Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews that may be of interest from a Bible Exposition perspective include:

Kevin L. Anderson
'But God Raised Him from the Dead': The Theology of Jesus' Resurrection in Luke-Acts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6246
Reviewed by Ron Clark

Paul Barnett
Paul: Missionary of Jesus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6610
Reviewed by Don Garlington

David A. Brondos
Fortress Introduction to Salvation and the Cross
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6224
Reviewed by Ron Clark

Donald Capps
Jesus the Village Psychiatrist
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6392
Reviewed by Pieter F. Craffert

Robert R. Ellis
Learning to Read Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5917
Reviewed by Max Rogland

Alec Gilmore
A Concise Dictionary of Bible Origins and Interpretation
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6414
Reviewed by Jan G. van der Watt

Thomas L. Leclerc
Introduction to the Prophets: Their Stories, Sayings, and Scrolls
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6206
Reviewed by Bo H. Lim

Andrew T. Lincoln and Angus Paddison, eds.
Christology and Scripture: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6415
Reviewed by Mark Elliott

Theo A. W. van der Louw
Transformations in the Septuagint: Towards an Interaction of Septuagint Studies and Translation Studies
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6085
Reviewed by Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton

Grant Macaskill
Revealed Wisdom and Inaugurated Eschatology in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6278
Reviewed by Brian Han Gregg

Frank J. Matera
New Testament Theology: Exploring Diversity and Unity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6197
Reviewed by Udo Schnelle

Ela Nutu
Incarnate Word, Inscribed Flesh: John's Prologue and the Postmodern
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6365
Reviewed by Larry D. George

Alexander Samely
Forms of Rabbinic Literature and Thought: An Introduction
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6293
Reviewed by Joshua Schwartz

Klyne R. Snodgrass
Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6403
Reviewed by Ernest van Eck

Marvin A. Sweeney
I and II Kings: A Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6040
Reviewed by Ernst Axel Knauf

John S. Vassar
Recalling a Story Once Told: An Intertextual Reading of the Psalter and the Pentateuch
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6009
Reviewed by Philippus J. Botha

Gary Yamasaki
Watching a Biblical Narrative: Point of View in Biblical Exegesis
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6428
Reviewed by David R. Bauer
Reviewed by Helmut Utzschneider

Blomberg on James 3:1

Craig Blomberg has posted some interesting thoughts on James 3:1 and the issue of women teachers. Blomberg makes some good points but I'm not sure that I find the "worst-case scenario" argument all that convincing. Read it here.

Kamell on James 2

Miriam Kamell who has cowritten a commentary on James with Craig Blomberg has posted some observations on James 2. You can read it here.

Hebrews SBL Group

The Society of Biblical Literature study group on Hebrews has a website with a number of this year's papers uploaded as well as other resources. You can visit the website here.

Thanks to Ken Schenk for pointing this out.

Introduction to Hebrews

You can download a fifty-five page sample chapter of a “Introduction to Hebrews” out of the recently published volume Faithful to the End: An Introduction to Hebrews Through Revelation by Terry L. Wilder, J. Daryl Charles, and Kendell Easley here.

Oxford University Press Holiday Sale

Some readers may be interested in the holiday sale at Oxford University Press. For example, they have Liddell & Scott's Greek-English Lexicon for 50% off or $85 and Metzger's Manuscripts of the Greek Bible at 73% off or $29.70. You can see the sale here.

"King David's Water Tunnel" and Biblical Archaeology

Todd Bolin has a thoughtful post concerning some of sensationalistic claims related to the so-called "King David's Water Tunnel" in particular and other similar claims in general. Read it here.

Mark Nanos' Website

I recently happened upon the website of Mark D. Nanos. Nanos has published at least two books that I am aware of on Galatians and Romans and works primarily in the area of Paul and Judaism. In any case, it appears that There are a number of Nanos' articles and lectures available at the website. You can visit it here.

Walton on the Blessing of Abraham on the Nations

John Walton has a nice post on the blessing of Abraham on the nations in Genesis. Read it here.

Search Full Text of All SBL Books

Mark Hoffman has brought attention to a way to scan all SBL published (currently?) books. Although I have not tried it out yet, this could be a helpful tool. Read his post here for details.

The Challenge of Introducing an Expositional Series

Peter Mead raises and answers the following:

When you start a new series of messages from a book, the first message is a challenge. Not just because you want people to be motivated for the series, but because the first message has to stand in its own right. Simply presenting the background information like the notes in a study Bible is not expository preaching. But if you give the background and then preach the first section, you may end up with two messages or too little time to really preach that first section. What to do?

