Gundry on Acts 15:2

  
Robert Gundry makes the following interesting comment concerning both the perspective of the church in Antioch and Luke’s own point of view in Acts 15:2.

“Notably, none of the Judean teachers are said to have been appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. So from the standpoint of the church in Antioch, it’s the Law-strapped doctrine of the Judeans that’s suspect, not the Law-free teaching of Paul and Barnabas. Otherwise the church would have sent Judeans to plead a case against Paul and Barnabas. Since Luke is writing in the main to convert Gentiles, it pleases him to note an already developing trend that will eventuate in a decree repudiating the Law-strapped teaching, which would inhibit the evangelism of Gentiles and lead many of those already converted to fall away from the church.”

Robert H. Gundry, Commentary on the New Testament: Verse-by-Verse Explanations with a Literal Translation (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2010), 522.
 

Upcoming Conference: The Ancient Hebrew Language: Recent Trends in Research

 

The Tandy Institute for Archaeology, in conjunction with the Biblical Studies Division of the School of Theology, hosts The Ancient Hebrew Language: Recent Trends in Research with Dr. Anson Rainey on November 29, 2010.

All sessions during the day will be held in Room 150 of the Riley Conference Center. The evening lecture is open to the public and will be held in the Naylor Student Center.

The goal of this conference is to highlight Dr. Rainey’s work in the Hebrew language and discuss current debates and trends in the history, language, and archaeology of ancient Palestine and its impact on biblical studies. Key articles will be circulated before the seminar.

The cost for registration is $25. Registration for SWBTS faculty, staff, and students is free.

More information, schedule, and registration can be found here. 

 

Managing Information

  
See this article in Preaching magazine on managing information. The article is related to Evernote an online organizational tool. I would be interested to hear from any of you who have used it.
 

The Underlying Message of Job

"The book of Job is about the physical and spiritual experience of a believer of long ago whose faith was tested to the utmost. Its main purpose is not to teach Israelite history, nor to reveal Messianic prophecy, nor to show the necessary steps for salvation, nor to disclose the mission of the church. The underlying message of Job demonstrates that ‘Who God is determines what He does, therefore, we must trust Him without reservation.’ God always knows what he is doing and why. Our task is to ‘walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Cor. 5:7)."

Gareth Crossley, The Old Testament Explained and Applied (Darlington: Evangelical Press, 2002), 439.

 

The Gospel in Every Sermon

Job and Creation Theology

   
See this fascinating post from John Byron interacting with Terrance Frethheim book Creation Untamed on the creation theology in the Book of Job.  
   

Walter Kaiser on the Unity of the Bible and the Unity of God's People

  
See here and here for audio and video of chapel messages (Oct 19, 20) from Walter Kaiser on the unity of the Bible and the unity of God's people.
   

Free Audio Book: Martin Luther in His Own Words

Christianaudio.com is offering Martin Luther in His Own Words as a free audio download. Included in this volume is:

The Small Catechism
95 Theses
On Faith and Coming to Christ
On Confession and the Lord's Supper
Of the Office of Preaching
Excerpt from Luther's Tower Experience
The Last Written Words of Luther

To get you free audio download go here.

Pastoral Ministry and the Book of Job

“The Book of Job is recognized primarily for its valuable contribution to whatever answer there is to the universal question of why man must suffer. It is also recognized as a serious investigation into whether one's loyalty to God is dependent upon his being favored by God. Because of these primary contributions and even as a by-product of them, the book is also a biblical resource in pastoral care. It presents the dynamics of suffering and healing within the framework of the pastoral relationship. Unfortunately this pastoral resource has been largely overlooked because of the greater interest in the theological issues involved in Job's suffering.”

William E. Hulme, Dialogue in Despair: Pastoral Commentary on the Book of Job (Nashville: Abingdon, 1968), 9.