truth on fire

2010 Reading List: The Challenge of 52 Books

2011-01-24T20:42:00.001-05:00

Have you ever set a stretch goal for yourself that you weren’t sure you would ever meet? One of my life stretch goals was reading 52 books in one year. I use to never really like reading in high school. It was boring in my opinion and not nearly as enjoyable as watching sports. For 3 years of high school I read The Red Badge of Courage just so I wouldn’t have to read another book. I didn’t like to read my textbooks, so I would just listen really well in class (usually the teachers told you the same thing anyways).

Then in college I had to read. Isn’t that what college is about. After my first few weeks of reading, I found that books have interesting things in them. In fact, I found out that I wanted to read, because I wanted to know. I decided in my freshman year to start keeping a list of the books I read every year (so I wouldn’t forget them). Then after the first year I started wondering how many books I could read in a semester. I casually would take a look at the beginning of a semester what books were assigned and how many books I thought I could read. Soon it became a quiet personal challenge: “How many books can I read this year?”

That was 10 years ago and I finally settled on the goal of 52 books in a year (one a week, mathematically). As a competitor I was able to psych myself up to read sometimes when I didn’t feel like it. I would think, “Do you want to read 52 books or not?!?”

The year 2010 proved to be the first year I met the goal. I was providentially fortunate to have a lot of things going for me:
1) A requirement at TEDS to complete a Biblical Archaeology reading list before I could sit to take the Final Comp exam (talk about motivation to read!)
2) I had two different jobs this year where I was able to read one that had lots of spare time and one that actually encouraged me to read business books on the job
3) Several book reviews I sort of had to do for various reasons

So I got off to a good start in the year and worked hard to keep on track. So I reached the goal I was never sure I could ever meet –especially since I still don’t really like reading….I just like knowing. I hope that this approach inspires others to set stretch goals and keep trying to hit them. I also hope that some of you, who don’t read will think again about reading more and challenge yourself. Here’s the 2010 list below with some short remarks. I also use * to designate highly recommended works.

Shifting Sands by Thomas W. Davis,
[a history of biblical archaeology from the early days to the hey-days of Albright/Wright to the modern day. Lots of interesting gritty details and tales of personalities]

The Archaeology of Ancient Israel Edited by Amnon Ben-Tor
[a guide to archaeology in Israel’s chronological eras (paleo, meso, neolitic, EB, MB, LB, etc.) by Israeli archaeologists. Broad and lots of pics]

Symbiosis, Symbolism, and the Power of the Past Edited by W.G. Dever and S. Gitin
[A symposium of scholars with several articles about Near Eastern archaeology, especially those by Stager, Kitchen, Bietak, Dothan, Zevit, and Smith.]

Near Eastern Archaeology: A Reader Edited by Suzanne Richard
[A good secular approach to archaeology covering the gambit of approaches and eras, great first article on geography by Beitzel]

Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? by William G. Dever
[A great Syro-Palestinian archaeologist tackling the sticky issue of Israelite origin]

*Biblical Peoples and Ethnicity by Ann E. Killebrew
[a helpful book on the material culture of Philistines, Egyptian, Canaanites, and Israelites. It also taught a lot about how to reason with the material evidence]

* Israelite Religions by Richard S. Hess
[Wow! A helpful book that will give anyone a great intro to religion in the ANE and the OT. You’ll never read the Bible the same way after reading this book.]

On the Reliability of the Old Testament by Kenneth Kitchen
[A behemoth work dealing with mounds of historical and archaeological data arguing for the reliability of the OT as the title explains. The only criticism is the arrangement as he starts with the more recent and works backward toward the patriarchal era.]

The Ancient Near East: 3000-330 B.C vol. 1 by Amélie Kuhrt
The Ancient Near East: 3000-330 B.C vol. 2 by Amélie Kuhrt
[If you ever wondered what else was happening in the ANE during the biblical era (before & after too) this is a very helpful resource.]

Windows into OT History Edited by V. Philips Long, David W. Baker & Gordon J. Wenham
[Arguments from maximalists for the historicity of biblical Israel in essay format. Don’t miss Nicolai Winther-Nielsen on fact and fiction in judges, Kitchen’s article on what to expect from the United Monarchy archaeologically, and a key work by Provan.]

I and Thou by Martin Buber
[A considering of the human religion condition from a Jewish philosopher…heavy stuff]

*Justification by N.T. Wright
[If you disagree with everything you missed it. If you agree with everything without question you missed it as well. Read it.]

The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul
[A compact yet meaty book on everything you need to know about vicarious atonement…a great intro for someone or a reminder]

Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 by William J. Hamblin
[An intriguing read on the topic. If the title is of interest to you, then you won’t be bored…excellent work on chariot warfare]

Military Practice and Polemic: Israel’s Laws in Warfare by Michael G. Hasel
[The laws of Deuteronomy and the place of Israel’s warfare in ANE context.]

War in Ancient Egypt by Anthony J. Spalinger
[Understand why Egypt was a great empire, perhaps why Israel was tempted to trust them in their latter biblical history.]

*The Divine Warrior in Early Israel by Patrick D. Miller, Jr.,
[a helpful textual look at Yahweh’s warfare in the OT. A theme you probably haven’t considered enough.]

Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
[A classic –“leadership is influence” in detail...A little dated at points and arrangement is odd]

Organic Leadership by Neil Cole
[a really different approach to church leadership. Remember “different isn’t always bad; neither is it always good.]

The Sky is falling: leaders lost in transition by Alan Roxburgh
[A somewhat unique look at leadership with a lot of societal/philosophical reflection]

The Jury by Stephen Adler
[A look at the U.S. jury system through anecdotes of real cases. It’s an ugly system sometimes. Adler throws out some criticisms but also a construct to consider.]

Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
[As the subtitle suggests, it’s a book about getting things done. A good read for ideas and inspiration. Not a how-to unless you’re an executive. Now if only we can have one written for the rest of us.]

OT Ethics for the People of God by Christopher Wright
[A really interesting read that causes the reader to consider the bulk of OT material and its meaning for the contemporary church.]

Lost & Found by Ed Stetzer
[The young unchurched are surveyed for information to help those trying to reach them. The stats are weaved together with really challenging vignettes.]

Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture by Ellen Davis
[A conversation in essay format between modern agriculturists and the OT. See my Themelios review for more or read the book for all of it. ]

Cult of the Customer by Shep Hyken
[A focus on customers for a business. See my blog post below dated 6/5/2010 for more details.]

*The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and Good Growth by Fred Reichheld
[The Net Promoter Score explained and argued for by its founder and expert.]

The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker
[A systematic gleaning of Japanese quality management. Lots to learn from this book and company]

Noelle’s Healing by Michael Huckabee (no, not that one)
[My first fiction read of the year. A Christian bioethics book with a really interesting premise, but a somewhat anticipated ending]

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hseih
[A huge book on a work culture of happiness and how to serve customers in a similar way. The story of Zappos, it’s better after the first couple of chapters, so hang in there.]

Answering the Ultimate Question by Richard Owen and Laura L. Brooks
[More information on the Net Promoter Score and its relevant application to all sorts of businesses]

First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
[Some radical ideas for managers after surveying a bunch of the best]

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
[Economics made interesting by focusing on the motivating levers of why people do all sorts of things.]

Switch by Chip & Dan Heath
[A helpful strategy about how to bring about change]

*Take the Risk by Ben Carson
[An inspiring read from a Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon, who is a believer. He gives a helpful strategy for assessing and proceeding with risk. When I say helpful I mean really useful and memorable…I actually use it.]

Drive by Daniel Pink
[Motivation for work. How to motivate and the deepest and most useful motivating techniques.]

Federal Husband by Douglas Wilson
[In a covenant marriage with a federal representative husband, there’s a lot to do.]

Good to Great by Jim Collins
[A solid book that examines some of the best performing companies over time and their similar traits. Some real gems of wisdom here.]

The Negotiator by Dee Henderson
[A fictional work about a professional negotiator that encounters romance on the job and then finds her life in danger.]

The Early Church by Henry Chadwick
[A short overview of the early church up Augustine in a readable format]

Disability in the Hebrew Bible by Saul Olyan
[An forthcoming Themelios review will give more details. This work opens your understanding to the categories of disability in the OT and how the text uses this societal construct in legal code and idol polemics.]

Bury My Heart in Conference Room B by Stan Slap
[Value based management by focusing on one’s truest values and sharing that with direct reports to get authentic buy-in. A bit too long.]

Consensus Through Conversation by Larry Dressler
[A look at the power of consensus for decision-making and how to go about it. He kept it to the right length and to the point.]

The Early History of God by Mark Smith
[The consideration of Yahwism in the context of the polytheistic ANE. A Ugaritic master relates a multitude of ancient text to the OT.]

Ugarit at Seventy-Five ed. By K. Lawson Younger
[A compendium with several interesting remarks on the ramifications of the Ras Shamra find 75 years later.]

The Virtuous Reader by Richard Briggs
[This book considers what type of reader the OT intends, which virtues will make a reader most likely to receive its message correctly. It bases its virtuous analysis on a close reading of a few sample OT texts. A very unique project.]

Pensees by Blaise Pascal
[The French philosopher/theologian thinks about many areas of life. He musings on pleasure and death are two of the most profound sections.]

The Gospel & Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
[A quick read that distills the issues in simple terms, yet quite convicting.]

Archaeology and the Bible by John Laughlin
[A really great intro to relationship of the Bible and archaeology. It is fairly balanced in its approach and gives a good explanation of methods and eras.]

Philistines and the OT by Edward Hindson
[A dated book on the Philistines, but still a good starting place for studying the ancient people. It gives a very helpful textual study.]

Fundamentalists in the City by Margaret Bendroth
[This book covers the history of the conflict and in Boston churches from 1885-1950. This religious history is told compellingly with special attention to local geography and religious history’s intersection with politics.]

John 6: Help to Readers

2010-09-02T05:55:00.003-04:00

Reading John 6 as a coherent unit can be difficult at first glance. Specifically the first and second pericopes appear almost unrelated. I found Koester’s work Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel to very helpful in piecing the relationship together. In short, the relationship is contrast between the Johanine characters of the crowd and the disciples.

In 6:1-15 Jesus feeds the 5,000 near Tiberius, Galilee. The structure is a) miracle sign, the b) response of the sign observers, and c) Jesus’ response. After the crowd (oxlos) is fed, their response in v. 14 identifies Jesus as the Prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18. This prophetic, messianic connection seems well-founded as even the later document 2 Baruch conveys the sentiment. “The Anointed One will begin to be revealed…and those who are hungry will enjoy themselves and they will moreover see marvels everyday…and it will happen at that time that the treasury of manna will come down again from on high and they will eat of it in those years because these are they who will have arrived at the consummation of time.” (v. 3, 6, 8).

Jesus’ response to the crowd is to withdraw (which is better contextually and has better textual support than the possible “fleeing”). The withdrawing puts Jesus alone. Thus in fulfillment of Jesus words in John 2:23-25, He decided based on His knowledge of humans, who to entrust Himself to.

In 6:16-24 it is clear the same day is in view from vv. 1-15. The geography is moving across the Sea of Galilee from near Tiberius to Capernaum. The sign occurs in v. 19 with Jesus walking on the water during the storm and causing fear in the disciples. Jesus now speaks a crucial statement to the flow of the gospel. In v. 20, “I am; don’t be afraid.” Although sometimes translated differently, it is clear that this statement is an echo of Ex. 3:14 and Deut 32:39. It is the divine name (egw eimi) that will be presented throughout John’s gospel with further attribution such as in 6:35 “I am the bread of life” and 7 times in the rest of the book. This statement has appeared, though even more couched in 4:25.

This statement of divinity is followed by the disciples’ response thus reversing parts B & C of the previous pericope. The disciples allow Jesus to come into the boat or more dramatically dripping with Johnanine entendre they “received” (lambanw) Jesus.

Thus, John the evangelist arranges these two scenes to show a fundamental difference between the crowd of Galilee and the disciples. The crowd came for signs, thought they might actively make Jesus king, Jesus withdrew alone from them. The disciples heard the words of Jesus, received Jesus, and Jesus went with them to Capernaum (immediately apparently). John is signaling to his late first century readers the need to move from self-identifying with the seekers and the crowd (Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the Royal Official, and the lame man). For the rest of the gospel, John writes to clue his readers into self-identifying with the disciple community (though now forming the next generation after the apostles). These disciples are “the ones the Father has given” and “know his voice.” It is to these special individuals that Jesus will meet with in an Upper Room to pass on His mission. Thus, for readers today of the gospel of John, we must see that believe the words of Jesus identifying Him as God and Messiah. Then receive Him in order to be a true disciple.

Review of The Cult of the Customer

2010-06-05T20:36:00.004-04:00

$21.95 pp.256

The Cult of the Customer by Shep Hyken is an enjoyable work from a gifted loyalty relationship consultant. Its basic concept is to create a cult centered on the customer. The book is divided into 5 sections tied together with a vignette about a fictitious owner, who learns the lesson of the book that he needs to build a customer-centric business.

The first section of the book argues for the need to create a cult centered on the customer in one’s business. The message here need not be missed although it certainly is not unique. A key advantage of the book’s presentation is its emphasis on three forces that can work toward a cult of the customer. He explains the force of one, the force within, or the force of many. This allows the book to speak to the lonely representative trying to work in an operations-driven culture while delivering customer-centric service. It allows a force of subversives to work for customers’ benefits as well. Finally, the force of many asks decision-makers of organization if they will take the steps necessary to create a cult for the customer.

Hyken outlines the process as a five stage process: the cult of uncertainty, alignment, experience, ownership, and finally amazement. The stages work on a spectrum of consistency of exceptional customer experiences. Hyken also puts a high emphasis on treating employees in manner one wants customers to be treated. In essence employee experience enhances customer experience.

Part two of the book walks through each stage of the process toward amazement as a chapter length treatment. Uncertainty is marked by inconsistency in service, confusion, lacking communication, and employees without motivation. The Alignment stage includes a company mantra for the service they wish to provide, but the service is seeking improvement. The cult of experience means that a customer has had a positive experience, and wants to try again to see if it’s repeated. Ownership is marked by strong employee engagement and fixed processes to review and improve positive customer experiences. Recovery begins to be an intentional behavior. Finally, in the cult of Amazement customers become “evangelists” for the company sharing the positive experience with others. Employees do the same for the company and this behavior is a differentiating feature for your business. Throughout part two Hyken includes inspiring stories from real business with tangible ideas that could be transferred to various industries.

Part three marks a journey toward amazing: it looks a certain way on the inside and the outside. The inside change needed for the cult of amazement requires an emphasis on employee concerns such. The change requires fixing little things, problem solving, looking for opportunities, creating a proactive culture, and adding moments of WOW. Hyken puts a high emphasis externally on creating a story to describe the struggle for exceptional service (e.g. Branson and Virgin as the ‘David v. Goliath battle’).In order to create an “Amazement Revolution” he directs his readers to identify touch points and impact points. Touch points are transparent interactions with customers, and impact points are those behind-the-scenes moments that affect unbeknownst customers. Moments of Magic® should be the objective of employees and the reversal of Moments of Misery®.

Part four adds explanation and living illustrations for the five areas that need to happen to achieve the amazement revolution. Finally part five includes several handouts to be used with the link of www.cultofthecustomer.com which provides electronic copies of the handouts.
The only critique I can offer is a need for some clarity surrounding the ideas of cult of the customer and the cult of amazement. It seems they are almost synonymous, but at times the five stages (at times also referred to as “cults”) can muddle the spectrum. A close reading remedies this, but it could be improved.

The strengths of the book are manifold, but I will highlight three. First, Cult of the Customer (CoC) paints a clear picture of process for customer experience. It provides a roadmap on how to improve service and make it consistent. Secondly, CoC is chucked full of real-life examples drawn from customer online reviews, newspapers, and Shep’s personal experience. I think these put shoes on the concept allowing the reader to take a walk in them and see about how they will go with their outfit. Finally, CoC provides a resource for generating innovations and best-practices to be shared throughout on an organization on route to the cult of amazing customer experiences.

The God Who Hears and Sees: Genesis 15-16

2010-04-15T13:46:00.006-04:00

I was challenged today in reading Genesis 15-16 in how God is described. In the culturally unusual events of these chapters, the modern reader can easily be distracted from the important meaning of these chapters by the author. Abram’s continued trust of YHWH, who called him, comes to the matter of progeny. The promise of a son is given and Abram believes (15:6) YHWH and it’s counted as righteousness. A covenant ceremony occurs and YHWH makes clear that the covenant will be kept unilaterally despite the coming bondage of Abram’s descendants. The promise of a great land is given.

Chapter 16, though culturally strange, sounds like how most Christians (including myself) respond to God. The moment God is done speaking in narrative time, Sarai and Abram take matters into their own hands in following conventional wisdom of how to conceive an heir. Sarai gives her servant Hagar to Abram to sire an heir. This transaction in ANE culture is not adultery, but the surrogate use of a servant on behalf of the maiden of the house. Though conventional for the time, it of course created awkwardness and tension and eventually jealousy and mistreatment.

Two amazing descriptions of God come nestled in this awkward story: One is a self-disclosure of God in His own direct speech to reveal Himself, the other comes from human speech in response to God’s disclosure of acting in history’s space and time. The son to come from Hagar will be named Ishmael, which is a verb-subject name explaining that “God (El) Hears.” The Lord explains the reason for this name as the fact that the Lord hear of your misery. The Lord continues telling what Ishmael’s life will be like.

Hagar’s response also reveals God’s character. She calls YHWH, “the God who sees me.” The seeing is not passive or incidental, but active and intentional. YHWH sees and acts on behalf of this troubled woman .

Two implications rise out of this passage, one for personal application and the second for theological importance. 1) First, the Lord hears of our miseries and He sees us. This can be an encouragement not only about who God is but about our difficult circumstances. YHWH is a God with a heart of pity toward those hurting and those seemingly alone. There is a special relation to God’s character and the most pitiful and miserable of circumstances that people find themselves in. It is those circumstances that His seeing takes action. In the course of human history of space and time He inserts Himself in order to aid the miserable, personally (He saw “me” Hagar in the passage). God also hears me in my miseries and He responds in seeing me in response. How interesting that the flow is from hearing to seeing! The self-awareness of one’s own needs often present the opportunity for God’s interruptive action into our lives. Without the acknowledgment of our misery, we might overlook the all-seeing response of God. This is the comfort of a near and knowable God.

2) Secondly, God, though near and knowable in His description in this chapter is often painted as vastly transcendent and utterly Other. These paradoxes of immanence/transcendence, knowable/unknowable, and Another/Other can create barriers in our theological formulations about God. In Chapter 16 we learn something about the methodology of Theology Proper (the study of God) in the realm of theology. God’s self-disclosure is always independent and according to sovereign choice, yet His disclosure comes both in direct, divine speech and in human language. God accommodates the explanation of His nature in anthropomorphic terms such as hearing and seeing. These allow us a metaphorical segue to God’s attributes in care/love for the hurting. God appears to have emotion and can be touched with human emotions and plights. God is alive & active in that He responds to the pain that He sees. God is a loving God, One who brings hope to the hopeless. His actions in history seem to be discernible by humans even without their recording in literary form. In other words, Hagar recognized God’s response –she didn’t need to wait to read about it in Genesis. Likewise, the actions of God in accordance with His disclosed character can be discerned in our own lives, perhaps not unquestionably but often unmistakably. These actions of God consistent with God’s self-disclosure in Scripture can be a means of understanding experientially what God is like in His attributes of immanence, knowability, and Anotherness with us.

What I'm Working On: Ugaritic KTU 2.12

2010-03-04T13:13:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted in a while. I've been working hard on finishing my M.A. this semester. I completed a reading list of 15 books on Near Eastern and Biblical Archaeology, history, and religion in preparation for my final comp on March 19th. I also am working on all things Ugaritic for the language portion of my exam. Here is the quickest explanation of what it is.

Since I'm investing sooo much time in Ugaritic right now, I thought I'd put a text out there for everyone to enjoy!

KTU 2.12 RS 9.479A
(sorry, no way to distinguish t,h,& dotted letters. #s signifies the Shophel)

l. mlkt
'adty
rgm
thm. tlmyn
'bdk
_______________

l. p'n
'adty
#sbty
w.#sb''id
mrhqtm
qlt
'm.'adty
mnm.#slm
rgm.tttb
l.'bdh

My translation (pretty wooden):

To the Queen
My Lady
Speak:
"The Message of TLMYN
your servant.
To the feet
of my Lady
seven times
and seven more
from a distance
I fall.
With my Lady
whatever is well,
may she send word
to her servant."

So there you go a letter written to the Queen at Ugarit (assumedly). This dates some time during the Late Bronze age 1200-1000 BC.

What I Read in 2009

2010-01-04T20:23:00.004-05:00

2009…well, I’ve read 39 books, which was 1 more than last year. I’m still hoping for 52 in a year…maybe 2010. My reading this year though mostly school directed did weave in a few other books. This list probably has an emphasis mostly on Ancient Near Eastern studies (ANE) and the soul/body problem. I hope that this list might provide you with at least one book that you should pick up and read.

Note the * marks highly recommended books. I don’t use this mark a lot. Some books are good for what they intend to do, but I use the * when I feel the book is exceptional and worth reading even if you’re not expressly looking to gain the intention of the book.

The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever-helpful for the nuts and bolts of doing church. Dever, a historian by training, and pastor in calling gives a practical guide to the issues church polity.

The Bible Unearthed by Finkelstein and Silberman
The New chronology introduced by Finkelstein is explained at a popular level in this book. The team challenges the understanding of much of biblical history attacking even the period of the United Monarchy.

In Search of the Soul edited by Joel Green and Stuart Palmer
This is a 4 views book that wrestles with the relationship of the soul and the body. I’m not sure if you’ll get all your questions answered here, but you’ll be sure to get a new set of complicated questions.

Africa and the Bible by Yamauchi
-A thorough historical treatment of the relationship of the continent of Africa and the Bible.

Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting by John W. Cooper
-A biblical theology of sorts dealing with the body/soul problem wrestling with passages and lexical terms

Embryo by George and Tollefsen
-Secular arguments for the sanctity of the embryo, not too difficult to follow showing logical reasons for the protection of embryo in practice and policy.

Israel in Egypt by Hoffmeier *
-An exceptional treatment of the question of the Israelites presence in Egypt. Hoffmeier, a trained Egyptologist shows remarkable evidence both textually and archaeologically for Israel’s presence in Egypt and its subsequent Exodus.

Marks of His Wounds by Felker-Jones *
-A Feministic understanding of embodiment in conversation with Augustine and Calvin.

From Human to Post Human by Waters
-A cumbersome read, requiring extensive knowledge of philosophy and post-humanism

Rethinking Human Nature by Corcoran
-a short read explaining Kevin Corcoran’s Constitution View of Christian Materialism in addressing the body/soul problem.

Theology and Down Syndrome by Yong *
-a very unique read, but truly mind-opening to the issue of biblically and lovingly caring for the “disabled” with a focus upon Yong’s personal robust theology of down syndrome.

The Way of Life by Gary Badcock
-a helpful book on the issue of vocation placing it in theological context with major theologians of the past.

The Ark Narrative by Antony F. Campbell
-one of the first treatments of the Ark Narrative of 1 & 2 Samuel in English. Campbell is great OT scholar and especially good in the books of Samuel.

The Hand of the Lord by Patrick Miller and J.J.M. Roberts
-a joint dissertation on the Ark Narratives of 1 & 2 Samuel, exegetical in nature, detailed in approach.

Linguistic Analysis of Biblical Hebrew by Sue Groom
This work places biblical Hebrew in the broader context of linguistics at an introductory level, so that students can graspit.

A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax by Arnold and Choi
-a little bit more readable than Waltke and O’Connor. This is able to be read through and then serves as a helpful reference.

Work in the Spirit: Towards a Theology of Work by Volf *
-Volf’s careful interweaving of theology, work, and the Christian. This should be essential reading for thinking Christians, who hold down a job.

A biblical history of Israel by Provan, Long, Longman
As the title suggests, this group limits their construction of Israel’s history to the biblical record. Following this model their treatment of the era of the Divided Monarchy could be improved.

