Technological Gratitude

  
"Thanks to Overhead Projectors" is a good reminder to be thankful about, and to have the right attitude toward, using technology in ministry.
 

Advice on Sermon Titles

  
See this blog post on writing better sermon titles.
 

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

  
The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.

Constantine R. Campbell
Paul and Union with Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8689
Reviewed by William Campbell

Daniel Epp-Tiessen
Concerning the Prophets: True and False Prophecy in Jeremiah 23:9–29:32
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8828
Reviewed by Kelvin Friebel

Judith Gärtner
Die Geschichtspsalmen: Eine Studie zu den Psalmen 78, 105, 106, 135 und 136 als hermeneutische Schlüsseltexte im Psalter
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8851
Reviewed by Susan Gillingham

Lee Martin McDonald
Formation of the Bible: The Story of the Church’s Canon
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8665
Reviewed by James Leonard

Matthew V. Novenson
Christ among the Messiahs: Christ Language in Paul and Messiah Language in Ancient Judaism
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8495
Reviewed by Nijay K. Gupta

Richard I. Pervo
Acts: A Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8754
Reviewed by Don Garlington

Karlheinz Schüssler
Biblia Coptica: Die koptischen Bibeltexte. Vollständiges Verzeichnis mit Standorten. Band 2/Lfg 1 sa 121–184
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8765
Reviewed by Elina Perttilä

Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
Food in Ancient Judah: Domestic Cooking in the Time of the Hebrew Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=9023
Reviewed by Stephen Reed

Caroline Vander Stichele and Hugh S. Pyper, eds.
Text, Image, and Otherness in Children's Bibles: What Is in the Picture?
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8847
Reviewed by Gottfried Adam

C. Richard Wells and Ray Van Neste, eds.
Forgotten Songs: Reclaiming the Psalms for Christian Worship
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8835
Reviewed by Leonard P. Maré 
 

Walt Kaiser on Christ-Centered Hermeneutics

  
See Walt Kaiser's post on Christ-centered hermeneutics here. The post is part of a larger series hosted on Ed Stetzer blog on Christ-centered hermeneutics. The four parts series has or will include posts by,


● Dr. Daniel Block (Wheaton College)
● Dr. David Murray (Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary)
● Dr. Walt Kaiser (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) 
● Dr. Bryan Chapell (Grace Presbyterian in Peoria, IL)

The first installment by Daniel Block can be read here and here. You can access Murray's post here, and here. Ed Stetzer provides a recap here and here.
 

Recent Discoveries at Tel Hazor

  
In this article, a recent discovery of a sphinx at Tel Hazor is described. According to the article,

"A team of researchers from the Institute of Archaeology, headed by Prof. Amnon Ben-Tor and Dr. Sharon Zuckerman found in Tel Hazor National Park a unique fracture of an Egyptian Sphinx. The Sphinx has between its front legs an hieroglyphic inscription which includes the name of the Egyptian king Mikrinos, who ruled during the ancient Egyptian kingdom and was one of the builders of the famous pyramids of Giza. He ruled the Egyptian kingdom in the third millennium BCE, more than 4,000 years ago.

"The Sphinx fragment discovered at Hazor is an unexpected and incredibly important discovery, since it is the only known Sphinx of this king discovered so far in the world, including in Egypt. Moreover, it is only fraction of the majestic monumental sculpture discovered in the entire Levant (the eastern shore of the Mediterranean)."
  

Review of Interpreting the Pauline Letters

Harvey, John D. Interpreting the Pauline Letters: An Exegetical Handbook. Handbook for New Testament Exegesis, ed. John D. Harvey. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2012.

The Pauline Epistles continue to be some of the most popular sections of Scripture to preach and teach and yet can also be some of the most daunting as well. John Harvey has provided a helpful entrée into the field.

The breadth and depth of John Harvey’s introduction to Pauline Letters is impressive given its relative brevity (224 pp.). In the first three chapters, Harvey discusses the genre, background, and theology of the Pauline epistles. Chapters four and five focus on issues related to interpretation (i.e. textual criticism and translation) and the interpretive process itself. This is followed by two chapters that explain and illustrate how one can move from text to sermon. Harvey rounds out the book with ten pages of suggested resources and a three-page glossary.

