Acts 15 and Disagreements

Ian Paul has a good post on Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council here. One point of disagreement is with Paul's assertion that there is a "strong consensus" that the prohibitions are sourced in Acts 17–18. While Acts 17–18 is a very popular view, there is some prominent push back (e.g., C. K. Barrett, Bock, Keener, Peterson, Witherington). For those interested, I have written a few things that are accesible on my Academia page.

A Word on Commentaries

Brian Tabb has some helpful reflections on the use of commentaries here.

Themelios 48:1

You can access the latest issue of Themelios for free in three different formats: (1) PDF, (2) web version, and (3) Logos Bible Software (coming soon).

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.

Paul K.-K. Cho, Willingness to Die and the Gift of Life: Suicide and Martyrdom in the Hebrew Bible (Eerdmans)
Paul Middleton

Wally V. Cirafesi, John within Judaism: Religion, Ethnicity, and the Shaping of Jesus-Oriented Jewishness in the Fourth Gospel (Brill)
John Van Maaren

C. L. Crouch, Israel and Judah Redefined: Migration, Trauma, and Empire in the Sixth Century BCE (Cambridge University Press)
Yigal Levin

David L. Eastman, Early North African Christianity: Turning Points in the Development of the Church (Baker Academic)
Alden Bass

John Paul-Harper, Paul and Philo on the Politics of the Land, Jerusalem, and Temple (Mohr Siebeck)
William Horst

Ulrich Köpf, Mönchtum als Lebensform: Gesammelte Aufsätze (Mohr Siebeck)
Albrecht Diem

Yii-Jan Lin, The Erotic Life of Manuscripts: New Testament Textual Criticism and the Biological Sciences (Oxford University Press)
Werner H. Kelber

Margaret M. Mitchell, John Chrysostom on Paul: Praises and Problem Passages (SBL Press)
Allison L. Gray

Andreas Köstenberger on Biblical Theology

I found this conversation with Andreas Köstenberger on biblical theology very interesting.

The "I" in Romans 7

The interpretation of Romans 7 is hugely debated, namely the identity of the "I." Although it is not a new article, Derek Brown offers here six reasons that Paul is writing from the perspective of a post-conversion Christian.

Jesus' Use of Spit and Mud to Heal

John Piper addresses why Jesus may have used spit and mud to heal (John 9:1-7).

Charles Stanley (1932–2023)

I am saddened to learn of Charles Stanley's passing today. He was a preacher of remarkable clarity and practicality. I did not know him personally but his radio ministry and books made a significant impact on my life.

Steve Walton on Acts 2:22-36

You can access Steve Walton's sermon on Acts 2:22-36 here. He also includes a link to his PowerPoint.

Word Study Pitfalls

I teach a course on Bible study methods and part of the course involves doing a word study. I think the assignment is helpful but as this article points out, word studies can have a number of pitfalls.

Leviticus and the Syntax of Sacrifice

Joe Rigney has a helpful piece here on how sacrificial language works in Leviticus.

The Holy Kiss

Ken Berding has a good word here on understanding the "holy kiss" (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26; cf. 1 Pet 5:18).

Why Was “Saul” Changed to “Paul”?

Steve Walton has a very nice explanation here.

Journal of Biblical Literature 142:1

Volume 142:1 of the Journal of Biblical Literature is now out. Here is a list of the articles with links to abstracts.

Introduction to the Presidential Address
Musa W. Dube

Ethics in Paul and Paul in Ethics
Adela Yarbro Collins

Making Sense of the Incense Altar: Location in Sacred Space and Text
Hananel Shapira

Where (and When) Did the Authors of Joshua 10:1–39, 11:1–15 Live?
Ya’akov Dolgopolsky-Geva

Toilets and Toilet Humor in the Story of Eglon’s Murder by Ehud (Judges 3:15–26)
Jodi Magness

Tracing Bathsheba’s Metamorphosis through the Lens of Trauma and Recovery
Brent Nessler

Darkness or Blackness? A Semantic Study of חשך (Joel 3:4)
Lourdes García Ureña

Centurions in the Jesus Movement? Rethinking Luke 7:1–10 in Light of the Gaianus Inscription at Kefar ‘Othnay
Rebecca Runesson

The Little Messiah: Jesus as τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μικρός in Luke 19:3
Isaac T. Soon

How You Learned Christ: Petrine Christological Transformation of Pauline Vocabulary
Adam Booth

Building a Theological Library

Joe Carter has some interesting suggestions here on how to build a theological library on a budget. Here are a few additional and somewhat random thoughts on the topic.

