Introducing the Theology of Paul

Steve Walton has made his presentation slides introducing the theology of Paul available 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.

Daniel Barbu and Yaacov Deutsch, eds., Toledot Yeshu in Context: The Jewish “Life of Jesus” in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History (Mohr Siebeck)
Joshua Schwartz

Mark Edwards, Dimitrios Pallis, and Georgios Steiris, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Dionysius the Areopagite (Oxford University Press)
Filip Ivanovic

Yael Landman, Legal Writing, Legal Practice: The Biblical Bailment Law and Divine Justice (Brown Judaic Studies)
Dylan R. Johnson

Niels Peter Lemche, Back to Reason: Minimalism in Biblical Studies (Equinox)
Susanne Scholz

Jean L’Hour, Genèse 5–11: Commentaire (Peeters)
Jean-Daniel Macchi

Bruce W. Longenecker, ed., The New Cambridge Companion to St. Paul (Cambridge University Press)
D. Clint Burnett

Takamitsu Muraoka, Why Read the Bible in the Original Languages? (Peeters)
Diana Abernethy

Mark R. Sneed, Taming the Beast: A Reception History of Behemoth and Leviathan (De Gruyter) 

Jason Kalman

Free eBook: Jesus for Life

Wipf and Stock is offering a free eBook copy of Jesus for Life: Spiritual Readings  in John's Gospel by Richard Briggs. 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 "BRIGGS23"
4. Upon checkout completion, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions of how to download your free eBook.

The Narrator in Stories

I have been revisiting Rhoad’s and Michie’s insightful, Mark as Story. Here is one of the helpful insights from the book. 

"When the narrator is omniscient and invisible, readers tend to be unaware of the narrator’s biases, values, and conceptual view of the world. The reader tends to trust the narrator as a disinterested observer of the events of the story. But the omniscient narrator is not a disinterested observer. Rather, the narrator functions as would the director of a movie., as someone who is responsible for the presentation of the whole story. Viewers observe the scenes and characters from the director’s perspective, although they never see the director. Similarly, the narrator of a story in literature is responsible for not just the asides but for the presentation of the whole story. The narrator narrates the story with certain loaded words, in a certain order, and with various rhetorical techniques. So the narrator is always there at the reader’s elbow shaping responses to the story—even, and perhaps especially, when the reader is least aware of it."

 
David Rhoads and Donald Michie, Mark as Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1982), 39.

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.

Michaela Bauks and Saul M. Olyan, eds., Pain in Biblical Texts and Other Materials of the Ancient Mediterranean (Mohr Siebeck)
Laura M. Zucconi

William Lane Craig, In Quest of the Historical Adam (Eerdmans)
Dexter Callender

Edward Feld, The Book of Revolutions: The Battles of Priests, Prophets, and Kings That Birthed the Torah (Jewish Publication Society)
Lester L. Grabbe

Tobias Nicklas, Janet E. Spittler, and Jan N. Bremmer, eds., The Apostles Peter, Paul, John, Thomas and Philip with Their Companions in Late Antiquity (Peeters)
Jeremy Wade Barrier

Jason M. Silverman, Persian Royal-Judaean Elite Engagements in the Early Teispid and Achaemenid Empire: The King’s Acolytes (T&T Clark)
Kenneth Ristau

Jan R. Stenger, Johannes Chrysostomos und die Christianisierung der Polis: “Damit die Städte Städte werden” (Mohr Siebeck)
Chris L. de Wet

Joseph Verheyden and Tobias Nicklas, eds., Early Christian Commentators of the New Testament: Essays on Their Aims, Methods and Strategies (Peeters)
Gerald Bray

Karolien Vermeulen and Elizabeth R. Hayes, How We Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture’s Style and Meaning (Eerdmans)
Anna E. Marsh

Feast of Purim

This is a pretty nice summary of the Feast of Purim which begins this evening. I am currently posting this in Israel and have already seen some of the costumes out and about.

Greek in Sermons

Mark Ward is spot on in these cautions associated with using Greek (or Hebrew) in one's sermons.

