Luke-Acts and the Centrality of Jerusalem

Although some would argue against the centrality of Jerusalem in Luke-Acts, most tend to affirm the pivotal role of Jerusalem. For example, Andrew Rider states,

"The unity of Luke's double volume is achieved in two ways. There is, first of all, an external unity. More than any of the other evangelists, Luke is concerned with geography. For example, he extends Mark's story of Jesus on 'the way' in the central section of his Gospel. The journey to Jerusalem occupies a central portion of the narrative.
. . .

"Jerusalem, then, forms the geographical link between the Gospel and Acts. The account of the ascension from Jerusalem is repeated at the beginning of Acts. The disciples are told to await the coming of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. The city is the focal point from which the universal mission of the church radiates-even Paul has to return there. Jerusalem remains the mother-church as the Word of the Lord spreads to the ends of the earth. The city provides the external geographical link that binds Luke's story together."

Andrew Ryder, Following Christ: Modes of Discipleship in the New Testament (Franklin, WI: Sheed & Ward, 1999), 74–5. 

  

One's View of God and Worship

"'The words 'I am thy God' are the standard and measure of everything that can be said about worship.'" These words of Luther show that God and worship belong together. A person's picture of God determines his idea of worship. Indeed, the First Commandment is basic for Luther's idea of worship. Faith itself is the essence of worship; for faith is the fulfillment of the First Commandment, and idolatry is nothing but unbelief. Man must decide between worship and idolatry. There is no other choice. Either God is "our God," and we live in fellowship with him, or else by distrust despise him. The one implies worship, the other idolatry." 

Vilmos Vajita, Luther on Worship: An Interpretation (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg, 1958), 3.

Hemer on Revelation as Apocalyptic

  

I recently found a used copy of Colin Hemer’s The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting. As I was flipping through the book, I came upon the following paragraph under the heading “The Revelation as Apocalyptic.”

”The topic of apocalyptic needs to be considered first. I believe that the connection of the Revelation with earlier works of this genre has been overestimated. If apocalyptic, it is apocalyptic with difference. Previous samples were pseudonymous, and generally imitative and pedestrian. But if John used the machinery of a traditional form, he invested that form with a new dimension, and his work cannot be judged within the limits of a convention. The content is here important, even though the rigid and elaborate structure invites concentration upon the form. The imagery is used in a pointed and allusive way: the whole differs from much other apocalyptic in the kind of way that allegory is regarded as differing from parable. In extra-Biblical apocalyptic only perhaps the earlier Sibylline Oracles display any comparable concern with the details of geography and history, and the Fourth Book, which alone permits confident judgment on its unity and provenance, was written in Asia shortly before the Revelation (cf. J. B. Lightfoot, Colossians and Philemon, p. 96).”

I agree with Hemer. I have long questioned how some have examined extra-biblical apocalyptic works, identified a set of characteristics that appear to be common to those works, and then use those characteristics as a grid to interpreting the Book of Revelation without giving adequate consideration to the differences in the Book of Revelation itself. In my opinion, such an approach tends to flatten both the material in the extra-biblical works and Revelation.

Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting, Biblical Resource Series, ed. Astrid B. Beck and David Noel Freedman (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), 12.
  

Relevant Preaching

   

"Great preaching will not ignore the fact that men and women need to hear the Word of God against the backdrop of the major ills, dilemmas, and questions of our own day. Therefore, it is as crucial for the preacher to be a student of the times as to be a student of Scripture. Only when a good match has been made between current questions and their biblical answers will preaching be effective, relevant, and challenging."

Walter C. Kaiser Jr., "Keeping a Finger on the Text," in Inside the Sermon, ed Richard Allen Bodey (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990), 172-73.

Free Audio Download of Bridges' The Pursuit of Holiness

  
Christianaudio.com is offering free audio downloads of Jerry Bridges' book The Pursuit of Holiness. For more details and instructions go here.
   