A History of Ancient Israel and Judah by Miller and Hayes
A conservative approach to Israel’s history; however, more weight is given to archaeological evidence though the text is not forgotten. A very helpful work for the Christian student, who is familiar with the text but less familiar with archaeology and ANE history.

The End of Laissez Faire by John Maynard Keynes
-the late economist argues for his view of how American economics should influence foreign policy.

The Starbucks Experience by Joseph Michelli
-A good eye-full of what has made Starbucks successful and how this can be transferable to other businesses. As a place I love to visit, this book helped materialize my understanding of why the concept of a 3rd place is important for culture. I just would like it to be the church instead.

Oxford History of Ancient Egypt
-a historical intro. to the periods of ancient Egypt. Helpful, a bit dry at points, uneven in the specificity and readability of each chapter.

Revolution by George Barna
-Barna’s detailing of the “revolutionary” Christians, who are doing the Christian life often outside of the context of the church. It explains why they do it, how they do it, and what will happen if churches don’t get with the program. What it lacked in biblical treatment and sympathy for the apostolic model, it made up for in over-stated idealistic triumphalism for the so-called “revolutionary” Christians.

The Immigration Crisis by Hoffmeier
-the hot button issue of immigration is dealt with by an actual immigrant, who happens to be well-trained in OT and Ancient Near Eastern Studies. This allows him to clearly explain, who the strangers and aliens are in the OT Scriptures, and what bearing this information has on the church’s action toward immigrants and the socio-political consciences of Christians.

Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson
-the pop-christian-talking head gives his 2 cents on the topic. I’m sure he’s a great Dad, but this book isn’t well founded. It is basically the ramblings of a Dad shooting off on what next comes to mind. Don’t buy the book, just give your own Dad a call (or another Christian father you respect).

Life in Biblical Israel by King and Stager
-a very helpful guide to everything you wanted to know about life in biblical Israel. Archaeological data is incorporated throughout along with the biblical text to illuminate passages and giving a panorama view of what living like an Israelite was like.

Sticky Church by Larry Osborne
-this west coast pastor gives his view of small groups that has been effective for his large ministry. He sees small groups as addressing the problem of the backdoor by providing a means of connectedness. This is a sensitive and practical guide that ought to be considered by those utilizing sermon-based small groups.

Ragamuffin Gospel by Manning
-a celebration of grace through the creative word-smith of Brennan Manning. His extensive references to literature and real life provide ample glimpses of how amazing grace is. If you haven’t reveled in God’s grace lately, you need to read this one.

The Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoffer *
-a classic on the costly life of following Jesus. No cheap grace here. It was costly. If you follow Jesus you are being ask to follow and die to yourself.

The Testament by John Grisham
-one of his best as this work abuts the selfless life a missionary with the selfish and depraved lives of the rich and those who are lovers of money. Indeed the maxim he who dies with the most toys still dies is the moral, but seen through the eyes of the protagonist you see the struggle to learn it.

Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper
-I read it for my wife. It is helpful though in pondering how to live the Christian life in the context of the family. How do I communicate in traditions how much I love Jesus and why certain things are special. A good starting point for the conversation with your family.

The City of Ugarit by Yon
-an archaeological guide to the finds at Ras Shamra. The Bronze Age marvel provides tons of information on Canaanite life during and prior to the Israelite conquest.

Untold Stories by Mark S. Smith
-a survey of the study of Ugaritic emphasizing scholars, works, and schools. This gives one a doorway into the field of Ugaritics.

War Against the Idols by Eire
-a keen historian dealing with the Reformational issue of iconoclasm. He argues on the basis of historical evidence iconoclasm was a political arm of the religious movement.

The Republic by Plato
-classic philosophy that I hadn’t read ‘til this year. Helpful categories and important for political foundations.

Calvin: Origins and Developments of His Religious thought by Wendel
-a short biography begins the work and then an introduction to Calvin’s theology (though be on the look out for Wendel’s Neo Orthodoxy to show).

Creative Community by Andy Stanley
-a case for community groups from a successful programming master. Some tips on what works and some good suggestions on how to lead.

Ugaritic Narrative Poetry ed. By Simon Parker
-A SBL compilation that includes many significant translations of Ugaritic texts including the Kirta Epic, Ahqat, and the Ba’al Cycle.

A Primer on Ugaritic by Schniewind and Hunt
-A grammar for the student of Ugaritic that teaches through the genre corpuses: letters, administrative texts, legal texts, epic, and poetry.

A Brief History of Biblical Archaeology

2009-09-22T21:40:00.002-04:00

The very title of the discipline evokes a response from those hearing it. To the ears of conservative believers it combines thoughts of Indiana Jones and their beloved Bible. Hopes give rise to imagination that either the Ark of the Covenant or the Ark of Noah may be uncovered. It makes sense that most Christians believe biblical archaeology to be concerned with these pursuits, because it is not too uncommon for adventures and authors to peddle such ideas. As we explore what it means to do biblical archaeology, we mustn’t forget this initial feeling of excitement and curiosity that is elicited from the title of the discipline.

Equally as strong is the response from critics, who take offense at the idea of calling the discipline after a sacred, religious book. This does seem at times out-of-place for there is not Quranic archaeology or so-called Mormon archaeology. Thus, what right do scores of professionals have to run around Israel, Jordan, and Syria aligning their work with the Bible. It might stem back in part to the work of a German scholar, who began excavations in Greece in the 1860s. Heinrich Schliemann loved Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and set out to understand the world of their time. While certainly Homeric archaeology might seem a bit of stretch, it gave credence to the study of another literary work –the Bible.

Biblical archaeology was born. It was practiced even prior to Schliemann’s quest by American scholar Edward Robinson. He traveled through Egypt, Sinai, and Palestine with a missionary to Beirut in 1837. His objective was to identify various sites of the Old and New Testament. He published his findings in 1841 entitling the three volume work Biblical Research in Palestine. This well-read source gave rise to the Palestine Exploration Fund in Britain established in 1865.

A war veteran Captain Charles Warren was commissioned in mapping important sites especially Jerusalem. Warren is most famous for the shaft dug bearing his name leading to Hezekiah’s Tunnel in the City of David. Charles Clermont-Ganneau was also an early explorer with the PEF. He rescued the Mesha (Moabite) Stela and studied the Siloam Tunnel Inscription. William Matthew Flinders Petrie worked towards the close of the 19th century applying engineering and surveying techniques to the budding field of archaeology. Petrie introduced the concept of stratigraphy to Biblical archaeology with his work at Tell el-Hesi in 1890.

At the start of the 20th century R.A.S. Macalister dug at Tell es-Safi (Gath) and German expeditions began at Taanach, Jericho, and Megiddo. The United States entered the field officially in 1900 with the formation of the American Schools of Oriental Research. George Reisner of Harvard began work in Samaria in 1909. Then World War I came shortly thereafter. While excavations were mostly on hold during this “War to end all Wars,” a beneficial outcome of the war opened the way to the Golden Age of Biblical Archaeology.

Palestine and much of the Levant was under Ottoman (or Turkish) control prior to World War I. After the defeat of Germany and likewise its Ottomon ally Britain took control of Palestine entitling their occupation “a British Mandate.” This allowed easier access to areas of the region now under British control.

This gave rise to the giant of the field of biblical archaeology William Foxwell Albright. Albright from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland brought a focus on pottery and an unflinching commitment to the Biblical text to uncover history in the sands of Israel. Albright saw the Bible as the main historical record of what happened in Israel. He believed that the message and stories of the Bible could be trusted unless overwhelming evidence came out to the contrary. He came to the Bible to discover clues about what he was examining in the field. He believed the text could communicate much about the social and cultural background of the ancient Israelites.

Albright was massively influential training hundreds of students in field archaeology and influencing biblical studies and the study of near eastern languages. He also was an imposing figure as a professor of subsequent generations of archaeologists. His books and his opinions often rang as gospel declarations to those looking for answers. This grand stature brought him enemies during his life and critics after his death. The reasons of enemies often came from personal disagreements with him during his life. Those criticizing him after attacked his method now that he was no longer there to defend himself nor fail them in their courses of study.

The criticism arises from contention that the Bible had too central a place in the theories and methods of William Albright. He is criticized for allowing his desire to read the Bible as historically accurate cloud his better judgment of the “facts” in the field. Albright serves not only as a historical intersection for the field of biblical archaeology, but also a methodological intersection.

Almost all those coming after Albright distinguish themselves as in the line with Albright or clearly separate from him. Those that have recognized continuity with Albright still accept the term biblical archaeology, but those seeking distance from him have preferred alternatives. Thus, the field faces the dilemma of a name. Some stick merely to Near Eastern Archaeology distinguishing itself from the Far East, yet this is a far reaching area. Others prefer a specific geographic designation such a William Dever, who prefers Syro-Palestinian archaeology.

Calvin on the Riches Found in Christ

2009-08-15T20:16:00.001-04:00

“We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ. We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of them from anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is ‘of him.’ If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects that he might learn to feel our pain. If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross; if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in is tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.”

John Calvin. Book II, Chapter XVI, 18.

Digging @ Ashkelon: Post 3

2009-07-08T07:36:00.001-04:00

The last couple days were rough (yes my birthday too). I started on Monday by digging out a foundation trench. A foundation trench is dug for a wall. Then large stones would be placed in the bottom of the trench. Then the wall would be placed in that trench and built up. Lastly, the wall would be anchored with material on the side of it above ground. This was a straightforward job and fairly enjoyable.

Then I moved on to another room in the Iron I Philistine house. My job was to clean a wall and try to find an entry door. I spent the rest of Monday and all day on Tuesday picking, patiching, and sweeping this wall. It had some winter rain rot on it. I scraped it, and I brushed it some more. All in all I spent some 10 hours on this wall. I did find the entry way, which was piled up with mud bricks in a semi-regular construction (including some vertical bricks on the end). There was also a variation of bricks with later sun-dried or perhaps baked bricks.

All this led up to today (Wednesday), which was probably my second favorite day of archaeology yet. Today we fine grided the floor the room I’ve been working in. This means that we put down meter by meter twine to mark out squares on the floor. Then I worked with two other excavators to patiche a few centimeters of the floor of the room so that it can be “floated.” The process of floating involves taking samples (usually of floor) carefully demarcating their exact location. The sample when filled in a bucket with water has the biological remnants rise to the surface. This often can reveal the eating habits or materials used inside the Philistine home that end up on the floor (just like in our kitchens today!).

This room may in fact be a kitchen as we also uncovered a hearth and perhaps a baking tray. I personally found a spindle made of bone. This would seem to confirm this room as occupied by women (see Stager and King Life in Biblical Israel p. 152). We also worked at finding the next level of sub-floor trying to be careful of heading to the next occupation which would have been Late Bronze Egyptian occupation. This important work on the floor also involved 1:1 sifting as I mentioned in Digging @ Ashkelon: Post 2.

An Ashkelon Biblical Tidbit:

Perhaps the most famous Ashkelon biblical reference is in Judges 14. Samson was down in Timnah and saw a Philistine woman that he wanted to marry. On his way he killed a lion and didn’t tell his parents. A few days he walked by the carcass and a swarm of bees had made a hive there with honey. Samson gives some companions for his wedding of the Philistine woman a riddle to figure out. "Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet."

The men couldn’t figure it out so they pressed Samson’s wife to find out. She nagged him and Samson told her. She told the men, who then gave the answer to Samson to avoid the cost of the bet for not arriving at the answer (30 pieces of linen and 30 changes of clothes). Samson is angry with the men, knowing how they got the answer. He makes a crass sexual comment of them plowing with his heifer. To repay the bet Samson goes to the nearby Philistine city of Ashkelon killed 30 men and gave their garments to the men. Samson didn’t get to keep his wife after this Ashkelon incident as she was given to his companion, perhaps his best man. A Philistine city was used to repay the Philistine trickery.

Digging @ Ashkelon: Post 2

2009-07-04T05:16:00.002-04:00

Sifting is a process of great importance to the archaeological endeavor. After removing dirt and placing it in a floppy pail (called a goofa), excavators must sift through the dirt to see if there are any remains that may have been missed. Excavators are always placing pottery sherds and bones into buckets designated for the area where they are working. Beyond this there is a ratio of sifting corresponding to the importance of the area where they are working. For example in general fill material the sifting ratio may be 5:1 or 7:1. This would mean that of five buckets of material collected only one would need sifting. In more important areas the sifting may be more focused such as 3:1 or as I was doing on Thursday 1:1! The 1:1 sift is time consuming as one can imagine how quickly a bucket can be filled with dirt. Then after it is filled it must be sifted.

The sifting process is the dumping of a bucket into a sift (a hanging box with wire to allow small material to pass through, leaving only larger chunks to be observed). At the grid I am working in (Grid 38) we have two sifts that hang from a tree and are almost constantly in use. After shaking the sift to reveal the larger chunks that remain, I look through sherds of pottery and bone fragments to be taken back to my areas processing bucket.

Additionally, we also do fine sifting in cases where especially small material culture may be expected. On Thursday I was working in a peculiar room that as of yet is fully identified. We have found hundreds of tiny, multi-color beads in this particular room. I have the privilege of finding a handful of beads on Thursday that would have been strung on a necklace of some sort. The process of finding them involved this fine sifting that does demand a large portion of time. The rich benefit of the time is a step closing in understanding the function of the room in the daily life of the Philistines, who occupied this place.It is overwhelming at points to be looking at walls and floors and touching beads and other objects that a Philistine used back in 1100-1200 BCE.

An Ashkelon Biblical Tidbit:
Check out Joshua 1:1-3 and Judges 1:18-19. These verses first look to be in contradiction, but when read carefully it is interesting to see the perspectival differences of each. Judges seems to show a contradiction with Joshua in verse 18, but verse 19 explains the plains (where Ashkelon is) could not be captured due to a superior cultural/military ability of the Philistines.

Digging @ Ashkelon: Post 1

2009-06-30T08:44:00.003-04:00

My time in Ashkelon has been going well. I am currently digging in Grid 38 of the Tel dealing with Iron 1A material. I am learning a ton about judging soil and tracing floors in the Philistine home we are working in. I’ve learned much about Philistine architecture during my time so far as well as general archaeological technique.

The primary tools for archaeology are a trowel, a pick, a piteesh, and a turia, as well as a brush and dust pan. The team I am working with is incredibly knowledgeable with students from Harvard, Wheaton, Penn State, UW Madison, UC Berkley, and Princeton. I am humbled with the intelligence and diligence with which the team works. They have patiently explained and reexplained techniques to me.

I’ve been working on two primary activities so far. First, I worked to locate the floor of the home we are working in for the phase 20 occupation. This is one of the earliest of the Philistine occupation of Ashkelon. Remember, the Philistines were part of the Sea People invasion throughout the Levantine coast and into Egypt. Their presence is attested in the Medinet Habu relief. There are wearing feathered headdresses and are using Bronze and Iron weaponry. The Philistines are believed to have originated from Greek Peninsulas. Egypt repelled the Sea People invasion and allowed the Philistines to settle along the Levantine coast. There they thrived in the rich coastal soil and functioned as the bane to the hill dwelling Israelites. The common home we are excavating is from the time period of early occupation in 12th century BCE. My task of locating a floor was truly difficult in picking my way through several layers until the beaten, earth floor was located. It can sometimes be identified by flat laying pottery sherds (flat because they are on the floor of the level), a horizontal tree root growing, and a white residue indicating foliage. Our excavation director assisted me in locating this floor and I worked to find it from there tracing it throughout my day.

A highlight was my find of a tiny, deity amulet used to ward off evil spirits from children. This amulet piece has two holes in its ears so that it can be strung and worn as a necklace. This was the second found in this location, and I was able to display this stunning, accidental find to my team members (who helped me learn what is was) and the acclaimed Dr. Lawerence Stager. (pictured above)

My second activity has been tracing the platform of a sherd hearth. This would be used to heat food in the household. It is interesting in that it is located near a large column. The hearth was found, and I spent the day following ash remains and sherds until the corners and ends of the platform became apparent. I then worked to lower surrounding fill to the same phase 20 floor level. While I certainly cannot claim to be an expert nor the true impetus of these great finds, I can say that I am an eager student who is learning every moment from the field archaeologists around me.

Psalm 119: Functions of the Word

2009-06-19T18:14:00.000-04:00

The Word of God is described by each of these terms. While the Torah certainly dominates this psalm, it may very well envision the entire Tanakh if this is late in composition. Thus, it seems quite likely to envision all of the Old Testament. Its canonical life certainly declares all of the OT as fitting these descriptions, though it may be possible to consider the entire Christian Scriptures as related since canonically the testaments are joined. Thus, the revealed, Holy Bible is each of these things to us as Christians.

Your Law(s)
Your Ancient Laws
Your Righteous Laws
Your Law(s)
Your Statutes
Your Precepts
Your Commands
Your Decrees
Your Ways
Your Word of truth
Your Word(s)
Your Name
Your Promise(s)

If the Scriptures are each of these things then one must be reminded that diversity and unity are seen in this list. First, it is unifying how all of these are in relation to the LORD (YHWH). Secondly, the diversity is seen in the various expressions that emphasize the Word as a legislative, prescriptive entity (laws, statutes, precepts, commands, and decrees). The Word also functions as a guiding, instructive entity (ways). The Word must be understood as actual speech from the LORD (Words). It also is intricately linked with YHWH Himself, so that the Word is tied to His Name. Finally, the Word is a means of hope by the way in which YHWH has used His speech –namely Promises.

As Eugene Peterson says, “We do not come to God by guesswork: God reveals himself. These scriptural words reveal the Word that created heaven and earth; they reveal the Word that became human flesh in Jesus for our salvation. God’s word is written, handed down, and translated for us so that we can enter the plot. We hold these Bibles in our hands and read them so that we can listen and respond to these creating and saving words and get in, firsthand, on the creating and saving.”

Eugene H. Peterson. Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006, 20.

Calvin’s Institutes on the Restraint of Sin in the Unbeliever

2009-06-09T09:46:00.000-04:00

I have been intrigued in reading through the Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin on the pervasive reach of Calvin in trickle-down effect to much my own theological training (though often unacknowledged). I also find his relevance remarkable and inspiring. In Book 2 chapter 3 Calvin speaks of God’s grace in restraining sin. He has already made a strong case for the universal depravity of humanity and the totally tainted will that cannot help but sin. Then in discussing God’s grace in the restraining of sin.

“But here it ought to occur to us that amid this corruption of nature there is some place for God’s grace; not such grace as to cleanse it, but to restrain it inwardly. For if the Lord gave loose rein to the mind of each man to run riot on his lusts, there would doubtless be no one who would not show that, in fact, every evil thing which Paul condemns [in Romans 3] all nature is most truly to be met in himself.”

“If every soul is subject to such abominations as the apostle boldly declares, we surely see what would happen if the Lord were to permit human lust to wander according to its own inclination. No mad beast would rage as unrestrainedly; no river, however swift and violent, burst so madly into flood.”

Calvin speaks of ways that unbelievers are restrained in their sin from this torrent of depravity overflowing to as bad as it can get. He explains that some are restrained by being bridled, others restrained by shame, others by fear of the law, some due to the honest way seeming more profitable, and finally others try to be better than the rest.

These descriptions of restraint explain much of the ways unbelievers perform common goodness, yet they themselves are not regenerated. It is these signs of restrains that we Christian ministers must use when explaining the gospel so that an unbeliever does not mistake some form of restraint from actual moral goodness.

John Calvin. The Institutes of Christian Religion. edited by John McNeill. Reissued. Vol. 1. Louisville, KY: WJK, 2006, 292.

A Geographic Reading of Joshua 8 and 24

2009-04-29T14:18:00.003-04:00

INTRODUCTION

The biblical account of the conquest of the Promised Land is recorded in Joshua through the significant victories of Jericho and eventually Ai. Following the eventual victory over Ai, a covenant renewal scene transpires in chapter eight. The importance of this scene cannot be missed in the flow of the book as positive outcomes are portrayed in battle scenes thereafter. Another scene transpires in chapter twenty-four which closely parallels the previous account. Attempting to understand the author’s intention in including these accounts in the general flow of the book, a specific reading will be offered. A reading that is sensitive to geographic features of the text will most help the reader arrive at the author’s intention.

The methodology presented for the geographically sensitive reading of Joshua 8 and 24 will begin with the biblical text. Considering the biblical text both within its context and by a close reading the interpreter will be aided. Secondly, the geographic setting will be considered so the reader will be able to span a gap in understanding of location. The geographic setting will also attempt to relate the biblical text to localities to assign meaning to the biblical text. Thirdly, the geographic places will be considered for historical significance following the biblical text. Next, comparative cultural space will be considered for meaning relevant to the locations of Joshua 8 and 24. Finally, the author will engage in personal application that has arisen from a geographically sensitive reading of these texts.

BIBLICAL TEXT

As the victory of Ai in the first half of chapter eight occurred over 20 miles to the south of the renewal ceremony at the end of chapter eight, it is apparent this was not just another stop along the Joshua campaign. There could have been additional battles that occurred between these two destinations that are not recorded in the biblical record.[1] Certainly the biblical record does not contain all the events of the Joshua campaign but specific events that fit the author’s purposes. Seeing Joshua as theological history means the arrangement of the renewal ceremony at the end of chapter eight may not have happened at this point chronologically but fits here theologically.[2]

The insertion of the renewal ceremony at this juncture has manifold theological significance. First, the covenant ceremony further solidifies Joshua as the new Moses. Joshua, the chosen successor of Moses, leads Israel from the Transjordan to the Promised Land on the other side. Deuteronomy 34:9 describes the succession as Moses laying his hands on Joshua, which imparted a spirit of wisdom. Joshua’s leadership is closely tied with the obedience of the people and congruence with the law of God that Moses had received. Obedience or covenant keeping would be a sign that Joshua is leading the people. It is also important that Joshua is not described just like Moses. “Joshua does not lead as Moses did according to his own personal interpretation or meditation of God’s words. Rather, Joshua leads according to the Mosaic interpretation of God’s commands and words now recorded in the book of the torah.”[3]Joshua’s leadership is confirmed by this formula in the covenant renewal account. Twice in the account Joshua leads the people in obedience as doing “just as Moses commanded.”[4] Joshua’s reference to the Mosaic record instead of his own interpretation is seen throughout the passage in the reading of the law.[5]

The second theological significance of the covenant renewal ceremony of Joshua 8 is the covenant faithfulness of God, which is an underlying theme of the whole book. This theme is emphasized in Joshua’s commission of chapter one and foiled with Achan’s sin of chapter seven. The farewells of chapter twenty-three and twenty-four cement the idea that God has fulfilled his promise of a land and the people have covenant obligations to Him. It seems highly probable from the similarities in the covenant renewal accounts of Joshua 8 and 24 that the same event may be in view. A source critical reading of Joshua 8 suggests it is a shorter version of chapter twenty four. The purpose of its insertion prior to chapter nine is to present the further conquests of chapters ten and eleven with the covenant fulfillment motif.[6] As Alter explains two accounts do not demand both occurred sequentially but that in “narrative logic” both can be included to support the purpose the author has with differing information.[7]

The differences in the accounts are somewhat obvious such as length and dialogue (or lack thereof in chapter eight). The more subtle differences are what are of concern for this paper, namely geography. In Joshua 8 the ceremony is said to have occurred with half the people on the front of Mt. Gerizim and half the people on the front of Mt. Ebal. Joshua is mentioned as building an altar atop Mt. Ebal specifically.[8] The Joshua 24 ceremony occurs in Shechem with a sanctuary constructed there. As will be highlighted below, there is not a large geographical variance in these accounts. A meaningful insertion of chapter eight without a direct intention for chronology could be seen from geographic similarities of both ceremonies. The geography may be essential to the conquest narratives though the vantage points of Joshua 8 and 24 will be needed to explain it. Thus, the biblical text may be drawing additional significance to this ceremony by a particular geographic designation than originally apparent in the short pericope of chapter eight.

GEOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW

The Manasseh region is the focus of the events of Joshua 8 and 24. Joshua 8 speaks of it setting as Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim of the Central Mountain Range.[9] Mt. Ebal is approximately 2,800 feet high whereas Mt. Gerizim is approximately 2,600 feet high. Gerizim is on the right when looking east and Ebal is on the left. [10] Speculation abounds on the location of the Israelites gathered on the foot of Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim. One author records his own trial of speaking the distance of 800 yards between the mountains with success of the audible trial.[11] This testing is meant as a validation of the location of spots on the edges of these two mountains for the Israelite gatherings. Gerizim is noticeably more bountiful or blessed than Ebal though both have “monolithic limestone.”[12] The setting of Joshua 8 can be pictured with close to equal mountains to the naked eye. The one on the right is lusher but rocks cover both as can be seen from either position.

The meeting of Joshua 24 occurs at Shechem a city between Mts. Ebal and Gerizim. It lies to the North of Mt. Gerizim and just south of Mt. Ebal.[13] The distance from Shechem to Jerusalem was approximately 40 miles.[14] Springs of water meet at this location running east to the Jordan and west to the Mediterranean Sea.[15] This important city formed a natural amphitheatre of sorts, which allowed Israel to meet to affirm the covenant. It is also important that Shechem is essentially the same location as the event of Joshua 8. The setting described between the two mountains of Joshua 8 is almost assuredly a reference to Shechem. Howard indeed agrees saying, “Joshua’s second farewell to Israel took place at Shechem, site of the earlier covenant renewal ceremony.”[16]

Reading Joshua 8 and 24 as the same event arranged in different forms possibly from different sources leads to a consideration of geographic place in the conquest stories of Joshua.[17] Joshua’s Central Campaign led over the Jordan River to defeat Jericho then two battles to defeat Ai. After this battle the text opens without explanation of route unlike it did for the movement from Jericho to Ai in 7:2. The scene of 8:30 merely shifts to 20 miles away to Mount Ebal.[18] The story picks up after the ceremony in chapter nine approximately 12 miles away from Ai back in Gilgal, where the deception of the Gibeonites occurred (9:6). The Gibeonites were only 8 miles away from the destroyed site of Ai. It is likely Gilgal was a staging area for the campaigns as mentioned in 4:19, 9:6, and 10:6.[19]

As the campaign will turn southward next in chapter ten, it seems likely that Joshua did not lead the nation northward only to return to the south. The absence of battle records leading from Ai to Mt. Ebal is a reason to believe 8:30-35 is not chronologically linked to its context, but theologically as proposed above. While the author’s selectivity is readily acknowledged, it seems odd to assume Israel fought its way north only to return to a southern headquarters. Merrill argues on the basis of the Amarna letters that the Canaanites of Shechem were tolerant of outsiders. Thus, in his view as the ‘apiru were tolerated thirty years prior, so too the Israelites would be tolerated.[20] It seems unclear from the Amarna letters that Shechem tolerated the ‘apiru instead of the ‘apiru subjecting the Canaanites of Shechem.[21] This analogy of the ‘apiru coming to Shechem does not answer the question of the Joshua 8’s absence of route designations, military exploits, and diplomatic terms. It remains clear on a geographic reading that a conflation exits between Joshua 8 and 24 explaining the covenant renewal of 8:30-35 as theological not chronological.

[1] Barry J. Beitzel. The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody Press, 1985, 95
[2] Ian Provan, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III. A Biblical History of Israel. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003, 152-153.
[3] Dennis T. Olson. Deuteronomy and the Death of Moses: A Theological Reading. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1994, 168.
[4] hv,ämo hW"÷ci rv,’a]K; occurs both in 8:31, 33, 35. Also it occurs in Joshua 11:12 and 11:15. The exact construction occurs in Exodus 16:24, Leviticus 9:21 (and a slight change in the absence of preposition K in Lev. 9:5). This formulaic expression exists even to the time of the writing of II Kings 21:8 with a different arrangement of the wording.
[5] The Mosaic Law is explicitly mentioned in 8:31, 8:32, and 8:34 and implicitly in 8:35.
[6] Robert G. Boiling and G. Ernest Wright. Joshua: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. The Anchor Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1982, 246.
[7] Robert Alter. The Art of Biblical Narrative. n.p: Basic Books, 1981, 138.
[8] Though not pertinent to the present discussion, it is highly interesting that the Samaritan Pentateuch has Gerizim as the altar’s location instead of Ebal. Assuredly, suspect motivation of the Samaritans would have influenced this reading over the MT. Gordon Mitchell. Together in the Land: A Reading of the Book of Joshua. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1993, 84.
[9] Yohanan Aharoni. The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1979, 29.
[10] Victor P. Hamilton. Handbook on the Historical Books. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2004, 46.
[11] Henry Stafford Osborn. The New Descriptive Geography of Palestine. Oxford, OH: State University, 1877, 62-63.
[12] Hamilton. Handbook on the Historical Books, 46.
[13] Osborn. Descriptive Geography of Palestine, 76.
[14] Hamilton. Handbook on the Historical Books, 79.
[15] Osborn. Descriptive Geography of Palestine, 166.
[16] David M. Howard. Joshua. New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 1998, 425.
[17] There is an issue of textual criticism involving the placement of 8:30-35 in its present location. The LXX has this section following 9:1-2 and the Qumran document 4QJosha has it prior to 5:2. This is further evidence of differing sources conveying a single event. Anthony F. Campbell. Joshua to Chronicles: An Introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2004, 46.
[18] The calculations are based on the author’s assumption of et-Tell as the site of biblical Ai. Carl G. Rasmussen. Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1989, 93.
[19] Beitzel. The Moody Atlas, 95.
[20] Merill’s view of a peaceful occupation of Shechem is also intricately linked to an early exodus chronology. This makes his argument questionable since the early date of the exodus cannot be completely defended either. Eugene H. Merrill. Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996, 113.
[21] EA 287 Abdi-Heba to Pharaoh and EA 254 Lab’aya to Pharoah both speak of the ‘apriu as forming alliances with Egyptian allies. It also speaks of the land of the king being given to the ‘apiru. EA 289 Abdi-Heba to Pharaoh is most interesting as it seems to indicate that Lab’aya and his heirs gave Shechem to the ‘apiru. This is used as a negative illustration against what should happen to Gaza. The call for reinforcements may intimate that Lab’aya did not give Shechem but was defeated. This would in turn beg the question of why Joshua would be welcomed with no explicit military force.

Psalm 73: God is Good, Even When Others Look Better

2009-04-02T12:45:00.001-04:00

In Psalm 73, the writer is troubled by the prosperity of the wicked. The psalmist knows in v. 1-2 that God is good to Israel if they follow God with a pure heart. Then notice in verse two the shift to the 1st person pronouns, the psalmist is personally unsure. As he is at a low, feeling he has almost slipped losing his foothold. The wicked seem to be doing so well though! It looks like these others are in a better condition. These wicked people are well described in vv. 4-12. In the most vivid terms he describes them in such terms as having no struggles, free from burdens, pride is their necklace, clothed with violence, mouths that lay claim of heaven, always carefree, and they increase their wealth. It is easy to despise these wicked ones and be quick to judge them in abstraction. Certainly, we may know individuals, who fit this description. How sad; they ought to be pitied and plead with to change?

But what are those who are not wicked to be like? Like the psalmist. But come on, sometimes it doesn’t seem worth it to be a God-follower! He says in v. 13 looking at the wicked it seems like it was in vain that he kept his heart pure and that he washed his hands in innocence. These activities seemed useless to him in comparison with all that was going right for the wicked.

Then he comes to the place of the sanctuary of God in v. 17. This is not the church in this original context, although if one encounters God and meets with Him there it could fit. The sanctuary for this exilic to postexilic psalm might mean the rebuilt in God’s presence by Torah or the temple in Jerusalem. Throughout the psalms a transfer is being made for the people dispossessed of their land. The Old Testament faith that worshipped in a temple is changing to a worship of God through His words alone. The book of the Law, the Torah, and Prophets, and soon developing the Writings. Here the psalmist can find a paradigm shift in his mind from envying the prosperity of the wicked. I to must come to the words of Scripture, encounter God, and see my values change.

It is this encounter with God that causes the psalmist to understand the destiny of these wicked ones. This meeting with God shifts how the psalmist was previously feeling in v.1-2. It is the wicked who are on slippery ground, waiting the sudden destruction coming upon them. The change of his outlook has changed. The psalmist contrasts his own relationship with God and knows that it is better. V.23 says he is always with God. He is guided by God’s counsel. God alone is the psalmists hope in heaven and desire upon the earth. God is his strength and his inheritance (a direct contrast with the wealth of the wicked as land was closely related to both ideals of wealth).

Then the psalmist offers a spectrum on which to find oneself in v. 27-28. He says those that are far from God will perish as they are unfaithful. Then v. 28 he acknowledges it is good to be near God. The Sovereign Lord is his refuge. Then notice in contrast to the unfaithfulness of the wicked is the telling of God’s deeds –namely his faithfulness. This does not mean that the psalmist is always faithful in contrast to the wicked, but that he is near God, whom he takes his refuge in. Thus, God is faithful so again it is good to be near Him.

Academic Initiative: A Web Resource

2009-03-10T14:12:00.002-04:00

I just stumbled across a very cool resource called Academic Initiative. It is part of facultycommons.com which is a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Their stated mission is...
"We are committed to free intellectual inquiry, knowing that all truth is God's truth, and we warmly invite professors from all Christian traditions to partner with us."

What I found most engaging is their intent to integrate academics and faith, and they seem to be doing it well. Especially worth your time is their bibliography section. It lists major disciplines for integration and then lists in bibliographic form resources that one can use to engage the field. Some of the fields they have done the work for are business, economics, education, environmentalism, medicine, philosophy, and political science. They also lists works that will help with the task of integration such as Calling or Vocation, Life of the Christian Mind, and Cultural Analysis.

Make sure you add this awesome resource to wherever you keep your links. As you engage the academic disciplines of the world to both renew and redeem, this is an excellent place to start.

Reading Habakkuk with the News

2009-03-03T10:15:00.005-05:00

The writings of this Jewish prophet have such strong relevance today -or really just about any day you wake up and turn on the news. The depressing nature of the news is often pronounced as murder, robbery, failures, and indictments flood the screen. The same miserable story is played over and over. Then with the cable news outlets the story is played throughout the day including commentary by "experts," who further describe and imagine the grotesque nature of the crime or disaster. The perpetraitor is focused upon, justice is mocked, and the victim is paraded without dignity. Who could bear to watch!?!

As I watch while reading Habakkuk my view changes. Habakkuk's complaints can be taken as my very own. He says "O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you 'Violence!' and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise" (1:1-3).

Don't you feel these same anguishing words? You want justice; you desire the innocent to be safe. Then you see the abusive treatment of children or entire enthnic groups around the globe. "Doesn't God care" we are sometimes outraged enough to whisper.

The Lord's answer to Habakkuk in chapter 1 after his complaint was that judgment is coming. Most likely Habakkuk was speaking of the injustices of his own people, and God was bringing the Neo-Babylonians as His arm of justice.

Without an audible explanation of the judgment God is bringing, don't we at times rejoice in arm of justice that God seems to use to right the wrongs? We are pleased at the heroic efforts of law enforcement or the military in catching the evil-doers and restoring peace. But aren't we even more angry when we come face-to-face with the evil injustice of the people bringing justice? We are angered even more by police brutality, militarily sanctioned torture, legistlative corrupton, and political scandal. How can we get justice from those who themselves are unjust?

Habakkuk struggled with this same question throughout the end of chapter one and chapter two verse one. Then the Lord answers again. In 2:4 the Lord says, "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. This famous phrase has been plucked by the apostle Paul and even the author of Hebrews of the New Testament. Hey it sounds good, there is no denying it! Habakkuk understood these words from the Lord to mean that the believer in God must trust and await the timing of the order and justice He will bring. Trust God and live in light of true justice coming.

God promises those bringing justice, though themselves unjust, will receive judgment. He gives 5 woes throughout chapter two to the terrible Babylonians. Thus, God will use evil people to do justice to others. They at times bring temporary relief from crimes against the innocent and for that we can be thankful. We cannot trust in them ultimately though, because they will fail us and because they will be judged as well.

Chapter three is Habakkuk's prayer, which we call should consider praying as we watch the news. In Warrior-like language of a conquering king of the ancient Near East, God's care of his people is retold. Notice throughout the language of "wrath against the rivers" (3:8) and "the flash of your glittering spear" (3:11) and "you crushed the head of the house of the wicked" (3:13). The Lord is a Warrior; He fights to right the wrongs of injustice to His people and will remove their oppressors by force. In 3:16 Habakkuk puts words for how to live by faith as mentioned in 2:4. He says, "I hear, and my body trembles...Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us [the evil people who bring partial justice]."

Now at last read these final words of Habakkuk that reveal utter trust through all the terrible events of life -trust in God, the Lord.

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's;

he makes me tread on my high places.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

"Long Live the Law" Article in CT with Some Thoughts

2009-02-28T23:28:00.003-05:00

There is a great article in the March issue of Christianity Today (March 2009) entitled, "Long Live the Law." Uncharacteristic words for Christians right! In this context Neff compares the political philosophy of John Calvin and Dick Cheney as to the role of law and the government.

Calving argues that leaders are appointed by God and must live by God's standards. Neff makes the argument that "every human duty implies a corresponding liberty needed to fulfill that duty. And it is the duty of rulers to protect those liberties."

What I find interesting is the importance of the relating the religious duty within the political sphere. The idea that the Sabbath could only be kept where the law allowed/mandated people not to work is astounding. This profundity is not minor. As a believer considers the NT imperatives, one must recognize the need for a political institution to allow the free practice of these commands. Where a government does not allow the free practice to the NT commands, the defiance of the law is warranted.

This is not a new concept for many American believers since the prooftext of "obeying God rather than men" is often quoted (Acts 5:39). What is interesting is not just the response of individual believers that is warranted, but for the what that means about one's government. If one accepts Calvin/Luther's 2 Kingdom model of Church and State, then when a government does not allow the free practice of biblical commands it is not ordained of God as Calvin said. Thus, the government "practices blasphemous tryranny," which does place a responsibility for believers not merely to obey privately but perhaps publicly to take civil means to remove it. Samuel Rutherford, the Scottish theologian and close friend of my friend Will Lee :), argued for force as a means of people restoring the rights of the people.

In following the logic short of Rutherford, it seems to me that Christian involvement in the public square is incumbent any time the commands of Scripture are challenged in such a way that the free practice of is hindered.

A-Rod: The Truth Will Set You Free

2009-02-10T15:04:00.003-05:00

A very interesting comment from Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) prompts this post. In his interview with ESPN’s Peter Gammons, A-Rod responds to a question regarding what the headlines in New York will read with, “I have no idea. I mean, you know, the one good thing is, I feel the truth will always set you free."

This hopeful statement of A-Rod is derived from John 8:32 and the words of Jesus to other Jews gathered around him. This passage was a main topic of the sermon at my church this past Sunday where the elder mentioned the public’s often appeal to this verse. He said it is crucial to understand what Jesus meant as opposed to how people normally use the verse. The clearest way of doing that is by looking at the verse just before it.

John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,”

The words are directed first to people, who have believed Jesus’ claims about himself as from God and in fact God himself (see the discussion from Jn. 8:1ff). Then Jesus continuing in 8:32 without any more interruption than maybe the comma we got here in the ESV translation,

John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“truth” here should instead by understood as “Truth.” As John 8:36 substitutes the Son as the one that sets you free just as truth did in 8:32. This shows identification of Jesus with the truth spoken of. “The truth meant is the revelation of Jesus…The hackneyed use of this phrase in political oratory [or troubled baseball stars] in appealing for national or personal liberty is a distortion of the purely religious value of both truth and freedom in this passage.”[1]

While A-Rod certainly hopes his coerced honesty (after being outed) regarding his use of performance enhancing drugs does not hurt his hall-of-fame hopes nor his public position, all should be concerned with the Truth that sets us free. Jesus made clear that His followers will be attached to His words and will know Him, and He is the one to set them free. Jesus sets us free from ourselves –our vices, sins, arrogance, quests for greed, or self-betterment.

Thus, as A-Rod said, but reinterpreted to fit its original context, “The Truth will set you free.”

[1] Raymond E. Brown. The Gospel according to John I-XII. Anchor Bible. New York: Double Day, 1966, 355.

Meditations on Micah 1

2009-01-29T10:03:00.001-05:00

The words, that so often can signal jubilation, now cause great fear. “The Lord is coming.” What greater hope can there be than the presence of God manifested before us. The nations of Israel and Judah were told of a terrifying presence of their God. The Lord gets up from His dwelling place and steps on everything that is tall in our world. Mountains get crushed under the weight of His foot. The valleys go apart like a mud puddle when a boot heel presses them. Why is God coming?

He comes because of sin. Many transgressions from His chosen people cause Him to get up and punish them. The things that have held their attention away from their God will all be broken and destroyed. This great God larger than all things must come and remove the trifles that tantalize His people.

Micah the prophet declares this startling news to his hearers. In Micah 1:2 he calls his hearers to “Hear” and “listen.” God, Himself, witnesses against His people as if in a court…then He meets out judgment Himself. This terrible news brings the prophet to lament and weep for his nation. He recounts 12 cities in the Shephelah region of Palestine, where Micah was from and where many mighty battles of Israel have occurred. Micah even echoes the great kingship of David with his words of 1:10. This harkens back to David lamenting the death of Saul and Jonathan in 2 Sam. 1:20, “Tell it not in Gath...”

This tragic event in Israel history occurred when the first king lost his life. This did give way to the glorious monarchy of David. The last city Adullam also calls David to mind as this is where he fled to escape Saul. Thus, the terrible sins of the nation are not covered by the promises of an eternal Davidic rule. No, the Lord is going even to Adullam to give His people the punishment of exile. His fury cannot be escaped.

Do I ponder God’s anger at my sin? How arrogant of me that I think God would bring such real punishment to Israel and Judah and let me wallow in my sins! God always keeps His covenant promises to me. He is faithful, yet I remain faithless. I clamor for idols to replace God and am dissatisfied at the brief pleasure they bring. I must contemplate God in all His grandeur metaphorically, having to get up from His throne to deal with my sins against Him. I am part of His people, and yet I live so wrongly. God did not bring punishment to Israel and Judah never to redeem them. He promises throughout the book of Micah a restoration or return from exile. As one came to live for Israel as it never could for itself, that same person came to live for me as I never could. Jesus Christ lived for Israel and for me, yet He took the full judgment I deserve.

O God of greatness -so holy, so pure- make me today to honor your covenant to me. Let me live with fidelity to the obligations of being yours. I know I live them imperfectly, but I pray you might more strengthen me today to obey. Let the audacity of my sins be felt and acknowledged in my mind, so I can weep-- hating what dishonors you and loving you alone. Let Christ be my saving and sustaining answer for the questioning demons that plague me, but may He not be the excuse for my still erroring.

Language and Eschatology

2009-01-19T14:57:00.003-05:00

"Language regularly falls short of giving adequate expression to theological realities, and the realm of theology where our language is most inadequate is eschatology, the doctrine of last things. Our language of bodies is all based on the physical features of this world. We know that the next world -not just our bodies, but all of creation -will be as different as the resurrected Christ was from the bruised body laid in the tomb."

Nancy Murphy in In Search of the Soul: Four Views on the Mind-Body Problem. edited by Joel B. Green and Stuart L. Palmer 2005, 188.

HSBC as Exemplar for Other Banks

2009-01-17T11:11:00.007-05:00

CEO's golden parachutes and Bank's payment packages are constantly swirled around in the media mix. Individuals, who never before considered bonus structures and compensation packages from a Human Resources perspective during the previous decade in "the War for Talent, suddenly are well-versed in solutions.

Greed and corruption are usually attributed to those in the C-suite and any employees of banks. With those traits in most people's minds I provide the statements of Stephen Green, the chairman of HSBC (the world's second largest bank).

Green said in the September interview with BBC, "I think it is important and will become much more the focus of attention to ensure that remuneration schemes operate in a way that is lined up with the long term interests of the owners of the business. There has been far too much focus on payments that are very short term focused, people who pick up the tab for short term profits, without having to bear the costs of long term impairments."

With thoughtful comments such as these is it any wonder that HSBC is in a stable enough position that it can grow its UK mortgage portfolio! This may be a good company to keep an eye on for when/how other companies will rebound from the economic crisis. HSBC was the first bank to warn and take action toward sub-prime mortgages in the US. Even with this preemptive action in comparison to other banks, analysts do not look for a rebound until 2011. This does not bode well for other banks that were slower in honest reaction. Look to HSBC as it has served as an exemplar in reaction to the sub-prime crisis, and it seems it will be for banker reform -both playing a role in revitalizing the economy of the future.

Cross-field Engagement and Biblical Studies

2009-01-13T15:56:00.003-05:00

Narrow specialist training, and the need to demonstrate specialism and love of detail in order to advance in the profession, leave many modern biblical scholars ill-prepared for anything other than occasional raids on the territory of other disciplines in order to find some new “angle” on biblical studies that will enable them to make a distinctive contribution to their field. The intellectual booty that is brought back from such raids is sometimes not well understood in relation to the intellectual context from which it was stolen. The consequence is a discipline that is sometimes (inaccurately) derivative of other disciplines, and more often than not is dependent on ideas taken from these other disciplines that are already at least several decades out of date in term of their popularity and general plausibility. Perhaps for these general reasons the history of the history of Israel in the past twenty years has seen the widespread and enthusiastic adoption of a positivist approach to history without any great awareness of the problems to which this approach gives rise or of the debate that it has previously engendered among historians, philosophers, and theologians alike.
Ian Provan in A Biblical Hisory of Israel by Ian Provan, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III (2003), 52.

I find this observation to be quite true in the efforts of thesis and dissertation writers to handle issues of both theology and text. I hope in reading this critique, myself and others are motivated to engage other disciplines for their merit to biblical studies and cultural integration. This engagement must be in more larger doses than one often wishes to swallow in order to do justice to the other discipline and to thoroughly impact the field of biblical and theological studies.

Any thoughts on what fields or study arenas have something new to contribute to biblical studies? Any thoughts on how to engage without superficial borrowing ?

What I Read in 2008

2009-01-09T20:48:00.005-05:00

2008 was a great year for me in reading. I am thankful for the times I had to read at work once we were shutting down, during the summer while away from my wife, and throughout the fall semester as Katie has allowed me not to work. I had a goal of 52 books in 2008 and fell short at 38. I feel good about 38 though as this is more than 3 a month and is a new yearly high for me. The list keeps me motivated to read and learn about new subjects.

Below I provide the list and a brief blurb on each:
*=highly recommended

Giving the Sense ed. Howard and Grisanti
A compendium on OT historical text issues with great articles from Averbeck, Bergen, and Block especially.

Everyday Theology ed: VanHoozer et al. *
A collection of essays on reading cultural texts is presented to help believers consider how to relate theology to society. Great chapters on Safeway, Designer Funerals, and Blogging.

Renewing the Center by Stanley Grenz
In the post-modern milieu, Grenz calls Christianity beyond liberalism and conservatism. A great telling of the history of Evangelicalism in the modern era (including figures like Pinnock and Erickson). Grenz forwards a center for evangelicalism of gospel focus, doctrinal orientation, and catholic vision.

Who Moved My Cheese by Johnson
A business book of sorts that calls readers to embrace change as the means of opportunity. Fashioned as a fable about four mice and how their reactions to change are similar to our own.

One Minute Manager by Johnson and Blanchard
Another business book that teaches a management method of three straightforward principles that can be implemented each only 1 minute in duration. The book calls for candor in setting goals, giving praise, and giving reprimands.

A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McClaren
A unique book by an enigma of very broad evangelicalism. He gives several descriptions of himself often embracing polar opposites to present his buffet view of what orthodoxy ought to be. He has connections to G.K. Chesterton’s classic. My summation would be that I would have problems with someone, who praised this book too highly and take equal exception to someone, who maligned the book at every turn. McClaren made me think, what higher praise can there be for an author.

A Time to Kill by John Grisham
Grisham’s first novel, which he sat down to write. His wife actually liked it so he sought publishing! This fiction deals with issues of racism, sexism, and the problem of revenge.

