Motyer on Isaiah 52:13-53:12

I really enjoyed these comments for the day by Alec Motyer on Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

"Holy ground indeed! It feels irreverent to attempt a “thought for the day” from this awesome passage. Why not just read and re-read it? But if a “thought” must be offered, consider the opening of verse 10: “It was Yahweh's pleasure to crush him.” Many a Christian parent has known heartfelt joy when a dear child is called into the Lord’s service, and has also accepted with (tearful) joy the departure of the child to distant – even menacing – places, demanding suffering and sacrifice. But there comes a point where tears remain and joy ends! Consider, therefore, “the love that drew salvation’s plan,” finding pleasure in sending the beloved Son; finding pleasure too when “by the carefully planned intention and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23) he was “delivered” into lawless hands to crucify and put to death. No, that is a love beyond our possibility of experience, yet, says John (I John 4:9–10, 14), “this is what love is – he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” It is not only God’s peace that is “past understanding,” beyond our powers of heart and mind; far more so his love. The hymn-writer asks, “Jesus, what didst thou find in me that thou has dealt so lovingly?” Change the wording from “Jesus” to “Father.” The answer remains the same – he loved us because he loved us because he is love. The response is not to question, not to raise unintelligent questions prompted by our deficient, sin-impaired logic but, as Wesley should have written, that we should be “found in wonder, love and praise.” In this place, too, we discover how marvellously secure we are in Christ. Through him as Mediator we come to the Father, and, knowing partially but terrifyingly, all that unfits us for his presence and fits us for his wrath, we find ourselves in the presence of love beyond anything known on earth, and the voice which says, “I was delighted when my Son died for you – and I am still delighted.”"

Alec Motyer, Isaiah by the Day: A New Devotional Translation (Ross-shire: Christian Focus, 2011), 261.
   

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.

Ann W. Astell and Sandor Goodhart, eds.

Sacrifice, Scripture, and Substitution: Readings in Ancient Judaism and Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8311
Reviewed by John Dunnill

Daniel Boyarin
The Jewish Gospels: The Story of the Jewish Christ
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8430
Reviewed by F. Stanley Jones

Jeffrey Brodd and Jonathan L. Reed, eds.
Rome and Religion: A Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue on the Imperial Cult
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8384
Reviewed by John Kloppenborg

Gonzalo Haya-Prats
Empowered Believers: The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8196
Reviewed by Nils Neumann

Larry W. Hurtado and Paul L. Owen, eds.
'Who Is This Son of Man?': The Latest Scholarship on a Puzzling Expression of the Historical Jesus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8224
Reviewed by Christopher Tuckett

Yung Suk Kim
A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters: Exploring a Threefold Theology of Paul
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8237
Reviewed by Jason Weaver

Stefanos Mihalios
The Danielic Eschatological Hour in the Johannine Literature
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8161
Reviewed by Dirk van der Merwe

Klaus Wachtel and Michael W. Holmes, eds.
The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8381
Reviewed by Jean-François Racine

James P. Ware
Paul and the Mission of the Church: Philippians in Ancient Jewish Context
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8204
Reviewed by Angela Standhartinger

John Morgan-Wynne
The Cross in the Johannine Writings
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8197
Reviewed by David Crump

Free Logos Book for August: Westcott's Commentary on Hebrews

  

The free Logos Book for August is B. F. Westcott's classic commentary The Epistle to the Hebrews. You can also enter to win a classic commentary set on Hebrews valued at $239.95. Go the Logos' Free Book of Month page to enter and download your free book today!

  

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 35:1

The latest issue of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament is out. Here is a list of the articles and links to abstracts.

The Roll, the Codex, the Wax Tablet and the Synoptic Problem, pp/ 3-30
John C. Poirier
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/1/3

Stylistic Levels in Hebrews 1.1–4 and John 1.1–18, pp. 31-53
Dan Nässelqvist
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/1/31

The Structure and Argument of 1 John, pp. 54-73

Matthew Jensen
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/1/54

There is also a review article:

Marcion and the Resurrection: Some Thoughts on a Recent Book, pp. 74-102

James Carleton Paget
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/1/74
 

Hurtado on a Mythical Jesus

Larry Hurtado has some stinging remarks concerning the advocates of a mythical Jesus here.

