Hurtado on the Early Church and the Divinity of Jesus

Larry Hurtado, the author of Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity talks about the evidence for the early church's commitment to Jesus divinity.

McKnight Recommended Commentaries on James

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

Peter Davids, The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary) ,

Luke Timothy Johnson, The Letter of James (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries)
Robert P. Martin, Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 48, James

Rob Wall, Community of the Wise: The Letter of James (New Testament in Context)

Doug J. Moo, The Letter of James (Pillar New Testament Commentary)

Craig Blomberg and Mariam Kamell, James (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)

"Stupid Statements" Related to the Trinity

Michael Patton has a nice post identifying and interacting with "stupid statements" or examples that are frequently used in trying to explain or illustrate orthodox Trinitarianism. Read the post here.

Great Advice: Preach to Them, But Be You

See Peter Mead's short but spot on post: Preach to Them, But Be You.

Questions to Ask a Potential Church

Colin Adams has posted forty-one questions that pastors should ask a potential church. You can read the questions here.

Free Will

Andy Naselli has written a very good discussion on the topic of free will. Read it here.

The Big Idea of Narrative Preaching

See this article by Paul Borden and Steven D. Matthewson on the big idea of narrative preaching.

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:

Richard Bauckham, Daniel Driver, Trevor Hart, and Nathan MacDonald, eds.
A Cloud of Witnesses: The Theology of Hebrews in Its Ancient Contexts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7111
Reviewed by Scott Mackie

Richard H. Bell
Deliver Us from Evil: Interpreting the Redemption from the Power of Satan in New Testament Theology
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6918
Reviewed by Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton

Katharina Bracht and David S. du Toit, eds.
Die Geschichte der Daniel-Auslegung in Judentum, Christentum und Islam: Studien zur Kommentierung des Danielbuches in Literatur und Kunst
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7181
Reviewed by Christoph Stenschke

J. Bradley Chance
Acts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6893
Reviewed by Kenneth D. Litwak

Mordechai Cogan
The Raging Torrent: Historical Inscriptions from Assyria and Babylonia Relating to Ancient Israel
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6612
Reviewed by Aren Maeir

R. Alan Culpepper
Mark
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6892
Reviewed by John Painter

Thomas R. Hatina, ed.
Biblical Interpretation in Early Christian Gospels: Volume 2: The Gospel of Matthew
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6954
Reviewed by Daniel Gurtner

Mark A. House, ed.
Compact Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6805
Reviewed by Pierre Johan Jordaan

Steven Leonard Jacobs, ed.
Maven in Blue Jeans: A Festschrift in Honor of Zev Garber
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7045
Reviewed by William H. Krieger

Barry C. Joslin
Hebrews, Christ and the Law: The Theology of the Mosaic Law in Hebrews 7:1-10:18
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7026
Reviewed by David Allen

Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, Ellen Bradshaw Aitken, and Jonathan A. Draper, eds.
The Bible in the Public Square: Reading the Signs of the Times
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6813
Reviewed by Holly E. Hearon

Michael Labahn and Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte, eds.
A Kind of Magic: Understanding Magic in the New Testament and Its Religious Environment
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6553
Reviewed by Hans-Josef Klauck

Karoline M.Lewis
Rereading the "Shepherd Discourse": Restoring the Integrity of John 9:39-10:21
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7179
Reviewed by Beate Kowalski

J. G. McConville
God and Earthly Power: An Old Testament Political Theology
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7001
Reviewed by Paul Kissling

The Book of Hebrews: A Star Wars MashUp

A creative way to introduce Hebrews 1.



HT: Claude Mariottini

Translating Romans 1:17: εκ πιστεως εις πιστιν

See Alan Bandy's helpful discussion on the challenges of, and options for, translating the Greek phrase εκ πιστεως εις πιστιν.

Resources for the Gospel of John

See this very helpful list of books and sermon resources for preaching and teaching the Gospel of John.

Debunking the Documentary Hypothesis

See John Anderson's helpful summary of R. N. Whybray's eleven reasons for rejecting the Documentary Hypothesis which has long been the standard critical explanation for the composition of the Pentateuch.

