Bock and Glaser, eds., Israel, the Church, and the Middle East: A Biblical Response to the Current Conflict (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2018).
Israel, the Church, and the Middle East (ICME) is a collection of mostly essays (one section contains the results of a survey and another a statement from the Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem) that challenges the idea of supersessionism is presents a positive case for Israel’s distinctive eschatological future and how that might or might not relate to the modern nation of Israel. The issue is a timely one both theologically and geopolitically.
Ironically, the best place to start is probably with the final chapter, which contains Darrell Bock’s summary of the previous chapters. This provides a good orientation and distillation of the main points for the various essays that are grouped into four sections: (1) Biblical Foundations, (2) Theology and the Conflict, (3) Yeshua in the Midst of Crisis, and (4) Current Challenges to Peace in Israel.
The most compelling and convincing arguments against supersessionism, or put more positively, the case for a distinctive eschatological future for ethnic Israel, is probably put forward exegetically in the chapters by Yarbrough and Blaising, hermeneutically by Rydelnik who argues for a consistent interpretive approach in both Testaments, and historically by Vlach, who notes that the “restorationism” (“national Israel remains theologically significant in God’s plans”) is neither new nor uniquely dispensational (pp. 119, 134).
The question of how or if modern Israel fits into a restoration matrix is addressed in sections three and four. Bailey asks and answers the question, “Should Christians support the modern state of Israel,” with a nuancing that is too often lacking from both sides of the debate. And kudos to editors in general, and Brown in particular, for not avoiding the thorny and controversial “two-state solution” that many see as the most viable way forward in the Middle East.
Balance is also exhibited in the fact that though the essays are decidedly in favor of a distinctive eschatological future for ethnic Israel, Jews generally, and modern Israel specifically, are not given a biblical, ethical, or political “blank check.” This is evident in Averbeck’s call for Jewish acceptance of the gospel and Bock’s caution against an ethically blind “nationalism” and his call for Israel to seek restoration and justice.
But perhaps the most enlightening and challenging discussions for me were the one’s related to the messianic movement in Israel and the Palestinian church. One can see a field ripe to harvest but also fraught with obstacles, misunderstandings, and downright persecutions. Yet, seeing the faith and love of these Christ followers was exhilarating and convicting.
In sum, ICME is a helpful entrée for those seeking to better familiarize themselves with the case for what Vlach calls “restorationism.” But it is also valuable refresher for those like this reviewer who are relatively familiar with the issues and arguments.
Thanks to Kregel who provided the free review copy used in this unbiased review.
One can access an excerpt here.
Harvard Business Review offers some suggestions here on how to stop using disfluencies, or filler words, when speaking. I have found that one of the most humbling exercises in life is listening or watching oneself preach or teach. One reason is that the "tape" reveals how frequently and painfully we employ such fillers.
Credo Courses is offering the video for Dan Wallace's textual criticism course for free. See here. The offer is good for today only so you will need to act fast.
The Atlantic has a nice article here by Ben Yagoda on cognitive biases. In raise the problem of such biases in my hermeneutics classes.
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.
František Ábel, The Psalms of Solomon and the Messianic Ethics of Paul
Reviewed by Kenneth Atkinson
Euan Cameron, ed., The New Cambridge History of the Bible: Volume 3, From 1450 to 1750
Reviewed by Jeffrey L. Morrow
Barry S. Crawford and Merrill P. Miller, eds., Redescribing the Gospel of Mark
Reviewed by Barry L. Blackburn
Reviewed by Thomas P. Nelligan
Thomas B. Dozeman, The Pentateuch: Introducing the Torah
Reviewed by Rachelle Gilmour
Mignon R. Jacobs, The Books of Haggai and Malachi
Reviewed by Stacy Davis
Nathaniel J. Morehouse, Death’s Dominion: Power, Identity, and Memory at the Fourth-Century Martyr Shrine
Reviewed by Carly Daniel-Hughes
Stanley E. Porter, The Apostle Paul: His Life, Thought, and Letters
Reviewed by H. H. Drake Williams III
Philip Sumpter, The Substance of Psalm 24: An Attempt to Read Scripture after Brevard S. Childs
Reviewed by David Cohen
Gillian Townsley, The Straight Mind in Corinth: Queer Readings across 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 Reviewed by James N. Hoke
I recently had the opportunity to meet Professor Gyozo Vörös, the director of the Hungarian Academy of Arts excavations at Machaerus. We were not able to talk long but I was very interested in their work at Machaerus. Apparently much work has been done since I visited in 2007. Below is one fairly recent article on a recent find and its implications for understanding the second temple in Jerusalem.
