Feb 27, 2010

The Plagues of Exodus


See this post on the plagues of Exodus (Exod 7:14-10:29).

Feb 26, 2010

Three Ways Role Models Teach


1.Their Lips (what they say)
2.Their Life (what they do)
3.Their Love (what they value)

Acts and the Old Testament


"Thematically Acts shows a close relationship with the the OT as dealing with matters such as promise and fulfillment, Jerusalem, the law, and the Jewish people. Characters such as Peter, Stephen, and Paul are presented to some extent as prophetic figures, following OT models. Furthermore, certain narratives in Acts appear to be patterned on biblical precedents. Together these characteristics suggest that the author intended to “create a ‘biblical effect’ for those readers familiar with the Bible.”"

David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 2009), 13.

Feb 25, 2010

Interview With David Allen on the Forthcoming Book Whosoever Will


One book that I am looking forward to reading is Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Calvinism edited by professors David Allen and Steve Lemke. The p
ublisher is Broadman & Holman. Whosoever Will contains revised versions of papers originally presented at the John 3:16 conference, which was held November 2008 at First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia.

In anticipation of the forthcoming release, David Allen one of the editors of, and contributors to, Whosoever Will graciously agreed to be interviewed for this blog.

1. How did Whosoever Will come about?

This book is the result of a conference held at the First Baptist Church of Woodstock, GA, in November, 2008, entitled “The John 3:16 Conference.” The purpose of this conference was to provide a biblical and theological evaluation and critique of Calvinism by non-Calvinists. Not a single speaker at this conference is an Arminian. Many today wrongly assume that there are only two theological positions on these issues: Calvinism and Arminianism. In fact, there are varieties within both camps. Most Southern Baptists are neither Calvinists nor Arminians, but would better be called “Calminians,” in that they affirm some aspects of each theological tradition. The book critiques Calvinism beginning with a critique of each of the so called “five points” in the TULIP acronym, followed by chapters addressing key issues such as whether Calvin himself affirmed limited atonement, the validity of the public altar call, the role of “determinism” in Calvinism, and how Calvinism handles the question of evil in the world.

2. Why did you write Whosoever Will?

We wrote the book to address the growing resurgence of Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention, especially among students on college and seminary campuses. As a result, this issue has been on the front burner for the past few years among Baptists. Often there is confusion and caricature on both sides of this issue. We felt the time had come for a scholarly presentation, irenic in spirit, that would critique the key elements of Calvinism. We have been asked by numerous students and pastors over the years to write such a book.

3. What is the main thesis of the book?


The main thesis of this book is to provide a scholarly critique of the five points of Calvinistic soteriology and then to address key issues in the debate between Calvinists and non-Calvinists.

4. Who should read this book?

Anyone interested in this issue should read this book, especially pastors, church staff members, lay leaders and teachers in local churches, along with current college and seminary students. Regardless of which side of the issue one may fall, this book should be helpful.


5. What do you hope to accomplish through this book?

My goal would be four-fold: 1) to assist all with a greater understanding of the differences between Calvinism and non-Calvinism; 2) to provide non-Calvinists with an understanding of the problems with Calvinism from a non-Calvinist perspective; and 3) to promote the overall edification of the church; and 4) to bring glory to God by attempting to fulfill that part of the Great Commandment which says “to love God with all of your mind.”

For further information see this interview from Broadman & Holman which includes both Allen and Lemke.

Resources on Baptism


Deek Dubberly has provided a number of links related to water baptism that he found helpful, Check it out
here.

Does the World Need More Theology/Bible Professors??


Nijay Gupta has a thoughtful post which asks and answers the question. "Does the world need more theology/Bible professors??" Read the post
here.

Feb 24, 2010

Characterization in New Testament Narrative


Paul Lamey continues his series on preaching New Testament narratives. In this post he discusses characterization.

Feb 23, 2010

Varner on Influential Books


See this post for Wiliam Varner's list of the books that influenced him the most.

Free Interactive Materials From Bible Study Magazine


See this
link for free interactive materials From Bible Study magazine.

HT: MIchael Heiser

Feb 22, 2010

Learning From Paul's Personal Testimony in 1 Timothy


See Deek Dubberly's thoughts on what can be learned from Paul's personal testimony in 1 Timothy and a few other texts.

Ancient Wall Found in Jerusalem


From an article published at the Trumpet.com:


"A section of an ancient city wall of Jerusalem from the 10th century bce—possibly built by King Solomon—has been revealed in archaeological excavations directed by Dr. Eilat Mazar and conducted under the auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The wall, 70 meters long and 6 meters high, is located in the area known as the Ophel, between the City of David and the southern wall of the Temple Mount."

Read the rest of the article here. There is also an article in Hebrew that has more pictures than here.


HT: Yitzhak Sapir

Feb 21, 2010

Parallels Between Melchizedek and Jethro


William Varner has an interesting post on some of the possible parallels between Melchizedek in Genesis and Jethro in Exodus, both righteous Gentiles.

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:

Izak Cornelius and Louis Jonker, eds.
"From Ebla to Stellenbosch": Syro-Palestinian Religions and the Hebrew Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6894
Reviewed by Friedrich T. Schipper

Ellen F. Davis
Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6922
Reviewed by Robin Gallaher Branch

Luke Gärtner-Brereton
The Ontology of Space in Biblical Hebrew Narrative: The Determinate Function of Narrative 'Space' within the Biblical Hebrew Aesthetic
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7185
Reviewed by Frank H. Polak

Michael Fox
Proverbs 10-31: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7219
Reviewed by Bruce K. Waltke

Philip McCosker, ed.
What Is It That the Scripture Says? Essays in Biblical Interpretation, Translation and Reception in Honour of Henry Wansbrough OSB
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6558
Reviewed by Thomas J. Kraus

John Van Seters
The Biblical Saga of King David
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7252
Reviewed by Walter Dietrich

John Fleter Tipei
The Laying on of Hands in the New Testament: Its Significance, Techniques, and Effects
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7121
Reviewed by Everett Ferguson

Timo Veijola; Walter Dietrich, ed.
Leben nach der Weisung: Exegetisch-historische Studien zum Alten Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6738
Reviewed by Thomas Römer

Chris A. Vlachos
The Law and the Knowledge of Good and Evil: The Edenic Background of the Catalytic Operation of the Law in Paul
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7020
Reviewed by James M. Howard

Norman Whybray
Job
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7184
Reviewed by F. Rachel Magdalene

Marguerite Yon
The City of Ugarit at Tell Ras Shamra
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6743
Reviewed by Dirk Paul Mielke

Magnus Zetterholm
Approaches to Paul: A Student's Guide to Recent Scholarship
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7196
Reviewed by David G. Horrell