20 Non-Preaching Websites for Better Preaching

See this article on "20 Non-Preaching Websites for Better Preaching" from SermonCentral.com.

The Kingdom of God

See this short video on the much discussed topic of Jesus and the kingdom of God. Both Graham Stanton and James D. G. Dunn appear in the video.



HT: Matthew D. Montonini

Bad News and Good News from Jesus’ Genealogy

Genealogies are not normally considered fruitful fields for spiritual edification. Nonetheless, God has chosen to include a number of these lists in sacred Scripture. So it is always interesting to me when I come across an interpreter who is able to draw out spiritual truths from these oft ignored sections of the Bible. Thomas Fuller (1608–1661) an Anglican priest noted the following in his study of Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1.

“Lord, I find the genealogy of my Saviour strangely chequered, with four remarkable changes in four generations
Rehoboam begat Abijah: (A bad father begat a bad son)
Abijah begat Asa: (A bad father and a good son)
Asa begat Jehoshaphat: (A good father and a good son)
Jehoshaphat begat Jehorom: (A good father and a bad son).

I see Lord, from hence,
That my Father’s piety cannot be handed on:
That is bad news for me.
I see also that actual impiety is not hereditary,
That is good news for my son!”

Thomas, Fuller, Good Thoughts in Bad Times, Good Thoughts in Worst Times, Mixt Contemplations in Better Times (Liverpool: Edward Howell, 1863), 44.

Acts and the Mission to the World

Emphasis on the mission to the world in Acts does not begin in Acts 1:8. Hints of the universal spread of the gospel are found already in the Gospel of Luke. Brian Rosner has noted the following six hints to the universal gospel in Luke’s narrative.

(1) The prophecy of Simon in 2:32, a quotation of Isaiah 42:6 (cf., Acts 13:47), which indicates that salvation is in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles.
(2) John the Baptist’s ministry to Roman soldiers in 2:1; 3:1,14.
(3) Jesus’ reading of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue in Nazareth and his commendation of the Gentiles in Luke 4:16-30 . . .
(4) The portrayal of Jesus as the ‘Friend of tax collectors and sinners’ (7:34), those on the edge of Jewish society (cf.,esp. 5:27-39; 19:5-7).
(5) The prominence of women in Jesus’ ministry, from Elizabeth and Mary, through Mary and Martha, to the women witnesses of the resurrection
(6) The response of Samaritans to Jesus which forms a focus of interest of Luke (9:51-56; 10:25-37; cf., Acts 8:4-24), more so than for the other Gospels.

Brian J. Rosner, “The Progress of the Word,” in Witness to the Gospel: The Theology of Acts, ed. I. Howard Marshall and David Peterson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 220.

The Limitations of Archaeology

Regular readers of this blog know of my interests in archaeology and the Bible. But it is also important to keep in mind the inherent limitations of archaeology as it relates to biblical studies. Victor Matthews provides the following helpful list of the limitations of archaeology:

-The material remains uncovered by archaeologists are always incomplete.
-Interpretation of artifacts and excavation sites, like interpretation of the biblical text, involves subjective judgements that are vulnerable to revision or being discredited.
-Archaeology cannot prove or disprove the truth of the biblical narrative or its theological statements.
-Archaeological evidence cannot and should not be the only data used to interpret the Bible or the world of ancient Israel.
-Because scientific methods are constantly being improved, archaeological data is subject to reexamination. But even this is not always possible if previous excavators have destroyed data by trying to "get down" to biblical levels or have failed to adequately record and publish the results of their work.

Victor H. Matthews, Studying the Ancient Israelites: A Guide to Sources and Methods (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), 90.

Interpreting Symbols in Revelation

See Alan Bandy's brief, but helpful, post on interpreting symbols in Revelation 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:

Bill T. Arnold
Genesis
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6973
Reviewed by Jan-Wim Wesselius

Margaret Barker
The Hidden Tradition of the Kingdom of God
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6764
Reviewed by Benedict Thomas Viviano, O.P.

