Free Visual Word Outlines

All the visual outlines from Patrick Schreiner's book, The Visual Word: Illustrated Outlines of The New Testament Books are available here. Scroll down to "Free Resources" to access the PDF outlines.

HT: Patrick Schreiner

Psalms: Volume 1: The Wisdom Psalms

I am happy to say that the a commentary on the Psalms that I have coauthored with Creig Marlowe has just been published. Unlike most commentaries that proceed through the psalms numerically, this commentary groups the psalms by form. This first volume is on the wisdom psalms. This commentary series is written with preachers and teachers in mind.

It is available on Amazon here or at Christian Book Distributors here. 

 

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

Kees de Blois, Louis Dorn, Gerrit J. van Steenbergen, and John A. Thompson, A Handbook on Hosea and Joel
Steven Tuell

Dean Furlong, The Identity of John the Evangelist: Revision and Reinterpretation in Early Christian Sources
Derek Tovey

Bruce Louden, Greek Myth and the Bible
Michel Pauw

Karalina Matskevich, Construction of Gender and Identity in Genesis: The Subject and the Other
Barbara Deutschmann

Lidija Novakovic, Philippians: A Handbook on the Greek Text
Michael Sweeney

Peter Oakes, Empire, Economics, and the New Testament
Jürgen K. Zangenberg

B. J. Oropeza, Craig Evans, and Paul T. Sloan, eds., New Studies in Textual Interplay
David M. Allen

Geert Roskam and Joseph Verheyden, eds., Light on Creation: Ancient Commentators in Dialogue and Debate on the Origin of the World
Brandon R. Grafius

Jeffrey Siker, Sin in the New Testament
William Horst

Danilo Verde, Conquered Conquerors: Love and War in the Song of Songs
Ellena Lyell

Hermeneutics and Preaching

Abe Kuruvilla talks to Andreas Köstenberger about hermeneutics and preaching here.

Free eBook: Mimetic Theory and Biblical Interpretation

Wipf and Stock is offering a free eBook copy of Michael Hardin's Mimetic Theory and Biblical Interpretation: Reclaiming the Good News of the Gospel. The offer is only available until November 15. Here are the instructions to get your copy.

1. Click on this link.
2. Click "ADD TO CART" on the eBook option.
3. Use the code "HARDIN21"
4. Upon checkout completion, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions of how to download your free eBook.

Free Logos Resources for November

Logos is offering Millard Erickson's Making Sense of the Trinity, Scripture and Truth edited by D. A. Carson's and John Woodbridge, Mark: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist by Francis Moloney. You can also purchase other books at significant discounts and enter to win the 22-volume Baker Academic Early Church Collection. These offers can be accessed here and here.

Tyndale Bulletin: Open Access

The Tyndale Bulletin is going open access. Articles will initially be released on a rolling basis. You can access the first free article here. I wish that more journals would follow suit.

Creating Sermon Conclusions

Here are some thoughts on creating sermon conclusions.

1. Be in prayer about it.
2. Create your conclusion with real people in mind.
3. Make sure you have the message nailed down and then bring your conclusion in alignment with it.
4. Know yourself, be yourself, but be open to stretching yourself.
5. Understand that conclusions also involve non-verbal communication.
6. Keep it brief and tight and convey the appropriate tone.
7. Write it down and talk it through.
8. Write, rewrite, and rewrite again.
9. If possible, preview it with a spouse, friend, fellow preacher, etc.
10. Nail it down (if short enough, memorize it).
11. Wait until you are well into the sermon writing process before you do your conclusion.
12. Make sure to address both believers and unbelievers.

Abraham's Purchase of a Burial Cave

Diana Edelman has a nice article here on Abraham's purchase of the burial cave of Machpelah (Gen 23:3-20). I enjoyed the whole article but liked this last bit the best.

R. Yuden son of R. Simon said: “This is one of three places that the nations of the world cannot charge Israel and say to them ‘this is stolen [land] in your hands.’ They are: the cave of Machpelah, the Temple mount, and the burial plot of Joseph. The cave of Machpelah ‘Abraham paid Ephron’ (Genesis 23:16); the Temple mount ‘David gave Arnon’ (1 Chronicles 21:25), the burial plot of Joseph ‘And he bought the field’ (Genesis 33:19).” [Genesis Rabbah (§79)]

Here the rabbis are picking up on an important theme in this chapter, which emphasizes the legal nature of this purchase. Thus, the long story of Abraham purchasing a burial plot for Sarah from the local Sons of Heth represents the first step towards fulfilling the divine promise.