Read the entire post here.

Free Audiobook: Calvin: Of Prayer and The Christian Life

Christianaudio.com is offering Calvin’s Of Prayer and The Christian Life as a free audiobook.

"Prayer as Calvin describes it is not giddy, and he goes on to give Scriptural definitions of proper thought, engagement, and attitude. What do the roles of patience and self-denial play in the role of the Christian life and what does Christian piety look like? What should our views be of the present life and the future life? These two sections of The Institutes guide us ever so thoughtfully and gracefully into his theology and practice of Christian living."

Click here and use the coupon code NOV2008 during checkout. Add the download format of Calvin: Of Prayer and The Christian Life to your cart and then enter the coupon code NOV2008 when prompted during checkout.

The Future of Biblical Commentaries?

Nijay Gupta has some interesting proposals/suggestions related to the possible alternatives to the formats of traditional biblical commentaries. While the comments are appreciated, I wonder if what what is being envisioned isn't already being done in a way through monographs. Also, I am not sure that such supplements would really be all that cheaper, at least for the end user, since such supplements would appeal mostly to the specialists, who are fewer in number. That being said, I do like the suggestion concerning stand alone commentaries on some of the less-covered books.

Khirbet Qeiyafa Inscription

There has been considerable activity in the media and blogging world in the last few days concerning what is being called the Khirbet Qeiyafa inscription.This ostracon (a potsherd with writing on it) containing five lines of what is being called Proto-Canaanite or Hebrew script has been tentatively dated to 1,000 and 975 B.C. The dating is significant because it is around the time that King David would have lived. For a Fox News article of this find go here. For pictures of the ostracon go here, here, here, and here. A short video on Youtube can be seen here.

Todd Bolen at the Bibleplaces blog also has a couple of helpful posts here and here.

Questioning the Questions of Postmodernity

Michael Bird posts the following thoughts questioning the questions of postmodernity.

My good friend Denny Burke gives a quote from Abraham Piper about the postmodern ethos of our day: “If you ask questions but you reject answers, you’re not actually asking anything. You’re just festooning tired, old propositions with trendier punctuation.” I agree entirely. I am highly unimpressed with the pomo obsession with questions that no-one answers and being-on-the-journey that doesn't go any where (or any where worth going to). Don't get me wrong, questions are a great way to do theology (see Thomas Aquinas no less), but without stating answers, even provisionally, it comes down to a meaningless word game. I say this because questions without answers (1) lead to indecision, inaction or inconsistency since the rationale to act is never established, and (2) little pomo popes wonder the country thinking that the more people they can confuse with their word games the greater their acumen and intelligence. Teachers should teach. They shoud not try to clone themselves nor aim to confuse. As Karl Barth once said to a student, we don't have time to play the devil's advocate!

You can read the entire post here.

Mounce on the Greek Participle as Imperative

Bob Mounce has a nice post on the use of the Greek participle as an imperative in the New Testament. You can read it here.

King Solomon's Copper Mines

A number of stories have been circulating regarding the discovery of what is being called "King Solomon's Copper Mines." What apparently has been discovered at Khirbat en-Nahas ("the ruins of copper")in modern day Jordan, is a copper mining and smelting complex dating to the tenth century. You can read Leen Ritmeyer's take on the story here. A twelve minute video providing a general historical overview and an examination of Khirbat en-Nahas in particular can be viewed here.

Top Five Commentaries on Ecclesiastes

Ligonier Ministries has a list and discussion of their top five commentaries on Ecclesiastes. I would replace Eaton, Kidner, and Hubbard with Fox, Murphy, and Kruger respectively. I would also add Seow (Anchor), Brown (Interpretation), and Glenn in The Bible Knowledge Commentary to the runners-up. In any case, the top five Keith Mathison has listed are:

1. Derek Kidner -- The Message of Ecclesiastes (The Bible Speaks Today, 1984).
2. Michael A. Eaton -- Ecclesiastes (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1983).
3. Iain Provan -- Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (NIV Application Commentary, 2001).
4. David A. Hubbard -- Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (The Preacher's Commentary, 2002).
5. Tremper Longman -- The Book of Ecclesiastes (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 1997).

Four Preacher Criticisms

Cal Habig has posted a discussion on four criticisms of preachers based on the work of Zach Eswine, Preaching to a Post-Everything World. The four kinds of personal criticisms are:

1. You don’t do it the way my favorite preacher does it. This is a criticism of personal preaching style or handling of a passage. There’s nothing we can do about our personality. The criticism is essentially correct; we are not like the other preacher. This comparison stings. When given outside the context of friendship, it shows a shallow understanding of calling and gifts. But we can shrug our shoulders and say, “You are right. I’m not like that other person.”

