BibleX

Apr 4, 2009

The Challenge of Blogging Christianly

Paul Wallace at the Reformed Baptist blog is giving up blogging. While people start and end blogs all the time, Paul's rationale for quitting is worth hearing. Read it here.

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:

Piotr Bienkowski, Christopher Mee, and Elizabeth Slater, eds.
Writing and Ancient Near Eastern Society: Papers in Honour of Alan R. Millard
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5108
Reviewed by Raymond Person

Gerald L. Borchert
Worship in the New Testament: Divine Mystery and Human Response
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6648
Reviewed by Tony Costa

Thomas L. Brodie
Proto-Luke: The Oldest Gospel Account: A Christ-Centered Synthesis of Old Testament History Modelled Especially on the Elijah-Elisha Narrative
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6054
Reviewed by Gerbern S. Oegema

Stephanie Lynn Budin
The Myth of Sacred Prostitution in Antiquity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6566
Reviewed by Mayer Gruber
Reviewed by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

Roland Deines
Die Gerechtigkeit der Tora im Reich des Messias: Mt 5,13-20 als Schlüsseltext der matthäischen Theologie
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6024
Reviewed by Stephan Witetschek

Neil Elliott
The Arrogance of Nations: Reading Romans in the Shadow of Empire
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6481
Reviewed by Glenn E. Snyder
Reviewed by Graydon F. Snyder
Reviewed by Ben Witherington III

Weston W. Fields
The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Short History
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6369
Reviewed by Eric F. Mason

Benjamin Fiore
The Pastoral Epistles: First Timothy, Second Timothy, and Titus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6157
Reviewed by Matthew D. Montonini

Joseph A. Fitzmyer
First Corinthians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6687
Reviewed by Anthony C. Thiselton

Matthew E. Gordley
The Colossian Hymn in Context: An Exegesis in Light of Jewish and Greco-Roman Hymnic and Epistolary Conventions
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6564
Reviewed by Vincent Pizzuto

Wouter J. Hanegraaf, ed.
Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6316
Reviewed by David E. Aune

Edith M. Humphrey
And I Turned to See the Voice: The Rhetoric of Vision in the New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6286
Reviewed by Greg Carey

Matthias Köckert
Die Zehn Gebote
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6248
Reviewed by Paul Sanders

Andreas J. Kostenberger and Scott R. Swain
Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity and John's Gospel
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6661
Reviewed by Mary Coloe

Oded Lipschits, Gary N. Knoppers, and Rainer Albertz, eds.
Judah and the Judeans in the Fourth Century B.C.E.
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6106
Reviewed by Allen Kerkeslager

Linda M. MacCammon
Liberating the Bible: A Guide for the Curious and Perplexed
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6631
Reviewed by Martin Meiser

Eckart Reinmuth
Anthropologie im Neuen Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6907
Reviewed by Christoph Stenschke

Robert Rezetko
Source and Revision in the Narratives of David's Transfer of the Ark: Text, Language, and Story in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13, 15-16
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6463
Reviewed by Terrance A. Clarke

Eric A. Seibert
Subversive Scribes and the Solomonic Narrative: A Rereading of 1 Kings 1-11
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5656
Reviewed by Ralph K. Hawkins

Apr 3, 2009

Singular Nouns and Plural Verbs and Translating the Bible

Hall Harris has a good post on the challenges of translating singular nouns and plural verbs. This is an excellent example of the difficulties of translating and one reason I am so appreciative of those who do it well and allow me to benefit through their work.

McKnight on Commentaries on Luke

See this post for Scot Mcknight's recommendations concerning commentaries on Luke. He lists

Joel Green, The Gospel of Luke (New International Commentary on the New Testament)

Darrell Bock, Luke (2 vols.) (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)

John Nolland,Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 35a, Luke 1:1-9:20 .

Joseph Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I-IX: Introduction, Translation, and Notes (The Anchor Bible, Vol. 28).

These are solid recommendations.

Apr 2, 2009

Mead on Delivery Diagnostics

Peter Mead has posted a helpful reminder to those of us who preach to evaluate our delivery. See Peter's excellent list of diagnostic questions here.

Deborah the Judge

Claude Mariottini has posted a good summary of judges in the book of Judges in general and Deborah in particular (Judges 4-5). You can read it here.

Apr 1, 2009

A List of Cessationist Resources

The Cal.vini.st blog has posted an extensive list of resources related to the cessassionist position concerning spiritual gifts. You can access the listing here.

Mar 31, 2009

"Nehemiah-The Man Behind the Wall"

Biblical Archaeology Review has posted an article entitled, "Nehemiah-The Man Behind the Wall." You can access it here.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermons

Many of Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermons are available for free download here.

HT: Justin Taylor

Mounce on the Word Play in John 15:2-3

See Bill Mounce's post on the word play in John 15:2-3. I found this post to be both educational and edifying.

