BibleX

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:24:00 +0000

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews that may be of interest from a Bible Exposition perspective include:

Michael F. Bird
Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7155
Reviewed by Tony Costa

Craig A. Blaising, Carmen S. Hardin, and Quentin F. Wesselschmidt, eds.
Psalms (2 volumes)
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7230
Reviewed by Gert T. M. Prinsloo

Delbert Burkett
Rethinking the Gospel Sources, Volume 2: The Unity and Plurality of Q
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7221
Reviewed by Tobias Hagerland

Greg Carey
Sinners: Jesus and His Earliest Followers
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7238
Reviewed by Burgert De Wet

Andrie Du Toit; edited by Cilliers Breytenbach and David S. Du Toit
Focusing on Paul: Persuasion and Theological Design in Romans and Galatians
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6821
Reviewed by Sheila E. McGinn

Carole R. Fontaine
With Eyes of Flesh: The Bible, Gender and Human Rights
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6897
Reviewed by Robin Gallaher Branch

J. R. Daniel Kirk
Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6995
Reviewed by Jens Herzer

Kenneth L. Schenck
Cosmology and Eschatology in Hebrews: The Settings of the Sacrifice
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6593
Reviewed by Thomas Kraus

Gerhard Sellin
Der Brief an die Epheser
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6758
Reviewed by Angela Standhartinger

Benjamin D. Sommer
The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7216
Reviewed by Gilbert Lozano

David Toshio Tsumura
The First Book of Samuel
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5874
Reviewed by Phillip Camp

Edna Ullmann-Margalit
Out of the Cave: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Dead Sea Scrolls Research
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6740
Reviewed by Samuel Thomas

God and the Law in Acts

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:46:00 +0000

“God is the Author of the law. It was received by the Jews in ordinances—given by angels (7:53). Saul of Tarsus was trained in fine detail in the law-and had a zeal for God (22:3). The law is to be believed (24:14; cf. 26:27). Critics of Stephen said that he made blasphemous statements against Moses and against God, incessantly speaking against the law (6:11, 13–14). It was venerated and not to be changed. Paul denied that he had sinned against the law in any way (25:8). Its divine origin obviously gave it a preeminence.”

Ronald Ward, The Pattern of Our Salvation (Waco, TX: Word, 1978), 359.

Mounce on Poiema in Ephesians 2:10

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:38:00 +0000

Mounce has a good discussion of how not to use Greek in his post on the use of poiema in Ephesians 2:10. Read it here.

Links to Online Research in Biblical Studies

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:35:00 +0000

David Stark has a helpful compilation of links to help in doing online research in biblical studies. Check it out here.

What Do You Have to Prove?

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:38:00 +0000

See this post by Tim Chester.

Preaching and Teaching Laments in the Old Testament

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:15:00 +0000

Walter Kaiser in answering the question, "Why Study and Preach from Laments?" states:

God has placed personal and national laments in Scripture, it would appear, as a corrective against euphoric, celebratory notions of faith, which romantically portray life as consisting only of sweetness and light. Such a one-sided, happiness-only view fails to deal with the realities of life. It drives the hurtful and painful side of life into the corners of faith and practice leaving few guides or comforts from mortals of the Word of God.

Walter C. Kaiser Jr. Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament: A Guide for the Church (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 125.

Malleson on the Prohibitions in Acts 15

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:40:00 +0000

The paragraph below from F. A. Malleson, The Acts and Epistles of St. Paul (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1881), 197, is interesting in that they were published in 1881 but yet anticipates at least two conclusions reached by a number of modern interpreters. First, Malleson seems links the prohibitions in Acts 15:20, 29 to the issue of pagan idolatry. This is a view championed by Ben Witherington and others. Second, Malleson seems to see Law observance as still required of Jewish Christians. This position is also quite prevalent today.

“My sentence, therefore, is, that we neither trouble nor molest by harassing laws of ancient ceremonial those from among the Gentiles who are turned to God, forbearing to lay upon them a yoke which we ourselves are glad to feel removed. But that instead we write unto them to abstain from the pollutions of idol worship; from the uncleanness, and from all manner of foul iniquity, taught and practised by the priests of idolatry; and because the blood of animals is their very source and support of life, that they abstain from the strangled and bloody carcasses of the sacrifices, eating nothing from which the life-blood has not first been poured out. To the converted Jews there will be no need to read this decree, for of old time the Jews of the Dispersion, in every city of the world, hear the Law of Moses read in the synagogue every Sabbath day.”

The Theological Implications of the Historicity of Adam

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:19:00 +0000

Although not new, this essay by Robert Strimple from 1989 nicely summarizes the inherent biblical and theological problems associated with denying an historical Adam. At the end of the essay, Strimple states:

"To conclude: Our understanding of the reality of Adam affects our understanding of sin, of redemption, and of the Redeemer. The one who rejects the Biblical teaching regarding the historical Adam and the historical Fall will find no firm basis for accepting the Biblical teaching regarding the historical, Incarnate Redeemer."