Signs amidst the Rubble by Leslie Newbigin
A missiologist’s look at the purpose of history. Really, I was looking for some of his other works but was able to get my hands on this one.

The Firm by John Grisham
Grisham’s second novel, which tells a compelling story with fast-paced excitement.

Pelican Brief by John Grisham
Well, as you can see I became a Grisham fan this year. This one was my favorite as it deals directly with the assassination of two supreme court justices and involves a young law student.

Ordinary People and Extraordinary Leaders by Ziggarali
A short read wrestling with how Christians function in business while being leaders.

How to Read the Psalms by Longman
An easy reading guide to interpreting the Psalms, see my longer review in my May 2008 post.

The Parables of the Kingdom by C.H. Dodd
A classic work on interpreting the parables place strong emphasis on the “life-setting” of these.

The Bible on Leadership by Woolfe
An interesting Barnes and Noble read that combined analysis of characters of leadership in the Bible with modern business men and women sharing similar traits.

A History of Philosophy Vol. 3 by Frederick Copleston
Part of his 9 volume work on the history of philosophy, this volume dealt with Late Medieval and Renaissance philosophy. I found Ockham to be highly interesting with his discussion of theological issues on the existence of God and the nature of Christ. The chapters on speculative mysticism and political philosophy were also informative.

Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs by Barbara Mertz
This book’s subtitle is a popular history of Egypt. At a popular level this was interesting and Mertz' humor certainly brought characters of the “Two Kingdom” into modern focus.

Harvard Business Review on Change
A publication of several articles from HBR on the chosen topic of change. A good read if you see it in your near future.

The Temple and the Church’s Mission by Greg Beale *
I have very few books to give as high of praise to. This book, though technical at points, is easily in the top 7 books I’ve ever read. Please read it! (Also see my review in July 2008).

All About Six Sigma by Brussee
An introductory work on the business improvement process to reduce defects.

Harvard Business Review on Managing People
A publication of several articles from HBR on the chosen topic of management. This would be useful to any manager or even anyone in administrative roles such as a pastor.

Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet by Mark Lymas
Published by National Geographic, this is an explanatory science work that describes the projected effects of global warming. It traces what a 1 Celsius degree change in annual global temperature could mean for the planet. Then each chapter examines what another degree, and so forth would cause.

A Little Exercise for Young Theologians by Thelicke
A little book about the temptations and errors made by zealous, young theological students.

Experiences in Theology by Moltmann
This was my first read of the great German scholar Moltmann. It is a more informal telling of some of his experiences in theology that shaped his beliefs and what he believed at the time of its penning. He deals very well with Liberation, Feminist, Black, and Minjung theologies –a good introduction to the uninformed as I was. He also dabbles in some Trinitarian and eschatological issues that he is well known for.

The Archaeological Processs: An Intro by Ian Hodder
Written by a premier archaeological theorist of the post post-processual (no, that is not a typo) archaeology. His modeling use of other disciplines and relation to conservation and marginalized voices has great weight in the field.

Winning by Jack Welch *
A conversational read on what is takes to win in business from a successful manager. He highlights key terms of his administration and GE such as candor, differentiation, and Six Sigma. His information on hiring and candor is truly helpful.

The Negev by Evenari et al.
Three guys go out in the desert to see what it would take to grow things in the Negev desert of Israel. Not the start of a joke, but the premise of this Harvard publication. The details of their efforts as well as more information than anyone ever wanted to know about the Negev can be found within.

OT Exegesis by Douglas Stuart
This standard work, a companion to Gordon Fee’s NT exegesis, details the importance of the task, gives step-by-step instructions, and an extensive bibliography for those seeking to find the meaning of OT passages.

Ancient Israel in Sinai by James K. Hoffmeier *
My advisor at TEDS published his great insight on details of the exodus and wilderness tradition. He bases much of his arguments on his finds from his excavations at Tel-el Borg in the N. Sinai. This work is very readable and provides historical plausibility for the both the exodus and wilderness tradition on the basis of Egyptian parallels. An accomplished scholar, who starts his argument from a history of religions approach, it is intriguing.

Barth, Israel, and Jesus by Mark Lindsay
This book traces the relationship of Karl Barth and the Jewish people and his alleged anti-Semitism.

Moody Bible Atlas by Barry Beitzel
A hefty book with great pages explaining the significance of the dots on the map. He includes so many insights from his extensive geographic study of the aNE.

Jewish Backgrounds of the NT by Scott
An introductory history to the time period between the testaments of the Christian Scriptures.

The King of Torts by John Grisham
Another interesting read that teaches the moral that the love of money is the root of all evil.

Palestine & Arab-Israeli Conflict by Smith
An explanation of why the Arabs and Israel cannot get along from a strictly historical telling. This is a very balanced presentation of the both nation-state viewpoints.

Judaism: Practice & Belief by E.P. Sanders
Sanders, the controversial figure, writes what he intended to write when he wrote his more infamous work on Paul and Palestinian Judaism. This later work takes the reader into the sects and covenant nomism of the Second Temple period.

Exploring Jewish Literature by Larry R. Heyler
If you don’t know your Pseudepigrapha from your Apocrypha, then you’re in luck. Heyler gives setting and clarification to the works a good little Protestant boy would not know about!

What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It? by William G. Dever
The first book in his Eerdman’s trilogy, Dever attacks the minimalists by arguing history is contained in the biblical accounts.

The Victim by Saul Bellows
A fiction work that tells one man’s introspective paranoia in the dog eat dog world of New York of yesteryear. He too wrestles with his sensitivity to anti-Semitism.

Introduction to Biblical Archaeology by Volkmar Fritz *
A part of the Journal of the Old Testament Supplemental Series, this book deals with parts that make up the whole of Biblical archaeology. It explains terms and time periods.

An Open Complaint to American Express

2009-01-08T09:47:00.002-05:00

I am posting this open complaint to American Express regarding their new account review process. This process has stopped cardholders from being able to use their card. If you have an American Express card and haven't used it in a while, you might want to "leave home without out" as it may be no use to you. If you foresee that you might need to use your AMEX card soon, I would call and see if it is available for use...always nice to know before you get in a bind or face embarassement at the point of sale.

Below is the not that I sent to American Express:

"I would like to make the company aware of my extreme dissatisfaction with the review process instituted here at the start of 2009. I was not informed of my card's suspension of use due the review. I have called for 3 days in a row and each day I have been assured it will be available tomorrow. Then today 1/8/09 I was told the department is backed up, and it could take 7-10 business days. I use this card for school expenses. It is imperative that I be able to use the card at the beginning of a new semester. With proper notification I could have made other arrangements but your absolute lack of regard for your customers and apparent incompetence at executing the reviews has thoroughly hindered my academic work. I am dissatisfied and feel mistreated by a company marked for its superior customer service. The world is not at my fingertips since you won't even let me use my card. I am posting this on my blog and intend to make as many people as I can aware of your ineptitude."

Biblical Hebrew Resources on the Web

2009-01-05T11:45:00.001-05:00

I'm really not one of those bloggers that list hyperlinks to everything under the sun. I appreciate the ideas of people I know or respect more than a random link to somone I don't. With that said, I stumbled upon a few Hebrew related websites. What I will do is include the links, but also some brief remarks on how I have used them or how I intend to.

The first, and most recent find is Hebrew4Christians.com
It seems there are several neat features of the site including some basic teaching of Hebrew for beginners or for review. The best of these so far is the clear depiction of the Hebrew accents in the Masoretic Text. If you enjoy visual learning, this will help you with your BHS reading.

The second is free audio of the Tanakh being read in Hebrew. This is a helpful resource to have the text flowing in your mind or a great help with pronounciation. I also recommend the site to help you gear up for a Hebrew exam...it's very inspiring.

Thirdly, from the Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, MO lectures on OT History by V. Phillips Long are a gem of the web. There are also other great lectures available for free.

Fourthly, Davar provides helps for Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary. These vocabularies "can be sorted according to Hebrew, English gloss, root, semantic and frequency." This is provided by the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Finally, I have to give a plug to one of my new favorite blogs Ancient Hebrew Poetry by John Hobbins. He is a prolific blogger of strong academic pedigree studying at UW Madison, University of Toronto, the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, Waldensian Theological Seminary-Rome, and Kirchliche Hochschule Bethel in Bielefeld, Germany. An obvious scholar and pastor gives great insights on the former testament. Subscribe to this blog and he will keep you updated on a broad range of Hebrew topics.

The Chronological Relation of the Birth Narratives in Matthew and Luke

2008-12-23T16:08:00.002-05:00

I have been contemplating the birth narratives of Jesus throughout the season leading up to the Christmas. Of particular interest has been the possible harmonization of the Matthean and Lukan accounts. I have always been troubled by why Luke would comment so much on the birth night versus Matthew’s telling of later events.

In considering these two accounts, Matthew is dated to 1 to 2 years following the birth night of Luke 2. The explanation for dating the events of Matthew 2 to this later period is based on limited exegetical details. As I considered the argument for this later dating, I was surprised by a more likely reading that views the accounts as explaining contemporary events.

1) Matthew 2:1 explains the events occurred after Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Since Luke explains Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem from Nazareth for the purpose of a census, it seems improbable for them to remain in Bethlehem for 2 years. There is no indication that Joseph would be pausing his carpentry or leaving his home built during betrothal for this extended period.

2) The words of Matthew 2:16 tell that Herod’s decree was to kill all male children under 2 years old. From this detail, many readers take Jesus’ likely age as close to 2 years of age. This seems an unnecessary deduction from the text. This could be understood as an exaggerated reaction by Herod without cause. From the dialogues of Herod with the Magi, the age of the “newborn king of the Jews” is never discussed. The words used for the “child” throughout the passage do not in any way indicate age. No specificity should be derived from the term as it could indicate a two year old or an infant.

3) Finally, some readers make emphasis on the term of Matthew 2:11 that the child is with his mother in a house. This is normally contrasted to the word used in Luke 2 that the child was born in a manger, because there was no place for them in the “inn.” With a clearer understanding of the Greek word for “inn” reveals the preferred reading of Matthew 2 as contemporary with Luke 2.

Inn is a word better translated as a guest room in a private home divided by a curtain. Luke is well aware of another Greek word that would clearly communicate an inn (a temporary dwelling for travelers for commercial gain of the owner). The “inn” word is used by Luke in the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. It is also used in Luke 22 when Jesus’ disciples looked for a place to celebrate the Last Supper or Passover Sader.

Thus, it seems a more likely interpretation that the manger was the animal housing structure connected to a home. Mary and Joseph stayed with the animals because there was no room in the guest room. The home was likely a relative of Joseph since he was of the house and lineage of David. It seems probable that some relatives remained in the City of David. It is possible that some of Joseph’s ancestors returned from Babylonian captivity to Nazareth in Galilee during the return based on the decree of Cyrus.

If the inn of Luke 2 is really a domestic guest room, then Matthew’s house where the Magi visited is very likely Joseph’s relative’s home. Perhaps whoever occupied the guest room had now returned home allowing Mary and Joseph to reside inside during the visit of the Magi. This would mean that the Magi may have visited the newborn king short days or weeks since the night of Jesus’ birth. Thus, the reader can combine Luke 2 and Matthew 2 and see the ones declaring the birth of Messiah were angels, shepherds, and magi. Put your wiseman not too far from your nativity displays. They may have only been a day or two late!

My 100th Post: Reflections on My Blogging

2008-12-18T13:38:00.005-05:00

Wow, my 100th post? It’s hard to believe that I have written that many posts and it is hard to believe that it has taken me over 3 years! I have been eyeing this milestone for quite some time. Even this week there is a post of links for Hebrew that I wanted to add quickly to my blog, but opted to save that until I had time to compose my 100th post.

I have done some reflecting on blogging over the last 3 years. I started hoping to hide and have an opportunity to somewhat anonymously present my ideas on the web. Then a friend mentioned he was starting a blog and wanted me to be a contributor. Oddly, enough I now think that might have been more productive for myself and for his blog. I declined his offer and let him know that I had already had a blog going. That was it. If you tell one person about your blog, then you will be bombarded (especially, when Facebook hadn’t taken off yet).

I experienced the fun of having many comments following my blog posts. Some heated discussion brought many visitors and opinions. I found myself trying to find ways to generate topics that would get comments. Slowly the buzz died, and comments got fewer and fewer. Soon, I didn’t feel like blogging myself. I had some very slow months where nothing substantive was posted.

Slowly I started generating posts again. The impetus was mostly a desire to formulate ideas. I found that the blogging process became an outlet for my thinking and articulation. I have become less desirous of generating comments (though let’s be honest, it’s nice to know others read and if anything might be an encouragement to others). My writing, an unpolished, thinking style of gab, does not actually help me write better academic papers or is worthy of any publication. I have spelling and grammatical mistakes, yet it helps me think about God and the world. The interplays of various mediums of my life (e.g. books, movies, news) have to be read with a Godward focus. Blogging is part of my reading process, although it mostly involves writing.

Thus, I blog now hoping to be an encouragement to others as the potential exists for someone to stumble across my musing. I write though more concerned about the benefit I receive from engaging in this discipline.

This blog has been named "Truth on Fire" for the purpose of trying to live an authentic Christian life that is passionate about truth. Truth corresponds to a divine view of the world as revealed in the Bible and meant for timely improvisation and application.

As this blog began as an overflow of my enjoyment of reading of the life of D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, I conclude with a point he made about preaching that I adapt for blogging. “Another element in this romance of preaching is that you never know who is going to be listening to you, and you never know what is going to happen to those who are listening to you. It may be the turning point in somebody’s life” (Jones, Preaching and Preachers. 1971, 301).

So too with blogging, I pray that my continued blogging may be something God can use in ways He sees fit.

Luke 1: Lessons on Believing the word of God

2008-12-11T23:51:00.004-05:00

There are 4 basic scenes that occur in Luke 1. Scene 1 occurs at the temple in Jerusalem with the primary characters Zechariah, angel Gabriel, and the people (1:5-25). Scene 2 occurs in the city of Nazareth in Galilee with primary characters being Mary, a virgin, and Gabriel (1:26-38). Scene 3 occur in a town in Judah south of Galilee between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth (1:39-56). Scene 4 occurs with characters Zechariah, Elizabeth, and their neighbors presumably at the same town as scene 3 (1:57-80).

First, it is striking how scene 1 and scene 2 are juxtaposed. Luke is clearly pointing to a comparison and contrast to the two scenes and the characters involved. The character profiles tell the stories of two very different people.

Scene 1 Zechariah priest male in Jerusalem
Scene 2 Mary virgin female in Nazareth of Galillee

These strikingly different people both receive an angelic encounter. The piety of these two individuals is also clear as Zechariah is righteous and blameless. Mary found favor with God.

At this point the contrast begins to occur:

The angel’s message to Zechariah is that he and his wife will have a son. The angel instructs him on the special life his son will have. The son is to be named John.
The angel’s message to Mary is that she as a virgin will have a son. The angel instructs her on the special life her son will have. The son is to be named Jesus.

The contrast continues in the response of these two people:

Zechariah asks, “How shall I know this?” His concern was the age of he and his wife.
Mary asks, “How will this be?” Her concern is her virginity.

The question of either of these people seems to make sense as both are difficult to imagine.
Certainly, Zechariah was told something that harkened back to the story of the Patriarch Abraham. Mary was told something without parallel. The difference in the questions asked by Zechariah and Mary could not be bigger. Zechariah was asking for authentication and Mary was asking for more about the process.

Ø Gabriel explains that Zechariah did not believe, so he would be muted.

Ø Gabriel explains more details to believing Mary, and authenticated his message with the announcement of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.

Zechariah could not respond at that moment further because he was muted. Mary in contrast spoke of her humbleness before God and her desire for God’s word to be fulfilled.

Application:

In considering this leading chapter to the birth narrative of Jesus Christ, I am challenged in my own belief in the word of God. When I consider a promise of God do I ask how can it be true or how will God do it? Promises such as a way of escape in the face of temptation must be believed as coming from God. The return of Christ and His kingdom are certain promises that do not need further authentication.

I am also encouraged that faith can come from the unlikeliest of sources. A young girl, with no husband had great faith and was favored by God. Mary believed the message of God and serves as an example to everyone of what faith in God should look like. I should look to anyone as a possible place of faith and count no one out. I should also emphasize the faith in other around me. This admirable trait is worthy of recognition and can come from unlikely people and unlikely places.

Wisdom from Sirach

2008-12-08T09:09:00.002-05:00

"Let your conversation be with men of understanding, and let all your discussion be about the law of the Most High. Let righteous men be your dinner companions, and let all your glorying be in the fear of the Lord."

-Sirach 9:15-16

These wise words are a good aim for everyone hosting or attending dinner parties. Just hanging out can have higher purposes as well.

A Conversation between 1 John and Qumran's Community Rule

2008-11-19T11:27:00.002-05:00

The Qumran document The Community Rule (1QS) shows similarities in thought with the NT work of 1 John. While not necessarily indicating dependence, reading these works together can sharpen one’s understanding to what is meant by each. Having these texts converse with one another on three topics will show how similar ideas can be communicated through varied wording. The reader should also see nuances of meaning more clearly in differing vantage points. Thus, in reading 1 John and 1QS together a sharper interpretation should emerge benefiting NT and Dead Sea Scroll study.

The first topic is the light and darkness motif present in both documents. The stark dualism reveals a means of bifurcation in ideas or groups. Both the Johannine community and Qumran identify their own group as the light. In 1QS 1:10 the members are called to love the sons of light. Though 1 John does not use this exact term in 1:5-7 God is identified as light and those walking in light are in mutual fellowship with others of the community. Thus, John’s community, titled “children of God” (3:1, 2, 10), is also of the light.

The majority of the other references of 1QS to light and darkness are a means of describing members’ movement away from the community’s teachings. In 1QS 3 the ones away from the community may be looking for light but turn to darkness. These ones turning to darkness would then be subject to the hatred reserved for the sons of darkness in 1QS 1:10. The proportional response of love to those of the light is matched with hatred to those of darkness. These competing worlds are said to have distinct walks of light and darkness and led by leaders, the Prince of Light and Angel of Darkness respectively (1QS 3:20). The God of Israel is identified as on the side of the light in 1QS 3:25.

In 1 John God is also marked on the side of light as mentioned before and said to have no darkness at all (1:5). The call to love those of the light is profound in this document. The love for other brothers is a mark of belonging in the Johannine community (3:23; 4:7, 11, 21). Darkness is the opposing lifestyle to the light of the community; however, hatred is never mentioned as the appropriate response. The changing from darkness to light is occurring (2:8) and those that are hating a brother are in darkness (2:9). Hatred for the Johannine community is a mark of walking in darkness (2:11).

The second topic is on the means of cleansing from impurity. The Qumran document describes a cleansing from sins occurring through union with God’s truth. Cleanliness will come when one’s flesh is sprinkled with purifying waters (1QS 3:5ff). The scope of the expiation is stated as all of one’s sins and will allow one to “contemplate the light of life” (1QS 3:5). Spirits appear to be involved in the cleansing process. Designations such as “spirit of holiness, spirit of truth, and spirit of purification” are all used in describing the purification process (1QS 4:20ff).

1 John also addresses cleansing from sin or impurity but in a briefer form. Jesus Christ is presented as the means of propitiation (2:2). Stated more directly in 1:7 the blood of Jesus brings about the cleansing. The only stated process in 1 John is the confession of sin, which will result in forgiveness and cleansing (1:9). The scope of the cleansing is for all of one’s sins, though the potential subject is expanded in 2:2 to not only the immediate community but also the sins of the whole world. John’s Spirit is not explicitly linked to the cleansing work. The Spirit is said to have been given by Jesus as a proof of being in Jesus (3:24). The language of “in Jesus” is synonymous with the cleansing action (2:5). God is also said to have loved the community demonstrated in sending Jesus for the propitiating sins. Thus, it links his involvement in the cleansing as well (4:10).

The final topic concerns community members that stumble. This stumbling language is consistent for both communities (1 Jn. 2:9; 1QS 2:10ff). The stumbling motif involves actions of non-conformity with the community and potentially separation from the community. The stumbling is seen as a result of deceiving spirits. The Qumran document talks of a spirit of falsehood driving one to evil deeds (1QS 4:10ff). Those who walk in these evil deeds will receive damnation and torment from God. 1 John warns community members to test spirits, so as not to follow the spirit of error (4:1-6). Antichrists are also involved in lying that Jesus is not the Christ (2:18ff). The lie is to be renounced to avoid being deceived.

Following these spirits leads community members to deeds of darkness. The Community Rule states dark deeds such as greed, slackness, lies, and pride as the by-products of being led astray(1QS 4:10ff). Lust is mentioned as a deed of darkness, which was poignantly addressed in the community initiation in 1QS 1:5. Those joining were instructed to no longer follow a sinful heart, lustful eyes, or commit all manner of evil. 1 John more commonly refers to dark deeds as sin (1:6-8). Sin in 1 John is identified commonly with hatred (2:9,11; 3:10,15;) and lying (1:6,8; 2:21-22; 5:10). These are united in 4:20-21as both hatred and lying are core sins which calls one’s love God for God into question. The community is instructed to not love the world with the similar concept of lust of the eyes (2:16) along with the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

Finally, the draw on community members is described as idolatry leading to separation. Idols vie for the commitment of members in Qumran causing backsliding (1QS 2:10-15). Ultimately, these idols can bring a member to being cut off from the community and cursed (1QS 2:15-20). Thus, members are told detesting idols is a positive trait for members (1QS 4:5ff). In 1 John community members mark those who leave their ranks as a sign of their non-commitment (2:19). The separation appears to be chosen by the individual and not the collective. The sin leading to death might also be seen as a separation mechanism of the community (5:16-17). Similarly to Qumran, the Johannine community is warned of idols implicitly as a source of stumbling (5:21).

Though similarities abound in these two works, the differences come into focus through this exercise. 1 John ‘s process of cleansing and community responsibilities seem very different from Qumran. The underlying Trinitarianism of 1 John is clearly opposed to the theological framework of The Community Rule. A sharpened interpretation of 1 John is a benefit of its conversation with 1QS.

Advice from Job’s Friends: The Problem of Applying Theology

2008-11-14T11:56:00.003-05:00

It’s been said with friends like these, who needs enemies? Job’s friends come to him with the utmost concern for his plight and come to comfort him (2:11). As good friends they sit and wait seven days with Job knowing his pain is too great for words (2:13). Finally, Job breaks the silence and regrets his birth because of all the calamities that have befallen him (3:1-26).
It is at this point that we come to the question at hand. Eliphaz the Temanite begins to speak to Job in chapters four and five. His argument begins at the proper behavior of Job towards others, who have faced difficult times (4:2-4). Eliphaz then makes the application that Job can’t handle it that the same difficulty is now coming to him (4:5).

Throughout the book of Job the rhetorical device of questions occurs. The Hebrew text is permeated with the interrogative he, just as English versions have question marks galore (worthy of highlighting). Eliphaz questions how Job’s reverence and integrity towards God should allow him to trust God in his suffering (4:6). The depravity of all humanity is affirmed, thus Eliphaz summarizes: God brings judgment to the guilty not the innocent.

Eliphaz turns to what is more appropriately termed “advice” in 5:8. Eliphaz puts himself in Job’s place and says he would go and make his case to God. Then Eliphaz launches into an excellent theology of God in 5:9-20. God’s transcendent wisdom shows in his grace and mercy, and even kindness in corrective discipline.

But what does one do with this theology? In the complete argument of the book the reader knows that Eliphaz and the other friends are “wrong” in their application of theology to Job. How can the reader then trust anything that the friends are saying? One does not study Enron ethical policy or Lehman Brother’s accounting principles, except to learn what not to do. Is that what the reader is to do with Job’s friends?

I believe that sound theology is present in much of what Job’s friends say; however, the application is what is skewed. Present in the book of Job is a demonstration of the divergence from theology and application. This does not mean that theology should not be applied to individuals. Quite the opposite is true. It should be applied; however, it must be understood that it cannot be applied perfectly. Just as Eliphaz says in 5:9 “the great things God does are too marvelous to understand”-- Not incomprehensively but incompletely. Thus, in one’s application of true theology one must be cautious in speaking about God too definitively. God is too great and too different to be understood in totality and exactness.