Mar 30, 2009

Decker on "That Which id Perfect" (1 Cor 13:10)

Rodney Decker has made one of his doctoral papers available:

A History of Interpretation of “That Which Is Perfect” (1 Cor 13:10) with Special Attention to the Origin of the “Canon View”

This looks intriguing.

Commentaries on Daniel

Keith Mathison Ligonier Ministries has a list and discussion of his top five commentaries on Daniel at the Ligonier Ministries blog. In evaluating this list I am somewhat hindered by the fact that I have not interacted with the commentaries by Lucas or Duguid. But, I would suggest that the top five should include S. Miller's commentary in the New American Commentary series and Goldingay in the Word series. Some more conservative interpreters might have problems with Goldingay, especially on introductory matters, but his interaction with the text itself is quite good. As far as the best overall, general commentary I would give the nod to Miller. That being said, I would probably bump Young and Ferguson out of the top five and into the Runners Up category. In the Runners Up category I would add Archer (EBC), L. Wood, D. Pentecost (BKC). In any case, the Mathison’s top five are:

1. E.J. Young -- Daniel (1949).
2. Iain M. Duguid -- Daniel (Reformed Expository Commentary, 2008).
3. Sinclair Ferguson -- Daniel (The Preacher's Commentary, 2002).
4. Tremper Longman III -- Daniel (NIV Application Commentary, 1999).
5. Ernest Lucas -- Daniel (Apollos Old Testament Commentary, 2002).

Mar 29, 2009

Walton on the Tabernacle

John Walton has posted on the topic of the tabernacle and how it compares to other ancient Near Eastern temples. While such comparisons are interesting and perhaps valid, it is important to keep in mind that the tabernacle was designed by God (which Walton acknowledges) and that it was not patterned after earthly structures but a heavenly one (Heb 9).

Mar 28, 2009

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:

Stephen P. Ahearne-Kroll
The Psalms of Lament in Mark's Passion: Jesus' Davidic Suffering
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6496
Reviewed by Steve Moyise
Reviewed by Adam Winn

Adele Berlin
The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6402
Reviewed by Allan Rosengren

Gabriele Boccaccini and John J. Collins, eds.
The Early Enoch Literature
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6453
Reviewed by William Loader

Michael Dübbers
Christologie und Existenz im Kolosserbrief: Exegetische und semantische Untersuchungen zur Intention des Kolosserbriefs
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6877
Reviewed by Christoph Stenschke

Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Andrea Weiss, eds.
The Torah: A Women's Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6470
Reviewed by Yael Shemesh

Yosef Garfinkel and Susan Cohen, eds.
The Middle Bronze Age IIA Cemetary at Gesher: Final Report
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6194
Reviewed by Ralph K. Hawkins

Pauline Nigh Hogan
"No Longer Male and Female": Interpreting Galatians 3.28 in Early Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6664
Reviewed by Susan G. Eastman

Jill Middlemas
The Templeless Age: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the Exile
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6072
Reviewed by Flemming A. J. Nielsen

Uwe-Karsten Plisch
The Gospel of Thomas: Original Text with Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6592
Reviewed by Tobias Nicklas

Jean-Louis Ska
Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6291
Reviewed by Reinhard Achenbach

Bruce Wells
The Law of Testimony in the Pentateuchal Codes
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=4622
Reviewed by Jeffrey Stackert

Mar 27, 2009

Preaching for Eternity

Jonathan Leeman has an interesting post about preaching for eternity, with a particular emphasis on using church history. Read the post here.

McKnight on Commentaries on Mark

See this post for Scot Mcknight's recommendations concerning commentaries on Mark.

Theology of Encouragement in Hebrews

See this post by Alan Knox on a biblical theology of encouragement in Hebrews.

HT: Brian Small

Mar 26, 2009

Finding and Using Online Reading Materials

The Tyndale Tech blog has a helpful post on finding and using online reading materials.

Mar 25, 2009

The Ending of Romans

One of the most difficult literary issues related to the Epistle to the Romans is the unity of the epistle, in particular the end of the epistle (i.e. chapters 15–16). Some have concluded that the content of chapter 16 is not original to this epistle. Namely, the number of personal greetings in the chapter appear to be out of place given the fact that at the time Romans was written Paul had never visited Rome and thus would not likely know so many people in the church there. Another issue is that some manuscript evidence suggests that there was more than one recension of the epistle. The problem is that different manuscripts place the doxology at the end of chapter 16, at the end of chapter 14, at the end of chapter 15, at the end of both chapters 14 and 15, and some do not include it at all. So, some have suggested that a shorter form that lacked the two final chapters (except for the doxology in 16:25–27) was in circulation at least by the second and third centuries. See this post for. F. C. Baur's reasons for rejecting the ending and see this post for accepting the ending. For what its worth, I hold that Romans 15-16 are authentic and were originally part of the epistle for many of the same reasons in the second post noted above.

Mar 24, 2009

"Debaptism"?

See this article on an atheist who is calling for "debaptisms," complete with its own certificate. This is apparently directed against the practice of infant baptism.