Ulrich Luz's Matthew 8–20 Commentary

   

Luz, Ulrich. Matthew 8–20: A Commentary. Edited by Helmut Koester. Translated by James E. Crouch. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001.

This is the second volume of Hermeneia’s three volume Matthew commentary. This three volume series is based on Luz’s original German four-volume commentary. For the first volume, Matthew 1–7, see here. 

Publisher's Description:

This is the second of a three-volume commentary on the gospel of Matthew from Europe's leading Matthew scholar. Volume 1 Matthew 1–7 was previously published in the “Continental Commentaries” series. Luz’s commentary is especially noteworthy, not only for his incisive exegesis, but also his keen eye for the importance of the history of interpretation and his attention to the relevance of the New Testament for contemporary Christian ethics. This commentary includes excursuses on Son of David; Matthew’s Interpretation of the Parables; Peter in the Gospel of Matthew; and Son of Man.

Abbreviated Table of Contents:

Foreword
Preface
Reference Codes
Editor's Note

Commentary

I Prelude (1:1—4:22)–vol. 1

 
II Jesus' Activity in Israel in Word and Deed (4:23—11:30)–vol. 1

 
A The Sermon on the Mount (5–7)–vol. 1
B Jesus' Miracles in Israel (8:1—9:35)
C. The Disciples Discourse (9:36-11:1)
D Transition: Israel's Crisis Deepens (11:2-30)

III Jesus Withdraws from Israel (12:1-16:20)

 
A The Conflict with the Pharisees (12:1-50)
B The Parables Discourse (13:1-53)
C Jesus' Withdrawal from Israel and the Origin of the Church (13:53—16:20)

IV Jesus' Activity in the Church (16:21—20:34)

A Experiences of the Disciples on the Way to Suffering (16:21—17:27)
B The Community Discourse (18:1-35)
C On the Way to Jerusalem (19:1-20:34)

Indices
1. Passages
2. Greek and Hebrew Words
3. Subjects
4. Medieval Commentators and Modern Authors
Designer's Notes

  

"Jewish Christian" in New Testament Terms

I have been thinking about what we mean when we say "Jewish Christian" in New Testament terms. Craig Hill makes offers the following suggestion.

"It would be possible to call the members of the Jerusalem church 'Jewish Christians' and mean by it only that these were Christian believers whose ethnic identity (to use modern category) was Jewish. That would be little different from saying that someone is an Irish athlete or an African American singer. These designations tell us something specific about the person but nothing particular about the form of athletics or the type of singing. Few people speak of Jewish Christianity in this sense. Instead, the qualifier 'Jewish' is substantive: a Jewish Christian is one whose self-understanding, beliefs, and practices are substantially both Jewish and Christian."

Craig C. Hill, "the Jerusalem Church," in Jewish Christianity Reconsidered: Rethinking Ancient Groups and Texts, ed. Matt Jackson-McCabe (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007), 45.

 

Happy New Year!

  
I want to wish my readers a very blessed New Year.
 

What Is “the Law and the Prophets” in Luke 16:16?

Yesterday I posted a survey of the treatments of Luke 16:16–18 in some major commentaries. Now I thought I would share with you some of the positions held by the commentators concerning the identification of “the law and the prophets” in Luke 16:16. Here is a table with some results.

The identification of “the law and the prophets”	Commentator/Commentary
Old Testament preaching	Joseph Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke 10–24: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, AB (1985), 1116
The period of time marked by the law and the prophets or the Old Testament period or age	I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC (1978), 628 Alfred Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Luke, ICC (1901), 389 Norval Geldenhuys, The Gospel of Luke, NICNT (1977), 420 Robert H. Stein, Luke. NAC (1992), 418. Darrell Bock, Luke 9:51–24:53, BECNT (1996), 1351, 54.
The Old Testament	William Hendriksen, The Gospel According to Luke, NTC (1978), 774. C. F. Evans, Saint Luke (1990), 607. Craig Evans, Luke, NIBC (1990), 246. John Nolland, Luke 9:21–18:34, WBC (1993), 821. C. Marvin Pate, Luke. Moody Gospel Commentary (1995), 316 Joel Green, The Gospel of Luke, NICNT (1997), 603. Walter Liefeld and David Pao, “Luke,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, rev. ed (2007), 261.
The testimony of the Scriptures	Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke, Sacra Pagina (1991), 250. Probably should be included in the OT category.

