Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of the Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews that may be of interest to those interested in Bible exposition include:

Paul N. Anderson, Felix Just, S.J., and Tom Thatcher, eds.
John, Jesus, and History: Volume 1, Critical Appraisals of Critical Views
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6151
Reviewed by Mark A. Matson

Carol Bakhos, ed.
Current Trends in the Study of Midrash
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6096
Reviewed by Siam Bhayro

David Catchpole
Jesus People: The Historical Jesus and the Beginnings of Community
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6187
Reviewed by Paul Foster

John Granger Cook
The Interpretation of the Old Testament in Greco-Roman Paganism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6014
Reviewed by David Lincicum

Brad E. Kelle
Ancient Israel at War 853-586 BC
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5933
Reviewed by T. M. Lemos

Thomas J. Kraus
Ad fontes: Original Manuscripts and Their Significance for Studying Early Christianity: Selected Essays
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6295
Reviewed by Christopher Tuckett

Amy-Jill Levine, ed., with Maria Mayo Robbins
A Feminist Companion to the New Testament Apocrypha
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5408
Reviewed by Heike Omerzu

Yuzuru Miura
David in Luke-Acts: His Portrayal in the Light of Early Judaism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6199
Reviewed by Steven Cox

Stephen W. Need
The Gospels Today: Challenging Readings of John, Mark, Luke and Matthew
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6066
Reviewed by Peter J. Judge

Birger A. Pearson
Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6053
Reviewed by Philip L. Tite

Richard D. Phillips
Hebrews
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6070
Reviewed by Knut Backhaus

Brant Pitre
Jesus, the Tribulation, and the End of the Exile: Restoration Eschatology and the Origin of the Atonement
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5514
Reviewed by John A. Dennis

Laurence M. Vance
Guide to Prepositions in the Greek New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6269
Reviewed by Paul Elbert

Robby Waddell
The Spirit of the Book of Revelation
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6122
Reviewed by Jan A. du Rand

Mark Wilson
Charts on the Book of Revelation: Literary, Historical, and Theological Perspectives
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6229
Reviewed by Jan G. van der Watt

Magnus Zetterholm, ed.
The Messiah in Early Judaism and Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6217
Reviewed by James H. Charlesworth

Sovereign Grace in Proverbs?

Dan Phillips has an interesting post on sovereign grace in Proverbs, in particular Proverbs 20:12. You can read it here.

Joshua 21:43-45 and the Promise of Land

Matt Waymeyer has a nice post on Joshua 21:43-45 and the fulfillment (or not) of the Abrahamic promise of land.

Peter Flint on the Dead Sea Scrolls

Shaun Tabatt has brought attention to a lecture by Peter Flint in the Logos Lecture Series entitled The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament. Flint is a knowledgeable, engaging, and entertaining speaker. Listen to it here.

Piper on Providence

John Piper has a helpful reminder here on the advantages of believing in God's providence.

Favorite New Testament Books to Preach

I was looking through my files recently and came across this survey from Sermon Central dated November 2006. Preachers were asked their favorite New Testament books to preach. Here is the top five according to the survey.

1. Ephesians (16.8%)
2. John (12.2%)
3. Philippians and James (both at 10.7%)
4. Romans (9.2%)
5. Mark and Hebrews (both at 6.1%)

Do you have a favorite?

Resources on 1 Corinthians

The Crypto-Theology blog has an interesting and eclectic list of resources on 1 Corinthians. See it here.

Biblical Text-Writing May Have Poisoned Monks

See this interesting article suggesting that Medieval monks may have actually been poisoned in the process of creating biblical manuscripts the monks. According to the article,

Medieval bones from six different Danish cemeteries reveal that monks who wrote Biblical texts and other religious materials may have been exposed to toxic mercury, which was used to formulate just one of their ink colors: red.

The Meaning of Authenteō

The meaning of authenteō in 1 Timothy 2:12 is one of key points of contention in the current gender debate between Egalitarians and Complimentarians. Denny Burk's blog has a nice summary of some of the argumentation of Henry Scott Baldwin concerning this term. It is worth checking out here.

Top Five Commentaries on Leviticus

Ligonier Ministries has a list and discussion of their top five commentaries on Leviticus. I personally would rank Milgrom higher and prefer his Anchor volumes to the shorter volume in the Continental series. In any case, the top five they have listed are:

1. Gordon J. Wenham -- The Book of Leviticus (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 1979).
2. John E. Hartley -- Leviticus (Word Biblical Commentary, 1992).
3. Mark F. Rooker -- Leviticus (New American Commentary, 2000).
4. Jacob Milgrom -- Leviticus (Continental Commentary, 2004).
5. Baruch A. Levine -- Leviticus (JPS Torah Commentary, 1989).

