

I have to say that despite reading some of the negative reviews of this Bible on-line, I thought that the notes were generally helpful and balanced. They take a conservative view in most cases, presenting the argument well for an early Exodus, the unity of Isaiah and a 7th Century date for the composition of the Book of Daniel. There are obvious difficulties involved in reducing these complex arguments to a 200 word summary, but in most cases this has been achieved while still admitting the possibility of a different interpretation of the evidence. I say in most cases, because the notes take a strongly egalitarian view of the gender passages in the New Testament and do not admit any possibility that this might be not what the archaeological evidence points too, or indeed, that there is any other way of viewing the passages at all!

One of my favourite notes is found on page 1594: "The Legend of the Needle's Eye Gate". It correctly argues that the existence of a 'Needle's Eye Gate' in the wall of Jerusalem is based not on archaeology, but on a medieval legend. Far from illuminating one of Jesus' "Hard Sayings" the legend of the Needle's Eye Gate actually weakens its meaning. Preachers, take note!

So, on the whole, I would recommend this Bible to anyone with an interest in archaeology, as long as they use it to whet their appetite for other more detailed works on the subject. One final caveat: unless you are younger than me or have exceptionally good eyesight I would not recommend the use of the "Personal Size" Version without access to a strong magnifying glass!

Donald J. Wiseman on Archaeological Confirmation of the Old Testament

2009-05-27T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

Donald J. Wiseman, "Archaeological Confirmation of the Old Testament," Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press, 1959. pp.301-316.

As you might expect some parts of this article are rather dated and need to be checked against more recent works on archaeology, such as Kenneth Kitchen's On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Eerdmans, 2006).

Alan R. Millard on Archaeology and the Reliability of the Bible

2009-05-26T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now available in both iPaper and PDF:

Alan R. Millard, “Archaeology and the Reliability of the Bible,” Evangel 9:2 (1991): 22-25.

Professor Millard concludes:

To set out to seek to ‘prove’ the Bible from archaeology is a foolish and misconceived task. Archaeology and the Bible are seen to complement each other the more the ancient near east is studied with a positive attitude. Often archaeological discoveries will add to the overall context of the Bible, some will show that the biblical statements or narratives could be true or correct, without being able to prove that they are so, and a few will relate closely to the biblical text, demonstrating its accuracy in various respects. With regard to the trustworthiness of the Bible, therefore, archaeology is a useful tool for setting the text in its context and so pointing to a fuller evaluation. The better that context is understood, the more trustworthy the Bible appears as an ancient book. The claims it makes in the spiritual realm can only be proved trustworthy by the exercise of faith, a situation as true in biblical times as it is today.

Hitherto Unpublished Lecture by C.F.D. Moule - Jesus: Grounds for the Christian Estimate

2009-05-25T20:10:00.008Z

A few weeks ago I was contacted by an Anglican minister from Wales with an enquiry about the rights to the works of the late Professor Charlie Moule. To cut a long story short (it is included in the article if you are interested), he had been sent a copy of the original text of a lecture given in Cambridge in 1968. After successfully tracking down the executor of the Moule estate I am now delighted to publish for the first time this fascinating piece of work:

C.F.D. Moule, Jesus: Grounds for the Christian Estimate. A lecture delivered at Cambridge University in the Lent term, 1968.

Alan R. Millard on How Can Archaeology Contribute to the Study of the Bible

2009-05-25T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now on-line in both iPaper and PDF:

Alan R. Millard, “How Can Archaeology Contribute to the Study of the Bible?” Evangel 9:1 (1991): 9-12.

This is the first of two articles on biblical archaeology - both are well worth reading.

Another Painless Way to Support BiblicalStudies.org.uk

2009-05-22T06:51:00.004Z

Many of my regular readers will know that I hope to be able to make developing these websites my full time job. At present the sites attract around a million visitors each year. Of these only six support the sites by regular giving. I know many others click through the Google ads and links to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk - and for all of these I am extremely grateful.