Discussions of Luke 16.16–18

I have been working recently on Luke 16:16–18. This is an important passage for understanding how Jesus understood the relationship between the proclamation of His kingdom and the Mosaic Law. In my research I consulted a number of commentaries and I thought I might share with you my basic evaluations of the discussions of the passage in each of the commentaries. Please note that these evaluations are by no means complete and therefore may or may not reflect the overall quality of the commentary as a whole. I have listed the commentaries and annotations in alphabetical order.

Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke 10–24: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, AB (1985). A fairly detailed discussion of the major issues, but after explaining the options, Fitzmyer does not really take a stand on the meaning of biazetai in 16:16. Furthermore, the explanation of continuing validity of the Law begs for further elaboration: “Jesus sees his preaching of the kingdom as something more abiding than the universe itself, because it is the real meaning of the continuing validity of the Law.”

Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, NICNT (1997). Green has one of the most disappointing treatments of the passage. One would expect more detailed exegesis in a full-length commentary in a major commentary series. While Green provides a decent explanation of the flow of the argument he doesn’t deal adequately with the details of the text. For example, the meaning of biazetai in v. 16 is barely addressed.

Walter Liefeld and David Pao, “Luke, in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, rev. ed. (2007). Liefeld and Pao provide a decent explanation of biazetai in v. 16 (although they do not take a position) but not much of an explanation of v. 17.

I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC (1978). Good discussion of both the details and meaning of the text. But it would have been more helpful for Marshall to clarify his explanation of the continuing validity of the Law in light of the coming of the kingdom in vv. 16–17.

John Nolland, Luke 9:21–18:34, WBC (1993). Nolland offers a good discussion both in the details of the text and of the meaning of Luke’s argument as a whole. But the discussion of the continuing validity of the Law in v. 17 is a bit confusing. On the one hand, Nolland writes, “The continuing validity of every detail of the law is here being lent the sense of permanence that adheres to the creation itself” and later in the same paragraph he states, “The addition of v 17 makes it quite clear that v 16 is not to be read as implying any kind of supersession of the law,” but then Nolland suggests that “while v 18 to follow suggests that an ethical focus should be given to the sense of v 17” (p. 821). What is confusing is whether Nolland believes that v. 17 is teaching all or some (the ethical) aspects of the Law are being presented as continuing in validity.

Robert H. Stein, Luke, NAC (1992). Stein offers a solid overall discussion of the significant details of the text. Stein also identifies five different views of v. 17: “(1) All the laws in the OT will remain. (2) All the moral but not the ceremonial and civil laws found in the OT will remain. (3) All the promises/prophecies in the OT will be fulfilled. (4) The OT is transformed and fulfilled in Jesus’ teachings. (5) The OT in all its aspects, i.e., its law, promises, and prophecies, will be fulfilled. In light of the following verse it appears that the second interpretation probably was meant” and eventually settling on the second option (p. 419).

Tips for the Th.M.

  
Marc Cortez has a series of posts on tips for doing a Th.M here.
 

Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament on Sale

  

Christian Book Distributor’s Midweek Markdowns has the three-volume Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament edited by Jenni and Westermann on sale for $24.99 (a 79% discount) until tomorrow. They are also offering 10% off (use code 339017) or free shipping (use code 339015) if you spend over $25. You can see TLOT here as well as other midweek markdowns here.

  

Bulletin for Biblical Research 20:4

  

The latest volume of the Bulletin for Biblical Research is out. It contains the following articles.