HT: Richard

Persecution and Textual Variants

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:11:00 +0000

Richard Fellows has an interesting post on how the persecution of Nero may have effected the transmission of Romans. Read it here.

Donald J. Wiseman (1918-2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:48:00 +0000

Donald J. Wiseman passed away on February 2. Some readers may know Wiseman through his work in the Old Testament and ancient Near East. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary and is survived by three daughters Gillian, Mary and Jane.

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:23:00 +0000

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews that may be of interest from a Bible Exposition perspective include:

Linda M. Day
Esther
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=4950
Reviewed by Jean-Daniel Macchi

Charles L. Echols
"Tell Me, O Muse": The Song of Deborah (Judges 5) in the Light of Heroic Poetry
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7113
Reviewed by Klaas Spronk

John Goldingay
Psalms: Volume 3: Psalms 90-150
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6965
Reviewed by Leonard Mare

Jonathan Knight
Christian Origins
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6878
Reviewed by Markus Oehler

Kasper Bro Larsen
Recognizing the Stranger: Recognition Scenes in the Gospel of John
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6997
Reviewed by Dorothy Lee

Ramsay MacMullen
The Second Church: Popular Christianity A.D. 200-400
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7069
Reviewed by Charles Bobertz

John P. Meier
A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume 4: Law and Love
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7101
Reviewed by Susan Graham

Stanley E. Porter and Wendy J. Porter, eds.
New Testament Greek Papyri and Parchments: New Editions: Texts and Plates
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6787
Reviewed by Thomas Kraus

Paul L. Redditt
Introduction to the Prophets
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6960
Reviewed by Timothy Sandoval

Magne Sæbø, ed.
Hebrew Bible/Old Testament: The History of Its Interpretation, II: From the Renaissance to the Enlightenment
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7163
Reviewed by W. Dennis Tucker Jr.

Loren Stuckenbruck
1 Enoch 91-108
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6819
Reviewed by Archie T. Wright

Jerry L. Sumney
Colossians: A Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6890
Reviewed by Angela Standhartinger

Free Podcast of Andreas Köstenberger on Johannine Theology

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:13:00 +0000

Listen to Andreas Köstenberger being interbiewd on Knowing the Truth radio program by Pastor Kevin Boling here.

HT: Koinonia Blog

Finding the Big Idea in the Penteteuch

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:01:00 +0000

"How do we find the big idea of the Pentateuch? The answer to that question is simple: we read it. As we read the Pentateuch, we begin to formulate in our minds a sense of what it is about. Once we begin to get a sense of what the Pentateuch is about, we can test our ideas against what we actually find in the Pentateuch. Does our understanding of the Pentateuch's big idea fit with what we find in the text itself? As one reads the Pentateuch, these are the kinds of questions one should ask: Am I forcing my ideas on the Pentateuch? Does my understanding of the big idea need some adjustments? Is my understanding totally wrong and in of need being replaced?"

John Sailhamer, The Meaning of the Pentateuch:Revelation, Composition and Interpretation (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2009), 20.

Application: From Description to Prescription

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:46:00 +0000

Tim Chester has posted a good reminder of how we are to move from description to prescription in application here.

Köstenberger on Five Observations Concerning the Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:31:00 +0000

Andreas Köstenberger has posted the following five observations in answering the question "What is the Gospel?"

1. Divine, not human: The gospel is God’s saving message to a world living in darkness and a humanity lost in its sin.

2. Required, not optional: Acceptance of the gospel is not optional for salvation but rather required, owing to pervasive human sinfulness.

3. Christological, not merely theological: The gospel is not vaguely theological, as if it were amenable to various ways of salvation depending on a person’s belief in a particular kind of god, or depending on the degree to which people were able to hear the gospel presented in a clear way; it is decidedly and concretely Christological, that is, centered on the salvation provided through the vicarious cross-death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. No other gospel: The messianic motif pervading all of Scripture and centering in the Lord Jesus Christ coupled with the risen Jesus’ “Great Commission” for his followers to go and disciple the nations inextricably link an understanding of the gospel as the exclusive message of salvation in Jesus Christ with the church’s mandate to engage in missionary outreach.

5. No other name but Jesus: In light of the clear biblical passages mentioned above and in view of the strong and pervasive trajectory of scriptural references to the gospel there is no proper foundation for arguing for salvation apart from explicit faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture makes clear that humanity is universally sinful, and that God’s wrath remains on every individual who has not placed his or her trust in Jesus Christ on the basis of his substitutionary death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection.

Read the entire post here.

Learn Koine Greek FREE: 1st Semester of Koine Online

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:20:00 +0000

I have already noted this, but here is an official announcement from Michael Halcomb.

