Mead on Disturbing Feedback

Peter Mead gives a number of examples of feedback to our preaching which may be problematic. Read the post here.

The Dangers of Seminary

See Bruce Ashford's post "On the Dangers of Seminary." There is a great story and lesson involving a little blue bucket full of sand, teddy bear imprints and a pink sandbox shovel. That's all I'm saying. Read Ashford's post here.

Intertextuality and Inner-Biblical Exegesis

See this helpful post on intertextuality (how one text uses another) and inner-biblical exegesis. In the post, David Hymes refers to the work of Jeffery M. Leonard, “Identifying Inner-Biblical Allusions: Psalm 78 as a Test Case,” Journal of Biblical Literature 127 (2008): 241-65. According to Hymes, Leonard "present[s] two especially important guidelines/series of questions.

1. First, eight methodological principles that form a guideline:

"(1) Shared language is the single most important factor in establishing a textual connection. (2) Shared language is more important than nonshared language. (3) Shared language that is rare or distinctive suggests a stronger connection than does language that is widely used. (4) Shared phrases suggest a stronger connection than do individual shared terms. (5) The accumulation of shared language suggests a stronger connection than does a single shared term or phrase. (6) Shared language in similar contexts suggests a stronger connection than does shared language alone. (7) Shared language need not be accompanied by shared ideology to establish a connection. (8) Shared language need not be accompanied by shared form to establish a connection.” (p. 246)

2. Six Questions to determine the direction of allusions:

“(1) Does one text claim to draw on another? (2) Are there elements in the texts that help to fix their dates? (3) Is one text capable of producing the other? (4) Does one text assume the other? (5) Does one text show a general pattern of dependence on other texts? (6) Are there rhetorical patterns in the texts that suggest that one text has used the other in an exegetically significant way?” (p. 258)"

Read Hymes entire post here.

McKnight and Commentaries on 2 Corinthians

See this post for Scot McKnight's recommendations concerning commentaries on 2 Corinthians. McKnight lists:

C. K. Barrett: The Second Epistle to Corinthians.

Murray Harris: Second Epistle To The Corinthians (New International Greek Testament Commentary).

Victor Furnish: II Corinthians (Anchor).

Ralph Martin: 2 Corinthians: Revised (Word Biblical Commentary).

Margaret Thrall: 2 Corinthians (ICC).

Mounce on Synonyms for "Blameless"

See this post by Bill Mounce on the topic of synonyms for blameless (e.g., Eph 1:4; 5:27; Col 1:22).

Theological Humor

Check out these two pieces of theological humor. I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

Bultmann reads Mother Goose

N. T. Wright Reads Humpty Dumpty

HT: Jim Hamilton

Three Approaches to Christ in the Old Testament

Glen Scrivner has posted on three approaches to Christ in the Old Testament. He suggests:

1) From the OT forwards Basically you point out where the OT reveals an Appearing LORD, the Angel of the LORD, the Commander of the LORD’s army etc. And you say ‘Look – there He is.’

2) From the NT backwards Basically you show how Jesus and the Apostles just assumed that the OT saints knew Christ.

3) Systematically Here you point out how Christ is the Image, Word, Way, Truth and Life of God – and always has been.

Read Glen's entire post here.

Mariottini on King Lemuel

Claude Mariottini has a nice post on the identity of King Lemuel in Proverbs 31:1, 4.

Ten Questions for Pastor's Wives

See Catriona Anderson's interesting post/interview entitled"10 Questions for Pastor's Wives."

HT: Colin Adams

1 Corinthians in a Sentence

Matthew Malcolm has suggested the following as 1 Corinthians in a sentence.

Those in Corinth who consider the foolish (4:10), the defrauded (6:7-8), the obligated (7:5), the weak (8:7), the enslaved (9:19), the restricted (10:23), the subject (11:3), the unimpressive (12:15), the restrained (14:28), and the dead (15:12) – that is, the cruciform – to have no portion with God have fundamentally misunderstood the God who raises the dead.

I am not sure I see the book this way, but I appreciate Matthew's attempt to capture the book in a single sentence.

MacDonald on Discerning God's Will

The March 17 entry in William McDonald's daily devotional One Day at a Time contains the following.

"Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule." (Psa. 32:9)

It seems to me that the horse and the mule picture two wrong attitudes we might have when we are seeking the Lord's guidance. The horse wants to charge ahead; the mule wants to lag behind. The horse tends to be impatient, high-spirited and impetuous. The mule on the other hand is stubborn, intractable and lazy. The psalmist says that neither animal has understanding. Both have to be controlled by bit and bridle, otherwise they will not come near to their master.

God's desire is that we be sensitive to His leading, not plunging ahead in our own wisdom and not holding back when He has shown his will.

Here are a few rules-of-thumb that might be helpful in this regard.

Ask God to confirm His guidance in the mouths of two or three witnesses. He has said, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established" (Mt. 18:16b). These witnesses may include a verse of scripture, the counsel of other Christians and the marvelous converging of circumstances. If you get two or three distinct indications of His will, you will not have any doubts or misgivings.

If you are seeking God's guidance and no guidance comes, then God's guidance is for you to stay where you are. It is still true that "darkness about going is light about staying."
Wait until the guidance is so clear that to refuse would be positive disobedience. The children of Israel were forbidden to move until the pillar of cloud and fire moved. No rationalizations on their part could excuse independent action. Their responsibility was to move when the cloud moved - not sooner and not later.

Finally, let the peace of Christ umpire in your heart. That is a free translation of Colossians 3:15. It means that when God is really guiding, He so influences our intellects and emotions that we have peace about the right way and no peace about any other way.

If we are anxious to know the divine will and quick to obey it, we will not need the bit and bridle of God's discipline.