Labor Pains: The Relationship between David's Census and Corvée Labor
Kyle R. Greenwood

The "Better Righteousness": Matthew 5:20
Don Garlington

The Order and Essence of Canon in Brevard Childs’s Book on Paul
John C. Poirier

The Problem with the Observance of the Lord’s Supper in the Corinthian Church
Barry D. Smith

Cosmology, Eschatology, and Soteriology in Hebrews: A Synthetic Analysis
Alexander Stewart

Understanding the Gospel of Judas
Craig A. Evans
  

Christological Titles in Acts 2

"Of all the christological titles or categories, two are clearly of great importance to Luke: Jesus as Lord (kyrios) and Jesus as Christ (christos). It is indeed the explicit justification of the use of these two terms for Jesus which governs the programmatic speech of Peter in Acts 2: the whole of the speech is, in one sense, an attempt to provide a detailed justification for the claim that God has made Jesus to be ‘Lord’ and ‘Christ’ (2:36). Indeed this structure to the speech, and the importance which the speech clearly has within the book of Acts as a whole, must clearly throw into question any claim that Luke is totally uninterested in the christological titles; certainly the way that Luke’s Peter clearly seeks to justify the use of these two terms suggests that Luke does see the terms as having some significance."

Christopher M. Tuckett, Christology and the New Testament: Jesus and His Earliest Followers (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001), 140.

The Latest Issue of 'Atiqot

  

'Atiqot 64 is now available online at www.atiqot.org.il. "Articles published in 'Atiqot are the result of the numerous salvage excavations conducted each year on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, which provides the most encompassing research on the region and its connections with the neighboring countries."

  

Merry Christmas!

  
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."
 

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:

Mark Andrew Brighton
The Sicarii in Josephus's Judean War: Rhetorical Analysis and Historical Observations
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7070
Reviewed by Shayna Sheinfeld
 
Colleen M. Conway
Behold the Man: Jesus and Greco-Roman Masculinity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7343
Reviewed by Ronald R. Clark
 
Thomas B. Dozeman
Exodus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7348
Reviewed by Wolfgang Oswald
 
Benjamin H. Dunning
Aliens and Sojourners: Self as Other in Early Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7261
Reviewed by Judith Lieu
 
Troels Engberg-Pedersen
Cosmology and Self in the Apostle Paul: The Material Spirit
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7520
Reviewed by L. Ann Jervis
 
Hermann Gunkel; K. C. Hanson, ed.
Israel and Babylon: The Babylonian Influence on Israelite Religion
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7143
Reviewed by Michael S. Moore
 
Bruce Hansen
'All of You Are One': The Social Vision of Galatians 3.28, 1 Corinthians 12.13 and Colossians 3.11
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7553
 Reviewed by Kobus Kok
 
William H. Jennings
Storms over Genesis: Biblical Battleground in America's Wars of Religion
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6155
Reviewed by Phillip Michael Sherman
 
Isaac Kalimi
The Retelling of Chronicles in Jewish Tradition and Literature: A Historical Journey
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7411
Reviewed by Rivka Ulmer
 
Kirsten Nielsen, ed.
Receptions and Transformations of the Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7228
Reviewed by Donatella Scaiola
 
Rodrigo F. de Sousa
Eschatology and Messianism in LXX Isaiah 1-12
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7480
Reviewed by Tyler Mayfield
 
Jerry L. Sumney
The Bible: An Introduction
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7355
Reviewed by Gail Streete
 
Anthony C. Thiselton
The Living Paul: An Introduction to the Apostle's Life and Thought
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7453
Reviewed by Stephan Joubert
Reviewed by H. H. Drake Williams III
 
Richard Valantasis
The Making of the Self: Ancient and Modern Asceticism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6509
Reviewed by Andrew T. Lincoln

Schreiner's 40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law

Schreiner, Thomas R. 40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law. 40 Questions Series, ed. Benjamin L. Merkle. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2010.