2. You could have done better. This is a criticism of clarity or competence with the text and the sermon. Every sermon technically warrants this criticism. j There is always something we could have explained more clearly or illustrated better. This criticism hurts. When given outside the context of friendship, it shows a shallow understanding of what preaching requires and how preachers are limited. But we can shrug our shoulders and say, “You are right. This passage has more to say than I can match.

3. Your motives are wrong. This is an accusation of character. It puts the criticizer into the position of knowing the heart. It puts the preacher into an indefensible position. How does one defend when accused of preaching a particular sermon with pride? Do you try to prove your humility? To do so only confirms the suspicions of the accuser.

4. You shouldn’t preach at all. This is an accusation of calling. Challenge to ones character and calling perhaps hurt the most . No individual Christian has the authority to determine whether another person is called or not. This authority resides with Christ alone and is demonstrated through the community of believers, not individuals.

You can read the entire post here.

Top Five Commentaries on Proverbs

Ligonier Ministries has a list and discussion of their top five commentaries on Proverbs. I am not familiar with Van Leeuwen's work But I would replace Hubbard and Kidner with Fox and Longman. I would also add Clifford (OTL) to the runners-up. In any case, the top five Keith Mathison has listed are:

1. Bruce K. Waltke -- The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 1-15; The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31 (New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 2004, 2005).
2. David A. Hubbard -- Proverbs (The Preacher's Commentary, 2002).
3. Raymond C. Van Leeuwen -- "Proverbs" in The New Interpreter's Bible (1997).
4. Tremper Longman III -- Proverbs (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms, 2006).
5. Derek Kidner -- Proverbs (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1964).

Moo on the Authorship of Colossians

Nijay Gupta has posted some nice interaction with Doug Moo's recent commentary on Colossians and the issue of authorship. You can read it here.

Walton on Blessing and Curse

He writes, John Walton has an interesting post on the meaning of blessing and curse in the Hebrew Scriptures."Blessing and curse are common terms in Genesis from the initial blessing in Genesis 1 to the curses of Genesis 3, 4 and 9, and then to the juxtaposition of curse and blessing in Genesis 12:1-3. It is therefore important for us to know the nuances of each one. It is especially intriguing that in Genesis 12:3, there are two different Hebrew terms for curse."

The rest of the post can be read here.

What Does Expository Mean?

Peter Mead has an interesting post which wrestles with what we mean when we talk about "expository" preaching or "expository" hermeneutics. Read it here.

Top Five Commentaries on Psalms

Ligonier Ministries has a list and discussion of their top five commentaries on Psalms. I would replace Kidner with either Hans-Joachim Kraus or Goldingay. I would also add Perowne, Leupold, and Allen Ross in The Bible Knowledge Commentary to the runners-up. In any case, the top five Keith Mathison has listed are:

1. Willem A. VanGemeren -- "Psalms" in the Expositor's Bible Commentary (1991).
2. Gerald Wilson -- Psalms Volume 1 (NIV Application Commentary, 2002).
3. Donald Williams -- Psalms 1-72; Psalms 73-150 (The Preacher's Commentary, 2002).
4. Derek Kidner -- Psalms 1-72; Psalms 73-150 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1973).
5. Peter Craigie, Marvin Tate, Leslie Allen -- Psalms 1-50; Psalms 51-100; Psalms 101-150 (Word Biblical Commentary, 1983, 1990, 2002).

Walton on Pain in Chilbearing (Genesis 3:16)

John Walton has posted an interesting discussion concerning the topic of pain in childbearing in Genesis 3:16. Walston concludes that,

The conclusion to be drawn from these observations is that the first half of the verse is an extended merism (two endpoints used to refer to everything in between, e.g., “soup to nuts”) referring to the anxiety that the woman will experience through the whole process from conception to birth. This would include the anxiety about whether she will be able to conceive a child or not (major status issue in the biblical world); the anxiety that comes with all the physical discomfort of pregnancy; the anxiety concerning the health of the child in the womb; and the anxiety about whether she and the baby will survive the birth process. In all of these we must agree that anxiety defines the birth process, even in a world of modern technology and much moreso in the uncertain medical climate of the ancient world. The resulting paraphrase would be “I will greatly increase the anguish you will experience in the birth process, from the anxiety surrounding conception to the strenuous work of giving birth.” This cannot be viewed as an imposition of labor pains.

You can read the entire post here.