I like Interpreting the Pauline Letters for at least three reasons. First, as already noted, it is fairly comprehensive and yet succinct. But even with the brevity, the author is often able to address different options and views. Second, at a list price of $22.99 you get a fair amount of bang for the buck. It is a budget-friendly resource for financially challenged students, pastors, and others involved in ministry. Third, chapters six and seven emphasize the importance of preaching the text and preaching it well. The study of Paul’s letters is not an end, it is a means.

This volume could be made more helpful with a Scripture index. It would probably add only a few more pages but make this volume more user-friendly. A second point is not necessarily a criticism, but it is a concern. The emphasis on textual criticism and translation as preparatory to interpretation is ideal (this is what I was taught in seminary), but I wonder whether it is a realistic expectation for most pastors. I think a word from the author addressing this issue would have been valuable. As it stands, a reader of this work might conclude that he could not even begin interpreting without wrestling at depth with text-critical issues and creating a fresh translation. That being said, I would still recommend this volume for the reasons noted above.

Thanks to Kregel for the review copy used in this unbiased review.
  

Top Digital Tools for Churches

HT:Aubrey Malphurs

British Library Manuscripts

  
The British Library has created and made available an Excel spreadsheet listing all the manuscripts they have online, with the URL. You can read more about it and access it here.  

HT: Roger Pearse

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

  
The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.


Peter Arzt-Grabner and Christina M. Kreinecker, eds.
Light from the East: Papyrologische Kommentare zum Neuen Testament. Akten des internationalen Symposions vom 3.–4. Dezember 2009 am Fachbereich Bibelwissenschaft und Kirchengeschichte der Universität Salzburg
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8047
Reviewed by Scott Charlesworth

Daniel I. Block
Deuteronomy
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8654
Reviewed by Garrett Galvin
 
Terry W. Eddinger
Malachi: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8620
Reviewed by Buzz Brookman

Jaco Gericke
The Hebrew Bible and Philosophy of Religion
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8714
Reviewed by Christian Danz

Yoram Hazony
The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8600
Reviewed by Craig G. Bartholomew

J. Edward Owens
Leviticus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8936
Reviewed by David Talley

Gary S. Shogren
1 and 2 Thessalonians
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8733
Reviewed by Jason Weaver

Christopher W. Skinner and Kelly R. Iverson, eds.
Unity and Diversity in the Gospels and Paul: Essays in Honor of Frank J. Matera
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8849
Reviewed by Lars Kierspel

Jean-Luc Vesco
Le Psautier de Jésus: Les citations des Psaumes dans le Nouveau Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8558
Reviewed by Thomas J. Kraus

Johanna W. H. van Wijk-Bos
Reading Samuel: A Literary and Theological Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8674
Reviewed by Benjamin J. M. Johnson
  

2013 SBL Preliminary Program Book

  
You can access a preliminary version of the program book for the Society of Biblical Literature's 2013 annual meeting to be held in Baltimore here. You can do specific searches or leave all the fields blank and click the search button.
  

Exodus Website

  
Exodus: Out of Egypt is a new website that is described by Thomas Levy as follows.

"This website does not advocate any solutions to the story of ancient Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, known from the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. Rather, it highlights new transdisciplinary perspectives on this ancient puzzle based on an international conference held May 31 to June 3, 2013 in Calit2’s Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego. The conference – Out of Egypt: Israel’s Exodus Between Text and Memory, History and Imagination – brought together more than 40 of the world’s leading archaeologists, Biblical scholars, Egyptologists, historians and geo-scientists. In tandem, the Qualcomm Institute staged an exhibition, EX3: Exodus, Cyber-Archaeology and the Future, through June 9, as an experiment in trans-disciplinary research, team science, and scholarly communication using technologies developed for the museum of the future. Archaeologists and Biblical scholars teamed with computer scientists, engineers, geo-scientists and sonic artists to show how 21st century collaboration in these fields can provide new ways of looking at ancient historical problems. Nearly four dozen scientists contributed their unique expertise and worked “out of the (disciplinary) box” in search of potential answers to historical questions. They explored cyber-archaeology data collection, analyses and dissemination, and the exhibition featured new 3D and large-scale visualization platforms developed by the Qualcomm Institute as prototype display systems for the museum of the future. At right is a collection of images from the conference and exhibition. Below, this portal features streaming video, including an overview of the exhibition, as well as on-demand video of all conference proceedings. At bottom, click on the links to view panels from the exhibition on the significance of the Exodus from an ecumenical perspective in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity." 
  