Initially I was a bit skeptical about the catechetical-like forty question format. But 40 Questions about Christians and Biblical Law by Thomas Schreiner has helped to ease, if not erase, my doubts about the format.

Any book that is based on a question-and answer-format should be evaluated both on the quality of questions that are asked and the quality of the answers that are given. In 40 Questions about Christians and Biblical Law, I found Schreiner’s questions and answers to be excellent and helpful. The questions asked are significant (questions that are worth asking), succinct (the questions are clearly and concisely stated), and logically sequential (the questions are asked in a logical progression). Schreiner’s answers are also praiseworthy. The pertinent issues are explained and fairly presented, and the author’s view is clearly stated and argued. One might disagree with Schreiner’s answers, but one will not have to wonder what he believes and why. Sprinkled throughout are helpful tables (see pp. 20, 43, 93, 125, 210).

There are five additional features that add to the usefulness of this work. First, I like the fact that this book has footnotes (not endnotes), which provide the interested reader additional information. Second, I appreciate the summary paragraphs that close each chapter. Third, the inclusion of reflection questions will allow this text to be used in the classroom or a small group study. Fourth, there is a four-page annotated bibliography. And finally the book has Scripture and ancient sources indices.

In sum, Schreiner masterfully addresses the main issues in what is a complicated, and at times, contentious, topic. Whether you have one question or forty about the relationship of Christians to the biblical law, this volume is an excellent resource of both introduction and investigation.

Thanks to Kregel for the review copy.
   

Pekka Pitkänen's Website

  
Yesterday I posted an interview with Pekka Pitkänen. If you found that interview interesting you might want to visit Dr. Pitkänen's website here. There are links to various resources that are worth checking out.
  

Free Online Hebrew Course

  
David Murray has posted a link to a free online Hebrew course that he created.
 

Five Questions With Pekka Pitkänen

  
Joshua is the latest volume of the Apollos Old Testament Commentary series published by InterVarsity Press. Its author, Pekka Pitkänen, a Senior Lecturer in the Open Theological College Course, Department of the Humanities, University of Gloucestershire, has graciously agreed to participate in a brief interview related to the book of Joshua in general and the commentary in particular.

Question: What originally drew you to the book of Joshua?

I did work on Joshua as part of my PhD thesis on the early history of Israel. My doctoral supervisor, Gordon Wenham, asked me around 2001, after completing my PhD, if I wanted to have a hand at writing a commentary for the Apollos series, and I thought I could try to do one on Joshua as I was in any case interested to look into the book in more detail. At that time I was mostly thinking of issues that pertain to certain traditional academic discussions surrounding the book, and questions that relate to violence and related modern application really only subsequently sprung into my view as part of my research and work on the commentary.

Question: You suggest that Joshua should be read as part of the Christian canon in a post/neocolonial age. Could you explain what you mean by post/neocolonial and how your reading differs from other more traditional readings?

I think post/neocolonial age means that we are now aware of the role of power in determining world affairs, also in historical dimension. Postcolonial critique in particular analyses these issues, and this in particular from the perspective of the powerless, or the colonised, whereas Western readings often tend to spring from the perspective of the coloniser, even if in many cases only inadvertently, due to the historical role of the West and its collective power over world affairs during the past 500 years. Neocolonial critique acknowledges the end of explicit colonialism at large, however, it pays attention to continuing inequalities in the world in terms of systemic power and their resulting implications.

Question: You have an extended section in your commentary dealing with the problem of war, conquest, and genocide in Joshua. Why do you think it is important to raise these ethical issues in a commentary?

