Jul 26, 2008

Ark of Salvation


Harry Ironside wrote:

Suppose that the ark was completed God said to Noah, “Now, get eight spikes of iron and drive them into the side of the ark.” So Noah procured the spikes and did as he was bidden. The word cane to him, “Come, you and all your household. And hang on to these spikes.” So Noah and his wife, and there three sons and their wives, each held on to a spike. And the rains descended and the flood came, and as the ark was borne up on the waters their muscles were strained to the uttermost.

Imagine God saying to them, “If you hang on till the deluge is over you will be saved!” Can you even think of such a thing as ant one of them going safely through?

But, oh, how different the simple Bible story. “And the Lord said to Noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark.” That is a very different thing than holding on! Inside the ark they were safe as long as the ark endured the storm. And every believer in Christ is as safe as God can make him. Look away then from all self-effort and trust him alone. Rest in the ark and rejoice in God’s great salvation.


Jul 25, 2008

Light Blogging


Due to ministry responsibilities, the blogging will be light the next few weeks.

Jul 24, 2008

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature


The latest issue of the Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews that may be of interest to those interested in Bible exposition include:


Roland Boer
Rescuing the Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6394
Reviewed by D. A. Carson

April D. DeConick
The Thirteenth Apostle: What the Gospel of Judas Really Says
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6163
Reviewed by Stephan Witetschek

John H. Elliott
1 Peter: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6653
Reviewed by Pheme Perkins

Jane DeRose Evans
The Coins and the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Economy of Palestine
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6191
Reviewed by Mark R. Fairchild

Albert V. Garcilazo
The Corinthian Dissenters and the Stoics
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6209
Reviewed by Stephan Joubert

Suzanne Watts Henderson
Christology and Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5298
Reviewed by W. R. Telford

Helen Leneman
The Performed Bible: The Story of Ruth in Opera and Oratorio
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5996
Reviewed by Elisabeth Birnbaum

Paul L. Maier, trans.
Eusebius: The Church History
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5993
Reviewed by Sabrina Inowlocki

Pheme Perkins
Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6212
Reviewed by Peter J. Judge

Alfred Rahlfs; Detlef Fraenkel, ed.
Verzeichnis der griechischen Handschriften des Alten Testaments: Bd. I, 1: Die Überlieferung bis zum VIII. Jahrhundert
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5959
Reviewed by Johann Cook

Wayne G. Rollins and D. Andrew Kille, eds.
Psychological Insight into the Bible: Texts and Readings
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6005
Reviewed by E. H. Scheffler

Deborah W. Rooke, ed.
A Question of Sex? Gender and Difference in the Hebrew Bible and Beyond
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6356
Reviewed by Athalya Brenner

Phillip Sigal
The Halakhah of Jesus of Nazareth according to the Gospel of Matthew
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6145
Reviewed by Roland Deines
Reviewed by Dorothy Jean Weaver

Johann Anselm Steiger and Ulrich Heinen, eds.
Isaaks Opferung (Gen 22) in den Konfessionen und Medien der frühen Neuzeit
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5672
Reviewed by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

Jan G. van der Watt
An Introduction to the Johannine Gospel and Letters
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6445
Reviewed by Tom Thatcher

Jul 23, 2008

Tentative Program for the 2008 National Evangelical Theological Society Meeting is Up


A Tentative program for the 2008 national Evangelical Theological Society meeting is now up. You can view it
here.

I am scheduled to deliver a paper on Wednesday entitled, "Good, Bad, or Ugly: Canonical and Extra-Canonical Portraits of Balaam."

Top Five Commentaries on Joshua


Ligonier Ministries has a
list and discussion of their top five commentaries on Joshua. I would not place Davis at #1 and I would include L. D. Hawk (Berit Olam) in the top 5. I would also include Madvig (EBC) ato the runner-up list. In any case, the top five they have listed are:

1. Dale Ralph Davis -- Joshua: No Falling Words (Focus on the Bible, 2000).
2. Richard S. Hess -- Joshua (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1996).
3. David M. Howard -- Joshua (New American Commentary, 1998).
4. Marten Woudstra -- The Book of Joshua (New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 1981).
5. Trent C. Butler -- Joshua (Word Biblical Commentary, 1983).

Jul 22, 2008

Codex Sinaiticus to be Made Available on Online


One of the most important biblical manuscripts, Codex Sinaiticus will be made available online starting tomorrow. You can read about it
here.

Jul 21, 2008

Top Five Commentaries on Deuteronomy


Ligonier Ministries has a
list and discussion of their top five commentaries on Deuteronomy. I would place Merrill and Weinfeld commentary in the top five replacing Thompson and Currid. I would also include Miller (Interpretation) and von Rad (OTL) to the runner-up list. In any case, the top five they have listed are:

1. Peter C. Craigie -- The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 1976).
2. J.G. McConville -- Deuteronomy (Apollos Old Testament Commentary, 2002).
3. J.A. Thompson -- Deuteronomy (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1974).
4. John D. Currid -- Deuteronomy (EP Study Commentary, 2006).
5. Jeffrey H. Tigay -- Deuteronomy (JPS Torah Commentary, 1996).


Felt-Needs Ministry


For an interesting critique of felt-needs ministry see this article at the Out of Ur blog.

Jul 20, 2008

Leen Ritmeyer on Stones from Hezekiah's Time-Continued


Leen Ritmeyer has a follow up to a recent post that I reported on
here concerning some stones that he identified that he believes belong to the time of Hezekiah. The follow up is here.