This lacking precision in the knowledge of God does not lead to unknowability but to a limitation on the knowledge of God --only to what is revealed in Scripture, creation, and Christ. There is more, and it is only a sovereign God, unlike us, who has chosen to come to us. He has chosen what He will reveal. We ought not to presume to speak for God as though He were a object to know and merely explicate, but He is indeed subject in that it is He that explains Himself to us in words and demonstrations.

As the sovereign, who is relating to man in His own choosing the theologian, or pastor, or Christian must be cautious in taking theology to a situation of life and assuming one can directly explain the situation. Thus describing a tornado as judgment of God or a disease as a judgment for a particular sin or wealth and prosperity as a blessing from God is to assume one’s theology is master of God instead of a servant to God. Theology as a servant of God serves to make Him known, but can never take the place of God Himself.

"Anyway": Convicting Song

2008-11-13T15:14:00.003-05:00

This song has been convicting me today as I consider it in light of my study of Jesus' farewell discourse in John 13-17. Especially the words, "Love's the only evidence against us" sound like our mark as disciples. I cannot hear this song without thinking of living out the life of a disciple in a modern context like Jesus. Reynolds gives provocative and prophetic applications of how one might live this out.

Anyway Written by Brad Reynolds Hollison Publishing/ASCAP

He's been sleeping on the sidewalk...Since the money went away...Can you love him anyway, really love him anyway...He lost his mind but finds the time, to bum a dollar everyday but my Jesus says to love him anyway...

(Chorus) Love's the only evidence against us... that tells the world we're guilty of a change and there... is not a one who lives among us... who wasn't lost somewhere along the way, but judgment turned to mercy, and mercy took our blame when it all comes down to loving anyway...

She did not want to be a mother; she still supports her right to choose... can you love her anyway, really love her anyway when she hates what you believe and proudly shares her point of view my Jesus says to love her anyway (Chorus)

(Bridge) So open up your heart and let them see how it feels, and what it really means, when…

(Chorus #2) Love's the only evidence against us... that tells the world we're guilty of a change and there... is not a soul that lives among us... who wasn't lost somewhere along the way, but judgment turned to mercy, and mercy took our blame when it all comes down to loving anyway...

(Tag) so drop that stone of condescension, and don't forget to mention that Jesus chose to love us anyway... Excuse me Mr. Christian I sure hope you were listening, when Jesus said to love them anyway... ‘Cause no matter who we are where we've been or how deep our scars Jesus came to love us anyway... Hey there Sister Christian, I sure hope you were listening when Jesus said to love them anyway...

Pottery Shard may support United Monarchy Israel

2008-11-01T12:08:00.005-04:00

A teenage volunteer found a piece of pottery 15 centimeters by 15 centimers at a dig at Hirbet Qeiyafa. This location in the Judean foothills is where the costal region meets the region. It would be a border region for the Philistines and Israelites. The location is near the valley of Elah where David fought Goliath.

The pottery contains proto-Canaanite writing, which was prior to the Hebrew alphabet. This pottery is radio-carbon dated to the time period of the United Monarchy. The words "judge, slave, and king" have all been identified on this shard though further translation will be on-going.

The full article can be found from Haaretz.

HT: John F. Hobbins of Ancient Hebrew Poetry.

This would be an awesome shot on the minimalists such as Finkelstein, who have challenged even the United Monarchy. The significance of Melek in this find could not be over-stated. Moving aside from factual discussion and context in current study, I am just excited about this potential United Monarchy inscription. What a possible contribution to the field of study.

Limitation of Archaeology and the Text in Reconstructing History

2008-10-29T21:43:00.004-04:00

"Archaeology is the scattered collection of what has been found, while the Bible is the scattered record of what would have fit the biblical writers' theological purposes."

David Merling
Andrews University

Thus, it is always important to remember the material found at a site or the telling in a text is not everything that happened. There is often the unintentional neglect in the text or lost remains. What is found or what is said should be analyzed without forgetting there is some aspect that we don't know. In the text we can trust that we have what God has super-intended. With material remains we can trust in providence for what we have or may find and maintain humility and dialogue as more evidence comes to light.

Merling, David. "The Relationship between Archaeology and the Bible: Expectations and Reality." Future of Biblical Archaeology: Reassessing Methodologies and Assumptions. Edited by James K. Hoffmeier and Alan Millard. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans) 2004, 42.

The Portrayal of Women in the Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs and some NT contrasts

2008-10-27T18:18:00.004-04:00

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs depicts its author’s words as if they were the final death bed statements of these great patriarchs of Israel. In doing so the reader is given a glimpse of the worldview of the Second Temple period Jew. A significant portion of the text concerns the sexual promiscuity of the patriarchs. This is due in part to the quantity of the Genesis material that involves these misdeeds. In the description of the sexual promiscuity of the patriarchs a portrayal of women is offered. By considering this content from The Twelve Patriarchs, one can discover significant contrasts with the New Testament’s portrayal of women.

First, the testaments portray women’s tactics to cause sexual promiscuity. This portrayal goes beyond mere individual sinful women, but is generalized to speak of all women at points. The author mentions three specific tactics of women. First, adornments chosen by women are said to be a tactic to lure men to sexual promiscuity. In Joseph’s testament 9:5 the Egyptian women is described as choosing clothing (or absence of some clothing) for the purpose of enticing Joseph.

Judah 12:3 mentions Tamar’s beauty and manner of tricking herself out as the causes of Judah’s sexual sin. It is interesting in these two examples that the women are active in the pursuit of sin. The explanation of Reuben’ sin with Bilhah is different. He saw the absence of adornment which caused him to sin (Reuben 3:11). The responsibility is clearly on his shoulders. This tactic of adornment depicts women as choosing to wear items so as to drive men to sin. This understanding is the driving force of the charge of Reuben 5:5 for men to ensure their wives are daughters are not adorned in a way to deceive men.

The second tactic to cause sexual promiscuity is the more general concept of deception. This idea is communicated in the narrative telling and by direct teaching. The Joseph testament speaks of the Egyptian woman pretending to have motherly care to entice Joseph (3:8), giving public praise to support private seduction (4:1), and feigned conversion to motivate sin (4:4ff). These deceitful tactics of a crafty woman are universalized to general statements of the deceitfulness of women. Women are said to work to deceive the minds of men (Reuben 5:5). If appearance alone cannot conqueror a man then “a stratagem” is devised (Reuben 5:2).This deceitfulness is a partial rationale for the events of Genesis 6 according to Reuben 5:6. The women of Genesis six “charmed” the Watchers. This is the reason for Reuben’s charge of 6:1 to “protect your senses from women.”

The third tactic of women to cause sexual promiscuity is the use of wine. It is telling how culpability is placed on women for the use of wine not on the men, who are under its influence. In Judah’s testament wine is actively working against Judah (13:6-8). Judah was influenced by wine to allow his Canaanite wife to break his word to supply Shelom to Tamar to provide a son (11:3-5). It also may be that wine played a role in the first intercourse and subsequent marriage of Judah and the Canaanite woman (11:1-2; 14:7).In 13:5-8 it is Judah’s father-in-law that has his daughter use wine to seduce Judah. In 12:3 wine is at least an accomplice to the sexual mischief of Tamar. While it is not always clear that wine was the woman’s idea, it is clear from the testaments the author saw women as using it as a tool to accomplish their goals.

Secondly, the testaments portray women’s motives for causing sexual promiscuity. There are two underlying motives according to the author of the testaments for women’s sexual promiscuity. First, women cause promiscuity because they are more easily overcome by the spirit of promiscuity (Reuben 5:3).Reuben makes an appeal to authority that he has received this tidbit of insight from the angel of the Lord. Women apparently are less able to ward off temptation and thus are caught up in the tactics towards sin. The Egyptian woman’s mind according to Joseph 7:1 is evil and busied with devising ways to trap Joseph. Reuben describes women as not being able to handle “chance meetings” that stir up promiscuity (6:3-4).

The second motive is women are involved in sexual promiscuity because of their lack of authority. In the voice of Reuben the author says “women are evil” and try to exert authority over men through sexual promiscuity (Reuben 5:1). The author sees the disjunction of women to men’s authority as a cause for a power play with sexual enticement. The assumption is that gained power motivates women to unshackle pious commitments for a purpose or calling only in relation to men.

The New Testament stands in opposition to this portrayal of women by the Twelve Patriarchs in two vital ways. First, I Peter 3:1-6 views adornment not as tactic to lure men but as self-aggrandizement. It is not depicted in relation to men. Beauty is redefined by this New Testament teaching in verses three and four. It is internalized and has a new object for women in distinction from men. Womanly beauty is to find worth in God’s sight and a means of hoping in God. A higher purpose for pious commitment is given with no relation to men. The redefinition of beauty is argued with a greater patriarch than the sons of Jacob. Abraham’s wife Sarah is the exemplar of this beauty.

In I Peter 3:1-6 men are not charged to avoid the wiles of women in their seductive practices. Husbands are called to treat their wives with respect as a weaker partner and as a fellow-heir. The rest of the tenor of the New Testament calls men to flee youthful lust (II Tim. 2:22) and to marry if acting improperly towards a virgin (I Cor. 7:36). The warning is to the man of himself not of the woman’s schemes. In this way Benjamin’s charge of 8:2 is congruent with II Timothy 2:22.

The second vital contrast is authority usurpation is prohibited not because of the weakness of the woman but of the man. Eve sinned according to I Timothy 2:11-15 after being deceived. Adam sinned as a result of Eve’s influence. Thus, the prohibition of women’s authority over men has the susceptibility of men in mind unlike Reuben’s judgment of women’s easiness. Eve is not said to be plotting a power play of Adam, but Adam though not deceived succumbs at the power of Eve. The womanly suggestion begets sinful action by the man. Rather than taint the woman’s motives as Reuben does, Paul speaks warning to men finding themselves under the authority influence of women.

Exodus 4:27-31: God Visits and Sees

2008-10-16T10:13:00.004-04:00

In Exodus 4:1 Moses was concerned that his people would not believe that he had in fact met the Lord. God gives Moses signs as proof. Then in 4:10 Moses says his lack of eloquence is a reason he cannot speak to his people. God brings Aaron to speak for Moses (4:27).

Aaron meets with Moses and sees the signs. After that Moses and Aaron gather up the leaders of the people. Aaron did the talking and showed them the signs.

What was the response of the people? Exodus 4:31 says they believed. It goes further though.
The people bowed their heads and worshipped! At the signs and the words of Aaron the people believed, but something else prompted them to worship.

The people heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and He had seen their affliction. The “visit” of the Lord is difficult to get one’s hands around. All the modern ideas of a “visit” or “stopping by” are not intended. The Hebrew word translated as “visit” here has a broad semantic range. The idea communicated in this passage is the presence of the Lord is “beneficial” in contrast to times where the visit could be closely related to punishment (Harris et al. 1980, 1802-1803). Clearly the presence of God with beneficial results is intended. The next action ascribed to the Lord is His seeing of the people’s affliction.

Certainly, the affliction is described by the action of the Pharaoh, who knew not Joseph (1:8). These terrible events and mistreatment were observed by the Lord. In God’s visit and God’s seeing the people worship. Fretheim makes this point well, “In response to these words and deeds, the people believe, that is, they believe that what he has said is the truth. But the people not only believe, they worship….It is not the signs that prompt this activity but the specific promise inherent in God’s involvement. The next time the people worship, it will be upon deliverance from death on Passover night (12:27). The next time they believe, it will be on the far banks of the sea (14:31). This verse pushes ahead to the full realization of this word of God and ties Passover and sea crossing together”(Fretheim 1991, 82).

The importance of this verse cannot be overlooked for the unveiling of the theology of Exodus (and the exodus too). But what of current day believers? Does the visit of God and His seeing of our affliction bring us to worship?

I believe it ought to. Certainly in the face of physical mistreatment this verse can comfort that God sees and visits. It goes further than that for us who believe. Hebrews 2:14-18 speaks of Jesus Christ sharing our flesh and partaking of the same things we do. In short, He experienced the affliction of being part of a sin-cursed race of fallen, finite beings (though without sin Himself). Hebrews 2:17 says He was made like His brothers. In this suffering of temptation He experienced, He is able to help those who are tempted (Heb. 2:18). God the Son visited and not only saw but experienced our affliction. How can that not cause us also to worship?

Terrence E. Fretheim. 1991. Exodus. Interpretation. Louisville, KY: John Knox.

R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke. 1980. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody.

Retribution: A Comparison of 2 Maccabees and the NT

2008-10-15T12:34:00.002-04:00

The OT apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees is rich in its descriptions of torture and oppression of the Jewish people and the resultant gruesome punishment of its oppressors. The Lord is involved in the retribution of both the Jewish people and their enemies. These concepts are in ways removed from a modern western reader’s mentality. To consider the conceptual framework of a Second Temple Jew on retribution five tenets will be discussed. From these tenets and subsequent comparison with three New Testament passages, the reader will grasp the Second Temple Jew’s mindset regarding retribution and its presence in the writing of New Testament authors as well.

The first tenet is retribution is an act the Jews can call to God to carry out. The story early on depicts Nehemiah praying for God to afflict the Gentiles for their two sins of oppression and insolence (1:28). This mindset speaks to a division between the Jews and the rest of the world and particularly those who are against them. The seventh son tells Antiochus that he and his brothers appeal to God for affliction to come upon him (7:37). This appeal seems to indicate an intended result of the afflictions is a reverential, monotheistic confession from Antiochus. The fruition of these words can be considered as the narrative transpires in chapter nine. Antiochus is said to acknowledge the Lord’s doing in his bowel pains. He sought to reduce its severity by vowing to the Lord, but it does not produce this result. Thus, the sons’ calls for God’s retribution are answered in the narrative.

Secondly, the negative outcomes on the Jew’s enemies are attributed directly to God and described as His punishment. The way that this is shown in the text is through narration and not direct words from God. This does not negate the true relationship of God to these events in the mind of the author. It does indicate that the author is involved in interpretation to congeal the outcomes to retributive causes. The actions of Antiochus against Andronicus in 4:38 are described as God’s “repayment”. The conceptual framework of the author assumes secondary means as a legitimate action to be ascribed to God. This is applied equally to the internal, medical outcomes experienced by Antiochus. While there are not external signs to validate the attribution to God, the narratorial comments bring the reader to these conclusions. Thus in the mind of the author, God punishes enemies through the negative outcomes that befall them.

Thirdly, God’s retribution of the Jew’s enemies is described as responsive, proportionate and predictable. The punishment is always in relation to the evil deeds committed and the Lord responds. The punishment is never misdirected or arbitrary in its exaction but proportional to the oppression and arrogance of the enemy. The actions of Andronicus, Nicanor and Antiochus are met with God’s “deserved or “just” punishment (4:38; 7:36). The proportionality even extends to the level of irony in the extremes of accordance to lex talionis. This extreme irony produces in the reader an almost humorous response at the reversals of Antiochus (9:4-8). The predictable nature of retribution is shown in confidence of the narrator’s descriptions of the Lord’s emotions towards enemies (5:17-20 and 6:13-14). Characters trust in predictable retribution to follow. In 7:34-35 the seventh son assures Antiochus of God’s punishment and its inescapable consequences. Judas is confident that God will attack those opposing the Jews in 8:18.

Fourthly, the meting out of negative outcomes to the Jewish people themselves is described differently. These negative outcomes are still attributed to God but termed “discipline” (6:12, 14; 7:32; 10:4). The outcomes are similar to those befalling the enemies such as pain and brutal murder (6:10-11; 7:1-23). Similar to the punishment of the enemies, the Jews experience discipline in response to their sinful ways (4:16-17; 6:14-17). The key distinction between punishment and discipline is the narrator’s interpretation of God’s purposes.

Finally, God’s timing of punishment and discipline is intentional and meaningful. The distinction between punishment and discipline is clearly shown to be in the author’s mind by the comments of 6:12-17. The narrator clarifies that the swift discipline is actually merciful kindness. The Lord is patient in His punishment of the other nations waiting to give them the full judgment for all of their sins. The Lord disciplines the Jews as a sign of their relationship not forsakenness. This interpretation by the author is a means of dealing with the occupation of Israel and seeming distance of the Lord from the time of the exile.

The New Testament shares the retribution concepts of 2 Maccabees with several comparable statements. Due to space limitations, the comparison will engage the works of three New Testament authors. First, Paul’s statements in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 shares 2 Maccabees’ view of the Lord’s measuring of sins prior to punishment. Paul’s words of God’s wrath falling upon the Jewish people are also similar in sense to the statements of 8:11 and the overtaking of God’s judgment upon Nicanor. Paul has now interpreted God’s retributive punishment as falling upon the Jewish nation.

Secondly, 2 Peter displays similar concepts to 2 Maccabees on the predictable nature of retribution and timing of its occurrences. 2 Peter 2:9-10 functions as part of a larger discussion about false teachers. It describes the unrighteous as “under punishment” waiting for the predictable outpouring from God. 2 Peter 3:7-10 concerns timing as God is said to not be slow in keeping promises but waiting in judgment to prevent perishing. Here the patience of God is merciful over against 2 Maccabees’ swift mercy.

Finally, the unnamed author of Hebrews shares the viewpoint of discipline in Hebrews 12:3-11. Discipline is acknowledged as painful (Heb. 12:11) but proof of a relationship with the Lord. The purpose of the discipline is clearly for purifying of one’s life in holiness (compare Heb 12:10 and 2 Macc 7:32).

The tenets of retribution from 2 Maccabees can be related to New Testament teachings as well. These mental connections regarding retribution require closer attention to what is congruent and what is purposefully distinct in the New Testament. The differences that might be detected do not undermine the corollaries of retribution presented between 2 Maccabees and these New Testament passages.

Their Cisterns and Our Cisterns: Exploring Jeremiah 2:13

2008-09-25T22:25:00.005-04:00

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 2:13

There are three types of cisterns that existed in the near east: hillside cisterns, public town cisterns, and private domestic cisterns (Evenari, 159). The types are basically distinctions of location. The material of these various types is uniform. They are “exposed rock outcrops in the wadi bottoms are eroded by the floods to form natural basins, which retain some of the floodwater after the torrents have disappeared” (Evenari, 156-157). These large rock cisterns would develop cracks that locals would attempt to fill with plaster or rocks in order to maintain a pool of water to draw from.

This concept is especially significant to the book of Jeremiah occurring 11 times in the book. The term cistern occurs in three manners. Jeremiah is actually placed in a cistern by the Jews for his negative message. King Zedekiah even agrees to this action (Jer 38:3-7). The other manner for the use of cistern is used in 2:13 as a metaphor for the emptiness of alternatives to YHWH. Finally, in 14:3 it is a description of how terrible the drought has been on Israel.

Understanding what a cistern is like is significant to understanding these passages. The original readers understood their significance and function so the modern reader needs to understand this gap. The original reader’s awareness is even demonstrated in 38:6 as the narrator explains that the cistern Jeremiah was put in contained no water. Otherwise he would have drowned.
Gaining an understanding of this cultural background can illuminate in greater detail the reference in Jeremiah 2:13. The contrast of the living springs of the Lord is indicative of the rain dependent climate. The mountainous region of the Cis Jordan region was not especially helpful for agrarian purposes.

They needed the Lord to grant rainy seasons that would allow rainfall to increase snowfall in the Lebanese mountains and produce subsequent runoff to feed springs. The springs of Israel were produced by geological phenomena. As rain saturation seeped into the layers of mountains they vertically descend until reaching layers of carbon. Once the carbon is reached in the mountainous layers the water is forced horizontally and bursting from the side of the mountains down into the valleys (Beitzel 46-49). Thus God desired worshipful dependence from His people for even their life giving water in a dry land.

According to Jeremiah 2:13 they instead desired their cisterns to cause their own independence from YHWH. The people’s alternatives could be any substitute they reached for rather than their LORD. Baalism was a usual choice as a fertility god promised them an alternative method perhaps to obtain water (i.e. the good life with it).

Our cisterns today are different as rain is not viewed as a positive for most western societies as it ruins our plans! It is not necessary for our daily lives. Like Israel we do look for alternatives to God. Rather than embracing God’s love we lust and we long for sin. Instead of choosing God’s faithful deliverance we devise our own plans and worry about their effectiveness to fix our problems. Instead of choosing to believe God’s promises (of provision, of a way of escape, of His return, of His continuing progressive work in our lives) we choose alternative realities. Israel believed alternative realities such as worship Baal or we will not get our rain which we need to grow crops and live. We choose alternatives where we are competent on our own and not in need of the Lord’s sustainment to live a holy life.

God show us the faults in our cisterns. Help us to cover them over and leave them for the true life that comes only from You and is the only thing to sustain us.

Barry Beitzel. 1985. The Moody Bible Atlas of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody.

Michael Evenari, Leslie Shanan, and Naphtali Tadmor. 1971. The Negev: The Challenge of a Desert. Cambridge, MA: Harvard.

J.A. Thompson. 1980. The Book Of Jeremiah. NICOT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

The Difference between Business and Politics

2008-09-21T22:25:00.005-04:00

Jack Welch had some funny comments on the differences of business and politics. I thought I would post them, because they do bring some sanity to the triumphalistic claims of the current campaign climate.

"Basically, government is riddled with bureaucracy, waste, and inefficiency. In a company, you can clean those up, and you have to. In government, they're forever.

Why? For one, because it's difficult to move people up or out based on merit. Most government agencies have no differentiation to speak of. You can work for forty years, never excel or make a dent in results, and still get an annual raise. For another, you just cannot speak or act candidly in government without getting nailed. It is a world filled with compromise, patronage, and quid pro quo.

Yes, all these behaviors exist in business, but managers can rally against them on their own, or join a company that does so as a matter of course.

Finally, governments can afford to be beureaucratic because they don't compete....in the public sector you don't have to provide the highest value products or find the lowest cost solutions in order to create revenue. You can just keep raising taxes to pay for everything."

Winning. 2005. NY: Harper Business, 356-357.

Sin: Ugly in Adam and Ugly in Me

2008-09-17T17:57:00.004-04:00

"Sin is essentially a breach of trust, an illicit reach of unbelief, an assertion of autonomy. The spiritual death of Adam and Eve is shown by their alienation from one another, symbolized by sewing fig leaves together for barriers, and their separation from God, symbolized by hiding among the trees. Sin is transgressing divine boundaries, which results in alienation, deteriorating ecology, and physical death."

Bruce K. Waltke. Genesis: A Commentary.Grand Rapids: Zondervan 2001, 103.

This theological context for sin is frightful to me as the ramifications of my sins can be seen as far reaching ---not just between God and me, but others, and even the environment. Each requiring a renewing to fix the marring work of both Adam and I. Truly, sin in its ugly form and unbelievable consequences requires that needful restoration of Christ. Indeed, I need it for my sins. Praise God I can experience it.

Can God no longer be called YHWH?

2008-09-13T22:50:00.003-04:00

In August, the Vatican told bishops of the United States to remove the word "Yahweh" from songs or prayers and begin using Adonai or Lord instead.

"In recent years the practice has crept in of pronouncing the God of Israel's proper name," said a June letter from the Vatican. "As an expression of the infinite greatness and majesty of God, it was held to be unpronounceable and hence was replaced during the reading of sacred Scripture by means of the use of an alternate name: Adonai, which means 'Lord.'"

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra. "Barring Yahweh." ChristianityToday.com posted 9/11/2008 10:57AM

Included in this linked article is various Protestant responses.

I guess I am undecided on the issue. Certainly a decision for revering the name of God is always an important one. Likewise the immanence and approachability because of Jesus is also essential. I am honestly surprised at this decision, because I have been told by various Hebrew teachers that we are unsure how YHWH would be pronounced. Since the pointings were later and perhaps YHWH was written in place of the true personal name of God, today's Hebrew reader is unsure of God's name. This information is never cited from any source, yet I have heard it stated several times.

I certainly cannot speak for the Jewish religious community and will not attempt to. I do know from some interaction with Messianic Jews, they write G_d even as a form of reverential duty. Thus, the "deference" of the RCC may still not meet the Jewish attention to the issue. As a Christian believer embracing both the NT and the Hebrew Scriptures I am moved to attempt awesome reverence without rejecting the "come nearness" afforded me by Christ.

