Dec 31, 2011
Giving the Bible the Benefit of the Doubt
“Another aspect of Christian character that is needed to be a good and godly Bible teacher and scholar is a willingness to give the text the benefit of the doubt before leaping to the conclusion that the text is: (1) riddled with contradictions, (2) is unclear, or (3) is hopelessly antiquarian and thus obsolete and irrelevant. One of things that has often surprised me about some Bible scholars is that they will not give the Bible the same benefit of the doubt they will give their colleagues' theories, even if a theory is wild and wooly. This I find exceedingly odd. Why should a modern writer be given so much more benefit of the doubt than an ancient one? I see no rational reason for this, but it reflects a phenomenon I have come to call justification by doubt, as if doubting something proves one is a critical thinker and therefore a good scholar of the Bible.”
Ben Witherington III, Is There a Doctor in the House? An Insider's Story and Advice on Becoming a Biblical Scholar (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), 129.
Dec 30, 2011
The Authenticity of 2 Peter
Rob Bradshaw at BiblicalStudies.org.uk has just posted a PDF of P. H. R. van Houwelingen's 2010 article in the European Journal of Theology entitled "The Authenticity of 2 Peter: Problems and Possible Solutions" here. I remember looking at this article a while back and finding it helpful.
Concerning the Song of S0ngs
"It is therefore not surprising that the Song is one of the three most commented-upon books in the Bible. In the first place, its presence there urgently calls for explanation. Can a canonical book of Scripture really be as secular as this poetry seems to be? In a second place, if it has some hidden religious or theological meaning, how do we discover it? To those who think they know the answer to the last question, the Song then offers unique opportunity for exegetical virtuosity—not to say uncontrolled fantasy.”
Robert W. Jenson, Song of Songs, Interpretation (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2005), 2.
Dec 29, 2011
Acts as Narrative
How does Acts work as a narrative? Simply stated, the plot of Acts unfolds in support of Luke’s theological aim. On the one hand, he designs his story according to a specific geographical and chronological framework. The action begins in Jerusalem before moving beyond the holy city into the neighboring provinces of Samaria and Judea before moving into the nations and peoples beyond Palestine. Many have found this geographical outline indexed by Jesus’ programmatic prophecy in Acts 1:8. In addition, Acts traces the key events with brief glimpses of the most important leaders of earliest Christianity to establish a general chronology of the church’s origins. On the other hand, the historical conception provides the framework for two grand thematic movements (‘conversion’ and ‘consecration’), each scripted by extended citations of Scripture (see 2:17-21; 15:16-18) that narrate how the redemptive purposes of God are realized through the church’s mission.”
Robert W. Wall, “Acts,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes, vol. 10, ed. Leander E. Keck (Nashville: Abingdon, 2002), 13–14.
Dec 28, 2011
New Job Commentary
My friend Larry Waters has co-written a commentary on Job with Mona Bias in the Asia Bible Commentary Series. Larry knows more about the Book of Job than most anyone I know. This expository commentary provides solid explanations of the book and thoughtful applications particularly geared towards an Asian context. The book is a bit difficult to find, but you can see it here and order it by following these instructions.Step One
Send us an e-mail ( atapublications@gmail.com ) indicating your order and delivery address.Company / Receiver Name:
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Confirm your order.
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Dec 27, 2011
The Exegetical Habit
"Responsible biblical preaching does not come easily. It requires time, study, and hard work. The time required for the study of Scripture is not spent apart from ministry; it is not even in preparation for ministry. It is ministry, and as such it should be cherished and protected. There are ways to use study time wisely and efficiently. There are even shortcuts we can take in the process of biblical interpretation, but there are no short circuits."
Dec 26, 2011
Working While Working on a Ph.D.
It is generally inadvisable to pursue a Ph.D. while working a full-time job. But if you must, Mark Warnock has some good advice here.
Dec 25, 2011
Merry Christmas!
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Galatians 4:4–5
Dec 24, 2011
The Pastoral Epistles as Christmas Epistles
See this article by Jeff McSwain. One of my favorite lines in the article is, ". . . the Pastorals are less concerned with the deity of Christ than with the humanity of God."
Dec 23, 2011
Interview with Craig Keener
The Cristianbook.com blog has a four part interview with Craig Keener concerning his Miracles book here.
Pastoral Salary Cap?
Joe Wooddell has an interesting post on pastoral salaries here. The problem is that the Bible does not appear to address the issue directly. That being said, I think that it is generally unwise and unhealthy for a pastors to make significantly more than the average member of their church. But I acknowledge that there could be exceptions to this and a variety of factors may need to be taken into consideration.
