The Dead Sea Scrolls In Tax Court

  
The Forbes website has this interesting story on the Dead Sea Scrolls.
 

New Testament Humor

  
Leonard J. Greenspoon has posted on "Humor in the New Testament" here. While the New Testament does not typically contain obvious slapstick kind of humor, there are passages which can bring a smile to the careful reader.
  

Online Resources for Psalms

  
Check out David Murray's listing of the top 70 online resources on the Book of Psalms. I am delighted that this blog made this list a few times. By the way, David's blog is one of the blogs that I read regularly.
 

Free Audio Book: The Explicit Gospel

 
Christianaudio.com's free audiobook download for the month of June is The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler with Jared C. Wilson.

For more information or to get your download go here.
  

Statement from the Calvinism Advisory Committee of SBC

  
A Statement from the Calvinism Advisory Committee of Southern Baptist Convention entitled "Truth, Trust, and Testimony in a Time of Tension" can be read here.

Access to the Bible Translator

  
I recently received an email from Sage Publications which noted that they are now publishing The Bible Translator from 2013 on behalf of United Bible Societies. Sage is offering free access to the journal until the end of June. The email highlighted the following articles.

Translation, Exegesis, and 1 Thessalonians 2.14–15: Could a Comma Have Changed the Course of History?
Stanley E. Porter (April 2013)

Looking in the Old Testament for the Epic Genre
Roger Bullard (April 2013)

Hearing the Voice of the Other: Engaging Poets and Writers as Bible Translators, with a Case Study on Isaiah 7.14
Hans-Olav Mørk (July 2012)

A Feminist Approach to Bible Translation: Translating John 4.7b-26 into Korean Addressee Honorifics
Ji Youn Cho (October 2011)

Ethical Concerns and Worldview Perspectives in Bible Translation: An Inquiry into the Ethics of Bible Translation
Krijn Van Der Jagt (July 2010)
  

Piper on the Traits of a Good Teacher

  
See this brief article by John Piper on the traits that make for a good teacher.
 

The Best Sermon Illustrations

  
See this blog post that builds on the work of Haddon Robinson.
 

Teaching Theology in the Local Church

  
Chuck Lawless has some pointers on how to teach theology in the local church. Check it out here.
 

Dead Sea Scrolls for Sale

  
According to this article, some fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls can still be purchased. Unfortunately, I don't think that they would be within my budget!
 

Malachi's Literary Form and Message

After brief discussion on the literary form and message of Malachi James Fischer summarizes Malachi in this way. 
 
"Or to put it in simpler words, the message of the prophet was to tell who Yahweh was. The message was not from men to God (“We are, sorry”); it was from God to man. And it said Yahweh is father, lover, a God who is faithful because that is the kind of God he is and who wants most of all that men be faithful to him."

James A. Fischer, “Notes on the Literary Form and Message of Malachi,” Catholic Bible Quarterly 34 (1972): 320.

The Lessons of Balaam for Ministry

At the conclusion of a fine chapter on the theology of the Balaam oracles, Ron Allen makes the following point.

"A final word concerns the relationship Balaam bears on the issue of the Christian ministry. It is sometimes said that God never uses an unclean vessel. But remember Balaam. Perhaps it might better be said that God rarely uses unclean vessels. This factor may indicate that our success syndrome is wrongly directed. A given minister of God’s Word may have blessing and success simply because God is honoring His Word and not necessarily because He is honoring the messenger.

"The fate of a Balaam is beyond comprehension. Perhaps the Balaam of the Numbers account will not be the only one who died in the enemy camp, having never been related to the God whose Word he communicated to others. Many others may say, “Lord, Lord,” whom the Lord never knew. The story of Balaam tells us a great deal about our God. It also places a mirror before us. We must view ourselves."

Ronald B. Allen, "The Theology of the Balaam Oracles," in Tradition and Testament: Essays in Honor of Charles Lee Feinberg, ed. John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg (Chicago: Moody, 1981), 109–10.
 

File Under Unbelievable

  
According to a recent Christian Post article, 

"The head of the Episcopal Church has garnered outrage from some in the Anglican Communion over her claim that St. Paul of Tarsus' curing of a demon-possessed slave girl as described in the Bible was wrong.

"In a sermon delivered before the Diocese of Venezuela on the island nation of Curaçao, Presiding Bishop The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori said that by driving the demon out of her Paul was 'depriving her of her gift of spiritual awareness.'

"'Paul is annoyed, perhaps for being put in his place, and he responds by depriving her of her gift of spiritual awareness,' said Jefferts Schori."

To read the full sermon go here.

How can someone in such a high position of leadership so misinterpret a text? How could one equate demonic possession with spiritual awareness? I guess the demons in Matthew 8:31 just wanted to bring spiritual awareness to pigs.
  

