Acts 18 and the Wickedness of Corinth

Phil Long's post here related to the wickedness of Corinth is spot on. I realize that this will wreck some good sermons but we should strive to present things accurately. By the way, Phil's blog is one of the better biblioblogs out there. I read it often.

Christian Theology in a Post-Theological Church World?

This post by Roger Olson is worth reading. My sense is that things are probably going to get worse before they get better.

The Law in Matthew 5:17-19

Michael Vlach discusses the meaning of the term "Law" in Matthew 5:17-19 here and here.

Is That Sermon Really Yours?

Scot McKnight asks this question here and offers a few helpful thoughts along the way. This is becoming more-and-more of an issue in the digital era.

The Early Church's Textual Commitment

Larry Hurtado provides a good reminder here of how the early church was willing to go through the costly and time-consuming process of producing and disseminating Scripture. We are relatively spoiled in our age. I probably have 30-50 Bibles of various kinds, three versions of Bible software on my computer, two apps on my phone, etc. Yet I still find myself failing at times to heed the call "take up and read."

Early Christianity and Infanticide and Exposure

In Louise Gosbell's article,"'As long as it's healthy': What can we learn from early Christianity's resistance to infanticide and exposure?"she notes that "the New Testament is silent on the issues of infanticide and exposure."

However, David Instone-Brewer has argued that a prohibition against infanticide can be found in Acts 15 (“Infanticide and the Apostolic Decree of Acts 15,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 52 [2009]: 301-321). I argued last November at the annual Evangelical Theological Society that Instone-Brewer's argument is not ultimately persuasive so I think Gosbell is correct.

Gosbell's article is worth a read in any case.

Pets in Heaven?

John Piper gives a fairly reasoned response to the question here.

Why Do so Many Egyptian Statues Have Broken Noses?

An answer is provided here. This article provides further insight on how counter-cultural the Decalogue's prohibition of "graven images" actually was.

Egypt and Ancient Israel

If you are in the Fort Worth area on March 26, you might be interested in a free lecture by Egyptologist Dr. Hoffmeier at 5:00-6:30 PM. Or you can attend an entire all-day conference entitled "Egypt and Ancient Israel: Merneptah's Canaanite Campaign - History or Propaganda" at a modest cost (see below).

Both events are hosted by the Tandy Center for Archaeology and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.For more information or to register use this link.

Peter Williams on the Words of Jesus and God

Peter Williams was recently the speaker of the Sizemore Lectures at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. You can access his two messages using the links below.

Can we Know the Exact Words of God?
Can We Know the Exact Words of Jesus?

HT: Daniel Watson

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member.

Daniel I. Block, Obadiah: A Discourse Analysis of the Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by J. Michael Thigpen

William P. Brown, A Handbook to Old Testament Exegesis
Reviewed by Douglas Stuart

Tony Burke, The Syriac Tradition of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas: A Critical Edition and English Translation
Reviewed by Joseph Azize

L. Juliana Claassens and Carolyn J. Sharp, eds., Feminist Frameworks and the Bible: Power, Ambiguity, and Intersectionality
Reviewed by Susanne Scholz

Michael J. Gorman, ed., Scripture and Its Interpretation: A Global, Ecumenical Introduction to the Bible
Reviewed by Luis Menéndez-Antuña

Louis C. Jonker, Defining All-Israel in Chronicles: Multi-levelled Identity Negotiation in Late Persian-Period Yehud
Reviewed by J. H. Price

Susanne Scholz, The Bible as Political Artifact: On the Feminist Study of the Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by Sandie Gravett

Katherine A. Shaner, Enslaved Leadership in Early Christianity
Reviewed by Ralph J. Korner

Siu Fung Wu, Suffering in Romans
Reviewed by Timothy J. Bertolet

H. Daniel Zacharias, Matthew’s Presentation of the Son of David
Reviewed by Wongi Park

Genesis 25:1-11

It is generally recognized that Genesis 25:1-11 provides a transition from the Abraham story to the Isaac story. This is correct but one should also not the continuity of the Abrahamic Covenant and its promises in these verses. Here are a few points of continuity.

• Like his father Abraham (Gen 12:1-3), Isaac is given the promise and the blessing unconditionally (vv. 5, 11).
• Keturah and her children demonstrate the Abrahamic promises in two ways (distinction from the main line of promise of Isaac and yet receive collateral blessing*).
• Isaac is linked to the burial cave in Machpelah (vv. 9-10).
• The fact that Abraham “died in a good old age, an old man and full of years” testify to God’s blessing (vv. 7-8).
• Isaac’s presence underscores the continuity of the promises.
• Isaac’s settling at Beer-lahai-roi suggests that Isaac not Ishmael is the heir of the promise (v. 11, cf. Gen 16:13-15).

