Conversion Stories in Acts

Something to think about.

For Luke, stories of conversion are stories about beginnings—the beginning of Jerusalem community, the beginning of the church in Samaria and beyond, the beginning of triumph over the church’s enemies. Conversion also begins the response of an individual to a calling (9:15–16) and the response of a community to its calling (11:1–18). Conversion can only be described as part of the Lukan garment.

Beverly Roberts Gaventa, From Darkness to Light: Aspects of Conversion in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986), 125.

Books for Studying Exodus

Shane Lems has posted on the books that he found most helpful in preaching through Exodus. You can see Shane's list here.

Repetition in Acts

H. Porter Abbott notes concerning repetition that, “Repetition is one of the surest signs of the meaningful. If you are stuck trying to interpret a text, one good question to ask yourself is: What is repeated in this narrative?” With that in mind, it is worth noting that there are several events in Acts that Luke mentions three times. Paul’s conversion (9:1–22, 22:1–23, 26:1–23), the conversion of Cornelius (10:1–48; 11:1–18; 15:7–11 [also alluded to by James in 15:14]), and the prohibitions from the Jerusalem Council (15:20, 29; 21:25) are all mentioned three times. Is it accidental that all three of these triads relate to the mission to the Gentiles?

H. Porter Abbott, The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002), 195.

Gaventa on Paul’s Conversion

Though I cannot endorse all aspects of Beverly Gaventa’s From Darkness to Light, I think that the following summary concerning Paul’s conversion in Acts is helpful.

“Although Paul is not a paradigmatic convert, there are certain assumptions operative in Luke’s narrative that are important to not: (1) Paul’s conversion results from divine initiative; (2) conversion is not an end to itself but a means to growth of the gospel; (3) the narratives we have examined treat and individual conversion in order to savor the experience but always in order to witness.”

Beverly Roberts Gaventa, From Darkness to Light: Aspects of Conversion in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986), 92.

Lament Forms in Lamentations

Mandy Park has a nice survey of lament forms and Lamentations 2 at the Floppy Hat blog. Read part 1 here.

Organize Your Day Well

Crosswalk.com has a helpful article on organizing your day. You can access it here.

The Plan of God and Apologetics in Luke-Acts

According to John T. Squires:

“The exposition of central aspects of the faith is the major type of apologetic activity which is present in Luke-Acts. Two key events have recurred throughout our investigation, for it is these two events which are pivotal to the plan of God and which therefore need to be expounded in some detail. (a) The necessity and centrality of the passion of Jesus is asserted and expounded, in opposition to the deed of the Jewish leaders and the misunderstanding of the disciples, as being central to the plan of God. (b) The integral role of the mission to the Gentiles, as an important part of the plan of God, is asserted and expounded in opposition to Jewish objectives and misgivings on the part of certain Christians. Each of these events is central to the plan of God; each of them is explained by recourse to divine providence.”

John T. Squires, The Plan of God in Luke-Acts Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series 76, ed. Margaret Thrall (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 194

Martin Hengel (1926-2009)

Martin Hengel, the New Testament scholar has died. Hengel's published works include a classic work on crucifixion in the ancient world. For an obituary see 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:

J. K. Aitken
The Semantics of Blessing and Cursing in Ancient Hebrew
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6817
Reviewed by Yael Avrahami

Rami Arav, ed.
Cities through the Looking Glass: Essays on the History and Archaeology of Biblical Urbanism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6727
Reviewed by Aren Maeir

Donald T. Ariel, Hava Katz, Shelley Sadeh, and Michael Segal
The Dead Sea Scrolls Catalogue
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6482
Reviewed by George J. Brooke

Carl Cosaert
The Text of the Gospels in Clement of Alexandria
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6784
Reviewed by J. K. Elliott

Audrey Dawson
Healing, Weakness and Power: Perspectives on Healing in the Writings of Mark, Luke and Paul
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7025
Reviewed by Kobus Kok

Stephen Finlan
The Apostle Paul and the Pauline Tradition
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6724
Reviewed by Korinna Zamfir

John T. Fitzgerald, ed.
Passions and Moral Progress in Greco-Roman Thought
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6860
Reviewed by Wayne A. Meeks

Richard A. Horsley
Wisdom and Spiritual Transcendence at Corinth: Studies in First Corinthians
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6812
Reviewed by Anthony C. Thiselton

Darin H. Land
The Diffusion of Ecclesiastical Authority: Sociological Dimensions of Leadership in the Book of Acts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6718
Reviewed by Steve Walton

AnneMarie Luijendijk
Greetings in the Lord: Early Christians and the Oxyrhynchus Papyri
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7050
Reviewed by J. K. Elliott

Kevin McGeough
Exchange Relationships at Ugarit
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6818
Reviewed by Roger S. Nam

Charles B. Puskas and David Crump
An Introduction to the Gospels and Acts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6804
Reviewed by Peter J. Judge

Salvation in Acts

Two choice quotes from I. Howard Marshall

"It is our thesis that the idea of salvation supplies the key to the theology of Luke. Not salvation-history but salvation itself is the theme which occupied the mind of Luke in both parts of his work."

