Denial and Restoration by a Charcoal Fire

Sandra Glahn notes in a discussion on the importance of paying attention to narratival settings offers a detail that I had noticed before in the Gospel of John. She writes,

"Peter denies the Lord three times by a charcoal fire (John 18:17). Later, this setting provides Peter with a do-over in order to fully restore him. Three times Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to declare his love. And where does Jesus do so? By a charcoal fire (21:9). Through use of the charcoal-fire detail, readers can see what a grace-based ministry looks like. Interestingly, having experienced threefold grace following his threefold rejection, Peter would go on to exhort his flock to “grow in grace” (2 Pet 3:18)."

Sandra Glahn, "The Bible as Story: What the Literary Elements Reveal," Bibliotheca Sacra 178 (2021): 277.

Psalm 111

I am working on a commentary on the Psalms. I have decided to compile some helpful links that I discovered during my research. It includes a mix of exegetical and sermonic links. Here is what I have for Psalm 111 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps111.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_111.pdf

Psalm 111 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/175

Article by Joe Rigney: Psalm 111: Delighting in the Works of God: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/psalm-111-delighting-in-the-works-of-god

Commentary by Sermon Writer: https://sermonwriter.com/psalm-111-commentary

Commentary by Rolf Jacobson: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-after-epiphany-2/commentary-on-psalm-111

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 to read them.

Philip R. Bosman and Gideon R. Kotzé, eds., Ancient Philosophy and Early Christianity: Studies in Honor of Johan C. Thom (Brill)
Lukas Weissensteiner

Jacob N. Cerone and Shawn J. Whilhite, eds., Apostolic Fathers Greek Reader: The Complete Edition (GlossaHouse)
Clayton N. Jefford

Jesudason Baskar Jeyaraj, 1 & 2 Kings: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary (Langham Global Library)
Marvin A. Sweeney

Hilary Marlow and Mark Harris, eds., The Oxford Handbook of the Bible and Ecology (Oxford University Press)
Ellen F. Davis

Eric Ottenheijm and Marcel Poorthuis, eds., Parables in Changing Contexts: Essays on the Study of Parables in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism (Brill)
Amanda Brobst-Renaud

Daniel J. D. Stulac, Life, Land, and Elijah in the Book of Kings (Cambridge University Press)
A. Graeme Auld

Phyllis Trible, Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives (Fortress)
Cynthia R. Chapman

Karolien Vermeulen and Elizabeth R. Hayes, How We Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture’s Style and Meaning (Eerdmans)
Kristin A. Swanson

Steve Walton on the Ascension

Steve Walton has made some of his resources on the ascension available here. These include a recent sermon and accompanying presentation slides.

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 to read them.

Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims (Fortress)
Kathleen Gallagher Elkins

Christoph Heilig, The Apostle and the Empire: Paul’s Implicit and Explicit Criticism of Rome (Eerdmans)
William Horst

Jerry Hwang, Contextualization and the Old Testament: Between Asian and Western Perspectives (Langham Global Library)
Elaine Goh

Bin Kang, Honor and Shame in 1 Samuel 1–7 (Langham Monographs)
Tony W. Cartledge

Margaret M. Mitchell, John Chrysostom on Paul: Praises and Problem Passages (SBL Press)
Wendy Mayer

John and Anti-Judaism: Reading the Gospel in Light of Greco-Roman Culture
Jonathan Numada,  (Pickwick)
Adele Reinhartz

J. Warren Smith, Ambrose, Augustine, and the Pursuit of Greatness (Cambridge University Press)
John Moorhead

Markus Zehnder and Hallvard Hagelia, eds., The Bible and Money: Economy and Socioeconomic Ethics in the Bible (Sheffield Phoenix)
Benjamin D. Gordon

Assurance of Salvation

Jeff Weddle has some helpful thoughts on the assurance of salvation here. I tend to use the designation eternal security for what Weddle calls objective proof and assurance as what he calls subjective proof. But his general conclusions are spot on.

Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart

I think Duane Garrett expresses well how I explain God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart.

Interpreting the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart, therefore, we should not deny God’s power to bend and move the human heart, but neither should we imply that Pharaoh was coerced into doing something that he did not really want to do. God stiffened Pharaoh’s resolve, but the will to oppress Israel and resist God was his own.

Duane A. Garrett, A Commentary on Exodus, Kregel Exegetical Library (Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2014), 374–375. 

Free Webinar: Herodian Jerusalem – In Light of New Finds from the Western Wall Tunnels

You can tune into a free webinar on "Herodian Jerusalem – In Light of New Finds from the Western Wall Tunnels" by Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah. It is sponsored by the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society. Go here for details and registration.

Marriages in Ancient Israel

Stuart Miller has a fascinating article here on celebrating marriages in ancient Israel. Miller looks at the topic both biblically and in Jewish tradition.

Jerusalem Tracker

Chandler Collins has a very helpful compendium of news, links, and resources related to Jerusalem. You can check it out here.