"The monumental miqweh that has recently been unearthed at the Herodian hill fortress of Machaerus is an important addition to the corpus of this type of installation. Several of its features are true to type – its general form with a stairway leading down to the bottom, which extends across its entire width, the plaster coating and even the associated storage tank which is known from other miqwa'ot, although was fairly uncommon for the period. However, the stairway stands out on account of its resemblance to the staircase that led up to the Sanctuary of Herod’s Temple from the Court of the Priests, the detailed form of which is known only from tractate Middot of the Mishnah. Both stairways comprise twelve steps, arranged in groups of three, separated by deeper intermediate landings. Such ‘interrupted’ flights of stairs are characteristic of the late Second Temple Period and in different contexts: miqwa'ot, thoroughfares, Herod’s Temple and tomb complexes, as has been pointed out.
"The new finding at Machaerus demonstrates the remarkable accuracy of detail about the Temple that can be gleaned from the Mishnah. Many scholars have questioned the reliability of tractate Middot as a source of information on this edifice, on the grounds that it is not contemporaneous, only being codified in the 3rd century CE, but here we clearly see an example of its trustworthiness, provided that it is used critically."
David M. Jacobson, “A New Discovery at Machaerus Shines Light on Herod's Temple,” Revue Biblique 124 (2017), 583.
Here is a helpful post on writing thank you notes. There are many contexts in ministry where such notes are appropriate. Unfortunately, it seems that many have forgotten this skill.
The free Logos Book for the Month for August is Gordon McConville's and Stephen Williams' commentary on Joshua from The Two Horizons Commentary series. You can also purchase the volumes on 1 Peter and Lamentations in the same series for $1.99 and $4.99 respectively. There is also a contest to win the 15 volume Pillar New Testament Commentary series. For all these offers, go to the Logos' Free Book of Month page here.
One underappreciated and underemphasized quality of good preachers and teachers is curiosity. So I found this article on Leonardo Da Vinci's to do list from the fifteenth century quite interesting.
Tavis Bohlinger has posted an outstanding list of online courses here.
Roger Pearse has an interesting post on defaced statues in antiquity here.
This is an interesting article tracing how a phrase in Genesis 1:2 became part of German vocabulary.
HT: Sean du Toit
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.
Margaret Daly-Denton, John: An Earth Bible Commentary; Supposing Him to Be the Gardener
Reviewed by C. M. Blumhofer
Matthias Ederer, Das Buch Josua
Reviewed by Ed Noort
Larry W. Hurtado, Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World
Reviewed by Warren Carter
Christopher D. Land, The Integrity of 2 Corinthians and Paul’s Aggravating Absence
Reviewed by Adam White
Nicholas de Lange, Japheth in the Tents of Shem: Greek Bible Translations in Byzantine Judaism
Reviewed by Edmon L. Gallagher
Rainer Metzner, Der Brief des Jakobus
Reviewed by Oda Wischmeyer
Mark A. Noll, In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life, 1492–1783
Reviewed by Thomas H. Olbricht
Michael E. Stone, Uncovering Ancient Footprints: Armenian Inscriptions and the Pilgrimage Routes of the Sinai Reviewed by Claude Cox
J. Michael Thigpen, Divine Motive in the Hebrew Bible: A Comprehensive Survey and Analysis
Reviewed by Pieter de Vries
Cynthia Long Westfall, Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle’s Vision for Men and Women in Christ
Reviewed by Susan E. Hylen
Roger Olson has some interesting thoughts on accreditation and theological institutions here.
See here for a very helpful annotated bibliography of 101 works on biblical theology.
Maryellen Weimer discusses taking risks in teaching here.
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.
Craig G. Bartholomew and Heath A. Thomas, eds., A Manifesto for Theological Interpretation
Reviewed by Devin L. White
Elizabeth Boase and Christopher G. Frechette, eds., Bible through the Lens of Trauma
Reviewed by John R. L. Moxon
Mark J. Boda, Exploring Zechariah, Volume 2: The Development and Role of Biblical Traditions in Zechariah
Reviewed by Göran Eidevall
Philip R. Davies, The History of Ancient Israel: A Guide for the Perplexed
Reviewed by Daniel Pioske
Frances Flannery and Rodney A. Werline, eds., The Bible in Political Debate: What Does It Really Say?
Reviewed by Joel Stephen Williams
James R. Harrison and L. L. Welborn, eds., The First Urban Churches 1: Methodological Foundations
Reviewed by Jin Ki Hwang
Richard B. Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels
Reviewed by Cornelis Bennema
C. Kavin Rowe, One True Life: The Stoics and Early Christians as Rival Traditions
Reviewed by Joshua Marshall Strahan
Stephen C. Russell, The King and the Land: A Geography of Royal Power in the Biblical World
Reviewed by Rachel Havrelock
Steve Smith, The Fate of the Jerusalem Temple in Luke-Acts: An Intertextual Approach to Jesus’ Laments over Jerusalem and Stephen’s Speech
Reviewed by C. Jason Borders