I'm pleased to announce that, at this point, you can visit my website GettingGreek and if you follow the lessons in order, you can learn an entire first semester of Greek in 2 months at only 15 minutes a day (that's 1 lesson per day, perhaps your devotional time) or in 1 month at 30 minutes per day (that's 2 lessons per day). There are 61 lessons, each about a page long, with many games, puzzles, podcasts, etc. to supplement them. So, pass the word on and start studying. Click the following link to visit the site: GettingGreek.

The Election of Israel

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:14:00 +0000

Claude Mariottini has a good post on the election of Israel here.

Free Audio Download of Driscoll's Religion Saves

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:05:00 +0000

Although he is not everyone's cup of tea, some might be interested that Christianaudio.com is offering a free audio download of Mark Driscoll's Religion Saves as a free audio download. Go here and use the coupon code FEB2010.

A Lesson in Ecclesiology in One Verse

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:03:00 +0000

1 Corinthians 1:2 (NIV)

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-their Lord and ours:

1. The church belongs to God – “the church of God”
2. The church is local – “in Corinth”
3. The church is sanctified – “those sanctified (hagiazō) in Christ Jesus”
4. The church sanctified is called to holiness – “called to be holy (hagios)”
5. The church is universal – “together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ–their Lord and ours”

Witherington on the Nature of New Testament Worship

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:36:00 +0000

See Ben Witherington's post on the nature of New Testament worship here.

Sociological Dimensions of the Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:39:00 +0000

John Amtstutz, "Beyond Pentecost: A Study of Some Sociological Dimensions of New Testament Church Growth from the Book of Acts," in Essays on Apostolic Themes: Studies in Honor of Howard M. Ervin, ed. Paul Elbert (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1985), 219-20, states that,

"Paul, the apostle of Gentile freedom, saw the issues [related to the gospel] most clearly. They were first and foremost theological. The basis of salvation is faith in the grace of God, not faith in the works of men. But Paul also wisely saw that the issues were sociological as well. Because the basis of salvation was divine grace, not human works, men of all nations could receive salvation as a gift without denying their cultural identity. They could "remain in the state in which they were called" (1 Cor 7:17–24). Paul's ‘theology of calling’ affirmed the validity of cultural diversity among believers. ‘Against the assimilationist pressures of the Judaizers, Paul argued in favor of (cultural) pluralism. Against the cries for Christian (cultural) uniformity Paul raised the banner of Christian liberty.’[1] Paul kept the offense of the gospel where it belonged, in the cross not the culture (1 Cor 1:18–25). Unity in the body of Christ did not require destruction of cultural differences. Rather, it meant the transcending of such differences so that Jews and Gentiles loved one another, not looked like one another. The gospel invited men to move from one kingdom to another, not one culture to another (Col 1:13). Thus Jews remained Jewish and Gentiles remained Gentile, but all were one in Christ, not culture. Is it any wonder, then, that after the decision of the Jerusalem conference the number of Gentiles entering the household of faith greatly increased (Acts 16:20)? Although the door into the household of faith was low, low enough to require all men to bow in humble repentance and faith in God's gift, it was wide enough that men of any nation could enter without losing their diversity in our world, the truly Pentecostal Church will be led of the Spirit to discover modern ways to implement Paul's theology of calling, that disciples may be made of all nations without forcing people to deny their culture to become western or American Christians."

[1] C. Peter Wagner, Our Kind of People: The Ethical Dimensions of Church Growth in America (Nashville: John Knox, 1979), 128.

Free Downloads of Aleppo and Leningrad and Other Codices

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:08:00 +0000

Charles Halton has posted instructions concerning how to get free downloads of Aleppo, Leningrad, and other codices at the Seforim Online website.

Paul's Acceptance of the Apostolic Decree

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:46:00 +0000

“Some scholars have argued that Paul’s acceptance of the compromise of Acts 15 implied that he tolerated a ‘different gospel’ for a transitional period. This view is implausible. The agreement that was reached at the apostolic council in A.D. 48 was basically acceptable for Paul for the following reasons. (1) Paul was willing to live among Jews as a Jew (1 Cor 9:19–20). (2). Paul rejected porneia (1 Cor 6:9). (3) Paul directed the Corinthian Christians not to eat meat in the presence of Jewish Christians if it was known that the meat had been offered to idols in a pagan temple (1 Cor 10:25–28). (4) Paul possibly supported the same proviso with regard to meat that contained blood (Rom 14:13–21).”

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Early Christian Mission: Volume 2: Paul and the Early Church (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004), 1018–19.

Church Hopping

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:30:00 +0000

See this post by Deek Dubberly.

Preaching from the Synoptic Gospels

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:05:00 +0000

See this post on preaching from the Synoptic Gospels.