How a Jew might have felt encountering Hellenism

2008-09-05T16:28:00.004-04:00

"Imagine what it must have been to a young Jew, whose mind was filled from infancy with the solemn exhortations of the Law, the rich imagery of the prophets, the cries of Psalmists after the living God, when, for the first time, he heard read, or read himself, the utterances of Plato, quite different from anything in his own books, and yet so thrilling in its deep passion for justice and temperance, and its faith that behind the world movement there was a Power which cared for good. Or, it may be, he would make acquaintance with some living Greek Stoic whose philosophy really governed his life -someone who made you feel by the touch of his personality, by some strange power in his eyes, that nothing except goodness and inner freedom was worth desire. Here surely the young Jew, loyal to his God, would find something akin, something which drew him by its likeness to his own ideals of righteousness, and yet something, in other respects, unlike, dissonant, Gentile. He might well be perplexed. It was impossible simply to turn your back on all that, as you had on the fantastic superstitions of Egypt or Canaan. You could hardly cast out Hellenism of that kind as evil. And yet was it safe to let it creep, with its subtle subduing power, into a mind that ought to be consecrated to the Law?"

Edwyn R. Bevan, "Hellenistic Judaism," in The Legacy of Israel, ed. Edwyn R. Bevan and Charles Singer (Oxford: Clarendon, 1927), 40-41 quoted in J. Julius Scott Jr. Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995. 119.

TEDS: My 1st Semester

2008-08-28T22:02:00.020-04:00

My first semester at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School looks absolutely awesome. I am taking an Introduction to Archaeology with Dr. Hoffmeier, Biblical Geography with Dr. Beitzel, Hebrew Grammar with Dr. Magary, and the Intertestamental period with Dr. Pao. Each of these professors are world-class in their fields, Hoffmeier in Egyptology and Biblical Archaeology, Beitzel in Cartography and Biblical Geography, Magary in Hebrew Pedagogy, and Pao in 2nd Temple and NT studies.

I am excited to have been accepted into the M.A. in Biblical and Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages. As my first meeting with my advisor was exceptional and personal, I learned that I am the only new student this semester in the M.A. Arch. Thus, I look forward to excellent interaction with my advisor Dr. Hoffmeier.

Two of my buddies already listed their books for Hebrew here and the Intertestamental Period here, so I’ll list my Archaeology and Geography texts:

Archaeology

Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition by James K. Hoffmeier

Ancient Israel in Sinai by James K. Hoffmeier

The Future of Biblical Archaeology: Reassessing Methodologies and Assumptions Edited by James K. Hoffmeier and Alan Millard

What Did the Biblical Writers Know & When Did They Know It? What Archaeology Can Tell Us About the Reality of Ancient Israel by William G. Dever

The Archaeological Process: An Introduction by Ian Hodder

Archaeological Theory Today Edited by Ian Hodder

On the Reliability of the Old Testament by K.A. Kitchen

The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman

Geography

Geography is a smattering of reading from the Anchor Bible Dictionary, Biblical Archaeology by Schoeville, 400 pgs. on physical geography of the Levant, 400 pgs. on political geography of the Middle East, and of course the Moody Atlas of Bible Lands by Barry Beitzel.

Some Trinitarian Thoughts from Moltmann

2008-08-26T21:50:00.000-04:00

“If Christ dies with the cry of profoundest God-forsakeness, then in God the Father there must be a correspondingly profound experience of forsakenness by the Son” (304).

“‘One of the Trinity suffered,’ says Cyril’s now accepted theopaschite principle. I would add: if one suffers, the others suffer too. Christ’s death on the cross is an inner-trinitarian event before it assumes significance for the redemption of the world” (305).

“The Trinity is the theological background for the happening on the cross; the crucified Christ is the revelation of the Trinitarian mystery of God” (306).

Jürgen Moltmann. 2000. Experiences in Theology: Ways and Forms of Christian Theology. Trans. Margaret Kohl. Minneapolis: Fortress.

I am still processing some of these statements on the Trinity. I was thoroughly challenged to think deeply on the unity and diversity of the Trinity. Moltmann took great pains to avoid the common heresies in his description and pointed out the boundaries in all directions.

Indeed the glory of One God, Father, Son, and Spirit—How unimaginable!

Black Theology: A Costly Oversight

2008-08-15T18:20:00.003-04:00

“Luther took no notice of the ‘discovery’ of America, and Schleiermacher was equally unconcerned about the slave-trade, which was at its heights in his time. For Barth, Bultmann, and Tillich too, this [the mass enslavement of African Americans] was not a subject for theology.”

Jürgen Moltmann. 2000. Experiences in Theology. trans. Margaret Kohl. Minneapolis: Fortress, 212.

Moltmann shows this over-sight to be an impetus for black theology and a general distaste for European and American doctrinal issues by African Americans. The major concern in the African American world was of no consequence in the theological discussions of the day. Black Theology seems to have come from a costly oversight of African American concerns and issues by the established centers for theology. This impacts churches today and the uphill battle for the biblical design of multi-racial, cohesive churches.

With this shame in mind, I wonder what issues do we neglect in the realm of theology that with foster the next theological aberrance?

Only Once: Hebrews 9:27-28

2008-08-11T20:36:00.004-04:00

How many things do you do over and over again in your life? Some days I feel like I have just showered, had just recently gotten a haircut, or just last week had to renew my car insurance. It feels like these things happen so often that they become repetitive –even routine. Now stop to consider truly unique experiences. These experiences happen only once. The list is much shorter as not only repetitive actions are removed, but also ordinary experiences. Cross off going to the movies, dining at your favorite restaurant, and most sight-seeing spots.

One-time only-events in life are few. What are universally experienced one-time-events? I mean events that each and every person experiences but only once. Marriage could be a one- time event but not everyone gets married nor does everyone stay married. Birth of a child is not experienced by every person (No experience here yet). Without straining the illustration too far, the universally unique experiences of humanity are birth and death.

The author of Hebrews (AOH) makes this point in Hebrews 9:27-28. In this familiar funeral passage the AOH says Jesus’ death was a one-time deal. There is no more sacrifices needed –no further price to be paid for people’s sins. He says just as people die once, Christ Jesus made a single death offering. It was unique and will only occur the one time it did.

The AOH takes the opportunity of his discussing the mortality of people to express judgment as the next event after death. This is fitting with the AOH’s overall message in Hebrews. As he calls the original audience to continue diligently in the faith began in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice alone, a fearful alternative is cast through “warning passages” throughout the book (Heb. 2:1-4; 3:7-4:13; 5:11-6:12; 10:19-39; 12:1-29). Thus here in 9:27 I can’t help but think the AOH brought this latent theme up again in passing.

This theme has distracted many readers from reading these verses in their full significance related to Jesus’ death. To direct attention to this point is not to deny a final judgment, but to uplift the intention of the author/Author. He wants the focus on the word "ONCE."

Verse 28 shows that Jesus bore the sins of many. This activity is not common or repeatable. It occurred once, just as people will die only once. The second time Jesus appears will not be for the same activity again. There is a clear distinction made that on Jesus’ second appearance He will save the ones waiting for Him eagerly. Two appearances with specific actions will occur. The tone of the passage with the illustration of death and the definitive, one-time offering of Jesus for sin seems to communicate an absolute certainty of Jesus’ second appearance as well.

This is an Unrepeatable, Never Duplicated, Singularly Sufficient, One-Time Offering of Jesus Christ—only to be followed with a second “saving” but entirely different from the first for that would happen once.

Possible Comparative Source for Psalm 104

2008-07-26T14:03:00.006-04:00

Toward the end of book IV of the psalter, Psalm 104 makes significant claims of Yahweh’s creatorship. Within this psalm a transition occurs at verse 31 as the psalmist wishes the endurance of the Lord’s glory. He then calls others to sing, meditate, and rejoice in God’s work of creation. The tone of the preceeding 30 verses is amazement of Yahweh’s unique role throughout creation with weather, plants, and animals.

Of particular interet is the means the psalmist employs to drive home this point in 104:20-24 NIV,

“You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the bests of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening. How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

Now consider the Egyptian literature entitled “Aton’s Hymn.”

“When thou settest in the western horizon of heaven The world is in darkness like the dead…Every lion cometh forth from his den. The serpents they sting. Darkness reigns…Bright is the earth when though risest in the horizon…The two lands are in daily festival. Awake and standing upon their feet…Then in all the world they do their work. How manifold are all thy works! They are hidden from before us. Oh thou sole god, whose powers no other possesseth. Thou didst create the earth according to desire, being alone: Men, all cattle, large and small; All that are upon the earth.”

There are words of overlap and similarity allowing for semantic nuances of the NIV especially. A comparions with the KJV of Pslam 104 would show even more overlap. Aton was an adopted deity of Akhenaton in what is called the “Amarna heresy.” This newly appointed God given a monotheistic status in Egypt for a time even edged out the former chief diety of Amon-Re. Aton’s hymn is a means of distinguishing Aton from other deities of the Egyptian pantheon.

The psalmist of 104 has a similar motive. He is using God’s unique work of creation as reason to praise Yahweh above creation and higher than any claiming deity. He gives the food to the creates and controls the sun and all of creation.

Psalm 104 may not be dependent on Aton’s hymn directly, but certainly contains ideas and wording that are prevalent in the aNE world. There is a strong possibility the psalmist would be aware of this hymn or another ancient writing similar to it. This psalmist takes the pagan praise of a deity and relates the meaning and terms to the true creatining deity for worship –Yahweh.

Barabar Mertz. 2007. Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Egypt. 2nd edition. New York: Morrow.

Forgetting Application After Doing Exegesis?

2008-07-25T17:46:00.005-04:00

In reading Douglas Stuart’s classic on Old Testament Exegesis I found some convicting comments on the needful work of application once completing rigorous exegesis. The temptation of most individuals laboring to understand contextual, grammatical, syntactical, and theological meaning in a passage is to short-change application. The sheer amount of time expended in understanding the past often drains the utilization of the passage in the present. Stuart explains three reasons why careful, rigorous exegesis cannot finish without meaningful and intentional application.

“First, [to do so] ignores the ultimate reason why the vast majority of people engage in exegesis or are interested in the results of exegesis: They desire to hear and obey God’s word as it is found in the passage. Exegesis, in other words, is an empty intellectual entertainment when divorced from application.

Second, [to do so] addresses only one aspect of meaning-the historical-as if God’s words were intended only for individual generations and not also for us and, indeed, for those who will follow us in time. The Scriptures are our Scriptures, not just the Scriptures of the ancients.

Finally, [to do so] leaves the actual personal or corporate existential interpretation and use of the passage to subjectivity. The exegete, who has come to know the passage best, refuses to help the reader or hearer of the passage at the very point where the reader’s or hearer’s interest is keenest. The exegete leaves the key function-response-completely to the subjective sensibilities of the reader or hearer, who knows the passage the least.”

Douglas Stuart. 2001. Old Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. 3rd edition. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox. 27-28.

Comparative Literature: "Hey That Sounds Like...?"

2008-07-23T07:33:00.008-04:00

Do you remember the annoyance of children on the playground playing “copycat.” That’s the one in which a child mimics another child’s action or words incessantly. The game usually ends with an adult telling the copy cat to stop or a angry shoving match between children. Copycats are not prized in society either. Copyright enfringement and branding enchroachment are major concerns of coroporations in order to protect their originality.

So it should come as no surprise when comparative studies of the Scriptures are feared by the common pew warmer. Although the term comparative literature will seldom be used in this charged debate, it is what is at stake. The notion that “All the Bible contains is unique to itself and unlike anyting else that humanity has ever engaged in” permeates discussion. The point should quickly be made that indeed the Bible is a unique work of literature due its authority and source. The Bible is not a true original when it comes to some of its content and especially its style.

Should Bible believers fear these point of conformity to other pieces of literature of the ancient Near East or the Greco-Roman world? Emphatically, No! The writers of Scriptures used conventional liteary means to communicate to their audience. A fundamental theological premise is that God intended to be understood in the language of the Bible. God’s accomodation to humanity in the consonants, vowels, syllables, and parts of speech was to reveal Himself to humanity in means not previously attempted.

If God spoke and used men to write a message to be understood, it would be counter productive to then use style or genre that was foreign to the audience. If God wanted to communicate in today’s current culture He might use a blog or podcast. Thirty-years ago He might have chosen to use a Reader’s Digest article or editorial section of a major newspaper. Since God in His wisdom chose to reveal Himself during several centuries in ancient Near Eastern history and the first century of the Roman world He used genres, wording, and structure similar to those that existed in cultures of that day.

In a post-Davinci Code world believers fear connections with secular literature and the Scriptures. This fear is unwarranted in the realm of comparative studies as many examples can be found of “secular” even pagan literature that has been reformed or refined to be included in the canon of Scripture. These do not challenge the authority or significance of Scripture but instead begs the essential question of “why was this literary section plucked from another cultural significance to be used here in the Bible?” This question should drive further study and contemplation of the passage.

I hope to include comparative literary finds that I come across in the near future. I thought I should begin with this explanation of why I make these connections. The Bible may be using a copycat style for an important reason. It is not to undermine the text of Scripture but instead to illuminate interpreation of why inclusion occurred and what its significance might have meant for its original hearers/readers.

Going Deeper: Archaeology

2008-07-18T01:06:00.007-04:00

I am excited to announce my acceptance into Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Master of Arts in Biblical and Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages degree beginning this fall semester. I do still have a difficult road ahead with a Hebrew proficiency test to determine my placement in the Hebrew process….but I’m in.

The program will consist of 32 hours including Hebrew Exegesis, Biblical Archaeology, two courses in Cognate languages, 3-4 classes in Archaeology and aNE studies, two systematic theology courses, and finally rounded off with field work in the Middle East.
I am uncertain of my ultimate life vocations though I am interested currently in serving the church, furthering academic pursuits, and possibly museum work. I hope to gain the following from this degree:
1) For myself, an enduring love for the Old Testament
2) for the Body, the ability to take that knowledge of artifacts/history to bolster fellow Christian’s faith and add color and depth to my preaching
3) and to those outside, provide a reasonable challenge for those who question the historicity of the Scriptures.

I will be studying under a worldclass OT faculty including, Drs. Averbeck, Beitzel, Hoffmeier, Magary, Monson, VanGemeren, and Younger. I am excited to join the rigor and pursuit of knowledge in a field I am quite unfamiliar, yet deeply intrigued, with.

The Temple and the Church's Mission: Book Review

2008-07-12T16:11:00.003-04:00

The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A biblical Theology of the dwelling place of God, By G.K. Beale. Downers Grove: IVP, 2004, 458 pp., $19.14 on Amazon.

I recently completed a read of this significant work in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series (aka the silver ones). Series editor D.A. Carson summaries the work best on the back cover saying the importance of this book is its modeling of the way of doing biblical theology.
The theme of the temple or God’s dwelling is covered canonically in the unfolding of revelation through a redemptive historical model. Beale begins with the aNE mindset toward temple and cosmology. He then works through the former testament from Eden, to the tabernacle, to temple and post-temple eras.

Beale explains his methodology in the book as building evidence for a cumulative effect. He admits some arguments in isolation may not be convincing on their own terms. I felt this at certain junctures being uncertain if I bought the point of a particular page. Beale pleads with the reader to continue reading and consider the overall effect. I would say by the close a reader will be hard-pressed to avoid his conclusions.

Beale argues from aNE mindset and the pattern of Eden that God is orchestrating an enlarging BT motif of his presence in a non-physical temple encompassing the whole world. He demonstrates the purpose and function of the localized presence of God in the tabernacle and shows the incomplete fulfillment of expectations in Solomon’s temple. In his tracing of the theme through the wisdom literature and the prophets a future expectation of an enlarging temple is revealed.

He makes clear at the start of chapter five on the gospels the intent. “The New Testament pictures Christ and the church as finally having done what Adam, Noah, and Israel had failed to do in extending the temple of God’s presence throughout the world” (169). Jesus as the new temple, displayed in Jesus miracles and anti-herodian temple statement, becomes a dominant theme to understanding God’s presence.

In his treatment of Acts and Paul, Beale mounts evidence of Jesus fulfilling temple role and the church as comparative and temple-functioning capacities. Chapter eight dealing specifically with 2 Thess. 2 is worth the buying the book for alone. Beale has published an IVP commentary on Thessalonians and demonstrates his mastery in clear and understandable terms to the reader. Within this chapter Beale reconciles Daniel 11 and 2 Thess 2. He argues against a literal hermeneutic understanding which demands a physical result. He shows that literal need not necessitate physical as a meaning. The treatment of Hebrews makes this point clearer and continues the discussion.

Beale, as author the NIGTC commentary on Revelation, spends significant attention on Revelation. He makes the case for its importance due to the careful depiction John gives of the heavenly dwelling of God. Many questions I’ve personally posed were carefully addressed regarding the measuring of heaven, the lampstand symbolism, and sacrifice in the book. He closes the exegetical work with Ezekiel 40-48 furthering the case for a non-physical fulfillment of a future temple. He honestly handles the work of other scholars showing valid criticism and tenuous points.

Finally, the theological summary and initial application show BT to do what critics claim it never does. He moves from descriptive to prescriptive. Beale begins to create seedling ideas to further develop based on the exegetical/theological argument he has made. I greatly applaud his efforts to take his work to this point as a model of BT for the future.

I recommend this work for anyone wrestling with eschatological issues of fulfillment or handling temple texts that are dealt with in this book. As for me, I intend to have the book handy anytime I approach BT as a guidebook in methodology.

Jesus’ Genealogy: Hebrews' Perspective

2008-07-05T16:27:00.003-04:00

Matthew and Luke record the genealogy you might be expecting from this post title. Matthew traces Jesus line back to Abraham showing the royal line through David to Jesus. Luke’s third chapter highlights Jesus’ humanity from his mother Mary back to the first man in Genesis 1 named Adam. He is king because of his heritage and human through the incarnational birth through his mother.

The Gospel of John spends the entire twenty-one chapters driving home the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. This trite turn of phrase speaks to Jesus’ eternality prior to the time of his conception and human birth. It speaks to his character, power, and works. The case is argued in courtroom fashion mounting evidence from Jesus’ existence with the Father in the beginning, miracles that cannot be refuted, to the new world order brought about by his miraculous resurrection and Spirit enablement.

But what of the treatise of Hebrews? Chapter one speaks to Jesus’ unique position as Son. He is different from angels but privileged in his status with the Father. Then chapter two takes a different turn in considering Jesus’ family tree. The staggering comment of 2:11 cannot be overstated. “Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”

God entered the human race to become its most significant member as the one, who would make humans holy. Thus Jesus of divine status with the Father and human status as a king is pleased to call any human his sibling. The place of humanity, arguably lower than angels, is escalated the order of beings to brothers of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of the amazing kinship cannot be missed in the organization of the chapter. The great salvation of 2:3 has started this meandering argument. Then in 2:14-18 the author of Hebrews (AOH) puts the point of the kinship beyond affection to accomplishment. The purpose clause of 2:14 makes clear the sibling bond through the incarnation is so that he may 1) destroy the devil, 2) free those who were in slavery to the fear of death.

Then the AOH ties the argument back to chapter one and two that angels were not the significant ones, but descendents of Abraham. Lest someone views this ethnocentrically, I believe Galatians 3:29 is on point with the sentiment. As only the AOH could do he equates this activity with the Jewish priesthood and launches further into these implications in chapter three.

The idea of the family of God has been the theme of so many songs, children teachings, and bumper sticker theology that the grandeur of the reality can be overlooked. Consider the broader perspective of Jesus’ genealogy and then consider that humans, who are freed from slavery and have received Jesus’ priestly work are indeed his brothers and sisters. Jesus is son of God, a true human, and of kingly heritage and I am his brother. My special position can indeed incur favors based on his standing and merit with the Father. I need no other priest before the Father because of the special pleading he has done for me.

Economic Crisis: An Evangelical Response

2008-06-13T11:35:00.005-04:00

The current economic crisis of the United States has captured the minds of Americans of all classes and races. Factors such as war, oil prices, unemployment due to out-sourcing, and the national debt are bantered about as the avalanche of pessimism continues. Today's result of the consumer price index (CPI) was feared to indicate the bottom has fallen out. This is a measurement of common household items that can be compared through the years to describe changes economically.

The CPI results were less than many feared. It continues to rise and anticipation is the cost of goods will increase through June and July (Business Week 2008). How comforting is the fact that analysts feared it would be worse? This reveals a growing fear among the "experts" with each hedging their bets on things getting worse and worse.

In an economic crisis the general population is hording funds and cutting discretionary expenses. "Cut coupons!" "Don't fill up the gas tank, only get a little bit." Politicians are looking for someone to blame: the other party, credit card companies, or foreign nations and businesses. The pressure is on and tensions are running high.

As believers find themselves in the same situation, how can we avoid the same roller coaster of media opinion? I believe three principles should guide the Christian worldview in economic crisis:

1) Personal Responsibility/Stewardship
This is the first to come to mind to many Christian teachers and preachers. We are stewards of the riches God has given us thus anyone amassing debt is displeasing God. Obviously, some choices made are better than others. Acknowledging mistakes can be made by anyone should avoid pride above those facing foreclosures or other crisis. Understanding God's soverign hand can also assure individuals, who thought they were making the best decisions on the information they had, that He controls outcomes and wealth. Job serves as a memorable biblical example of all crisis even financial, yet he was not the cause of it.

2) Kingdom Anticipation
We all must be reminded America is not God's kingdom. Though we love its place in history and have seen God work mighty deeds through it for His sake, it is a temporary power of the world imperfect in comparison to the rule of Christ. Thus, regardless of eschatological expectations one might have, each can long for the day when earthly rulers are not ruling but Christ is in totality. This anticipation should be expressed and felt in the face of a crisis. We can see more clearly than when prospering that no President, CEO, or Fed Chairman can bring the peace and provision truly needed. -Even so come quickly Lord Jesus.

3) Compassion and Giving
As people amass and tight-fist goods for themselves in fear of what lies ahead, Christians should seek more counter-cultural means to actually open their hands and give. The radical actions of giving to those in need bespeaks one's trust in God and not in an economic upturn. This giving should of course be to those within the Body but also to those outside. This Christian trust in God can be shown in the continued support of the not-for-profit organizations that move toward a kingdom ideal. American Express is anticipated to continue without a change its philanthropic giving, how can believers not endeavor to do the same in trusting their God and not their riches (Gershkovich 2008, 2).

These are difficult times with severe weather, global warming, and economic crisis (plus no tomatos!). These challenges should be related to our theological underpinnings and avoid a conservative or liberal media from dictating our response or perception. No one can claim perfect living in this environment, or any other, thus we must work to live out Christ in authenticity in the cultural environment we are now in.

Business Week Staff. 2008. "Inflation: No Scares on Friday the 13th." Business Week. June 13. http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jun2008/pi20080613_306735.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_news+%2B+analysis (accessed June 13, 2008).

Tatyana Gershkovich. 2008. "Philanthropy Has Seen Better Days." Business Week. June 13. http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2008/db20080612_118406_page_2.htm
(accessed June 13, 2008).

Reviews: How to Read the Psalms and Parables of the Kingdom

2008-05-26T13:02:00.005-04:00

Two recent reads for me were How to Read the Psalms by Longman and the classic The Parables of the Kingdom by C.H. Dodd.

How to Read the Psalms is a layman level look with deeper study presented throughout. Longman, a specialist in literary readings, examines the various genre of the psalms. His intent is to aid readers in understanding the contours of each genre for proper understanding. I have been reading through the Psalms on my own while reading this book. I found the study of genre insightful for interpretation. For example, trying to discern a psalm of thanksgiving from a psalm of praise was fruitful and caused different phrases to come alive.

Longman's chapter on Hebrew poetry is also a great resource for laypersons and to be honest helped bring clarity to other works I have considered on poetry. He explains parallelism in an understandable fashion so that the basic concept is understood. He also provides a helpful explanation of the chronology of prevailing thoughts on parallelism.

