Theology Research Paper Title Generator

This would have come in handy when I was going through my theology courses!

HT: Abraham Joseph

A Review of Saving Eutychus

Gary Millar and Phil Campbell, Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God’s Word and Keep People Awake (Kingsford: Matthias Media, 2013). 

Saving Eutychus is a book that preachers might be tempted to hide in a plain brown wrapper. No one wants to admit that they might actually need this book. It is a book written for other preachers. 

That being said, Saving Eutychus is probably a book that most preachers should at least consider reading. I appreciated three things about the book. First, I appreciated the authors’ personal humility about their own preaching and yet the pastoral commitment to the craft of preaching. So their advice about preaching comes across as less talking about you and more about talking with you. Second, the book is easy to read. Millar and Campbell tend to model in their writing what they encourage about preaching (see especially the chapter called “Deadly, dull and boring”). Third, the authors’ emphasis on, and advice concerning, critique were particularly helpful. 

There are a few mild criticisms that I would offer. I wish that the authors would have discussed what they mean by “application” and if or how they would distinguish application from principle (see pp. 69-75). I remain unconvinced that sermons should be 23-25 minutes long (pp. 50-51). This seems to be too short. Finally, both of the sermonic examples at the end of the book came from narratives in Acts. This is okay, but it might have been more helpful to use one example from Acts and the other example from the Old Testament and preferably something other than narrative. The reader could then see how the authors’ methodology works with another kind of text. 

The free review copy utilized for this unbiased review was provided by Cross Focused Reviews.
  

Virtual Tour of the Temple Mount

Go here to read about the opportunity to take a virtual tour of Jerusalem's temple mount and here to take the tour. The tour is in Hebrew.

Summary of Malachi

This is a nice summary of the book of Malachi from J. D. W. Watts.

The last of the prophetic books is Malachi. It epitomizes the prophetic insistence on God’s continued love for this chosen people. It is very practical in demanding faith and faithfulness in the realistic situations in which priest and people find themselves. It insists on the reality of God, his presence, his purpose, and his love. It also knows that he distinguishes sharply between true worship and false, between genuine dedication and sham, and between a quality of life consistent with the Torah and one that is not. He will tolerate no lowering of these standards. Malachi proclaims the importance of God’s will as revealed through the Torah (4:4). It also calls for a look to the future when God’s intervention will come. And it promises a prophetic figure, Elijah, to intercede with the people in calling them to faith. It relates the Law and the Prophets to each other and binds the people to observance of both. These verses tie the Latter Prophets with the Pentateuch (Moses) and with the Former Prophets (Elijah).

J. D. W. Watts, "Introduction to the Book of Malachi," Review and Expositor 84 (1987): 373–74. 
  

Bryan Chapell on Christ-Centered Hermeneutics

See Bryan Chapell's post on Christ-centered hermeneutics here. The post is part of a larger series hosted on Ed Stetzer blog on Christ-centered hermeneutics. The four parts series has or will include posts by,


● Dr. Daniel Block (Wheaton College)
● Dr. David Murray (Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary)
● Dr. Walt Kaiser (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) 
● Dr. Bryan Chapell (Grace Presbyterian in Peoria, IL)

Daniel Block's post can can be read here and here, Murray's post here, and here, Ed Stetzer's recap here and here. and Kaiser's post here.

Latest Issue of Bible Magazine

The latest issue of Bible Magazine is available for free here. This issue continues an examination of the Lord's prayer and focuses on Matthew 6.16-18.