Christ in the Psalms

  
Nicolas Batzig has an interesting post on seeing Christ in the Psalms. I found the criticism of Calvin's approach particularly interesting.
 

Esther's Outstanding Literary Characteristic and Preaching

Robert Gordis suggests that,
 

"The outstanding literary characteristic of the author of Esther is his interest in the swift flow of the action. He, therefore, strips the plot of all non-essentials, concentrating on events rather than on motivations, on incidents rather than on descriptions of character. Thus, he does not inform us as to the reasons for the king's two banquets, or Vashti’s disobedience, or the grounds for Bigthan and Teresh’s conspiracy. We are not told why Mordecai instructs Esther not to reveal her origin, nor why he himself refuses to bow down to Haman.

"Because of the same over-riding consideration, the author does not concern himself with filling in the background against which the incidents take place. The structure of government and administration in Persia, the relations subsisting between the Jews and the general population, the religious practices and ethnic customs of the people—all these are passed over in silence, so as not to impede the swift pace of the narrative."

Robert Gordis, “Studies in the Esther Narrative,” Journal of Biblical Literature 95 (1976): 45.


If Gordis is correct concerning the author's intention, then this has important implications for how the story might be preached. That is, too much historical background might not help but actually hinder "hearing" the story as the author intended. Furthermore, if the author does indeed show little interest in the character's motivations, then the preacher might be wise to tread lightly here as well. A number of messages that I have heard on Esther have been prime examples of the so-called "sanctified imagination" where the preacher has waxed eloquently on why a character acts as he/she does or even what he/she might have been thinking. While such forays into the white space around the text might be occasionally beneficial, one should recognize that it might actually draw attention away from what the text actually states. Or in other words, spending too much time on what the a text does not say means that we have less time to spend on what a text actually states. This is something, but it is not really exposition.
  

Haddon Robinson on Good Preaching

HT: SermonCentral.com
 

The Lord's Prayer in Bible Magazine

  
Check out the latest free issue of Bible Magazine. This issue continues a series on the Sermon on the Mount with a particular focus on the Lord's prayer. You can check out the Berean Advocate website here or this issue in particular here.
 

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 35:4

  
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.

"How Reliable is the Story of the Nag Hammadi Discovery?"
Mark Goodacre
pp. 303-322 http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/4/303
 
"Not with Eloquent Wisdom: Democratic Ekklēsia Discourse in 1 Corinthians 1–4"
Anna C. Miller
pp. 323-354 http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/4/323
 
"The Political Issue of the Ascension of Isaiah: A Response to Enrico Norelli"
Jonathan Knight
pp. 355-379 http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/4/355
 
"Texts, Tables and Tablets: A Response to John C. Poirier"
Robert A. Derrenbacker, Jr
pp. 380-387 http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/4/380
 
"Waxing Careless: Poirier, Derrenbacker and Downing"
F. Gerald Downing
pp. 388-393 http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/4/388
 
"Jerusalem and Caesarea Inscriptions and New Testament Study: A Review Article"
Simon Gathercole
pp. 394-401
http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/4/394
   

Gospel Writing: A Canonical Perspective

  
Francis Watson has created a website for his forthcoming book Gospel Writing: A Canonical Perspective. You can read an interview with Watson here and visit the website here.
 

Headless Preaching

  
Abraham Kuruvilla has a somewhat humorous but insightful post on "headless" preaching here.
 

Ruth, Gleaning, and Google Maps

  
See this interesting article which ties in Ruth, gleaning, and Google Maps together.
 

Does Abba Mean Daddy

  
Check out Glen Stanton's post "Does Abba Mean Daddy" here. I know that a post like this might ruin some otherwise good sermons, but we must strive to be true and accurate in our preaching.

 HT: William Varner

Reading for Preaching

  
Cornelius Plantinga is coming out with a book entitled, Reading for Preaching: The Preacher in Conversation with Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, and Journalists. This looks to be interesting. I am a firm believer in the theory that good reading contributes to good preaching.
 

On a Personal Note

Readers of this blog know that I do not normally post messages of a personal nature. But I hope that you will indulge the posting of this kind and thoughtful email that I received yesterday.

To the readers of BibleX,

Charles would not say anything about his latest achievement so I have asked my comments to be posted on BibleX.

As Chair of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary I am proud to announce that Dr. Charles Savelle received his Ph.D. on Saturday May 11th. Congratulations Charles and may our Lord bless you as you continue to serve Him. 

A picture of Dr. Bramer and me.
  

Commentary Recommendations

  
Gene Green offers brief but helpful recommendations for Hebrews-Revelation commentaries here. This completes a series on recommendations for building a New Testament library. You can also access Joel Green's recommendations on Matthew-Acts commentaries here, Nijay Gupta's recommendations on Romans-Ephesians here, and J. Christian Stratton's Philippians-Philemon recommendations  here.

HT: Nijay Gupta