He says that first parallelism was understood as A does not equal B in parallel lines of thought. In Psalm 1 this would mean a great deal of time would be expended to interpret the differences in walking in the council of the ungodly, standing in way of sinners, and sitting in the seat of the scornful. Later after more critical scholarship, the prevailing thought became A = B. Thus in Psalm 1 one would understand walking, standing, and sitting as conveying the same idea of being with the ungodly. Most recently, Hebrew parallelism is understood as A and A+ to describe the thought is continued but built onward in a progression. This was helpful to grow my understanding of the topic.

I also recently finished The Parables of the Kingdom by Dodd. I began reading this work when one of my professors at Regent cited the work for his understanding of interpreting parables. I did some research and found this work to be foundational to many parable studies. Of course Dodd, a premier British scholar of Oxford and Cambridge, produces a masterful work. Though dated it was still worth the reading.

Overall Dodd exudes his bias against futurism for a whole-sale realized eschatology. This intent in the work cannot be missed. The chapters that were especially meaty were: the nature and purpose of the gospel parables, the kingdom of God, and the "Setting in Life." The thoughts contained in these chapters propeled parable studies forward when this work was originally published. Dodd's careful study of the sitz im leben of the parables shows nuisances of difference in the varied purposes for inclusion in the synoptics. He also shows a strong handle on the theology of these individuals books and points out difference in the accounts to emphasize autorial purpose.

Politics of Now, the Kingdom of Now and Later

2008-02-24T22:13:00.008-05:00

"'There is no straight line from the politics of this world, from the programs and projects in which we invest our enegergies, to the Kingdom of God.' Yet there is room for 'a movement of radical protest, suffering, and hope' --'under the sign of the cross and in the power of the resurrection' -- in favor of 'the new reality' that has broken in from above."

-Leslie Newbigin

Signs amid the Rubble:

The Purpose of God in Human History

This is a varied political approach, which we must all keep in mind in an election year. Be active in the public square to express kingdom living now, but continually long for the public in-breaking of our King, who rules our private heart domains. No politician, party, or platform will truly bring what we clamor for. Come Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20)

Reading 2007 in Review

2008-01-04T14:35:00.000-05:00

Here is my 2007 reading list. Although lighter than some previous years, I wanted to put out a brief synopsis of each. The synopsis benefits me so that my reading is not just a check mark as I ponder, “What did I actually gain from my books?” It might help someone select another book to read in 2008. Something I’m always passionate about is encouraging reading among all believers for the health and benefit of the Body.

Original Jesus by NT Wright

This is a popular level presentation of much of Wright’s historical Jesus research. It helped give an overview of much of what I read in Jesus and the Victory of God.

Dominion and Dynasty by Dempster

This is an excellent biblical theology presentation of the Hebrew canon. It is intriguing look at the arrangement of the Hebrew Scripture versus the Christian Old Testament. I highly recommend D&D and its suggested mitte of Dominion and Dynasty.

Contagious Holiness by Blomberg

This is a great biblical theology work that traces the theme of table habits in the ministry of Jesus. It gave a good introduction to the Greco-Roman symposium and comparison/contrast with Jesus’ meals for those like myself previously unaware. Blomberg’s intent was not to give an application at the end of his work, Katie and I had some great discussion as to how apply these thoughts to our lives.

Synoptic Problem by Stein

This is an older work that explores all of the Synoptic problem possible theories and difficulties. Tedious at point, but I found it fascinating as I had some ideas in my head that were traced back to their proper origins through this work.

Drama of Doctrine by Vanhoozer

Drama was probably my favorite read of the year. This work takes the role of theology in the life of the church, Christian, and culture and relates it to drama terms and relationships. This dramatic backdrop explains in fresh terms how theology is desperately needed in the church and everyday life, yet theology is about acting out our script now. The Scriptures are our script, yet each of us actors must improvise the script for the exact situation we are in today. Vanhoozer also makes a strong case for traditions of faith providing a catholic (read universal) continuity of a perspective that transcends time.

The Partner by Grisham

Some great light fiction reading. I found Grisham this year for the first time and enjoyed some light reading prior to sleep. This was a great lawyer tale with adventure and intrigue.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Lencioni

Lencioni, a management consultant, tells an interesting business tale. He starts with a several chapter fable to outline his methodology for fixing teamwork issues. Then he wraps up the book outlining the strategies used in the fable explaining how to implement. I found this riveting and very practical for me right now.

Paul: Follower of Christ or Founder of Christianity by Wenham

I polished off this work during the summer. Entirely too long. One can read the first and the last chapter and be enriched. The evidence presented in the middle chapters supports his conclusions, but unless you’re engaged in some serious research in the field of Paul and Jesus comparisons –trust me he has supporting evidence if you question anything found in chapter 1 or chapter 9.

Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom by Grenz

This was a devotional read with great thought behind it. Grenz takes prayer and does not attempt to be especially novel, but his sincere honesty on the issue is refreshing. He wrestles with the sovereignty of God and prayer. He calls for commitment. The crux of his thesis is our wishes in prayer are at their heart a desire for what Jesus brings in the kingdom. Health issues, monetary needs, the righting of wrong, etc will all find fulfillment in Jesus’ future kingdom. Thus, in our prayer for all of these things we are really longing for Jesus and His kingdom, and we should recognize it as such.

A Once and Coming Spirit at Pentecost by Raymond Brown

The great Catholic scholar gives his insight on the lectionary readings in Acts and their relationship to the Gospel of John. A very short read, but was beneficial to me as I have been thinking about the comparison and contrast of the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2 versus John 20:19-23.

Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hey, are you afraid to read someone you disagree with! Come clean and give the benefit to the other. An interesting telling of history that I lived through, I enjoyed the memories rekindled. Some I’m sure happened as told and other points I have some questions. I understand the heart of a Democrat more than ever before. I see that some issues and responses of a Democrat appear closer to the heart of Jesus on some issues than Republicans do. Thus, I found this a provocative read as I consider my own responsibility in the public square.

What Saint Paul Really Said by N.T. Wright

I recently posted my thoughts on this read. All I can stress is if you haven’t read Wright on Jesus you are missing out. Wright on Paul might make you a little uncomfortable though. Some food for thought some bones you might want to be cautious about before digesting.

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

This is a difficult read because of the emotional venting of the great Lewis. If you have never experienced the loss of spouse, parent, or child (as I have not), it is a glimpse into that world of the suffering. I found it practical in considering ministry to the hurting and also preparatory for the grief I will one day surely experience if the Lord not return first.

Law and the New Testament: The Question of Continuity by Frank Thielman

I read this in a single sitting in Illinois. I found it to be an interesting walk through the NT canon and how authors and book groupings related to the law. The information on Hebrews was especially interesting.

Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament by Walton

I also had a recent post on this work, so I’ll just leave it as an excellent cultural read. An important OT background work emphasizing comparative studies. I consider it a counterpart to Ferguson’s NT Backgrounds.

Reading a little NT and a little OT

2007-12-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

I've been attempting to balance out the content of my reading for the different disciplines of biblical studies. For NT studies I finished What Saint Paul Really Said by N.T. Wright and Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible by John Walton.

I would recommend Wright's handy short read if you feel a deficiency in recent Pauline studies as I did. His brief overview of interpreters is helpful and memorable. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 give a excellent introductory comparison/contrast of Jesus and Paul (more helpful than Wenham's marathon work Paul: follower or founder...). Chapter 7 is the chapter most are probably curious about, where Wright offers his Justification view. In short Wright seems to say the Reformed view or Lutheran View of Justification are part but not all of the Paul's point. I am not entirely sold, but sympathetic for the lordship of Christ as a forgotten aspect of Paul's gospel.

The final commendation for this book centers on the last chapter. Wright gives a critique of A.N. Wilson's Paul: The Mind of the Apostle. This serves as a model for all christian scholars for charity and respect for opposing views. Wright also does not back down, but focuses on the key points of disagreement.

I purchased Walton's aNE Thought and the OT on 9/29 of this year on a whim and started reading it. Finishing it today 12/7 is a pretty quick turn around for me. This demonstrates the enjoyable appeal this book offered. I compare it in some ways to Ferguson's Backgrounds of Early Christianity. Walton opened up comparative studies as none other has for me before. His attention to the non-Israelite social group/nations of the aNE truly enlivened my view of the Hittites, Sumerians, Egyptians, Babylonians, etc. To see the overlap at points does not take away from the unique aspects of the biblical record, but rather helps the modern interpreter bridge interpretive gaps to see what the original hearer/reader would have found as significant.

Walton shows in his chapter on literature that sometimes the genre appears unique to the modern reader when in fact the biblical author could not have been more in vogue for the surrounding culture. Thus, the oddities do not gain undue attention with this approach but instead what the canonically formed text actually intends to be highlighted.

The final three sections give details on the religion, cosmos, and people of the aNE. I found this information vastly new to me and highly enlightening. Throughout Walton's work he has highlighted boxes informing the biblical text and situations based on comparisons with the comparative research offered in this chapter. If you are not an OT guru, this is a great intro. to open you mind to the world of the former testament's original audience.

A Post...but still not Substantive

2007-11-26T08:06:00.000-05:00

This was fun during our Thanksgiving in NY. Bank of America had this whole setup building on 5th Avenue to make a video greeting, give out hot chocolate, and wrap presents for free. I thought since I haven't posted anything in a while; I would share our performance.

Biblical Futurism

2007-10-01T11:31:00.001-04:00

No, this isn't yet another endorsement for shameful eschatology. There is not intent in this post to name the anti-christ or the red heifer. I have been studying the future of businesses and trying to learn to be innovative and use strategic foresight.

What I couldn't get away from was the moral and ethical issues of some of the coming forecasted future. Too often the church and Christianity are not prepared for the future of the city below on earth. The church is often sent reeling when a technological breakthrough occurs and suddently the moral questions come to light.

The church historically has taken a reactive "hardline" approach to most innovations. Consider the International Catholic Film Office and the Episcopal Committee on Motion Pictures early battles with Hollywood. Much of that debate led to the more familiar religious rhetoric of "don't be found in a movie theatre when Jesus returns." This intent started with those battling Hollywood for a rating system and filterd down to more piously concerned Christians.

Ethics is normally a field that takes on the questions of morality, but usually focuses on the here and now. Should I do A or not? Based on the moral codes decisions are made between viable, available options. Cultural Hermeneutics is another great step, such as the Vanhoozer book, Driscoll and others contextualizing to answer questions.

My thought is the church should be involved in futurism, which studies the advances and possibilities of the future. This will allow biblical responses to be more proactive than reactive, which tends to make Christians look uneducated and out-of-touch. If we have some time to ponder the possibilities we can be guided more by principled arguments against technology and less with the rhetoric of fallacies.

Here's a video clip that at one level will probably strike you as silly and irrelevant. Then your next reaction should be this stuff is coming from very educated people, who get the technology stuff and really are working to bring these things about in 25 years. So pastors and academics...are we ready with answers for the pew?

How Do We Use the Bible?

2007-09-07T14:07:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about the variety of ways that people use the Bible. By this I do not mean where it is applied as much as the manner or approach to the biblical text. I would like to solicit insight from any who happen upon the discussion. I will list a few of the manners I have organized of late. My intent at the moment is not to prejudice any of these manners at the outset as this is descriptive in nature. I am sure I will inevitable use loaded word choice though that will expose my biases.

A Literary Use

This could best be summarized as an intent to read the Bible as any other piece of literature. There will be emphasis upon grammar and syntax but not in isolation to genre. The genre will drive interpretation pointing out various literary features such as climax, foreshadowing, and character development in narrative. In poetry attention will be paid to parallelism and metaphor. The focus will be on what the literature says and what the original human author intended (e.g. occasion of letter in Roman occupation, divided kingdom needed x).

A Theological Use

This could be summarized as an intent to read the Bible as a source from proper doctrine and proper living. There will be emphasis upon linguistic features, but usually only to illuminate the nuances of a doctrine/belief over and against a different view point. The theological summation will drive interpretation pointing out its relation to other coordinated doctrines or ethical situations. The focus will be on what the text says and what one is to believe or do in response (e.g. angels, do not lie because God is truthful).

A Directive Use

This could be summarized as an intent to read the Bible as the means to find how to live one’s life. There will be emphasis upon the reader with careful attention to what this means for/to me. The application will drive interpretation pointing out areas of an individual’s life that need correction or direction. The focus will be on what the text says about the reader’s life (e.g. will of God, sin to deal with).

A Principled Use

This could be summarized as an intent to read the Bible as means to find facts for how God set up the world. There will be emphasis upon wisdom or truth with careful attention to what the relevance the Bible plays on particular issues. The nugget of implication to a seemingly unrelated field will drive interpretation pointing out parallels of everyday life and the text. The focus will be upon what the Bible says about a particular topic of life (e.g. business, people’s illnesses).

A Combative Use

This could be summarized as an intent to use the Bible as a means to counter a trend or behavior. There will be an emphasis upon the elements that appear to be in contradistinction to the present belief or action. The reader’s desire to counter will drive interpretation pointing out any elements that can be considered on the topic at hand without particular attention to literary or theological issues. The focus will be upon what the Bible says is correct and true and why the opposing position if wrong or false (e.g. creation v. evolution, world music is wrong).

In trying to categorize the various ways that I know the Bible can be used I am attempting to think through validity. I do believe the Bible is a literary work, with theological importance that directs our lives with principles and error combatants. With that being said, that does not mean that I should use each of these approaches in preaching/teaching or that each of these is a valid approach (read approach not just use) to the Scriptures.

I find that people do approach from these varied uses. The influence of each approach is profound. One who comes looking for a combative element seldom cites a literary feature in support of what I may contend is a correct conclusion. On the other side a theological preacher says much that I agree with about the gospel and justification, yet sometimes yields little textual markers to come to this conclusion. Equally troubling is a theological preacher’s ineptitude at points to direct my life from the Scriptures since only theological categories are present in his Bible.

Share you thoughts please, I’m sure more will come on this topic from me. I need some aid from the community of learning.

Music Meme

2007-09-04T22:46:00.000-04:00

1. You would be surprised that I listen to __________.

I don't know how much of a surprise it might be, but I really like country music. Lonestar, Kenny, and Rascal Flat.

2. You probably have never heard of __________.
I'm actually pretty much a mainstream listener. I'm not on a search for the hidden talent. I do like Jack Johnson who I only recently learned of from my singles group back in VA about a year ago. He's off the beaten trail a little bit.

3. I hope nobody sees this amidst my collection: ___________.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Soundtrack. There really is no way I could explain this away if I tried.

Conflicting Priorities

2007-08-20T00:33:00.000-04:00

I have been pondering the role of conflicting priorities in life. What has most prompted this thinking is my job. I had been finding myself so upset with trickle down decision from upper management that seemed contradictory. I thought, “Why am I being told to focus on x when just last week it was q. Doesn’t anybody up there understand that q is made up of z + -x?” I thought that this apparent oversight was obvious only to me. Then I noticed a few days later that I did something similar to those reporting to me. I would say, “You have to do a, but don’t you dare drop off in b.” I would know while my direct reports balked behind my back that such demands were warranted by what the business needed. I at points tried to explain the rationale behind these dual responsibilities, and some would see the need and strive to meet it. Others would just complain and wallow saying, “It can never be done. You have an impossible goal.”

These thoughts whirling in my mind to and from work shaped into other areas of life that seem to be conflicting priorities. I thought about loving my wife and yet needing to love God. I thought about wanting to have an educated faith but a passionate one. I want to be well-liked but principled. I was taken back to say the least when I realized almost every part of my life can be summed up as conflicting priorities. My number one and number two items in an imaginary ranking system require my utmost devotion and complete attention. The time to be allotted to each is competitive, each vying for more from the other. As I type this I think, "Should I really be writing this or should I go to bed to be rested. I could be reading” –another priority of mine.

How does any person make sense of such inner conflict? I don’t want to run to a cliché or warp a Scripture passage. I wed a theological maxim with pragmatic living. I start with the pragmatic axiom. I can’t do everything! While I might have grandiose desires and elevated dreams, when the rubber meets the road I can see what I value (pardon the cliché about rubber). The theological maxim must be to truly do everything to the glory of God. A seeming paradox of not doing everything yet doing everything requires complete adherence. While no profound truth found here, the application of integrated, principled living (avoiding the all-too-easy bifurcation of Christian living vs. the real world) begins to brings meaning to my journey. The more that I focus on some type of overarching purpose such as the glory of God in all the conflicting priorities I do see that some things can fall. To let a priority fall is not to fail unless the fallen priority fails to fulfill the glory of God.

Rethinking Paul CT Article by Gathercole

2007-08-07T11:10:00.000-04:00

Since I hadn't seen anyone post a plug for Simon Gathercole's article in CT in my small network of friends, I thought I give the shout out. I know many of you keep up with CT, but some who claim to be all things scholarly still shame themselves by not subcribing (Baylor). Gathercole, a now at Cambridge after a few years at Aberdeen, takes on the new perspective cutting a more traditional shape. He is balanced in his approval of much of Sanders research, but challenges the conclusions of Dunn and Wright.

He provides a significant dose of Scriptural defense for his position (especially hefty for CT standards). This a very readable article that makes such as abstract discussion at the new perspective make sense to even a layman. I found it helpful, since I had only a cursory understanding of some of the issues. So if your vision is cloudy on the debate, this would be a good place to start.

Two sections make this article very valuable: first, the six tendencies that Gathercole lays out as faults of the new perspective, and secondly the further reading sections that gives suggested reading from introductions, popular and scholar commentaries, and scholarly discussions.

So again, I emplore CT subsribers to not miss this. For non-subscribers it is a must, so here's the link CT so generously provided Gathercole Article.

Bonus, if you liked the cover art of CT this month and the picture of Paul (not the pic I have above) here's the link to the artist. He has some interesting stuff.

God Speaks

2007-08-04T19:30:00.000-04:00

Too often I think that I have approached God's spoken word with little thought. Although I attempted not to I fashioned Him to be like me. "Of course God speaks!" I think to myself, "If He made me to be able to speak surely He can also." Then slowly over the last few years my mind has come back to this idea of God speaking, and I have become more and more enamored with it.

God in complete satisfaction in Himself chose to bring into being things other than Himself. This included all things that we normally fascinate ourselves with apart from God. These things, His good gifts, came from one source -God, more specifically God's spoken word.

In Genesis 1 God speaks (the text says God said" 9xs and He calls and He blesses) and a transformation of all things other than God occurs. The verbal extension of God's essence is powerful, personal, and possessing. Here we have words of sovereignty and rulership. Do we think though of God starting with speaking?

God shows himself to be sovereign in that He initiates all things by His word. God's first movement recorded in Scripture outside of Himself was to speak. It follows that believers and followers of the true God revere a record of some of His spoken words in Scripture. How interesting that God reveals His Son in John1 and Hebrews 1 as the Word, a form of God speech.

When I consider God's gracious bestowal of word to mankind I am amazed at His wisdom. By God's speech the world came to exist, His Son stood as a God among man, and a continuing written testimony is able to be read. God's word in action, example, and record surrounds the entirety of the human existence. God's presence can be observed in all of these forms by His Word.

Each and everyday I fulfill God like actions with my speech. I create ideas and works of the written word. I extend myself to others with my speech. My word can be written and recorded as it is here. I am at every turn reminded that my word is infinitely less significant. It is not sovereign at all. My words are almost always not even slightly original. With a simple comparison of my word and God's I am continually reminded of the otherness that God is.

God, cause us each to tremble at your word in creation, in Christ, and in the Scriptures. You are God and we are creatures with feeble words.

Vatican involved in Cultural Exegesis

2007-06-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

The Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People issues a document regarding the opportunity for proper conduct on the road. The Council addressed the road as both a place for good but also a potential for evil. The official document is entitled "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road," but forever will be remembered as the 10 Commandments for Drivers.

I applaud the RCC in this particular instance (insert usual disclaimer statement that is normally offered by Protestants under-cutting the endorsement entirely) for engaging the Culture. The Vatican's Council seems to be doing what I see as a believer's responsibility to look for the areas of culture that need to be handled with a Christian world view by believers and confronted with a Kingdom savvy ethic toward the unbelieving world. This encompasses anything and everything in our lives -including driving.

Here is the 10 Commandments issued:

1. You shall not kill.

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.

5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

7. Support the families of accident victims.

8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

10. Feel responsible toward others.

While many of us might quibble over some of these particulars, I do believe it does cause each of us to consider the mundane maneuver of driving as yet another area of life under the dominion of Jesus Christ to be lived for His glory.

The Angst of Evangelistic Trialogue

2007-06-15T04:02:00.000-04:00

I see you sitting there, and I wonder, "Should I say something to you?" "Has anyone shared the gospel with you before -I mean at all," I think. I sit there thinking, thinking, clearing my throat. Finally, the overwhelming urge cannot be avoided. I start with some kind of small talk to you. I'm attempting to find out something about you and show interest. Perhaps I don't get to give you all my arguments, Scripture, and thoughts about why Jesus is your Savior. "I'm trying to show you concern, and I'm trying to really listen to your feelings."

"Do you hear what I'm saying though?" "I'm trying to offer you the gift that Jesus gave of eternal life with Him in heaven versus death forever in Hell apart from God." I see you growing indifferent and settling back in to your normal day. Sure this has been a little of a different conversation for you, and perhaps now you think for a moment about the future. I see you trying to look away and bury yourself in your book. "What about what I said?" "Are you thinking about it?" We soon part ways me to my world and you to yours. There is indeed an undeniable aroma of death to you, but your turn your nose to the scent de jeur.

I lay awake tonight praying, "God bring the next person across their path." "God let someone else water and please God bring a harvest." I can see you when I stop and close my eyes. I cannot forget your name, though I'm sure you've forgotten mine. "God please don't let him forget yours." "God please let Him remember you."

In the course of evangelistic conversations, I find myself in a three way conversation. The person I am sharing the gospel with, myself, and God. These are some of my thoughts before, during, and after. Perhaps, you can relate. I felt compelled to try to pen my feelings.

Congrats Katie!!

2007-05-18T16:48:00.001-04:00

I am very proud of my wife for her stamina and brilliance. Katie has just completed her Master of Education in TESOL/TESL from Regent University. She has been an amazing woman these last few months especially managing ministry opportunities with the single girls of our church, teaching English part-time for Norfolk Public School's adult night school, and working full-time at Regent.

Katie took to this degree as a perfect fit for her, combining her love of other cultures and people along with (undergrad. in missions) her love for teaching. I asked her two short years ago if she would get a Masters from Regent. She found the perfect program and has been diligent with it. She has been recognized for outstanding work from her professors and has completed a thesis. Katie's thesis was entitled "Acculturation and the English Language Learner: A Workshop for the Adult English as a Second Language Teacher." Katie often had to say no to activities to complete projects, but she amazingly balanced so many responsibilities. So again, Kongrats Katie!!

Drama and Problems

2007-05-03T05:18:00.000-04:00

Catchy title perhaps that causes you to take a look. Actually no major problems occurring, just the completion of two books to discuss.

First, I completed Robert Stein's The Synoptic Problem. It is a dated book in some respects, yet I found it very interesting. Stein gives a significant treatment of the issues surrounding the Synoptic Problem. I have had only limited interaction on the topic in my previous schooling, so I found the work riveting. Stein pointed to caution with regard to source, form, and literary criticism -without denying the value of these disciplines. Stein also help give me a historical perspective for the issue tracing the ebb and flow of popular positions. He gave some good textual examples to validate his conclusion. My only criticism regards tone as Stein seemed to trumpet Markan priority (which I agree with, don't get me wrong) without full allowance for opposing views. On an issue of almost utter inconclusive evidence, ample leeway must be offered. I recommend the book to anyone like me, who had some exposure to the issue and wondered why all the logical questions haven't been asked. This book will correct you....they have been asked, I just haven't been taught all the questions or their answers for the issue.