I think Christians need to reflect on problems of violence in human life, also in a historical dimension, and how the biblical texts reflect human propensity to violence and genocide. Of course, that the text of Joshua is part of the Christian canon makes the related problems all the more difficult for Christians, and yet, it is my view that these need to be looked into and analysed. We are now living in a global world and perhaps have a chance to try to formulate global solutions to certain problematic aspects of violence that have been manifested in human history, and I believe Christians can make their contribution based on analysing the biblical documents. Of course, Joshua is not the only book to address or bear relation to these issues, but I think it is an important one to consider as part of the canonical biblical materials.

Question: What do you think Joshua’s main message for the church today?
 
I think the book should sensitivise us into thinking about the role of violence as part of religion and as part of human life. While Joshua in my view presents genocide as part of God’s unique salvation history some 3,000 years ago, (and not to mention questions of theodicy that this and the book as a whole in my view clearly imply,) we should not think that we as Christians today should be advocating similar approaches, whether intentionally or inadvertently, and, perhaps, if we for example draw in the study of the gospels and other biblical materials, we can collectively try to find ways of working towards a more just and peaceful world.

Question: Who do you think would be most helped by reading your commentary on Joshua?

I would hope that the commentary could help people reflect on the issues outlined above. While the primary target audience for the book is Christians, I have tried to write the book in such a manner that those who may not subscribe to a Christian worldview or Christianity in general could also benefit from reading it. In addition, I have included comments on issues relating to Joshua that have more traditionally been looked at in academic discussion, and I hope these can be of help and stimulus to students and scholars of the Old Testament.
   

Prayer and Preaching

   

"The final step in preparation for preaching, and perhaps the most important, is earnest petition for divine blessing on the message. I never feel properly prepared if I have not spent time with the Lord, asking him to give enlightenment, conviction, regeneration, and faith as the passage is preached. Luther said that theologians are made by oratio, meditatio, and tentatio, or prayer, meditation, and trial. The same may be said of the preacher, and first place is given to prayer."

S. Lewis Johnson Jr., "Method: Expounding Individual Books," in Inside the Sermon, ed Richard Allen Bodey (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990), 156.

   

NLT Bible Giveaway

  

The publishers of the New Living Translation are having a Bible giveaway.To enter, visit the NLT Facebook page by clicking 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:

Joel S. Baden
J, E, and the Redaction of the Pentateuch
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7801
Reviewed by David Carr
 
Maurice Casey
The Solution to the 'Son of Man' Problem
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7421
Reviewed by Panayotis Coutsoumpos
 
Tom Holmén, ed.
Jesus from Judaism to Christianity: Continuum Approaches to the Historical Jesus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6584
Reviewed by Steven M. Bryan
 
Bruce W. Longenecker and Kelly D. Liebengood, eds.
Engaging Economics: New Testament Scenarios and Early Christian Reception
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7405
Reviewed by Markus Lang
 
Jesús Luzarraga
El Padrenuestro desde el arameo
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6626
Reviewed by Jeffrey L. Morrow
 
Kevin B. McCruden
Solidarity Perfected: Beneficent Christology in the Epistle to the Hebrews
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7407
Reviewed by Martin Karrer
 
Alice Mouton
Rêves hittites: Contribution à une histoire et une anthropologie du rêve en Anatolie ancienne
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6353
Reviewed by Michael S. Moore
 
Daniel A. Smith
Revisiting the Empty Tomb: The Early History of Easter
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7450
Reviewed by Michael R. Licona
 
John Strazicich
Joel's Use of Scripture and the Scripture's Use of Joel: Appropriation and Resignification in Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7194
Reviewed by Douglas Watson
 
Emma Wasserman
The Death of the Soul in Romans 7: Sin, Death, and the Law in Light of Hellenistic Moral Psychology
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7379
Reviewed by Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr
 

Reading the New Testament in Light of the Old Testament

   
"Evangelical approaches to the Messiah in the OT often have focused on reading the NT back into the OT. I am suggesting that one should also move in the other direction. The OT shed a a great deal of light on the NT. Our primary objective should be to read the NT in light of of the OT, not vice versa."

John Sailhamer, The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2009), 246.