Dec 22, 2011
Latest Issue of the Bulletin for Biblical Research: Vol. 21 No. 4
Main articles:
Old Greek Daniel 7:13-14 and Matthew's Son of Man
H. Daniel Zacharias
Let the Reader Understand: Mark's Use of Jeremiah 7 in Mark 13:14
Robert S. Snow
Consumed by Zeal: John's Use of Psalm 69:9 and the Action in the Temple
Steven M. Bryan
Johannine Fulfillment of Scripture: Continuity and Escalation
Brian J. Tabb
The Portrayal of Peter and Atonement Theology in the Gospel of John
Timothy Wiarda
The Virgin Birth, Virgin Conception, and Immaculate Conception
The Virgin Birth, Virgin Conception, and Immaculate Conception are all designations that relate directly, or indirectly, to the birth of Christ. People typically use the designation Virgin Birth and Virgin Conception to mean the same thing. Namely, that Jesus was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit while Mary remained a virgin. I prefer to use the designation Virgin Conception since strictly speaking, we are referring to the circumstances of the conception rather than the birth per se. That is, while Jesus was conceived supernaturally like no other child; he was born naturally like every other child. (I am not distinguishing here between what is called natural and Caesarean childbirth.) The Immaculate Conception on, on the other hand, is a Roman Catholic dogma that holds that Mary was conceived and preserved from the stain of original sin. While I believe that the Virgin Birth/Virgin Conception has biblical warrant, I do not believe that the Immaculate Conception has any basis in Scripture. Concerning the Immaculate Conception, see this post by Bill Combs.
Dec 21, 2011
A Caution Concerning Sermon Preparation
"Tragically many seminary-trained preachers view exegesis as an academically inclined exercise intended to display scholarship and research. Instead of spending time alone listening to Scripture, they regurgitate other scholarly opinions. Open Scripture is bypassed in favor of commentary helps. Of course, commentaries, at best, are written by gifted people intent on helping the readers discover the riches of God's Word. In no way do I wish to disparage commentators' ministry in God's service. Yet too many preachers seem frightened to practice a belief in a speaking God who meets them in Scripture. They dive too quickly into historical-grammatical research and see 'waiting on God' as suspiciously pietistic and vulnerable to eisegesis. Why delay the hard work of discovering a text's meaning when it is presumed to be available only through others' sound scholarship?"
Dec 20, 2011
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Martyn Lloyd-Jones was born on this day in 1899. Those interested in the work of Martyn Lloyd-Jones might want to check out this site.
Dec 19, 2011
Cuneiform Royal Inscriptions and Related Texts in the Schoyen Collection
See this article on the recently published book Cuneiform Royal Inscriptions and Related Texts in the Schoyen Collection. The article contains a picture of a portion of a stele with a depiction of Nebuchanezzar II and the following translation.
"I built their structures with bitumen and (baked brick throughout). I completed them, making (them gleam) bright as the (sun)..." (Translations by Professor Andrew George)
You can access the first 32 pages of the book here.
Preachers as Gifted People
"Preachers are gifted people, but the gifts needed for good and faithful preaching are different than those of the electrifying speaker or the charismatic entertainer. Faithful preaching requires such gifts as sensitivity to human need, a discerning eye for the connections between faith and life, an ear attuned to hearing the voice of Scripture, compassion, a growing personal faith, and the courage to tell the truth. These are gifts of the Spirit, and although gift of the Spirit cannot be taught in the classroom, they can be named, developed, encouraged, shaped, and given direction and focus."
Thomas G. Long, The Witness of Preaching, 2nd ed. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2005), 14.
Dec 18, 2011
The Priority of the Ascension
I have long felt that the ascension of Christ is one of the more neglected facets of Christ's life and work. So I really enjoyed this post by Paxson Jeancake.
Dec 17, 2011
Dec 16, 2011
Journal for the Study of the New Testament 34:2
The latest issue of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament is out. Here is a list of the articles and links to abstracts.
Zeal for Paul but Not According to Knowledge: Douglas Campbell’s War on ‘Justification Theory’
R. Barry Matlock
Review Article: The Deliverance of God
Grant Macaskill
An Attempt to be Understood: A Response to the Concerns of Matlock and Macaskill with The Deliverance of God
Douglas A. Campbell
pp. 162–208http://jnt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/34/2/162
Dec 15, 2011
Tips for Using Ancient Near Eastern Material
Charles Halton has some excellent advice here for properly using ancient near Eastern material, especially in academic studies.
Almsgiving as the Commandment in 1 Timothy 6:14
Nathan Eubank makes an interesting case for understanding the commandment in 1 Timothy 6:14 as related to almsgiving. You can read his argument here.
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