Free Audio of The Disciplines of the Christian Life

   

Christianaudio.com's free audiobook download for the month of August is The Disciplines of the Christian Life by Eric Liddell. Here is the publisher's description:

"Eric Henry Liddell was a Scottish athlete, rugby union international player, and missionary. He is perhaps most well known as the subject of the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire, which depicted his experiences training and racing in the Olympics and the religious convictions that influenced him. In his book about spiritual disciplines, he outlines his own pattern for living which has as its foundation a daily Bible reading plan."

For more information or to get your download go here. 

Imprecations in the Psalms

One of the more difficult issues in the study of the Psalms are the imprecations that are occur in various psalms (e.g., Pss 5:10; 10:15; 28:4; 31:17­–18; 35:4–6, 8, 26; 40:14–15; 69:22–28; 70:2–3; 71:13; 109:6–20, 29; 139:19–22; 140:9–10). Although I prefer to think of psalms with imprecations rather than imprecatory psalms, one still has to wrestle with how these imprecations can fit within a Christian ethic. How does the invoking of evil or misfortune upon someone or something fit within a  context in which believers are called upon to bless and not curse and to love and not hate one’s enemies? A number of answers could be given, but I think Gordon Wenham provides a helpful perspective in  noting that, “These appeals for divine intervention, often called ‘imprecatory psalms,’ are much more than curses parading as prayers. They are undergirded by the conviction that God is both sovereign and just, indeed that he cares about the injustice suffered by the poor and downtrodden. The psalmists cry out that God will treat the wrongdoers as they have treated others. In situations  where faith in God’s goodness seems to be disproved, the psalmist reassert that faith and place their trust in God to vindicate them rather than take revenge themselves."

Gordon J. Wenham, Psalms as Torah: Reading Biblical Songs Ethically, Studies in Theological Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012), 179.

  

The Eschatological Dimension of the Lord's Supper

  

I appreciated this comment by Robert Stein concerning the often neglected eschatological aspect of the Lord's Supper.

"The second dimension of the Lord's Supper points to the more distant future. Jesus looked to the cross with both horror and confidence. The horror of crucifixion is clearly understandable. Jesus' confidence is seen in his last saying. He goes to the cross knowing that he will be victorious. He will rise from the dead; he will ascend to the Father; he will return again in glory. Any celebration of the Lord's Supper that focuses only on thee horror of the cross is decidedly unbiblical. The Lord's Supper also speaks of a glorious reunion of Jesus with his followers. Even such a sad hymn as "'Man of Sorrows,' What a Name," which dolefully sings of Jesus' death, ends "When he comes, our glorious King, / All his ransomed home to bring, / Then anew this song we'll sing, / 'Hallelujah, what a Savior!'" The church must never lose sight of or minimize this dimension of the Lord's Supper."

Robert H. Stein, Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1996), 212-13.

Team Sermon Planning

The idea of team sermon planning might be very good idea. Read about it here.

Teaching vs. Preaching

  

Read the following carefully. I think Anderson makes some points worth considering.

“Take the question of preaching and teaching. Many have tried to distinguish between preaching and teaching as if teachers share information, while preachers change lives, but that distinction might not actually be helpful. When someone says, ‘George is a better teacher than he is a preacher,’ we think we understand. When pressed to articulate the difference, however, things become more complicated. It may be George is a little dry in his presentation or perhaps he is lacking in passion. That might leave him deficient in the preaching category, but does it automatically mean the man can teach?

One of the reasons preachers are unappreciated in contemporary culture is that they keep trying to change people’s lives. Teachers are better accepted because they are thought to be benign. The teacher shares information but isn’t concerned about persuading anyone, or so it is thought. Put it like that to a real teacher, however, and see how he or she responds.   

“Any teacher worth her whiteboard wants to change lives. Great teaching is not solely about information transfer, as if the lecture were a biotechnical cognitive download. There is that, of course, but teachers want so much more for their students. Teachers want to be dangerous. They actually want to change lives—just like preachers.