Adam Green
King Saul: The True History of the First Messiah
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6779
Reviewed by Ralph K. Hawkins

Søren Holst
Verbs and War Scroll: Studies in the Hebrew Verbal System and the Qumran War Scrolls
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6895
Reviewed by Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton

Hans-Josef Klauck
The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6992
Reviewed by Paul Dilley

Bernard M. Levinson
"The Right Chorale": Studies in Biblical Law and Interpretation
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7177
Reviewed by J. Glen Taylor

Darian Lockett
Purity and Worldview in the Epistle of James
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6668
Reviewed by John C. Poirier

Daniel Marguerat, ed.
Introduction au Nouveau Testament: Son histoire, son écriture, sa théologie
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7036
Reviewed by V. Henry T. Nguyen

Steve Mason
Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary: Vol. 1b: Judean War 2
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6945
Reviewed by Marcus Sigismund

Francis J. Moloney
Life of Jesus in Icons: From the "Bible of Tbilisi"
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6900
Reviewed by V. Henry T. Nguyen

Martti Nissinen and Risto Uro, eds.
Sacred Marriages: The Divine-Human Sexual Metaphor from Sumer to Early Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6704
Reviewed by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

Jacobine G. Oudshoorn
The Relationship between Roman and Local Law in the Babatha and Salome Komaise Archives: General Analysis and Three Case Studies on Law of Succession, Guardianship and Marriage
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6863
Reviewed by Judith Evans Grubbs

Kuo-Wei Peng
Hate the Evil, Hold Fast to the Good: Structuring Romans 12.1-15.1
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6188
Reviewed by Derek R. Brown

Per Rönnegård
Threads and Images: The Use of Scripture in Apophthegmata Patrum
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6272
Reviewed by Mark DelCogliano

Eckhard J. Schnabel
Paul the Missionary: Realities, Strategies and Methods
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6977
Reviewed by Torrey Seland

Preaching and Hebrew Resources on Sale

Readers might be interested in two items Christianbook.com's mid-week mark down sale (good for today only). Just click on the links below. Price does not include postage.

John MacArthur, Preaching at 60% off = $9.99

iVocab for Biblical Hebrew at 55% off = $14.99

New Collection of Holy Land Pictures

Todd Bolen at Bibleplaces.com and Lifeintheholyland.com has produced a new set of pictures of the Holy Land. This new collection, “The American Colony and the Eric Matson Collection,” is part of the Historic Views of the Holy Land series. The entire collection was five years in the making and contains 4,300 images from 1898 to the 1940’s in jpg and PowerPoint format, spanning eight CD volumes.

After spending a good part of an afternoon (and still not looking at everything), I can commend this collection to you for at least three reasons. First, while there are a number of places where one can access recent pictures of places in Israel, it is much harder to find good older pictures. Having been to Israel twice, I am amazed at how much I recognized but also how much things have changed over the years. Second, I recommend this collection because it is so carefully and helpfully organized and labeled. This is a great time saver when you are looking for a particular image. Third, this collection is valuable because all the images have been placed into PowerPoint presentations with labeling. Once again this is a valuable time saver for those interested in teaching/presenting or merely viewing the pictures. With a few clicks of the mouse you can be good to go.

The individual CD’s will be released at the rate of one volume a month. Or you can purchase the entire collection now at the discounted price of $99 here. This month’s release is the Northern Palestine volume ($20) here.

Ministry Considerations

C. Michael Patton has identified sixteen considerations for someone who is considering ministry. You can read the post here.

Civil Submission and 1 Peter

Josh Mann has a thoughtful discussion on how to apply the submission to the government passage in 1 Peter 3:13-17. Read it here.

To Bury or Cremate

Read this interesting post on the debate concerning burial or cremation. R. Scott Clark argues,"burial is not just a cultural custom. It’s an act of faith. When there is a choice between burial and cremation, the latter isn’t just a convenience or an economy, it’s a message about the body and the nature of our humanity and our status as image-bearers."

Nahum, Nineveh, and Those Nasty Assyrians

Although this article is a few years old, Gordon Franz has a nice discussion on Nahum, Nineveh, and the Assyrians. This article provides helpful background bot only on the book of Nahum, but also Jonah as well. You can access the article at the Associates of Biblical Research website here.