"Our claim is not that salvation is a feature unique to Lucan theology in comparison with the rest of the New Testament, but that it is the central motif in Lucan theology."

I. Howard Marshall, Luke Historian and Theologian (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1988), 92, 93.

The Irony of Scattering as Spreading of the Word

“An ironic theme in Acts, which plays a major role in its plot structuring, is that persecuting attempts to suppress God’s word lead to the spread of that work. This theme is a major instance of the Lukan motif of reversal-God reverses or overrules human attempts to control history and if that the persecution associated with Saul occasions the spread of Christianity, eventually to Antioch, where the converted Paul is summoned (coming full circle) to minister to Christians. Acts structures this theme in three steps: Acts 8:1, 3-5; 11:19-20, and 11:25–26.”

William S. Kurz, Reading Luke-Acts: Dynamics of Biblical Narrative (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1993), 144.

Dramatis Personae In Luke's Prologue (Luke 1:1-4)

William Kurz has noted concerning Luke 1:1-4 that,

“The prologue singles out at least four differing individuals or groups: (1) "Many have tried to compile a narrative"; (2) "events fulfilled among us"; (3) "it seemed good to me also"l; (4) "to write to you." Among these four are a first-person narrator who presents himself as a histor (3), a second-person narratee named Theophilus (4), an earlier group of writers of similar Christian narratives (1), and a group of Christians in whose midst the recounted events took place (2). The histor narrator distinguishes himself from other narrative writers (1), but includes himself in the Christian community among which the events took place (2).”

William S. Kurz, Reading Luke-Acts: Dynamics of Biblical Narrative (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1993), 41.

McKnight Recommended Commentaries on Philippians

See this post for Scot McKnight's recommendations concerning commentaries on Philippians. McKnight lists:

Gordon Fee: Paul's Letter to the Philippians (New International Commentary on the New Testament).

Peter O’Brien: The Epistle to the Philippians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary)

G. F. Hawthorne: Philippians: Revised (Word Biblical Commentary)

John Reumann: Philippians (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries)

Dean Fleming: NBBC, Philippians: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (New Beacon Bible Commentary)

Ben Witherington III: Friendship and Finances in Philippi (New Testament in Context)

Mahaney on Tools for Teaching Proverbs

C. J. Mahaney has a nice post on tools for teaching Proverbs. Read it here.

HT: Justin Taylor

New Theological German Website

See here for a new theological German website by Andy Rowell.

HT: Mike Whitenton

Top Ten Signs that You are Spending Too Much Time Doing Greek

Mark Lightman has the following top ten signs (from the b-Greek discussion group).

Top Ten Signs that You are Spending Too Much Time Doing Greek:

10. The ring tone on your cell phone is the “Song of Seikilos.”

9. You are more excited about them making UBS 5 than Godfather 4.

8. While eating waffles with your kids, you say to them λεγωμαι εγω. LEGWMAI EGW.

7. Your cats are named “Erasmus” and “Buth.”

6. When you get a “Dear John” letter, instead of being upset, you begin diagramming the sentences.

5. You’ve tried to translate “Egg McMuffin” into Koine.

4. You wonder if the 7th edition of L.S.J., before Jones replaced Drisler, was called the L.S.D.

3. Two words: spurious diphthongs.

2. Your favorite T.V. program is “That LXX’s Show.”

And the number one sign that you are spending too much time doing Greek:

1. When people tell you to stop writing Top Ten lists and get a life, you wonder if they mean BIOS or ZWH.

Free Audio Download of Francis Chan's Crazy Love

Christianaudio.com is offering a free audio download of Francis Chan's Crazy Love. Go here and use the coupon code JUL2009.

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:

J. K. Aitken
The Semantics of Blessing and Cursing in Ancient Hebrew
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6817
Reviewed by Yael Avrahami

Rami Arav, ed.
Cities through the Looking Glass: Essays on the History and Archaeology of Biblical Urbanism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6727
Reviewed by Aren Maeir

Donald T. Ariel, Hava Katz, Shelley Sadeh, and Michael Segal
The Dead Sea Scrolls Catalogue
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6482
Reviewed by George J. Brooke

Carl Cosaert
The Text of the Gospels in Clement of Alexandria
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6784
Reviewed by J. K. Elliott

Audrey Dawson
Healing, Weakness and Power: Perspectives on Healing in the Writings of Mark, Luke and Paul
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7025
Reviewed by Kobus Kok

