Literacy in Ancient Israel

I found this blog post on literacy in ancient Israel interesting.

Childs on the Canonical Function of Acts

See this interesting post related to Brevard Childs' view of the canonical function of Acts.

Eschatological Views Among Southern Baptists

Southern Baptist Texan has an article on eschatological views among Southern Baptists can be accessed here. I think that the article is quite balanced and fair in its treatment of the diversity of the views. You can access the article here.

Latest Issue of Journal for the Study of the New Testament

The following articles can be found in the latest issue of Journal for the Study of the New Testament (June 2009, Vol. 31, No. 4).

“Nurslings, Milk and Moral Development in the Greco-Roman Context: A Reappraisal of the Paraenetic Utilization of Metaphor in 1 Peter 2.1-3” by Philip L. Tite, pp. 371–400
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/371

“Matthew and the Pauline Corpus: A Preliminary Intertextual Study” by David C. Sim,
pp. 401–22
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/401

“Welcoming a Child as a Metaphor for Welcoming God's Kingdom: A Close Reading of Mark 10.13–16” by Peter Spitaler, pp. 423–46
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/423

“‘Do not Judge who is Worthy and Unworthy’: Clement’s Warning not to Speculate about the Rich Young Man’s Response (Mark 10.17–31)” by Andrew D. Clarke, pp. 447¬–68
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/447

“The Layers of the Apocalypse: An Integrative Approach to Revelation's Macrostructure” by Alan S. Bandy, pp. 469–99
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/469

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

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

H. Ausloos, F. García Martínez, M. Vervenne, J. Cook, and B. Lemmelijn, eds.
Translating a Translation: The LXX and Its Modern Translations in the Context of Early Judaism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6624
Reviewed by Tuukka Kauhanen

Lytta Basset
Holy Anger: Jacob, Job, Jesus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6350
Reviewed by Jutta Jokiranta

Elizabeth V. Dowling
Taking Away the Pound: Women, Theology and the Parable of the Pounds in the Gospel of Luke
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6530
Reviewed by James A. Metzger

Kathy Ehrensperger
Paul and the Dynamics of Power: Communication and Interaction in the Early Christ-Movement
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6503
Reviewed by Thomas R. Blanton IV

Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Andrea L. Weiss, eds.
The Torah: A Women's Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6637
Reviewed by Susanne Scholz

J. Cheryl Exum and Ela Nutu, eds.
Between the Text and the Canvas: The Bible and Art in Dialogue
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6357
Reviewed by Hennie Stander

Harry Alan Hahne
The Corruption and Redemption of Creation: Nature in Romans 8.19-22 and Jewish Apocalyptic Literature
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6458
Reviewed by Ron Fay

George Heyman
The Power of Sacrifice: Roman and Christian Discources in Conflict
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6487
Reviewed by Giovanni Battista Bazzana

Heidi J. Hornik and Mikeal C. Parsons
Illuminating Luke: Volume 3: The Passion and Resurrection Narratives in Italian Renaissance and Baroque Painting
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6345
Reviewed by Hennie Stander

Elizabeth A. McCabe
An Examination of the Isis Cult with Preliminary Exploration into New Testament Studies
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6536
Reviewed by John S. Kloppenborg

Kathryn McClymond
Beyond Sacred Violence: A Comparative Study of Sacrifice
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6694
Reviewed by Leigh Trevaskis

Saul M. Olyan
Disability in the Hebrew Bible: Interpreting Mental and Physical Differences
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6601
Reviewed by David M. Maas
Reviewed by Hector Avalos

T. A. Perry
God's Twilight Zone: Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6516
Reviewed by Thomas M. Bolin

Johannes Taschner
Die Mosereden im Deuteronomium: Eine kanonorientierte Untersuchung
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6937
Reviewed by Dominik Markl

Karel van der Toorn
Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6755
Reviewed by Frank Polak

Boyce College Panel Discussion on Justification and the Debate between John Piper and N. T. Wright

The audio for the recent Boyce College panel discussion on justification and the debate between John Piper and N. T. Wright can be accessed here. Participants in the discussion included Denny Burk, Tom Schreiner, Mark Seifrid, and Brian Vickers.

