Witherington on the Rhetorical Nature of Hebrews

You can read the text text (but not the notes) of Ben Witherington's Society of Biblical Literature paper on "The Rhetorical Nature of Hebrews" here.

Goodacre on Dating the Crucial Sources in Early Christianity

Mark Goodacre's handout for this year's SBL Meeting paper on "Dating the Crucial Sources in Early Christianity" is available here.

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:

Bob Becking
From David to Gedaliah: The Book of Kings as Story and History
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6207
Reviewed by Marvin A. Sweeney

Jason Beduhn and Paul Mirecki, eds.
Frontiers of Faith: The Christian Encounter with Manichaeism in the Acts of Archelaus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6297
Reviewed by Tobias Nicklas

Roland Boer, ed.
Bakhtin and Genre Theory in Biblical Studies
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6214
Reviewed by Timothy J. Sandoval

Susan Brayford
Genesis
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6302
Reviewed by Jan Joosten

Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch
Studying the Old Testament: A Companion
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6203
Reviewed by Steed Vernyl Davidson

Stephen K. Catto
Reconstructing the First-Century Synagogue: A Critical Analysis of Current Research
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6430
Reviewed by Birger Olsson
Reviewed by Jonathan Bernier

Nicola Denzey
The Bone Gatherers: The Lost Worlds of Early Christian Women
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6280
Reviewed by Paul Dilley

Deborah L. Ellens
Women in the Sex Texts of Leviticus and Deuteronomy: A Comparative Conceptual Analysis
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6434
Reviewed by Naomi Steinberg

Richard A. Horsley
Scribes, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judea
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6119
Reviewed by Lester L. Grabbe

Paul Joyce
Ezekiel: A Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6431
Reviewed by Corrine Carvalho
Reviewed by Steven S. Tuell

Adriane B. Leveen
Memory and Tradition in the Book of Numbers
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6153
Reviewed by James W. Watts

David R. Nienhuis
Not by Paul Alone: The Formation of the Catholic Epistle Collection and the Christian Canon
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6406
Reviewed by Patrick J. Hartin

Matthew B. Schwartz and Kalman J. Kaplan
The Fruit of Her Hands: A Psychology of Biblical Woman
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6180
Reviewed by Corinne Blackmer

Jan G. van der Watt, ed.
Identity, Ethics, and Ethos in the New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6044
Reviewed by H. H. Drake Williams III

Adams on Prophetic Preaching

Colin Adams has suggested five "guidelines for prophetic preaching."

1. Prophetic preaching must be God-centered preaching
2. Prophetic preaching must pay careful attention to historical context
3. Prophetic preaching must recognise a variety of genres in prophetic literature
4. Prophetic preaching must take account of the past, present and future
5. Prophetic preaching must connect to Christ

You can read the entire audio and get a link to his audio presentation of the material here.

Blomberg on James 5:13-18

Craig Blomberg has posted some helpful thoughts on James 5:13-18. Read it here.

Mounce on Ekklesia

Bill Mounce has an interesting post on ekklesia, the word commonly used for church. But the post is not really a word study or a study of specific texts. Rather it is a theological and personal exploration of the topic. This is of course is fine as far as it goes, but it would, in my opinion, have been better to have the latter supported by a more rigorous examination of the former. In any case, you can read Mounce's post here.

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:

Ward Blanton
Displacing Christian Origins: Philosophy, Secularity, and the New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6059
Reviewed by Clare K. Rothschild

Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan
The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6186
Reviewed by Craig L. Blomberg

Katherine J. Dell
Opening the Old Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6480
Reviewed by Bill T. Arnold
Reviewed by George Heider

Brad E. Kelle and Megan Bishop Moore
Israel's Prophets and Israel's Past: Essays on the Relationship of Prophetic Texts and Israelite History in Honor of John H. Hayes
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6457
Reviewed by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

Daniel A. Smith
The Post-Mortem Vindication of Jesus in the Sayings Gospel Q
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6419
Reviewed by William Arnal

Fred Strickert
Rachel Weeping: Jews, Christians, and Muslims at the Fortress Tomb
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6000
Reviewed by Samuel Thomas

Jürgen Zangenberg, Harold W. Attridge, and Dale B. Martin, eds.
Religion, Ethnicity and Identity in Ancient Galilee: A Region in Transition
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6611
Reviewed by Christoph Stenschke

The Pastoral Epistles and the Circumcision Party

Brent Pitre has a post which critiques one of the reasons commonly put forward by scholars who deny Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles, namely, the identity of the opponents as Gnostics. You can read the post here.