“Preachers and teachers have more in common than what is often thought. The teacher wants to change lives, and the cognitive preacher understands that lives will change once people have a correct understanding of truth.”

Kenton C. Anderson, Choosing to Preach (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 94–5.

Women in Acts

The frequency and significance of women in Luke–Acts is generally recognized by interpreters. It is often suggested that this prominence of women is part of Luke’s overall strategy of inclusion of the marginalized. This is probably correct, but is interesting that while many women are named, there are also a number of women who are unnamed as can be seen in these two lists.
 

Named women: Mary mother of Jesus (1:14), Sapphira (6:1), Tabitha/Dorcas (9:36), Rhoda (12:13), Mary the mother of John Mark (12:12, 25), Lydia (16:14), Damaris (17:34), Priscilla (18:2, 18, 26), Diana? (19:24, 27-28, 34-35), Drusilla (24:24), Bernice (25:13, 23; 26:30).
 

Unnamed women: Paul’s sister (23:16), Pharaoh's daughter (7:21), Timothy’s mother (16:1), demon-possessed slave girl (16:16), Phillip’s daughters (21:9).
 

I am not sure what the ultimate significance (if any) of this is, but I did find it intriguing.

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

  

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.

Coleman A. Baker
Identity, Memory, and Narrative in Early Christianity: Peter, Paul, and Recategorization in the Book of Acts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8235
Reviewed by Jean-François Racine
 
John Choi
Traditions at Odds: The Reception of the Pentateuch in Biblical and Second Temple Period Literature
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7806
Reviewed by John Engle
 
John Drane
Introducing the New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7882
Reviewed by Nijay Gupta
 
John Paul Heil
Philippians: Let Us Rejoice in Being Conformed to Christ
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7735
Reviewed by Peter-Ben Smit
Reviewed by Todd D. Still
 
Scott C. Jones
Rumors of Wisdom: Job 28 as Poetry
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8209
Reviewed by Edward L. Greenstein
 
Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler, eds.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8387
Reviewed by Stephen Moyise
 
Michael E. W. Thompson
Where Is the God of Justice? The Old Testament and Suffering
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8270
Reviewed by Pekka Pitkanen
 
J. Brian Tucker
You Belong to Christ: Paul and the Formation of Social Identity in 1 Corinthians 1-4
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8057
Reviewed by Maria A. Pascuzzi
 
Julie Woods
Jeremiah 48 as Christian Scripture
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8088
Reviewed by Frederik Poulsen

A Return to Biblical Preaching

  

Although the following was published by John Bright in 1967, I think that the message still needs to be heeded.

"But first a plea—and perhaps a rather homiletical one—that ought not to be necessary., but unfortunately is: a plea for a return to biblical preaching generally, which is to say, to preach based on the authority of the biblical Word. The overriding concern in the entire discussion, and the one that caused it to be undertaken in the first place, has been that such preaching be done. The strength of the church lies in the gospel it proclaims—thus in its preaching—today, as it always has. And since the church stands under the authority of the Word, it follows that the best preaching—nay, the only proper preaching—is biblical preaching. Only biblical preaching carries with it the authority of the Word.If therefore, the Christian pulpit is ever to regain the power and respect which rightfully belongs to it, it will be through a return to biblical preaching."

John Bright, The Authority of the Old Testament (London: SCM Press, 1967), 162. 
  

Qoheleth: Realist or Pessimist?

  

"Where Qoheleth stands apart from the wisdom of Proverbs is that he assumes an intensely personal perspective. Proverbs is essentially collective in its ethic, being an anthology of sayings from many sources and taking as its yardstick social values: respect, honour, wealthy, posterity. It accords authority to society as a whole and to the tradition of wisdom sayings. Qoheleth does not. He observes on his own authority, and he is overwhelmed by the fact of his death, presumably his own most of all. Does he, then,  have any practical advice to offer? despite the fact that he regards it as preferable not to have been born, he apparently does not advocate suicide, or even despair. He is more of a realist than a pessimist. seven times he makes a specific recommendation to be happy, enjoy life, eat and drink, have a cheerful heart. But he does not suggest that this can be done by abandoning oneself to the life of dissipation.  Joy is to be found in eating and drinking, to be sure, but as regular human activities not in the sense of revelry. He enjoins pleasure in work also. The proper response to life, according to life, according to Qoheleth, is to accept it, and while one has the opportunity, make the most of it."