Paul’s “Thorn in the Flesh” (2 Cor 12:7)

Check out Ken Berding summary of a book that he has written concerning Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7).

Free Logos Resources for March

Logos is offering two freebies this month: In the Presence of My Enemies: Psalms 25–37 by Dale Ralph Davis and As Though We Were Dreaming: A Commentary on the Songs of Ascents for Lent. You can also purchase other resources at significant discounts and enter to win the 46-volume Focus on the Bible commentary series. These offers can be accessed here and here.

Conference on Preaching and Teaching the New Testament Use Of The Old Testament

Readers in the Dallas-area might be interested in this conference led by Greg Beale and Ben Gladd.

Lament Psalms at the End of the Psalter

Jill Firth tries to explain why here.

Interview with Elliott Johnson

Check out this interview with Dr. Elliott Johnson at the "Bible and Theology Podcast" Use one of the links below). Dr. Johnson taught for 47 years of teaching here at Dallas Theological Seminary. He discusses the Bible, Hermeneutics, and Inerrancy, along with sharing about his life. I consider Dr. Johnson a friend and mentor.

Bible And Theology Matters Website
iTunes
YouTube
Google Podcasts
iHeart Radio
Spotify

How to Listen to Sermons

 Craig Schill has a good word here.

Matthew's Testing/Temptation Narrative

Ian Paul does a nice job of going through Matthew 4:1-11 here.

Top Online Bible Study Courses

Here is a list of someone's list of top 10 Bible study courses. Not only some listed are free. I can personally vouch for Biblical Training and the Story of the Scriptures.

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.

Christian Blumenthal, Basileia im Matthäusevangelium (Mohr Siebeck)
Marc Groenbech-Dam

Simon Butticaz, La crise galate ou l’anthropologie en question (De Gruyter)
Jeremy Wade Barrier

Isabel Cranz, Royal Illness and Kingship Ideology in the Hebrew Bible (Cambridge University Press)
Yigal Levin

David Lloyd Dusenbury, Nemesius of Emesa on Human Nature: A Cosmopolitan Anthropology from Roman Syria (Oxford University Press)
Chris L. de Wet

Jörg Frey and Enno Edzard Popkes, eds., Dualismus, Dämonologie und diabolische Figuren: Religionshistorische Beobachtungen und theologische Reflexionen (Mohr Siebeck)
Hector M. Patmore

Gideon R. Kotzé, Images and Ideas of Debated Readings in the Book of Lamentations (Mohr Siebeck)
Wilma Ann Bailey

Martin Wallraff, Jonathan Stutz, and Nicholas Marinides, eds., Gelasius of Caesarea: Ecclesiastical History; The Extant Fragments (De Gruyter)
Sean Tandy

Robert W. Yarbrough, The Letters to Timothy and Titus (Eerdmans)
Michael Scott Robertson

Journal for the Study of the New Testament 45:3

The latest articles from of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament are available now. Here is a list of the articles and links to abstracts. 

In Defence of ‘Theological’ Readings of the New Testament
Jonathan Rowlands

The Perils of Premature Judgment: Reading Matthew 21.18–22.14 with the Fig Tree
Rebecca L. Copeland

Gnats, Camels, and Matthew’s Use of Luke
Alan Garrow

Happy Reading: Textual Self-Consciousness and Human Flourishing in the Macarisms of Lk 11.28, Gos. Thom. 79.2, and Rev. 1.3
Kenneth Trax

Epicurean Critical Praxis and Philonian Metaphor in Johannine Parrhêsia
Connor Purcell Wood

Psalm 107

I am 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 107 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.

Ray Stedman, “A Song of Restoration,” Psalm 107: https://www.raystedman.org/old-testament/psalms/a-song-of-restoration

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps107.pdf

John MacArthur Sermon: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-203/giving-thanks-for-redemption

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_107.pdf

James Hamilton Sermon, “Thank the Lord for His Steadfast Love” : https://kenwoodbaptistchurch.com/sermons/thank-the-lord-for-his-steadfast-love

Psalm 107 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/171