John Oswalt Teaching Isaiah

  
The Francis Asbury Society is hosting a teaching series on Isaiah featuring John Oswalt. You can download class handouts here and access video here. 

The Tetragrammaton in Roman Catholicism

  
This is an interesting article on the use, or more accurately disuse, of the Tetragrammaton in Roman Catholicism.
 

Sin as a Scent?

  
The winner of the SMH award has to go to Kilian Hennessey's new collection of perfumes. This perfume had the following a write up in the February 21, 2013 edition of the Dallas Morning News.

"In the Garden of Good & Evil, plays on the myth of original sin with a trio of scents: Good Girl Gone Bad, Forbidden Games and in the City of Sin. Each swoon-worthy fragrance, a different blend of sweet fruit, spice and woody notes, is housed in a lacquered white clutch with a serpent ornament. Use with guile. 1.7 ounces, $245 at . . ."
 

Hurtado on the Gospel of Mark

  
Larry Hurtado has some interesting thoughts on its survival as a canonical Gospel here. Hurtado is addressing this as a purely historical question (which is fair). But the survival of Mark is for me is also tied to the fact that it is inspired Scripture. 
 

Pastoral Reading

  
Kevin DeYoung makes a good case that pastors should challenge themselves by reading "over their heads" on occasion. You can read his thoughts here.
 

Google Earth and the Exodus

Here is one attempt to use Google Earth to map out the crossing of the Red Sea as recorded in Exodus. Many Bible students know that the exact route of the Exodus in general and the specific location of the crossing is a matter of debate. Nonetheless this was an interesting read.
 

Ten Commandments of iPad Preaching

  
Not everyone uses an iPad or tablet in their ministry, but if you do there is some good advice here. Although this is written from the perspective of preaching, I think that most, if not, all of these "commandments" would apply to those who use an iPad to teach in classrooms or present at conferences.
 

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. 

David R. Bauer and Robert A. Traina
Inductive Bible Study: A Comprehensive Guide to the Practice of Hermeneutics
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8103
Reviewed by Justin Marc Smith
 
Yoram Cohen
The Scribes and Scholars of the City of Emar in the Late Bronze Age
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7173
Reviewed by Bryan C. Babcock
 
Tobias Hägerland
Jesus and the Forgiveness of Sins: An Aspect of His Prophetic Mission
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8467
Reviewed by Dion Forster
 
Urmas Nømmik
Die Freundesreden des ursprünglichen Hiobdialogs: Eine form- und traditionsgeschichtliche Studie
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8254
Reviewed by Kyle C. Dunham
 
Kathleen M. O'Connor
Jeremiah: Pain and Promise
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8277
Reviewed by Wilhelm J. Wessels
 
Russell Pregeant
Reading the Bible for All the Wrong Reasons
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8299
Reviewed by Joel Stephen Williams
 
David Rhoads, Joanna Dewey, Donald Michie
Mark as Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8507
Reviewed by Michael W. Pahl
 
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza
Transforming Vision: Explorations in Feminist The*logy
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8348
Reviewed by Daniel Darko
 
Moshe Simon-Shoshan
Stories of the Law: Narrative Discourse and the Construction of Authority in the Mishnah
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8445
Reviewed by Joshua Schwartz
 
Assaf Yasur-Landau, Jennie R. Ebeling, and Laura B. Mazow, eds.
Household Archaeology in Ancient Israel and Beyond
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8262
Reviewed by Ralph K. Hawkins 

  

Howard Hendricks (1924-2013)

Howard Hendricks the long-time professor of Christian Education and Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary has gone to be with the Lord. You can read more about Dr. Hendricks here. A notice has been posted at the Dallas Seminary website. A page of tributes is here.

Exemplar Christi Preaching

  
Peter Mead has a good word concerning the potential pitfalls of what he calls exemplar Christi preaching. Mead notes the following four points.

1. He is an example to us, but first and foremost he is Christ to us.

2. Exemplar preaching tends to focus on outward conduct, but the Bible treats us as inside-out creatures.

3. Exemplar preaching points to empowerment, but often an inadequate form of it.

4. Make application an issue of response, not just an issue of copying.

I would add a fifth point that is in some sense an extension of the first point.

5. It minimizes the uniqueness of Jesus' life and mission. I think that this was one of the weaknesses of the WWJD movement so popular a number of years ago.

Do read the entire post and explanations here.
  

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 35:3

  
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.


Paul and the Patriarch: The Role of Abraham in Romans 4
N.T. Wright
pp. 207-241
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/3/207

What does Matthew Say about Divine Recompense? On the Misuse of the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (20.1-16)
Nathan Eubank
pp. 242-262
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/3/242

Narrative Space, Angelic Revelation, and the End of Mark’s Gospel
Guy J. Williams
pp. 263-284
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/3/263

The ‘New’ Hennecke
J.K. Elliott
pp. 285-300
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/3/285
   

From Moses to Malachi

  

I was recently given a copy of a new Old Testament Survey entitled From Moses to Malachi written by Kenneth G. Hanna. While my schedule has not allowed me to conduct an extensive examination of the contents, my cursory examination is quite positive. The contents cover basic introductory issues from a conservative evangelical perspective. The biblical books are not really surveyed in the sense that you go through the book section-by-section. Instead, the contents are generally covered by an examination of the book's message, major themes, events, and through synthetic charts. Amazon is offering the book for $19.90. You can also take a look inside at the Amazon link.
 