Another Online Bible Map Resource

Todd Bolen has pointed out an online Bible map resource. Although the layout is bare bones, the resource looks very comprehensive. You can view it here.

Managing Your Personal Library

Challies has posted a link to an article entitled "100 Tips and Tools for Managing Your Personal Library" just in time for ETS and SBL book buying. This article is very comprehensive. Check it out here.

Schreiner's Review of Scot McKnight's Blue Parakeet

See Thomas Schreiner's thoughtful five part review of Scot McKnight's Blue Parakeet. You can see his review here or my review of the same book here.

Melchizedek

Stephen Cook has an interesting post on Melchizedek (Gen 14:17-24). He suggests that Melchizedek's non-Hebrew origins highlights a universal theme. Cook writes,

A great triangle of blessing begins here to connect Abraham's people and the world. Abraham has blessed a mass of non-Hebrews (Melchizedek's people) by ridding Canaan of predators (vv. 1-16). But God's blessing now (vv. 17-24) flows mysteriously back to Abraham through a non-Hebrew channel!

Walton on Cain's Sacrifice

John Walton has a helpful post on Cain's Sacrifice on Genesis. Read it here.

Decker on the Authorship of Mark’s Gospel

Rodney Decker has a nice post on the external evidence regarding the authorship of Mark's Gospel. You can read it here.

National Geographic Special on Herod's Tomb

National Geographic has created a nice interactive website for their forthcoming special on Herod's tomb scheduled to air on November 23. The site has articles, pictures, and videos. Check it out here.

Defining Apocalypse, Apocalypticism, and Apocalyptic Eschatology

Patrick George McCullough has a helpful post on "Defining Apocalypse, Apocalypticism, and Apocalyptic Eschatology." I don't agree with all the conclusions but it is a decent summary of the state of scholarship is on the issue. Read it here.

House on "The Future of National Israel in Dispensational Thought"

Rodney Decker as posted H. Wayne House's paper and responses to it that are scheduled to be delivered at this year's Dispensation Study Group meeting at ETS. You can access it as well as papers from previous years here.

What if Martin Luther Had Read the Dead Sea Scrolls? Historical Particularity and Theological Interpretation in Pauline Theology: Galatians as a Test

Michael Bird has made a draft of his forthcoming ETS paper entitled "What if Martin Luther Had Read the Dead Sea Scrolls? Historical Particularity and Theological Interpretation in Pauline Theology: Galatians as a Test Case" available here.

Mahaney on Busyness

C. J. Mahaney has posted a rather convicting article which posits that just being busy does not make one diligent, faithful, or fruitful. You can read the article here.

Bibliographic Resource for the Book of Esther

West Wickham has noted a new resource for those doing research in the book of Esther. Edith Lubetski and Meir Lubetski, The Book of Esther: A Classified Bibliography. Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2008.

According to the blurb at the publisher's website,

This comprehensive bibliography to scholarly works on the biblical book of Esther contains over 1800 references. It includes titles of books, collected works, Festschriften, theses, journal articles, essays in collections, encyclopaedia and dictionary articles, and online material. It is a classified bibliography, arranged in three main categories -- commentaries, biblical chapters and verses, and subject headings in alphabetical order.

The scope of the bibliography is international, and its focus is on research from the last hundred years. Scholars, students, clergy, and librarians -- among them literary scholars, psychologists, sociologists, historians, linguists, art historians, political scientists, feminists, and Christian and Jewish scholars -- will find this unique volume an indispensable resource and stimulus to further research. A special feature of the bibliography is its extensive coverage of Jewish sources.

Nice Review of Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Matthew D. Montonini has a nice review of Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Darrell L. Bock, Peter Enn's book Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. You can read it here.

What do You Require of Your Potential Elders?

See this post on what one church requires before potential elder candidates are examined and nominated.Thanks to Colin Adams for pointing this out.

A Blog Devoted to New Testament Discourse Grammar

Steve Runge has a new blog devoted to New Testament discourse grammar. You can see it here.

SBL Related Site on Biblical Hebrew Poetry

Although the site appears to be in process, some might be interested in visiting a new website devoted to biblical Hebrew poetry. You can visit the site here.

Thanks to John Hobbins for the heads-up.

A Survey Pastors and Their Books

See this interesting survey of over 1800 pastors about their book budgets, personal libraries, etc.