New Volume in the Photo Companion to the Bible Series

Todd Bolen and the folks at Bible Places have done it again with their newest volume in the Photo Companion to the Bible series.This volume focuses on Ruth and it once again provides a plethora of pictorial resources broken down by chapter/verse. These images are helpfully presented in four separate PowerPoint presentations. Each presentation focuses on a chapter in the book. Just to give you an idea of the richness of this resource, there are 57 slides dedicated to 1:1 and the presentation contains 350 images total. This collection is on sale for only $20 this week and that includes free shipping (in the U.S.). This is surely one of the best bang-for-the-buck resources out there.

Lesson or Sermon Conclusions

Although this article in Inc ("Stop Ending Your Speeches With 'Any Questions' and End With This Instead") is not aimed specifically at the sermon or lesson, there is some good advice in it.

Are "Learning Styles" a Myth

This article in The Atlantic and a number of other studies say, "yes." I was first introduced to the concept that learners tend to be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, etc. in college. This was followed by some affirmation of the idea in seminary. And I must admit that I once bought into the concept. But I eventually backed away from it. Now, I vary my teaching methods to include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements not to aim at learning styles but to add variety and to keep things interesting. I also no longer advise students to discover their learning styles but to try out different learning strategies and figure out what works best for them.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member.

Cavan W. Concannon
“When You Were Gentiles”: Specters of Ethnicity in Roman Corinth and Paul’s Corinthian Correspondence
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10150
Reviewed by Love L. Sechrest

James D. Findlay
From Prophet to Priest: The Characterization of Aaron in the Pentateuch
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11665
Reviewed by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

Stephen Finlan
Sacrifice and Atonement: Psychological Motives and Biblical Patterns
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11612
Reviewed by Donald Senior

James R. Harrison and L. L. Welborn, eds.
The First Urban Churches 1: Methodological Foundations
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10743
Reviewed by Michelle Christian

Mahri Leonard-Fleckman and Alice L. Laffey
Ruth
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11847
Reviewed by Terry Giles

Kar Yong Lim
Metaphors and Social Identity Formation in Paul’s Letters to the Corinthians
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11750
Reviewed by Christopher A. Porter

Benjamin E. Reynolds and Loren T. Stuckenbruck, eds.
The Jewish Apocalyptic Tradition and the Shaping of New Testament Thought
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11775
Reviewed by Greg Carey

Saana Svärd
Women and Power in Neo-Assyrian Palaces
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11264
Reviewed by Laura Quick

Ian D. Wilson
Kingship and Memory in Ancient Judah
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11559
Reviewed by Jason Silverman Wilhelm Wrede

The Authenticity of the Second Letter to the Thessalonians
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11Reviewed by Rob van Houwelingen

Will the Noahide Laws Still Apply after the Messiah Comes?

You can see an answer to this question from a Jewish perspective here. It might be important to note that the seven (or so) "Noahide Laws or Commandments" are a bit of a misnomer since they are only loosely tied to Noah (cf. Gen 9). So these commandments are really more rabbinic than biblical.

What are the most important finds of Israeli archaeology?

A number of archaeologists answer that question here.

Tenth Blogaversary

Today marks the tenth anniversary of this blog. It all began inauspiciously with this post. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by over the years.

The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart

Although I am not sure that the gist of this article is as original as it might seem to suggest, it does offer an interesting discussion on the hardening of Pharaoh's heart in Exodus from a Jewish perspective.

A Review of New Testament Exegetical Guides

Tim Miller provides a helpful review here of three of the more popular published exegetical guides on the New Testament. He interacts with the Summer Institute of Linguistics' Exegetical Summaries, B&H Academic's Exegetical Guides to the Greek New Testament, and Baylor's Handbook on the Greek New Testament. I am personally a fan of all three resources.

Latest Issue of the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry

The spring 2018 issue of the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry published by new Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is available for free here. I have not had to peruse the entire issue but R. Larry Overstreet's article, "Hermenuetical Problem? Homiletical Opportunity!" looks interesting.

Grace and Hebrews

Henry Neufeld makes the interesting argument here that grace is a "critical key" to understanding the book of Hebrews.

