12 Fresh Ways to Read Your Bible in 2025

I read through the Bible every year. Hopefully, you do as well. Tim Challies has some helpful suggestions on how to keep it fresh here.

Another Free Book from Logos

Logos Bible software is offering another free book, The Lord’s Song: The Basis, Function and Significance of Choral Music in Chronicles by John W. Kleinig. The offer can be accessed here and is good until December 31.

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.

A. Andrew Das, Remarriage in Early Christianity (Eerdmans)
Sylvie Chabert d’Hyères

Yitzhaq Feder, Purity and Pollution in the Hebrew Bible: From Embodied Experience to Moral Metaphor (Cambridge University Press)
Thomas Kazen

Emanuel Fiano, Three Powers in Heaven: The Emergence of Theology and the Parting of the Ways (Yale University Press)
Adele Reinhartz

Sophus Helle and Gina Konstantopoulos, eds., The Shape of Stories: Narrative Structures in Cuneiform Literature (Brill)
Amar Annus

Christopher Porter, Johannine Social Identity Formation after the Fall of the Jerusalem Temple: Negotiating Identity in Crisis (Brill)
Laurent Pinchard

The following reviews originally published in the Studia Philonica Annual have been added to RBL.

John Paul-Harper, Paul and Philo on the Politics of the Land, Jerusalem, and Temple (Mohr Siebeck)
Gregory E. Sterling

Carl R. Holladay; Jonathan M. Potter and Michael K. W. Suh, eds., Hellenistic Jewish Literature and the New Testament: Collected Essays (Mohr Siebeck)
Justin M. Rogers

Benjamin Schliesser, Jan Rüggemeier, Thomas J. Kraus, and Jörg Frey, eds., Alexandria: Hub of the Hellenistic World (Mohr Siebeck)
David T. Runia

Joan E. Taylor and David M. Hay, Philo of Alexandria On the Contemplative Life: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary (Brill)
Jutta Leonhardt-Balzer

Top 10 Theology Stories of 2024

Collin Hansen shares his here.

Five Problems with Linguistic Theory in Biblical Studies

Travis Wright talks about it 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.

Paul W. Barnett, Jerusalem to Illyricum: Earliest Christianity through the Eyes of Paul (Cascade)
Zane McGee

David Brakke, Gospel of Judas: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Yale University Press)
Johanna Brankaer

Ryan Heinsch, The Figure of Hagar in Ancient Judaism and Galatians (Mohr Siebeck)
Rafael Rodríguez

Marvin J. Heller, Essays on the Making of the Early Hebrew Book (Brill)
Joshua Schwartz

Steve Mason, Flavius Josephus: Judean War 4 (Brill)
David R. Edwards

James W. Voelz and Christopher Mitchell, Mark 8:27–16:20 (Concordia)
Elizabeth E. Shively

Florian Wilk, ed., Paul and Moses: The Exodus and Sinai Traditions in the Letters of Paul (Mohr Siebeck)
Timothy Keiderling

Richard A. Wright, A Reader in Biblical Greek (Eerdmans)
Akio Ito

Free eBook: Isaiah 1–39: A Commentary

Wipf and Stock is offering a free eBook copy of Isaiah 1–39: A Commentary by Michael E. W. Thompson. The offer is valid until December 13. 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 "THOMPSON24"
4. Upon checkout completion, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions of how to download your free eBook.

Advice on Using Commentaries

Tom Schreiner aims this advice at pastors but it should be heard by all those who use them.

Hanukkah

Leen Ritmyer has a well-illustrated discussion of Hanukkah here, especially some of the archeological aspects.

Psalm 139

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

Ray Stedman., “Who Am I, Lord,” Psalm 139: https://www.raystedman.org/old-testament/psalms/who-am-i-lord

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps139.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_139.pdf

The Fathers on Psalm 139: https://pursuingveritas.com/2019/11/26/the-fathers-on-psalm-139

Psalm 139 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/225

Daniel Akin sermon resources: https://www.danielakin.com/you-are-fearfully-and-wonderfully-made-psalm-139

H.B. Charles Jr’s article: Knowing the God Who Knows You | Psalm 139: https://hbcharlesjr.com/resource-library/articles/knowing-the-god-who-knows-you