Theological Education in a Changing World

  
This is an interesting article on the challenges of theological education within a global context.
 

The Tabernacle in Shiloh

  
In this article, archaeologist are purported to claim that evidence for the tabernacle at Shiloh has been found. I would suggest that a bit of caution is in order since what is identified as evidence does not appear to be conclusive.
 

Sequal to the Bible Miniseries

  
NBC announced Monday that it will join with producer Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, on a sequel to the Bible miniseries that aired earlier this year on the History Channel. The sequel has been given the working title "A.D.: Beyond the Bible" and will cover the days following the crucifixion of Jesus. You can read about it here.

Free Logos Book of the Month: The Expositor's Greek Testament, Volume 5

  
The free Logos book for the month of July is volume 5 of The Expositor's Greek Testament. You can read more about it or enter a drawing to win the entire set here.
  

Message: In the Event or Text?

"Biblical narrators were concerned not only to describe historical events, but also to interpret them. Indeed, it is in the authors’ interpretation that we find the permanent message. Although God did in fact reveal himself and speak through the events of history and the experiences of Israel (see the purpose of the miracles in the Exodus narratives and the events prophesied by Ezekiel), it is difficult (if not impossible) for us to reconstruct the events and thereby recover the message of God in the original event. Indeed, our only access to that historical revelation is through the interpretation offered by the inspired writers of the texts of Scripture. The message we preach must accord with the message proclaimed by the inspired narrator and interpreter of those events. That message may be retrieved only by carefully studying what the authors have written. While we recognize the value of the history of interpretation of biblical texts, and of interpretations given by contemporary commentators, only the meaning of the original author, not that of later interpreters, offers the normative message of God."

Daniel I Block, “Tell Me the Old, Old Story: Preaching the Message of Old Testament Narrative,” in Giving the Sense: Understanding and Using Old Testament Historical Texts, ed. David M. Howard Jr. and Michael A. Grisanti (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2003), 413–14.
  

Free Course: Understanding the New Testament

  
Crown College is offering a free online course (MOOC): Understanding the New Testament. You can get details here. Note that it is free but you must register before July 1.

HT: Zondervan Academic 
  

Latest Issue of Bibliotheca Sacra

  
The July-September 2013 issue of Bibliotheca Sacra is now out. The issue contains the following articles.

A Literary Tribute to Dr. Roy B. Zuck
Compiled by Matthew S. DeMoss

Helping People REACH Forgiveness of Others: Part 3 of 4
Everett L. Worthington Jr.

Intertextuality and the Portrayal of Jeremiah the Prophet
Gary E. Yates

Pagan Worship in Jerusalem
Thomas A. Golding

Paul as Weak in Faith in Romans 7:7-25
John F. Hart

James 4:5 and the Jealous Spirit
J. William Johnston

Why the Decalogue Matters

  
Leon Kass has a pretty decent article on the Ten Commandments here.
 

Why the Biblical Languages Matter

  
See Michael J. Kruger's post entitled, "Why the Biblical Languages Matter—Even if You Forget Them" here.
  

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.

Mark J. Boda and J. Gordon McConville, eds.
Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8691
Reviewed by Göran Eidevall

Ronald P. Byars
The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8376
Reviewed by Thomas Bergholz

Joanne Clarke
On the Margins of Southwest Asia: Cyprus during the 6th to 4th Millennia BC
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7604
Reviewed by Allen Kerkeslager

Mark W. Elliott
Engaging Leviticus: Reading Leviticus Theologically with Its Past Interpreters
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8457
Reviewed by Bálint Károly Zabán

Judy Fentress-Williams
Ruth
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8831
Reviewed by Peter H. W. Lau

Erhard S. Gerstenberger
Israel in the Persian Period: The Fifth and Fourth Centuries B.C.E.
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8378
Reviewed by Jason Silverman

Candida Moss
Ancient Christian Martyrdom: Diverse Practices, Theologies, and Traditions
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8587
Reviewed by Jan Willem van Henten

Caryn A. Reeder
The Enemy in the Household: Family Violence in Deuteronomy and Beyond
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8456
Reviewed by Sung Jin Park

Don Thorsen and Keith H. Reeves
What Christians Believe about the Bible: A Concise Guide for Students
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8616
Reviewed by Peter J. Judge

Robert W. Wall
1 and 2 Timothy and Titus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8762
Reviewed by Raymond F. Collins 
 

Five Questions with Dr. R. Alan Streett on the Kingdom of God

Dr. R. Alan Street graciously agreed to answer five questions about his new book Heaven on Earth: Experiencing the Kingdom of God in the Here and Now. Dr. Streett is Senior Research Professor of Biblical Exegesis at the Criswell College.
  