Pictorial Library of Bible Lands

I was recently teaching on Jesus' triumphal entry from Luke 19:28-44. In Luke 19:29 reference is made to Bethphage and Bethany. Since most Bible readers do not have a working knowledge of the geography of Israel, I thought this would be a good time to show a picture. To this end, Todd Bolen's Pictorial Library of Bible Lands had exactly what I needed. Here is the picture that I used (slide #52 from the Mount of Olives PowerPoint presentation in the Jerusalem collection). You can click on the picture for a bigger image.


If pictures like this might be helpful to you, I suggest that you visit Bibleplaces.com and check it out.

The External Evidence for Johannine Authorship of Revelation

Alan Bandy recently posted on the authorship of Revelation, namely that the author was John the apostle and son of Zebedeee (see here). He has now posted a more in depth discussion of the external evidence supporting this identification (see here).

Oxford’s Biblical Studies Online

I have been informed that Oxford’s Biblical Studies Online has been launched. The site is “Oxford’s latest comprehensive online resource for the study of the Bible and biblical history.” Interested readers can have free access until the end of May. Go to www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com and type in the following authentication:

User: presspass
Password: springtime

Penal Subsititution and the Atonement

I appreciated this post on penal substitution and the atonement, especially the identification and discussion of six signs supporting the idea that Jesus died under God's judgment.

Kaiser on "Good Friday...or was it Wednesday or Thursday?"

I know this is a bit late, but this post by Walter Kaiser is worth checking out.

President Obama and Bowing Seven Times

Claude Mariottini has an interesting post on the recent brouhaha over whether or not President Obama bowed to the king of Saudi Arabia and the practice of bowing in the ancient Near East.

"What Font Do You Preach In?"

Peter Mead asks the question, "What font do you preach in?" Some of us have a gift for making complicated things simple and some (like me) have a propensity for making simple things complicated. So this is a good word for me to continue to work at being clear and specific.

Colbert and Ehman and the Final Arbiter

Perhaps you have seen the video making the Bible blog rounds of Stephen Colbert, a comedian and Bart Ehrman (see here for example). The context of the “interview” is Ehrman’s recent book Jesus Interrupted, a book which according to the books description suggests that, “the authors of the New Testament have diverging views about who Jesus was and how salvation works, the New Testament contains books that were forged in the names of the apostles by Christian writers who lived decades later , Jesus, Paul, Matthew, and John all represented fundamentally different religions, [and] established Christian doctrines—such as the suffering messiah, the divinity of Jesus, and the trinity—were the inventions of still later theologians.”

Colbert after taking Ehrman to task concludes his questioning with, “I tell you what. Why don’t we both die and let God settle it. To which Ehrman replies, “That would be fine with me.”

This final exchange is a helpful reminder that at the end of the day, the right view on an issue is not your view or my view, but it is God’s view. Pastor, teacher, or professor, are you willing to give an account to God for your interpretations and theology?

McKnight on Commentaries on John

See this post for Scot Mcknight's recommendations concerning commentaries on theGospel of John. He lists:

R.E. Brown: The Gospel According to John (I-XII) (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries).

C.K. Barrett: The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction With Commentary and Notes on the Greek Text.

Leon Morris: The Gospel According to John (New International Commentary on the New Testament).

G.R. Beasley-Murray: Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 36, John (revised).

C. Keener: The Gospel of John: A Commentary - 2-Volume Set .

D.A. Carson: The Gospel According to John.

A. Köstenberger: John.

First Anniversary

It seemed much too trivial to mention yesterday, and maybe too trivial to mention even today, but yesterday was the first anniversary of theis blog, 724 posts and all. Thanks to Patrick Pettibon, who provided the impetus to get it started.

He is Risen!

He is risen indeed!