Preaching and Genesis 22:8

Claude Marriottini has a good reminder here of how preachers can go astray with faulty interpretations. His three lessons are the same ones that I have reiterated myself on a number of occasions.

The Samaritans

This is a pretty good article on the Samaritans focusing mostly on the present day

Photo Companion to the Bible: Paul's Epistles

BiblePlaces has just released its Paul's Epistles volume in the fantastic Photo Companion to the Bible series. As a teacher and preacher, I regularly use the materials in this series. This collection covers all thirteen of Paul's letters and includes by my count over 8,000 photos in a helpful and user-friendly PowerPoint format. The presentations also include helpful descriptions that make these volumes more like pictorial encyclopedias.

And even better, this collection of all thirteen epistles is on sale today for $129, using the coupon code EPISTLES. This is like buying two of the individual volumes and getting the other eleven for free!  Upgrade pricing is available for those who previously purchased Romans and/or 1-2 Corinthians (email us for the upgrade option). Purchase the set today as a DVD+download or as download-only. Check it out.

Top 1–2 Chronicles Commentaries

Bill Schniedewind lists and annotates his top six 1–2 Chronicles commentaries on Nijay Gupta's blog here.It is a good listing but I would try and sneak in Eugene Merrill's Kregel volume in. 

The Purpose of Illustrations

In preparation for a class on preaching that I am teaching, I came across this helpful discussion of the purposes of sermon illustrations although, I think some of the points could be combined.

1. Inform and instruct
2. Explain and clarify
3. Can help the preacher connect and identify and identify with his people
4. An aid to memorization and recall
5. Helps to capture and retain attention
6. Motivate, persuade, and convince
7. Allow for mental relaxation
8. Help people see the immediate relevance of the biblical text for their lives
9. Personalize and particularize the general/universal truths revealed in the Bible
10. Make biblical truth believable
11. Create interest
12. Explain biblical doctrine and personal duty in an understandable and compelling way.

Daniel Akin, Bill Curtis, and Stephen Rummage, Engaging Exposition (Nashville B&H Academic, 2011), 199-200 (with some modification).

The ASOR Map Collection

I'm not sure how long ASOR (American Society of Overseas Research) has had these maps available but it looks like a handy resource.

What Did You Leave Out?

Michael Kruger has a good post here emphasizing the importance of asking and answering the question, “What did you leave out?” I think he is exactly right and exactly write. I still find it painful to excise content that I have garnered through my studious blood, sweat, and tears because it doesn't fit a particular message for a particular audience. 

One way that I ease my pain is to create two versions of my sermon. One document contains everything including the kitchen sink and another file has the message that I will actually preach. By doing this, I don't feel that I am throwing anything away although in actual practice I have rarely revisited and used this information. 

On a related note, I often do a post-preaching analysis where I often note more of what could have been left out rather than what I should have included. These notes are helpful if/when I ever preach the message again.

Four Basic Types of Textual Meaning

David Allen talk about it here.

Psalm 56

I have been working on a commentary on the Psalms. I have decided to compile some helpful links that I discovered during my research. It includes a mix of exegetical and sermonic links. Here is what I have for Psalm 56 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.

Into the Word with Paul Carter: https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/into-the-word/psalms-56-57

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps056.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_056.pdf

Psalm 56 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/69

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

Patricia D. Ahearne-Kroll, Aseneth of Egypt: The Composition of a Jewish Narrative
Reviewed by Maria Brutti

Jennifer Barry, Bishops in Flight: Exile and Displacement in Late Antiquity
Reviewed by Ritva H. Williams

Martin Brons, Augustins Trinitätslehre praktisch: Katechese, Liturgie, Predigt: Ritual und Unterweisungauf dem Weg der Taufe
Reviewed by Alexander H. Pierce

M. Daniel Carroll R., The Book of Amos
Reviewed by Jason Radine

Philip Michael Forness, Preaching Christology in the Roman Near East: A Study of Jacob of Serugh
Reviewed by Anuj M. Amin

Robert P. Gordon, trans.; George A. Kiraz and Joseph Bali, eds., The Syriac Peshitta Bible with English Translation: Chronicles
Reviewed by Robert J. Owens

Judith Herrin, Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe
Reviewed by Lee M. Jefferson

Hilary Lipka and Bruce Wells, eds., Sexuality and Law in the Torah
Reviewed by Ilan Peled

Daniel DeForest London, Theodicy and Spirituality in the Fourth Gospel: A Girardian Perspective
Reviewed by Russell Morton

Blossom Stefaniw, Christian Reading: Language, Ethics, and the Order of Things
Reviewed by H. Gregory Snyder