Question: How did Heaven on Earth come about?

Over the past ten years, I have been immersed in a study of the kingdom of God. I have read every major work and nearly every minor work on the topic. As I pondered the issues I believe I came to develop a theology of the kingdom, which I articulated in class and in private discussions with friends and colleagues. Bob Hawkins, owner of Harvest House publishing, was the first to suggest that I write a book. The rest is history, as they say.

Question: What is the main thesis of the book?

Through the person and work of Christ, God inaugurated the kingdom on earth. It has not arrived in its fullness, but it can be entered and experienced today.
 

Question: What surprised you most during the writing of this book?

Since all my research was completed and I knew the materials like the back of my hand, I decided to simply sit down and start typing. I was surprised at times how the words flowed onto the page. During certain portions of the book, I could sense God’s presence. I am not a mystic, but I knew something special was happening. Over the past few weeks people have written to tell me how they have been changed by the book.

Question: What do you hope to accomplish through this book?

Although the kingdom began with Jesus, it will not be consummated until he returns. Between the “already” and “not yet” aspects of the kingdom, we have a job to do. Hence, “Heaven on Earth” challenges believers to take seriously their responsibilities on earth as kingdom citizens. Likewise, it calls for believers to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom. Hence the book seeks to be missional and transformational. My desire is to produce kingdom-focused believers and kingdom-focused churches.

Question: What other resources on the kingdom of God would you recommend?

I will mention only a few among the hundreds of excellent works on the kingdom of God:

Beasley-Murray, G. R. Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.
Cullmann, Oscar. Christ and Time. Trans. by Floyd V. Filson. London: SCM, 1951.
Ladd, George Eldon. The Presence of the Future. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.
McLaren, Brian. The Secret Message of Jesus. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006.
Pate, C. Marvin. The End of the Age Has Come: The Theology of Paul. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Wright, N. T. How God Became King. New York: HarperOne, 2012.



Readers can access a sample from Heaven on Earth here.
 

Overcoming Writer's Block

  
Read this post on thirteen ways to beat sermon writer’s block. While this is specifically directed toward sermon writing, it should work for other kinds of writing as well.
 

The Sermon on the Mount, Mosaic Law, and Christian Ethics

The interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount and its implications for the Mosaic Law and Christian ethics is much debated. Alan Johnson has a pretty good discussion of the issues in a festschrift for Samuel J. Schultz. He offers the following six points by way of conclusion and summary.

1. The ethic of Jesus develops legitimately out of the Mosaic tradition and is not in essential disagreement with it—there is continuity with the old.

2. Jesus’ ethic fulfills or surpasses the Mosaic ethical tradition and thereby radically transcends the old—there is discontinuity with Moses and the Prophets. Something new has come with Christ.

3. The two basic assumptions of the Reformers (Luther and Calvin) are exegetically indefensible—i.e., (1) God’s Law cannot be modified, and therefore the Law of Moses cannot be modified—there is no I progress in moral revelation; and (2) Jesus was not a new lawgiver.

4. Anabaptist literalism, while rightly stressing discontinuity, yet without regard to a more precise hermeneutic, has produced an unwarranted absolutism that has restricted and at times misdirected Christian ethical action.

5. A proper grasp of both the aspect of continuity with the old and an appreciation for discontinuity with Moses and the Prophets will provide a more adequate foundation for Christian theological ethics.

6. The final authority for Christian ethics is not the Torah or even the Prophets but Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Alan F. Johnson, “Jesus and Moses: Rabbinic Backgrounds and Exegetical Concerns in Matthew 5 as Crucial to the Theological Foundations of Christian Ethics,” in The Living and Active Word of God: Essays in Honor of Samuel J. Schultz, ed. Morris Inch and Ronald Youngblood (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1983), 106–7.

Old Testament Commentary Recommendations from Princeton Theological Seminary

  
Although this list of recommended Old Testament commentaries from Princeton Theological Seminary is apparently not new, it was new to me. One interesting aspect of this list is that it also includes a bibliography of New Testament books as well (the NT list is not annotated).