Old Testament Yearbook

  
This Old Testament yearbook came out last year but I must have missed it.

Douglas Stuart on "My Favorite Mistranslations"

  
In case you missed it, Dr. Douglas Stuart recently gave a series of messages at Dallas Theological Seminary on the topic of "My Favorite Mistranslations." These messages were part of the annual W. H. Griffith Thomas Memorial Lectures. Video for the four messages can be accessed here.

My Favorite Mistranslations (1 Kings 19:12)
My Favorite Mistranslations (Hosea 1:2 and 3:1)
My Favorite Mistranslations (Genesis 3:8; Proverbs 22:6)
My Favorite Mistranslations (Jonah 1:2)  

A Balanced Reading of the Song of Solomon

  
In honor of St. Valentine's Day, see this good post by Nick Nowalk on the Song of Solomon.

Interview with John J. Collins

You can listen to Terry Gross's Fresh Air interview with John J. Collins related to the Dead Sea Scrolls here.
 

Two Sale Titles from Westminster

Here are two titles that may be of interest to readers of the blog from the Westminster Bookstore. This is a limited-time sale.
 
Tim Keller's Galatians For You: For Reading, For Feeding, For Leading for $11.00 (52% off). Or buy 5 or more and get 57% off or $10 each. 

Sidney Greidanus's Preaching Christ from Daniel for $20.40 (40% off). I have really appreciated Greidanus's work.
 

Free Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis

  
Logos is offering a free pre-publication special for Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis. Here is the description from Logos.

Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis—also known by the designated siglum D and 05—is one of the five most important early uncial manuscripts that contain part of the Greek New Testament. Dating from the fifth century, this bilingual (Greek and Latin) manuscript includes the complete Gospel of Luke, along with portions of Matthew, John, Mark, Acts, and a small fragment from 3 John. It was rediscovered in the sixteenth century and came into the hands of Theodore Beza, one of Calvin’s successors, who gifted it to the University of Cambridge in 1581.

Among the major manuscript witnesses of the New Testament, Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis is perhaps the most enigmatic. The Gospels are organized in the “Western” order, with Matthew and John coming first, followed by Luke and Mark. Perhaps the most intriguing features of Bezae are the significant additions and omissions, seen most prominently in the book of Acts.

Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis is referenced in numerous grammars, lexicons, critical apparatuses, commentaries, journal articles, and monographs. The Logos edition of these transcriptions will be of great benefit to students, scholars, pastors, and laypeople interested in New Testament textual criticism.

You can pre-order here.
 

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.


Martin Bauspieß
Geschichte und Erkenntnis im lukanischen Doppelwerk: Eine exegetische Untersuchung zu einer christlichen Perspektive auf Geschichte
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8614
Reviewed by Nils Neumann

Darrell L. Bock
A Theology of Luke and Acts: God's Promised Program, Realized for All Nations
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8593
Reviewed by Ulrich Busse

Aaron Demsky
Literacy in Ancient Israel [Hebrew]
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=9052
Reviewed by David A. Glatt-Gilad

Daniel Durken, ed.
The New Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7030
Reviewed by Ernest Van Eck

Daniel K. Falk, Sarianna Metso, Donald W. Parry, and Eibert J. C. Tigchelaar, eds.
Qumran Cave 1 Revisited: Texts from Cave 1 Sixty Years after Their Discovery: Proceedings of the Sixth Meeting of the IOQS in Ljubljana
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7783
Reviewed by Samuel Thomas

Lars Hartman
Mark for the Nations: A Text- and Reader-Oriented Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8050
Reviewed by Robert M. Fowler

Benedikt Hensel
Die Vertauschung des Erstgeburtssegens in der Genesis: Eine Analyse der narrativ-theologischen Grundstruktur des ersten Buches der Tora
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8256
Reviewed by Michael S. Moore

Rainer Metzner
Kaiphas. Der Hohepriester jenes Jahres: Geschichte und Deutung
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7791
Reviewed by Thomas Bergholz

Stanley E. Porter and Jason C. Robinson
Hermeneutics: An Introduction to Interpretive Theory
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8480
Reviewed by Anthony C. Thiselton

Allen P. Ross
Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1: 1-41
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8490
Reviewed by Leonard Mare

This issue also includes a response to a previous review.

Simon P. Stocks has commented on the December 2012 review of his The Form and Function of the Tricolon in the Psalms of Ascents. See http://rblnewsletter.blogspot.com/2012/12/20121227-stocks-form-and-function-of.html#comment-form

  

Preaching Thoughts on Numbers

  
Peter Mead continues his series of posts related to preaching on different biblical books. In this post he offers some insights on preaching the book of Numbers.
 

Six Holy Land Blogs You Should Follow

  
Wayne Stiles has posted on "5 Holy Land Blogs You Should Follow" here. I would add Wayne's own blog to bring the number to 6. Wayne's blogging interests are broader than the Holy Land but he posts frequently enough on the Land to make it worth checking out if your interests lie there.
 

New Baker Academic Blog

  
Baker Academic has a new blog. Check it out here.
 

The Archaeology of Lachish

  
In case you missed it, Wayne Stiles has a very nice post on Tel Lachish here.
  

Muzzling the Ox

  
Michael Vlach has a nice post on the much discussed use by Paul of Deuteronomy 25:4 in 1 Corinthians 9:9-10. You can read the post here.
 

Momentous Moments in Exodus

  
See Peter Mead's post on "Three Momentous Moments Preaching Exodus."