I don't agree with everything above, and I would suggest that Qoheth's theology plays a part in his perspective. I might slightly rephrase the point that Qoheleth is more a theological realist than a secular pessimist.

Philip R. Davies and John Rogerson, The Old Testament World, 2nd ed. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2005),193.
 

Christian Faith and the Historical Veracity of the Bible

 
“If orthodox Christian faith based on the Bible does not require its foundational events to be real and historical, one must ask, Why have anti-Christian polemicists for nearly two thousand years—from the second-century Gnostics and philosophers to Enlightenment philosophers, as well as their followers in German and other continental higher critics and recent postmodern hermeneuts—been so obsessed with undermining the Bible’s historicity and accuracy, along with ridiculing the supernatural? Obviously they think historicity matters, and in their mind if the Bible is shown to be inaccurate and filled with errors, its message is invalidated.”
 
James K. Hoffmeier, “Why a Historical Exodus Is Essential for Theology,” in Do Historical Matters Matter to Faith: A Critical Appraisal of Modern and Postmodern Approaches to Scripture, ed. James K. Hoffmeier and Dennis R. Magary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 133.
  

The Name of Jesus

The name of Jesus is a notable feature of the Book of Acts. Baptism (2:38; 8:16; 19:5), forgiveness (10:43), Healing (3:6, 16; 4:10), salvation (4:12; 22:16) is said to be in the Name of Jesus. Demons are cast out (16:18), signs and wonders are performed (4:30), and teaching/preaching (4:18; 5:28, 40; 8:12; 9:28) is performed in the Name of Jesus. I would suggest that the name of Jesus can emphasize one of five aspects of the person and work of Christ.

1. The name of Jesus can emphasize his authority, namely, that which is based upon or accomplished by the authority of Jesus (e.g., Acts 16:18).

2. The name of Jesus can emphasize agreement, that is, that which is in agree with the plan and purposes of Jesus (e.g., Acts 22:16).

3. The name of Jesus can emphasize his ability, that is, that which is done by the power of Jesus (e.g., Acts 4:10).

4. The name of Jesus can emphasize association, that is, that which is done in identification with Jesus (e.g., Acts 2:38).

5. The name of Jesus can emphasize his accomplishments, namely, that which is done on the basis of what Jesus has done (e.g., Acts 10:43).
  

F. F. Bruce on Dissertations

The recent biography on F. F. Bruce contains the following observation about dissertations. I am not sure that Bruce's point is not even more true today.

"As, generation after generation, German students submit dissertations for the doctorate of their faculty, they have the choice of confirming old views or presenting new ones. Naturally, more “kudos” attaches to the publication of a new theory than to the re-establishment of an old one, and the most brilliant and ambitious students will seek to put forth “some new thing.” In some faculties the results of this tendency are wholly beneficial, but in such subjects as classical literature or biblical theology this is not always so. The number of probable hypotheses in these realms is limited, and as these have long ago been exhausted, the chances are that improbable hypotheses will multiply." 

Tim Grass, F. F. Bruce: A Life (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), 106.
 

Jesus and Miracles

  

"A study of the life of Jesus that excludes the miraculous is destined from the start to produce a Jesus who is an aberration. He will be a stranger both to his opponents, who acknowledged his miracles (compare Mk 3:22; b. Sanhedrin 43a), and to his followers, who will no longer be able to identify him as the object of their faith. There is  a certain wholeness about the Jesus who preached the arrival of the kingdom of God, who ate with tax collectors and sinners, who healed the sick and raised the dead, who dies sacrificially on the cross and rose triumphantly from the dead. This wholeness produces an overall portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth that is convincing to a sympathetic reader of the Gospels. Attempts to strip the supernatural from Jesus' life can only produce a Jesus so radically different that he is unrecognizable and his impact on history unexplainable."