Stephen Finlan
The Apostle Paul and the Pauline Tradition
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6724
Reviewed by Korinna Zamfir

John T. Fitzgerald, ed.
Passions and Moral Progress in Greco-Roman Thought
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6860
Reviewed by Wayne A. Meeks

Richard A. Horsley
Wisdom and Spiritual Transcendence at Corinth: Studies in First Corinthians
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6812
Reviewed by Anthony C. Thiselton

Darin H. Land
The Diffusion of Ecclesiastical Authority: Sociological Dimensions of Leadership in the Book of Acts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6718
Reviewed by Steve Walton

AnneMarie Luijendijk
Greetings in the Lord: Early Christians and the Oxyrhynchus Papyri
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7050
Reviewed by J. K. Elliott

Kevin McGeough
Exchange Relationships at Ugarit
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6818
Reviewed by Roger S. Nam

Charles B. Puskas and David Crump
An Introduction to the Gospels and Acts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6804
Reviewed by Peter J. Judge

Kenneth Gangel (1935-2009)

This is a bit late, but I just learned that Kenneth O. Gangel went to be with the Lord last Thursday, June 18 at the age of 74. Dr. Gangel was a prolific writer and although I did not know him personally, I have benefited from his writings particularly in the area of Christian education and leadership. You can see a more extensive write up of Dr. Gangel here.

Syntactical Diagram of 1 Peter 2 and 3:1-12

For those who have facility with Greek, Daniel Doleys has now posted his syntactical diagram of 1 Peter 2 and 1 Peter 3:1-12, here and here respectively.

The Fruit of the Spirit

Glen Scrivner has a good reminder concerning the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). In part Glen writes, "I wanted the fruit not the Spirit. I wanted the fruit apart from the Spirit. Yet the fruit is fruit of the Spirit. It grows organically from a relationship with Him. Henceforward I prayed for the Spirit Himself." You can read the entire post here.

Quote of the Day

“The fact that Luke and Acts are addressed to Christian readers puts even more restrictions on contemporary free play of interpretation than their traditional character alone would require. All narratives have gaps in what is explicitly recounted, the filling of which is a major aspect of their interpretation. The gaps in Luke and Acts that are meant to be filled are gaps that would occur to Christian readers, and they are meant to be filled from a Christian perspective. The points of view of the text, both in its original setting and in its later context as part of the Christian Bible, are grounded in and express Christian faith. The most empathetic reading of the text would therefore ordinarily proceed from Christian faith and experience. Readers from many backgrounds and faiths can execute historical-critical methods to glean historical answers from the text or engage in literary analysis of the text, but reading Luke-Acts as biblical requires a biblical perspective and strong imaginative empathy for the Christian faith. Some obvious examples where faith facilitates filling biblical gaps in Luke concern Jesus' identity and accounts of providence or the miraculous, including Jesus' resurrection and relationship to God as his Father.”

William S. Kurz, Reading Luke-Acts: Dynamics of Biblical Narrative (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1993), 15.

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:

Stephen C. Barton, ed.
Idolatry: False Worship in the Bible, Early Judaism and Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6399
Reviewed by Markus Bockmuehl

Andrew Bernhard
Other Early Christian Gospels: A Critical Edition of the Surviving Greek Manuscripts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6346
Reviewed by Stephen J. Patterson

Walter Brueggemann
A Pathway of Interpretation: The Old Testament for Pastors and Students
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6905
Reviewed by Danny Mathews

Warren Carter
The Roman Empire and the New Testament: An Essential Guide
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5406
Reviewed by Pieter J. J. Botha

J. Harold Ellens
Sex in the Bible: A New Consideration
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6856
Reviewed by William R. G. Loader

Jonathan Gan
The Metaphor of Shepherd in the Hebrew Bible: A Historical-Literary Reading
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6167
Reviewed by Claudia D. Bergmann

Jeffrey P. Greenman, Timothy Larsen, and Stephen R. Spencer, eds.
The Sermon on the Mount through the Centuries: From the Early Church to John Paul II
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6768
Reviewed by Charles H. Talbert

Philip A. Noss, ed.
A History of Bible Translation
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6910
Reviewed by Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton

Markus Saur
Der Tyroszyklus des Ezechielbuches
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7017
Reviewed by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

Martin A. Shields
The End of Wisdom: A Reappraisal of the Historical and Canonical Function of Ecclesiastes http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5240
Reviewed by Harold C. Washington

H. G. M. Williamson
A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1-27: Volume 1: Commentary on Isaiah 1-5
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7176
Reviewed by Francis Landy

The Book of Revelation as Key to a Missional Hermeneutic?

Michael Gorman has an interesting post discussing whether the book of Revelation is a key to a missional hermeneutic.

How Big was Goliath

The Logos blog has made a an article from their Bible Study magazine on the size of Goliath. You can access the article here.