As the current site income amounts to around 6% of that which I would need to go full-time I am always on the look-out for other ways of generating revenue without placing any extra burdens on my visitors in what we all recognise is a very difficult time. I am also conscious that there is a limit to how much space can be given over to advertising before it becomes annoying.

For these reasons I was pleased to learn about the Swagbucks scheme. Basically Swagbucks works by replacing your normal search engine in your browser and awards you points (called Swagbucks) randomly as you use it. Swagbucks uses Google results so it normally gives you the results you're looking for (I have found this to be true in around 95% of the searches I have done using it). The points acrued can then be exchanged for various goods and services - including Amazon.com vouchers (currently 45 Swagbucks = $5 Amazon voucher). If you recommend a new user you receive up to 100 points (as the new user earns them). With this in mind I am suggesting that you might consider signing up to Swagbucks using the link below. I am hoping that at least 100 people would sign up and support me in this way.

For other ways to support the websites, click here.

Ernest F. Kevan on The Principles of Interpretation

2009-05-22T00:01:00.001Z

The following article is now on-line in both iPaper and PDF:

Ernest F. Kevan, "The Principles of Interpretation," Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press, 1959. pp.285-298.

J. Theodore Mueller on The Holy Spirit and the Scriptures

2009-05-20T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is available in both iPaper and PDF:

J. Theodore Mueller, "The Holy Spirit and the Scriptures," Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press, 1959. pp.267-281.

B.B. Warfield on the Inspiration of the Bible

2009-05-18T00:01:00.000Z

The following article is now on-line in both iPaper and PDF:

Benjamin B. Warfield, “Inspiration,” James Orr, Gen. Ed., International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Vol. 3. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1939. Hbk. pp.1473-1483.

B.B. Warfield summarises what is often regarded as the classic statement of the subject.

Jenny Smith on the Discourse Structure of the Rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-22)

2009-05-15T00:01:00.002Z

The following article is now available in PDF:

Jenny Smith, "The Discourse Structure of the Rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-22)," Vox Evangelica 20 (1990): 21-42.

This is an interesting study of a difficult and often overlooked passage.

Book Aid [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:42:14-08:00

Not to be confused with Book Aid International - a more recent secular imitator. Book Aid collected Christian Books to be sent out to Africa where they are in short supply.

Web Style Guide, 2nd Edition [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:39:53-08:00

Should be recommended reading for all webmasters!

Welcome to the Wipf and Stock Publishers [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:35:02-08:00

Reprint a large number ofotherwise unobtainable titles

Biblical Studies Rare Books [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:29:25-08:00

Another sources of freely downloadable books

The Tertullian Project [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:23:14-08:00

All you ever wanted to know about Tertullian - and much more

Early Church Fathers - Additional Works in English Translation unavailable elsewhere online [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:21:01-08:00

A superb site hosted by Roger Pearce. Roger share's my interest in making important dicuments available to everyone at no cost.

The New Testament Gateway [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:12:53-08:00

A tremendous resource for an serious student of theology

Tyndale House, Doorway to Biblical Studies [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:11:30-08:00

One of the finest library of evangelical titles in Europe.

bible.org [del.icio.us]

2006-11-14T14:08:49-08:00

Provide an excellent in-depth Bible training course

TheologicalStudies.org.uk: An Introduction to the Site [del.icio.us]

2006-08-21T01:02:54-07:00

http://www.medievalchurch.org.uk/ [del.icio.us]

2006-08-21T01:02:31-07:00

EarlyChurch.org.uk: An Internet Resource for the Study of the Early Centuries of Christianity [del.icio.us]

2006-08-21T01:02:10-07:00

BiblicalStudies.org.uk: Making Biblical Scholarship Accessible [del.icio.us]

2006-08-21T01:01:52-07:00

Extensive bibliographies and many full-text theological articles and books.