Bob Utley's Free Bible Commentary

Dr. Bob Utley, retired Professor of Hermeneutics, has made all of his Bible commentaries available free online here. The site also contains free audio and video of Dr. Utley's work as well. Check it out.

Review of Jaroslav Pelikan's Commentary on Acts

See a review of Jaroslav Pelikan's recent commentary on Acts in the Brazos Theological Commentary series here.

A Discussion With C. E. B. Cranfield

Nijay K. Gupta has posted an interesting discussion that he had with C. E. B. Cranfield. Check it out here.

The Blame Game

Ben Reaoch at the Desiring God blog has a helpful if convicting post on twelve sins we blame on others.

1) Anger

I wouldn’t lose my temper if my co-workers were easier to get along with, or if my kids behaved better, or if my spouse were more considerate.

2) Impatience

I would be a very patient person if it weren’t for traffic jams and long lines in the grocery store. If I didn’t have so many things to do, and if the people around me weren’t so slow, I would never become impatient!

3) Lust

I would have a pure mind if there weren’t so many sensual images in our culture.

4) Anxiety

I wouldn’t worry about the future if my life were just a little more secure—if I had more money, and no health problems.

5) Spiritual Apathy

My spiritual life would be so much more vibrant and I would struggle with sin less if my small group were more encouraging, or if Sunday school were more engaging, or if the music in the worship service were more lively, or if the sermons were better.

6) Insubordination

If my parents/bosses/elders were godly leaders, then I would joyfully follow them.

7) A Critical Spirit

It’s not my fault that the people around me are ignorant and inexperienced.

8) Bitterness

If you knew what that person did to me, you would understand my bitterness. How could I forgive something like that?

9) Gluttony

My wife/husband/roommate/friend is a wonderful cook! The things they make are impossible to resist.

10) Gossip

It’s the people around me who start the conversations. There’s no way to avoid hearing what others happen to say. And when others ask me questions, I can’t avoid sharing what I know.

11) Self-Pity

I’ll never be happy, because my marriage/family/job/ministry is so difficult.

12) Selfishness

I would be more generous if we had more money.

Read the rest of the post here.

Blindness in Luke-Acts

Richard Anderson has a nice post on the theme of blindness in Luke-Acts. In his final major paragraph he suggests,

Identifying and using blindness as a synecdochic metaphor for the theme of the lack of understanding makes it possible to recognize the significance of the Isaiah reading as an interpretative guide to the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

Why We Believe Children Who Die Go to Heaven

Albert Mohler and Daniel Akin have posted on "Why We Believe Children Who Die Go to Heaven." You can read it here.

Marital Fidelity and Church Attendance

According to the Church Leaders Intelligence Report,

A study published in the June 2008 Journal of Marriage and Family found that strong faith in God by itself won’t protect against marital infidelity. But a study by Fuller Seminary researchers David Atkins and Deborah Kessel found that regular church attendance does make a difference. People who rarely attend services are four times more likely to have an affair than those who attend more often. Frequent churchgoers hear sermons about the moral aspect of marital infidelity and are likely to practice what is preached. Other activities such as prayer do not make a statistical difference in marital faithfulness.
www.foxnews.com 4/15/08

Cal Thomas: Do They Think Jesus Was a Liar?

By Cal Thomas
Syndicated Columnist/FOX News Contributor

I am shocked and appalled over a newly published survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. It finds most Americans believe there are many ways to salvation besides their own faith. Most disturbing of all is the majority of self-identified evangelical Christians who believe this.

Apparently they must think Jesus was a liar, or mistaken, when he said: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me.” Look it up.

This theological ignorance is a product of several things. It is surely a product of biblical illiteracy by people who don’t read, or selectively read scripture. It is also fallout from the political correctness vice that says you are intolerant if you believe anything to be true, because people who have another truth, or no truth, might feel bad and experience rejection.

If they feel rejection now, wait until they hear “away from me, I never knew you.”

Tolerance is a good thing. People should tolerate and respect people of different faiths, or no faith. But watering down your own set of professed doctrines in order to appeal to the lowest spiritual common denominator is akin to Peter denying Christ three times.

If there are many paths to heaven, Jesus suffered and died for nothing. He could have stayed in heaven, sent down a book of sayings and avoided crucifixion. Orthodox Christians have always believed – and their Bible teaches them — there is only one path to heaven and it is through Jesus Christ and him alone. One can believe whatever one wishes, but you can’t be considered a Christian without believing in this fundamental doctrine.

Christian churches have a lot of work to do in addressing biblical illiteracy, ignorance and, yes, heresy, in their midst. They might want to pay more attention to fixing what’s gone wrong among their members before expending too much energy on politics and politicians.