The 10 Most Significant Discoveries in the Field of Biblical Archaeology

Tim Challies' blog identifies the 10 most significant discoveries in the field of biblical archaeology here. As with any list like this one, there could be some disagreement. For example, I would substitute the Pontius Pilate inscription for the crucified man's ankle bone. Nonetheless, this is a solid list.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member.

Polymnia Athanassiadi
Mutations of Hellenism in Late Antiquity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10761
Reviewed by Evgenia Moiseeva

David J. H. Beldman
The Completion of Judges: Strategies of Ending in Judges 17–21
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11732
Reviewed by Victor H. Matthews

Julia Watts Belser
Power, Ethics, and Ecology in Jewish Late Antiquity: Rabbinic Responses to Drought and Disaster
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10604
Reviewed by Joshua Schwartz

Ginny Brewer-Boydston
Good Queen Mothers, Bad Queen Mothers: The Theological Presentation of the Queen Mother in 1 and 2 Kings
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11207
Reviewed by Laura Quick

Gay L. Byron and Vanessa Lovelace, eds.
Womanist Interpretations of the Bible: Expanding the Discourse
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11450
Reviewed by Amanda Mbuvi

Samuel Byrskog, Tom Holmén, and Matti Kankaanniemi, eds.
The Identity of Jesus: Nordic Voices
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10266
Reviewed by Eve-Marie Becker

Christoph Markschies
Christian Theology and Its Institutions in the Early Roman Empire: Prolegomena to a History of Early Christian Theology
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10808
Reviewed by Joseph Azize

Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Daniel J. Treier
Theology and the Mirror of Scripture: A Mere Evangelical Account
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11008
Reviewed by Joel Stephen Williams

Donald Dale Walker
Beyond the Obvious: Doorways to Understanding the New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10553
Reviewed by J. Andrew Doole

Stephen Westerholm and Martin Westerholm
Reading Sacred Scripture: Voices from the History of Biblical Interpretation
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11168
Reviewed by Christopher T. Holmes

Genesis 24:63-64

This article on Genesis 24:63-64 by Rabbi Pete Tobias is interesting. Rabbi Tobias suggests that Isaac's activity described by the Hebrew verb lasu’ach causes Rebekah to fall off of her camel.  He concludes, "So whatever Isaac was doing, when Rebecca saw it, she tumbled, perhaps in amusement, perhaps in alarm." But this seems to be an over-interpretation. First, as the rabbi notes, lasu’ach is a hapax legomenon. So while there is ambiguity as to what exactly Isaac was doing, there is no reason to think that he was doing anything that was amusing or alarming (although it cannot be ruled out either). Second, while Tobias is correct that a literal reading of v. 64 could be, “She fell off her camel,” it seems that Rebekah's dismount is idiomatic (see 2 Kgs 5:21 where the same verb is used). 

Based on the questionable conclusion that Isaac was doing something humorous or alarming, Rabbi Tobias suggests that "many of the Torah’s stories are intended to amuse and entertain a Biblical audience" and that we should not treat biblical characters "with unnecessary reverence." I think the rabbi is correct in these affirmations but not on the basis of Genesis 24:63-64. This might be a good reminder that knowing the languages might cause you to over-interpret a passage.

NT Textual Criticism Resources

Mark Hoffman has a nice post identifying and interacting with the major digital New Testament textual criticism resources here.

Sermon Prep

Matt Capps discusses and illustrates his sermon preparation process here. Discussions like these often affirm what I am doing already and give me ideas on how to improve.

Genesis and Easter

William Barrick has a good post here asking, "What Does Easter Have To Do With Genesis?"

Free Logos Book for April: Between the Cross and the Throne: The Book of Revelation

The free Logos Book for the Month for June is Between the Cross and the Throne: The Book of Revelation. You can also purchase Grant Osborne's Colossians and Philemon Verse by Verse for $1.99 and Linguistics and Biblical Exegesis in the Lexham Methods Series for $4.99. You can register for a chance win the Lexham Discourse Bundle. For all these offers, go to the Logos' Free Book of Month page here.

He Is Risen!