Building needs to be intentional. A good library is rarely, if ever, going to just happen. 

If you are in seminary, try to avoid the temptation to simply borrow textbooks rather than purchasing them. Professors who are generally familiar with what is out there, usually choose books that they believe are worthwhile. I know most seminarians are on a tight budget but consider textbooks as an investment.

Do not confuse building a library with actually getting to know the books in your library. Get what you need and use what you get.

Create and maintain a wish-list (e.g., Amazon wish list). Have a list ready to go when birthdays, Christmas, or just someone one who wants to do something special comes along. Populate that list with a mix of pricey and less pricey options so that even those on a more modest budget can participate.

Review books. Many publishers and some authors will give you a copy if you would be willing to review their works. It helps if you have a platform like a podcast, blog, etc. but these are not essential.

How Many Temple Cleansings?

Mitch Chase discusses it here. I happen to agree with his conclusion.

Harmonizing the Holy Week

Ian Paul has a good discussion related to how some might go about harmonizing the events of Holy Week here.

Free Webinar: Preaching the Pastoral Epistles

David Allen at Preaching Coach is offering a free webinar on preaching the Pastoral Epistles on Monday, April 17 at 7:00 PM CST. You can register here.

Free Logos Resources for April

Logos is offering two freebies this month: The New Testament Commentary Guide by Nijay Gupta and Augustine's Expositions of the Psalms 121–150. You can also purchase other resources at significant discounts and enter to win the 76-volume Lexham Press Commentary Bundle. These offers can be accessed here and here.

The Book of Jonah in Recent Research

Aron Tillema's article in the Currents in Biblical Research is available as open access here.

Preaching 1 Peter

Peter Mead offers eight reflections here.

Basic Old Testament Chronology

Mitch Chase provides here some basic dates related to the Old Testament that Bible students should know. I teach a similar version of this to my students.

Psalm 110

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

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps110.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_110.pdf

The Fathers on Psalm 110: https://pursuingveritas.com/2019/10/29/the-fathers-on-psalm-110

Danny Akin (outline, manuscript, audio): https://www.danielakin.com/the-great-king-preist-of-psalm-110

Psalm 110 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/174 

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.

Robert C. Bartlett, Aristotle’s “Art of Rhetoric” (University of Chicago Press)
Duane F. Watson

Mark D. Batluck, Vision and Voice: Revelatory Experience in the Formation of Christian Identity (Sheffield Phoenix)
John Van Maaren

J. Patout Burns Jr., Augustine’s Preached Theology: Living as the Body of Christ (Eerdmans)
Shari Boodts

Kiyoung Kim, Shaping Israelite Identity through Prayers in the Book of Chronicles: The Chronicler’s Hope for Liturgical Community (Wipf & Stock)
Yigal Levin

Isaac W. Oliver and Gabriele Boccaccini, eds., The Early Reception of Paul the Second Temple Jew: Text, Narrative and Reception History (T&T Clark)
afael Rodríguez

Katharina Pyschny and Sarah Schulz, eds., Transforming Authority: Concepts of Leadership in Prophetic and Chronistic Literature (De Gruyter)
Donald P. Moffat

Timothy J. Sandoval and Bernd U. Schipper, eds., Gerhard von Rad and the Study of Wisdom Literature (SBL Press)
Suzanna Millar

Colin Semwayo, The Concept of Divine Sovereignty in Micah: A Vision for the Fulfillment of the Abrahamic Promises (Langham Monographs)
Peter H. W. Lau