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of the Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews that may be of interest to those interested in Bible exposition include:

Hans Dieter Betz, Don S. Browning, Bernd Janowski, and Eberhard Jüngel, eds.

Religion Past and Present: Encyclopedia of Theology and Religion: Volume 1: A-Bhu

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5845

Reviewed by Dirk van der Merwe 

Bradford B. Blaine Jr.

Peter in the Gospel of John: The Making of an Authentic Disciple

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6111

Reviewed by Stephan Witetschek 

Markus Bockmuehl and Donald A. Hagner, eds.

The Written Gospel

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5285

Reviewed by David C. Sim 

Sebastian Brock

The Bible in the Syriac Tradition

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5853

Reviewed by H. F. van Rooy 

Jack Cheng and Marian Feldman, eds.

Ancient Near Eastern Art in Context: Studies in Honor of Irene J. Winter by Her Students

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6320

Reviewed by Aren Maeir 

Gregory W. Dawes

Introduction to the Bible

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6043

Reviewed by Randall L. McKinion 

Jane DeRose Evans

The Coins and the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Economy of Palestine

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6191

Reviewed by Mark A. Chancey 

Victor Paul Furnish

1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6202

Reviewed by Eduard Verhoef 

Mark D. Futato

Interpreting the Psalms: An Exegetical Handbook

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6112

Reviewed by Howard N. Wallace 

John Goldingay and David Payne

Isaiah 40-55: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5951

Reviewed by Chris Franke 

Maria Gorea

Job: Ses précurseurs et ses épigones ou comment faire du nouveau avec de l'ancien

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5991

Reviewed by James L. Crenshaw 

Nathaniel Helfgot, ed.

The Tanakh Companion to the Book of Samuel

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5918

Reviewed by Ralph K. Hawkins 

Paul M. Hoskins

Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Temple in the Gospel of John

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6241

Reviewed by Mary L. Coloe

Reviewed by Nicholas H. Taylor 

Ådna Jostein, ed.

The Formation of the Early Church

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6032

Reviewed by Markus Oehler 

Bart J. Koet

Dreams and Scripture in Luke-Acts: Collected Essays

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6036

Reviewed by David L. Tiede 

Jerome H. Neyrey

Give God the Glory: Ancient Prayer and Worship in Cultural Perspective

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6113

Reviewed by Tony Costa 

Birger A. Pearson

Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6053

Reviewed by James F. McGrath 

Calvin J. Roetzel

2 Corinthians

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6204

Reviewed by Frank J. Matera 

Karl Friedrich Ulrichs

Christusglaube: Studien zum Syntagma pistis Christou und zum paulinischen Verständnis von Glaube und Rechtfertigung

http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6022

Reviewed by Günter Röhser

John Calvin's Approach to Preaching the Old Testament

The Preaching Today blog has an interesting post on John Calvin's approach to preaching the Old Testament. see it here.

Piper: The Lord's Money

The following was posted by John Piper on the Desiring God blog.

Every day is the Lord’s day just like all your money is the Lord’s money.

Nevertheless one day in seven is called “the Lord’s Day” in a special sense (Revelation 1:10; cf. 1 Corinthians 16:2; Acts 20:7). We set this day aside for a special focus on corporate worship and spiritual refreshment.

Similarly, some of the Lord’s money that you manage should be set aside for the Lord’s church and his mission in the world.

I write this today because I received $1,500 in the mail last Tuesday from the U. S. Government. It is not my money. It is the Lord’s. All of it. I know how much of it I will give to the Lord’s church. Noël and I are agreed.

How about you?

Witherington: When is a Text not a Text? When is a Reader not a 'Reader'?

See this interesting excerpt from Ben Witherington's forthcoming volume in New Testament rhetoric.

Young Baptist Preachers Chart Different Courses

See this associated press article on young Baptist preachers and their different approaches to ministry. It is interesting to me that both approaches are reactionary and counter-cultural in their own ways. The contemporary approach is a reaction against more traditional expressions of Christianity and a counter to traditional Christian culture. The traditional approach is a reaction against contemporary approaches and counter to contemporary culture.

You Never Know What You'll Find

Here is a nice article about a student in Israel who found a LMLK jar handle among some discarded pottery fragments. By the way, the tour leader Steve Sanchez was a former fellow student with me at DTS.

Less Can Be More

Peter Mead provides a helpful reminder here of the tendency to say to much in preaching. He writes,

Most of us, in our first sermon, tried to say too much. We tried to cram in all we knew on that subject. We tried to miss nothing, preached dense and probably missed everyone listening. Keep that in mind today. Don’t try and say so much that you end up effectively saying nothing. Don’t feel the need to prove how many hours of exegetical work you put in, or what exegetical bunny trails you pursued to no avail. Say one thing, and say it well. Say it clear. Say it more than once. But don’t say too much!