* By collateral blessings I mean those Abrahamic blessings that fall on those not in the main line of the Abrahamic promises but who are blessed nonetheless due to their proximity to Abraham.

Book Recommendations on Christian Origins

Larry Hurtado has posted a list here.

The Origins of New Testament Theology and Greek Linguistics

Recently Stan Porter gave three lectures as part of The Ellis Lectures at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The topic addressed was "Can Greek Linguistics Inform New Testament Theology?" Three three lectures were given (see below) but I have only provided a link to the first since I don't see the other two online.

Lecture 1: The Origins of New Testament Theology and Greek Linguistics

Lecture 2: The Present State of New Testament Theology and Greek Linguistics

Lecture 3: The Future of New Testament Theology and Greek Linguistic

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member.

Richard J. Bautch and Gary N. Knoppers, eds., Covenant in the Persian Period: From Genesis to Chronicles
Reviewed by Pieter de Vries

Robert R. Beck, Jesus and His Enemies: Narrative Conflict in the Four Gospels
Reviewed by Elizabeth Struthers Malbon

Honora Howell Chapman and Zuleika Rodgers, eds., A Companion to Josephus
Reviewed by Chris Seeman

Lester L. Grabbe, Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?
Reviewed by Kristin A. Swanson

Eckart Otto, Deuteronomium 12–34: Volume 1: 12,1–23,15; Volume 2: 23,16–34,12
Reviewed by Mark W. Hamilton

Dieter T. Roth, The Parables in Q
Reviewed by Sam Tsang

Paavo N. Tucker, The Holiness Composition in the Book of Exodus
Reviewed by William Johnstone

Steve Walton, Paul R. Trebilco, and David W. J. Gill, eds., The Urban World and the First Christians
Reviewed by Alan Cadwallader

Tommy Wasserman and Peter J. Gurry, A New Approach to Textual Criticism: An Introduction to the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method
Reviewed by Robert F. Hull Jr.

Annette Weissenrieder and Robert B. Coote, eds., The Interface of Orality and Writing: Speaking, Seeing, Writing in the Shaping of New Genres 
Reviewed by Jason M. Silverman 

Books Don't Belong in the Bathroom?

Somehow I missed this post a few months ago about why books don't belong in the bathroom. I was tempted to throw a pun in here but I will resist.

Three Reasons to Preach through Micah

Mark Livingston talk about them here.

Free Logos Book for March: How Bible Stories Work

The free Logos Book for the Month for March is Leland Ryken's How Bible Stories Work: A Guided Study of Biblical Narrative.  You can also purchase Ryken's Jesus the Hero: A Guided Literary Study of the Gospels or Short Sentences Long Remembered: A Guided Study of Proverbs and Other Wisdom Literature for $1.99 and $2.99 respectively. You can also register for a chance win the 40-volume Weaver's Titles Bundle. For all these offers, go to the Logos' Free Book of Month page here.

Two Recent Books on the Decalogue

Louis McBride discusses and compares two recent books on the Decalogue here.

Teaching Zechariah

Nancy Guthrie interviews Anthony Peterson here about teaching the book of Zechariah. The link will allow you to listen to the audio or read a transcript.

Faux Christian Quotes

Trevin Wax has a number of them in this post, including supposed quotes from Bonhoeffer, Spurgeon, Chesterton, Luther and others.

Hurtado on the Woman Caught in Adultery

Larry Hurtado discusses the work here of Jennifer Knust and Tommy Wasserman on well-known textual problem in the Gospel of John 7:53—8:11, the so-called Pericope Adulterae.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member.

Roger David Aus, Two Puzzling Baptisms: First Corinthians 10:1–5 and 15:29; Studies in Their Judaic Background
Reviewed by Michael Tilly

Kit Barker, Imprecation as Divine Discourse: Speech Act Theory, Dual Authorship, and Theological Interpretation
Reviewed by Richard S. Briggs

David L. Bartlett, Christology in the New Testament
Reviewed by Chris Kugler

Paul B. Duff, Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire
Reviewed by Sarah E. Rollens

Wilda C. M. Gafney, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Reviewed by Jason Lecureux

Mark W. Hamilton, A Kingdom for a Stage: Political and Theological Reflection in the Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by Diana Edelman

Jiseong James Kwon, Scribal Culture and Intertextuality
Reviewed by Brandon R. Grafius

Sheree Lear, Scribal Composition: Malachi as a Test Case
Reviewed by Michael H. Floyd

Ariane Magny, Porphyry in Fragments: Reception of an Anti-Christian Text in Late Antiquity
Reviewed by Pieter W. van der Horst

Cynthia Long Westfall and Bryan R. Dyer, eds., The Bible and Social Justice: Old Testament and New Testament Foundations for the Church’s Urgent Call
Reviewed by Yung Suk Kim