Robert H. Stein, Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1996), 24.

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

  

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.

 

Leslie C. Allen
A Liturgy of Grief: A Pastoral Commentary on Lamentations
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8353
Reviewed by Elizabeth Boase
 
Eryl W. Davies
The Immoral Bible: Approaches to Biblical Ethics
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8072
Reviewed by Joel Williams
 
James Dawsey
Peter's Last Sermon: Identity and Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8067
Reviewed by Adam Winn
 
Detlev Dormeyer
Das Lukasevangelium: Neu übersetzt und kommentiert
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8360
Reviewed by M. Eugene Boring
 
Justo L. González
Luke
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8120
Reviewed by Martin M. Culy
 
Edwin M. Good
Genesis 1-11: Tales of the Earliest World
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8341
Reviewed by George Savran
 
Lester L. Grabbe and Oded Lipschits, eds.
Judah between East and West: The Transition from Persian to Greek Rule (ca. 400-200 BCE)
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8346
Reviewed by Joshua Schwartz
 
Kenneth Liljeström, ed.
The Early Reception of Paul
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8144
Reviewed by Stephan Witetschek
 
R. B. Salters
Lamentations: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8078
Reviewed by Eleuterio Ruiz
 
Géza G. Xeravits, ed.
Dualism in Qumran
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7869
Reviewed by Devorah Dimant

Fighting the Good Fight: Pastors Fighting for the Time to Read

  
See this post.
 

Doing Systematic Theology and Hebrews

  

"Although extracting systematic propositions from the text of the New Testament is a rather old-fashioned approach to theological analysis, Hebrews invites such an approach with its very plain propositional claims about God, which it apparently invites to be taken seriously" (Harold W. Attridge, "God in Hebrews: Urging Children to Heavenly Glory," in The Forgotten God: Perspectives in Biblical Theology [Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002], 197).

Although I am not a systematic theologian by discipline, I was struck by this statement. I have heard some criticize  systematicians for not being exegetical enough. But if Attridge is right then actually working with Scripture is considered "old-fashioned." What is a systematic theologian supposed to do? They are condemned for not working with the text or considered old fashioned if they do! Perhaps I am missing something here.
   

Michelangelo’s David

  

Some might be interested in this article on Michelangelo’s statue of David.

  

Is the Gospel More Than Story?

  

Leslie Leyland Fields has an interesting article at Christianity Today entitled, "The Gospel Is More Than a Story: Rethinking Narrative and Testimony." I am a bit pressed for time at the moment, but a quick scan of the article suggests to me that Fields has identified some needed critiques and cautions concerning the current Bible as story emphasis. In any case, you can access the article here.

Update: Unfortunately, this article now appears to be behind a subscriber firewall.

 

First Peter and the Old Testament

“First Peter makes abundant use of the Old Testament, with at least eighteen direct citations and twenty-five allusions. The references are predominantly from four books—Genesis, Isaiah, Psalms, and Proverbs—and Peter normally makes

 Use of the Greek version, the Septuagint (LXX).”

Daniel Keating, First and Second Peter, Jude, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011), 20. 

  

Messianic Psalms

It is not academically fashionable these days to categorize some psalms as messianic. So I was pleasantly surprised to see Walter Kaiser identifying thirteen psalms as messianic (2; 16; 22; 40; 45; 68; 69; 72; 89; 109; 110; 118; 132). Of these psalms, Kaiser would place them in the following chronological order of fulfillment.

David’s Greater Son, Messiah—Psalms 89; 132

The rejection of Messiah—Psalm 118

The Betrayal of Messiah—Psalms 69; 109

The Death and Resurrection of Messiah—Psalms 16; 22

The Written Plan and Marriage of Messiah—Psalms 40; 45

The Triumph of Messiah—Psalms 2; 68; 72; 110
Walter Kaiser, Preaching and Teaching the Last Things: Old Testament Eschatology for the Life of the Church (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011), 63-4.