Second, The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology by Kevin J. Vanhoozer was fulfilling. Vanhoozer set out to interact with cultural-linguistic theology, but present a more Evangelical approach concretely centered on the canon of Scripture. He uses an extended metaphor of drama (theatre) to describe it. He does an excellent job relating theology to the church, but not as the end all. Vanhoozer demonstrates the pragmatics of church in a local setting is not catholic enough. He argues through the drama metaphor the necessity of authentic Christian theology that practices what it believes. In unprecedented fashion Vanhoozer shows the dichotomy of belief and action, theology and christian living, head and heart to be absurd. It is the goal of our Playright (God the Father) that we (cast members) act our part with such a unique and stellar performance. To play are part we not only need to know the Script (the Text), but we must also perform in true improvisation (akin to drama's The Method) not merely ad libbing. The task of believers everywhere of all times is to stand in their spotlight for a moment of soliloquy and improvise as necessary for the changing challenges that arise (heresy, ethical dilemmas, martyrdom) so as to be accurate to the Script and consistent with the intentions of our Director (the Holy Spirit).

We cannot play our part unless we both know and indeed Act our Christian theology.

Open Eyes at the Lord's Table

2007-04-05T22:27:00.000-04:00

I have been pondering the momentous action of the Lord's Table this week after observance at our church Grace Bible. I was struck with the thought that this observance unlike the majority of the Christian experience is a visible display.

I know that saying it is a visible display doesn't sound like anything special as those of a Free church background; however, I have critiqued myself for missing such an important feature of the Lord's Table. Sure, I've grown up with I Corinthians 11 and the Gospel accounts. I have been told every minor parallel between agape feast and the Jewish passover. What I've heard has not been the problem as much as what I've failed to see. The Lord's table is about seeing and doing. It is a visible expression.

The Last Supper/First Communion was a time when Jesus held up visible items to symbolize theological truth -a theological truth found in the flesh and blood of the person holding these items. Jesus took common objects of the meal and showed them with new significance. I fail to look at these common items sometimes. I find myself so engrossed in reading a passage, thinking about Christ, and praying that I don't look at the elements and the ceremony.

The Christian faith tends to be an invisible faith and the protestant variety often lacks any symbolic or pictorial heritage of faith. This is often an outgrowth of the Puritanical influence especially anchored in American Christianity. While these Puritan roots are not bad by any means it does often cast a blind eye toward the visible aspects of the faith. We should look up from our text of Scripture and open our eyes from prayer to enjoy the rich, visible display at the celebration of the Lord's table. See the common objects with profound implications.

I'll share some of thoughts from this last occasion: "This bread as a body. It is sort of flesh colored -at least my flesh color. Hmmm....Jesus was a Jew though." "This juice does kind of look like blood. It wasn't really a stretch to see this a symbolic of blood." "Isn't this cool how the church is all attentive to this one task. See how everyone is considerate of others. Everyone's careful not to spill on the person next to them. The leadership is serving by giving the elements. This is kind of like picturing the church." In thinking through what I saw I participated in the event so much more.

I spend much of my time in the Christian faith reading a book and closing my eyes. I do what Peter describes "loving someone I don't see and believing in someone I cannot see." In these few opportunities when I can directly participate in a reenactment of our Lord (communion), I must open my eyes. I need to take in the sights, sounds, taste, touch, and smell. This too is my Christian faith only the visible drama set out before me telling me the same story of the text; it's just in living color.

The Florida Gators, John 17, and the Shema

2007-04-02T21:01:00.001-04:00

I write this post the day of the NCAA men's basketball championship game. My intention was to post it sooner, but it still rings true regardless of the outcome of tonight's game. As a a Michigander I have to pull for the Gators over the dreaded Buckeyes.

The Florida Gators have been observed as a talented team throughout the regular season and the tournament. The Gators have been highlighted as a true "team minded" team. They exhibit unselfish play, working as a unit of one. I considered this meager illustration when teaching on John 17 a few weeks back. This combination of my love of sports and theology is always helpful to me.

In Jesus' parting prayer in the Upper Room discourse, he closes with requests for those believing the apostolic witness. In Jesus' prayer for these future believers he is in effect acknowledging the coming successful answer to his requests above for the 11 disciples.

This apostolic success is not without additional needed prayer. Jesus prays specifically that the future disciples will 1) Be unified and 2) See the Father's glory. I want to engage this first request in this post.

The unity called for to fulfill Jesus' prayer is radical....abnormal. This unity according to Jn. 17:21 is parallel to the unity between the Father and Jesus. The intra-trinitarian unity in mission illustrated during the incarnation was perfect. In 17:24 the intra-trinitarian love during the mission of the incarnation was identical in the intra-trinitarian love expressed in eternity past.

This is a staggering request that Jesus makes for His latter-day disciples. When we look at the just what this intra-trinitarian unity might look like we have to consider the shema. The shema is the crucial centerpiece of Judaism's theology. The Mono-theistic claims of Judaism are expressed in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 "the Lord our God is one."

This statement in Deuteronomy depicts the Lord's uniqueness and His unity. YHWH is noted as different all other gods. As Craigie in his NICOT commentary notes, "When he spoke there was no other to contradict; when he promised, there was no other to revoke that promise; when he warned, there was no other to provide refuge from that warning." With the NT, we see a greater understanding of the distinct persons of the Trinity. This distinction in person also is shown in distinction in task.

While the Father and Son had different roles in the mission (and the Spirit's role to come according to the Upper Room Discourse), there was profound unity in the mission. Jesus is not praying for no distinctions or variety in tasks perhaps, but He is praying for radical unity in mission and purpose.

As local churches finding our place in the greater body The Church, we have to see the unity of purpose and mission. We have various personalities and characteristics in Christianity, but we must realize the unity of purpose and seek to rally on that point. The Florida Gators stand as an illustration to this unity of mission despite distinction in personality and task.

Hermeneutics of NT Authors

2007-03-21T09:52:00.000-04:00

I post the following quotation from Vanhoozer's Drama of Doctrine, because of its relevance to a recent discussion I had off-line with Russell White and Josh Jones on this topic. I do not intend this to be an end-all, but a further point for the dialogue. Others are welcomed to comment their thoughts as well.

"It will be objected that Isaiah 53 did not and could not mean what Philip said it meant [in Acts 8]. But why not? Isaiah, like the other prophets, was a spokesperson for God; might he not have said more than he could (explicitly) know? What the divine author intends in Isaiah 53 is seen in the new light of the gospel. Everything is the same, yet different when viewed from the vantage point of the Christ event. The law -or for that matter, history- is not abolished but transfigured; Jewish monotheism, similarly, is not abolished, yet it too is refigured. God has acted mercifully to redeem, yet not in the way Israel expected. There is continuity between the two testaments, to be sure, but a continuity that transcends and transfigures, a continuity that goes beyond mere verbal repetition" (Drama of Doctrine, p. 119)

Cultural Engagement at its Finest

2007-03-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

I found a great site on the web for a church that is part of the Acts 29 network, who is truly engaging our current culture. This church is Kaleo Church in San Diego, CA. Yes, Greek lovers that's Kaleo as in "called." Check out the site for more interest on that topic.

Two great things about this church's site is 1) what's under their culture header 2) this church has a header for "culture!"The Culture header then breaks down engagement on film, music, art, books, and other. These pastors are tackling the surrounding culture with a Christian worldview. I love it not just for the theory (as other noted theologians are working to this end), but I love these men are practicioners ---pastors.

Make sure you click on the other section under culture and find such gems as "The Gospel according to Ikea" and "Victorian Secret: From Puritan Practices to Poster Sized Push-Ups."

Check out the Culture Tab for this church.

Review: Dominion and Dynatsy

2007-02-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

I finished Dominion and Dynasty: A theology of the Hebrew Bible by Stephen Dempster this weekend. This is a volume in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series edited by D.A. Carson. It was an enjoyable read that carried me forward in completing it due to an interesting and thought-through thesis. I felt compelled to finish the book in order to know how it ends.

Dempster's thesis, as his title would suggest, is that the Hebrew canon's overarching story is one of genealogy and geography. The Tanakh is pointing to the story of YHWH calling a specific genealogy to a specific geography. The Davidic covenant takes center stage in Dempster's telling. He sees the promise of an eternal "house" for David speaking to a dual meaning. This points to a lineage in the house of David (i.e. sons) and to a location for rulership.

In Dempster's approach he looks to the shape of the Hebrew canon, but does not over-sell the concept. To the uninitiated on the idea of shape to the Hebrew canon, the summary is that the Hebrews ordered books in a fashion differently from the Christian OT. Dempster and other leading Biblical Theologians point to the difference to display a different literary meaning. In simple example, the Christian OT ends with Malachi pointing expectantly to Christ of the Gospels and the forerunner. The Hebrew Tanakh ends with Chronicles speaking to exile and a failed restoration because of the people's hardness (c.f. Ezra-Nehemiah).

I can give a possible hearing to the idea of shape for the Hebrew canon, but as this is not a textual deduction but rather a providential result of history I feel it is tenuous. I think the Christian OT's shape is also a providential result of history and should be given equal consideration. Both do communicate a different narrative theology. I think for interpretation with intertextuality and recreating 1st century mindset the Hebrew shape is given precedent. The fact of the Christian OT shape should be considered in applying the OT to the post-NT Christian.

This is by no means the main intent of this book and is basically assumed after brief clarification of the method in the introduction. The book does an excellent job of retelling the Hebrew canon story. He adds color to facts to arrive an a combination of recapitulation and interpretation. At points with humor and illustration, he brings the reader into the single story of the Tanakh.

He leads the reader through the Hebrew shape to support his thesis with cogent and honest arguments. He gives dissenting opinions and admits other options to be considered with humility. He follows the Hebrew order through the books telling the story with some potential direction for continuing this information into the NT. All in all Dempster argues for his thesis clearly and convincingly. The ultimate test for me with any proposed scheme for a mitte of the OT is "what does he/she do with the Wisdom literature?" Many seem to force a square peg into a round hole at this point; however, Dempster showed a balance between arguing a suggestion and silence at some points without cramming his thesis where it barely fits.

Dempster's work is highly recommended to those who need the OT to come together in unity. If you feel as if you are lost in the maze of these ancient books this work is valuable. To the OT specialist it is another proposal worthy of consideration for unity. Lastly, for the NT scholar this work sets the stage well for much of the historical Jesus issues. Dempster supports much of N.T. Wright's assertions. In many ways Dempster gives some info prior to the time period of NTPG yet still leading to many of the ultimate conclusions of JVG.

The Penultimate and Theology

2007-02-10T19:53:00.000-05:00

I came across this striking quote of Robert K. Johnson musing over some words by Bonhoeffer. Johnson (Ph.D. Duke) and professor of culture and theology at Fuller. Johnson's book Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue had this quote regarding theology's role in all of life--image, literature, culture, and film.

"Did theology not have anything to say that was relevant to life's ambiguity and complexity? Was theology only to speak of the person and work of Jesus Christ (the ultimate) and ignore all that was penultimate? How could the church recover a christologically informed, but creationally based, understanding of the natural, one that would challenge the perennial heresy of gnosticism? Bonhoeffer concluded, 'The concept of the natural must...be recovered.'"

I've not processed all of this yet, but have been penetrated by these words. More to come on this, I'm sure.

Emerging Church in CT

2007-02-03T11:11:00.000-05:00

In the latest issue of Christianity Today Scot McKnight has a challenging article "Five Streams of the Emerging Church: Key elements of the most controversial and misunderstood movement in the church today." The discussion is helpful for the less familiarized of the topic, but also a clarifying voice for those acquainted with the dissonant chorus on the topic.

McKnight begins acknowledging the stereotype of the emerging Christians as a humorous blend of the various mainline faiths. He says, "Emerging Christians confess their faith like mainliners -meaning they say things publicly they don't really believe. They drink like Southern Baptists -meaning to adapt some words from Mark Twain, they are teetotalers when it is judicious. They talk like Catholics -meaning they cuss and use naughty words. They evangelize and theologize like the Reformed -meaning they rarely evangelize yet theologize all the time. They worship like charismatics -meaning with their whole bodies, some parts tatooted. They vote like Episcopalians -meaning they eat, drink, and sleep on their left side. And, they deny the truth -meaning they've got a latte-soaked copy of Derrida in the smoke-and beer-stained backpacks."

Sorry for the extended quote if it tired you, but I couldn't help laughing through it. McKnight points out that as the other denominations are not given fair treatment in this neither is the emerging movement. Many of these things are true, but without all the facts it's not a clear picture.

McKnight explains the difference between emerging and emergent again stating the emerging as the "wider, informal, global, ecclesial" movement versus emergent which is "an official organization in the U.S. and the U.K. Emergent Village." Emergent includes the likes of Chris Seay and Brian McLaren. McKnight highlights Dan Kimball's Vintage Church in Santa Cruz, California as a typical church of the emerging movement.

McKnight's main purpose of the article is to give five themes of the emerging movement: Prophetic (or at least provocative), Postmodern, Praxis-Oriented, Post-Evangelical, and Political. These distinguishing marks are shown as beneficial corrections to the Church at large, but McKnight also speaks with fatherly correction to the movement as one from within. He challenges the emerging movement to be evangelistic or else lose the whole purpose of carrying on Jesus' mission.
He opines a continued existence and relevance for the emerging movement, but one which will still have place within evangelicalism though at the moment looking post-evangelical.

An insightful article as I see some tendencies in myself, yet the corrections offered are fair and I personally need to heed as well.

Check out the Article from CT Here.

What it means to Learn in Community

2007-01-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

On my previous post I cited a quote that said, "A diversity of perspectives can contribute to a better understanding...All true learning takes place in community, where there is give and take, affirmation and correction." Let's consider how we might all benefit in a diverse community for interpretation & theological deduction.

I would love some interaction on this post, so I will give some of my quick thoughts and hopefully gain some response.

1) As this whole discussion of mod v. pomo hermeneutics suggests, the community cannot stand in inflexibility on a position despite significant evidence to the contrary. I am not suggesting tolerance of error as much as I am asking for humility that you might not have all the answers. Whatever conclusion you have arrived at came through the text and the work of the Holy Spirit. These are the same "resources" the other brother or sister has, just I owe them my ear if they are claiming these same resources led them to different conclusions.

2) This idea of "give and take" or "affirmation and correction" takes some of the petty debate tools out of the discussion. What I mean is we can no longer sit back idle while another brother is maligned for an orthodox conclusion that just happens to be different than someone else's.

This goal of affirmation means we take another brother or sister's position seriously. We actually strive to understand the position then counter it with solid argumentation of Scripture and Theology. We short-change the process and results when we love our own wisdom and positions so much that we take every countering view and build a straw man bias only for us to set ablaze.

3) The idea of "correction" shows a proper motive indeed for this community. This is so that error can be removed from "us" all, not "Them" not that "They" are only in need of "our" help. Truly, arrogance of no higher degree can be imagined. For what do you have as a conclusion that you have not also been given! But our goal is correction, the correction of the "us" and the "them."

4) Diversity of conclusions in the body shows the complexity of issues and room for collaboration and effort by all members to arrive at the true conclusions. It does not mean that only a few of us are godly enough to believe the truth and the rest of these people with the Holy Spirit, reading the Bible, and coming to different conclusions are disobeying God. If anything, consider the great resources you have in the text and the Spirit. If many brothers and sisters of the body are convinced of a conclusion different than yours, you should be uneasy -not because majority rules, but you have to ask what has brought you and your crew out of the masses of ignorance and so enlightened you.

I will follow this up perhaps with some practical ways to learn in community as this is a bit more philosophical. The intent I hope is clear, many of us are fixed and envision ourselves as Martin Luther. We want to stand in the face of a flood of error. The problem is Luther approached a textually ignorant opponent, and yet he had multiple attempts to understand the opposing position and critique it with the intent to correct it. He was not setting out to rip all of Christendom in half.

Breaking Down: mod v. pomo heremeneutics

2007-01-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

If anyone has followed the blog hub here in VB the equating of Fundamentalism with Modernism's positivistic hermeneutics has been vollied a few times on a few blogs. With that in mind I contributing a quote from Dempster's Dominion and Dynasty.

Although he is in no way referencing Fundamentalism, he gives some traceable interaction of modern and postmodern hermeneutics.

"The error of modernism is 'objectivism', that is, the idea that individual subjects can attain the entire, value-free, truth when examining an object -they see it as it really is; while the error of postmodernism is 'subjectivism', the idea that, because observers are never value-free or objective, they see the object according to their subjective perspective -they see it not as it is but as they are (and therefore never really see it)." p.16

"Each human being views reality from a particular vantage point. Far from hindering the interpretive process, the diversity of perspectives can contribute to a better understanding, as any reading of the synoptic Gospels shows. All true learning takes place in community, where there is give and take, affirmation and correction. It is often in this context that an interpreter will become aware of 'blind spots'."
p. 16-17

John 14: Spirit vs. the spirit of the Upper Room

2007-01-13T20:39:00.000-05:00

The Holy Spirit first described to Jesus' eleven disciples in John 14. Here in this passage the Holy Spirit meets the spirit (or demeanor) present in the disciples located in the Upper Room.

The Holy Spirit's mission is not only a continuation of Jesus' mission and a stand-in for Jesus until He returned (14:18). The Holy Spirit is also specially equipped and sent to meet the very concerns of Jesus' disciples.

Disciples troubled at Jesus' leaving (14:1)<>A comforter is coming (14:15,18)

Disciples confused (14:5)<>The Spirit of Truth is coming (14:17)

Disciples misunderstood Jesus' tie to Father (14:18)<>Spirit will teach (14:26)

Often in latter Mainline Protestantism and the various Free Church movements, the Holy Spirit receives minor treatment. The sufficiency of Scripture and Christ are often highlighted as anchors of these traditions. The Evangelist frames this passage to intend Jesus' words to His disciples to show the sufficiency of the Spirit. It was intended to the original eleven disciples, but as John frames this retelling he wants the later generations of "disciples" to also believe the sufficiency of the Spirit.

The idea of the Paraclete is indeed controversial and complex. Certainly a background to the word exists, although the direct connection is anything but established. What is readily apparent is the framed context of the Upper Room Discourse. Jesus has countered the spirit of His disciples in the Upper Room with the coming Spirit. John teaches the message to us, the disciples, of Jesus generations later. The Spirit is sufficient for our needs; He is a helping comforter available for all of the concerns in the Upper Room or the Upper West Side.

2006: Books Read, Recommended and Rejected

2007-01-03T07:59:00.000-05:00

I thought that I would at least list the books I read in 2006 with a simple system of recommendation.

*- an excellent read commended, although not always agreed with
<> -not worth the time or effort expended in reading this work

I still am in hopes of a least 2 more short reviews to give a description of some works.

The Art of Biblical History by V. Phillips Long
Preaching God’s Word by Duvall, Hays
OT Biblical Theology: Current Debate by G. Hasel
NT Biblical Theology: Current Debate by G. Hasel
Preaching and Preachers by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones
Changed Into His Image by Jim Berg
Blame in on the Brain by Ed Welch
Introduction to Biblical Counseling by MacArthur and Master’s Faculty <>
Biblical Theology: Retrospect & Prospect by Scott Hafeman
Kingdom of Priests by Merrill
Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture by Goldsworthy
The Art of Preaching Biblical Narrative by Matthewson *
The Art of the Biblical Narrative by Alter *
From Exegesis to Exposition by Chisolm
How to Read Genesis by Longman
Pentateuch Theological Comm. by Sailhammer
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement ed. Winter/Hawthorne
Understanding the End Times by Benware <>
The Church in God’s Program by Saucy
The Gospel of the Kingdom by Ladd
Millennium and Beyond ed. Bock
Charting the End Times by LaHaye/Ice <>
The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross by Morris
Jerusalem Scrolls by Thoene
Tulip by Spencer
The Giver by Lowry
Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll
First Theology by Vanhoozer *
Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Confessions of Reformission by Mark Driscoll
Karl Barth by John Webster *
Stop Dating the Church and Fall in Love with the family of God by Joshua Harris
Calvinism in a Las Vegas Airport by Richard Mouw
Jesus and Victory of God by Wright *
Brothers, We are Not Professionals by John Piper

My asterisk commendations I would commend to all theology readers.

My Theological Soul Mate

2006-12-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

You scored as Karl Barth. The daddy of 20th Century theology. You perceive liberal theology to be a disaster and so you insist that the revelation of Christ, not human experience, should be the starting point for all theology.

Anselm

87%

Karl Barth

87%

Jonathan Edwards

80%

John Calvin

73%

Paul Tillich

60%

Friedrich Schleiermacher

53%

Martin Luther

40%

Charles Finney

40%

Jürgen Moltmann

27%

Augustine

20%

Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Grievance with the Church: Not What You Think

2006-12-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

I typically don't try to record my daily happenings with other people on my blog, but tonight I feel I must. Although I don't know the brothers and sisters in Christ that I encountered this evening at Starbucks, I must use their story in my blog.

I sat reading Jesus and the Victory of God compelled about the stark contrast of Jesus and His contemporaries. I was captured by thoughts of Jesus' new community in the new covenant living he offered. I had just finished reading Wright's observations of Jesus' redefinition of the temple and then the Torah. Wright said Jesus redefined the boundaries of the community with His instruction of the Sermon on the Mount. I was convicted almost immediately at the thought of those high standards beyond the Mosaic code.

Then I couldn't help over hearing two couples standing in the doorway of Starbucks. One of the husbands was quite boisterous in stating his disgust with his pastor. Something was said or inferred that more help was needed for youth group help from the lay people. This man was irate citing the pastors' laziness and unproductiveness.

At first I thought, "Yeah I know that is a tendency the pastoral office must fight. It is an all too common perception and even at points reality." Then the wives joined in bemoaning the church's clicks and snobbiness between groups. These women began to chat in hen like fashion proportionally matched only by the musical The Music Man's depiction.

The men started again to tear their pastor, the church leadership, and the entirety of the church up one side and down the other...all the while standing in the doorway of Starbucks. My heart was grieved as I have heard the conversations of many "spiritual seekers" in Starbucks, often with someone sharing Christ with them.

I honestly tried to return to my reading and forget this grieving scene, when another couple at the table next to me was commenting on the poor budgeting of their church. They were unhappy with a new expenditure the church had incurred. They muttered some displeasure and then left.

At that moment God was convicting me of the harmful comments I myself have spoken about various churches in my life. I was compelled to pray for the pastors of these people -God help him. Then my mind turned to John 13 considering how Jesus left His mission with us His disciples.

Yes us, His disciples. More than the eleven. The gospel of John was written so late that most of the others had died by then. He wasn't retelling discipleship to remind his friends. He was writing with a larger concept of discipleship in mind. We the generations of disciples to follow Jesus and the apostolic message. John tells us the disciples how we are to be identified by all those who are not Jesus' followers:

John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

"God, how short we fall in carrying on your mission. Christ has given us the command and yet we defiantly contradict its mandate. I pray for all those churches who follow Jesus and know His gospel. May the disciples at each local gathering show love for one another, for their pastors. May some see and know that we are your disciples."

6 Books Every Layperson Must Have

2006-12-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

I wanted to do a post in response to discussion raised by my buddy Logan regarding books to be recommended to lay persons. Since a lay person would not typically make the investment in a library to the extent that a vocational minister would, "what would you recommend?" Here's my list that I would commend to any lay person, who wants to have the basic tools to do Bible Study.

I've limited my list to 6 books fairly inexpensive, and although stretching at times would be on track for the investigative lay person.

1. Bible Knowledge Commentary OT/NT volumes
While this is a Dallas take on the passages, I personally have not found a better overview of all of the Bible with short valuable interpretation. I of course don't go with every
interpretation.

2. Grudem's Systematic Theology
Readable, understandable, right on in most areas (especially the big-ones) and bridges the gap
between academic and devotion and unites the two as is proper.

3. An Introduction to the Old Testament by Dillard and Longman
Special introduction that moves the interpreter closer to grasping the hermeneutical hurdles of time, location, language, and culture. It also introduces a literary approach to interpretation.

4. An Introduction to the New Testament by Carson, Moo, Morris
Same help as the above only for the NT. World class commentators -how could you go wrong?

5. Christianity through the Centuries by Cairns
Every Christian household needs to know more about church history. What the great saints before achieved and how to avoid repeats of heresy and schisms are two reaped benefits worth their weight in gold.

6. Living by the Book by Howard Hendricks
This is still my favorite for elementary hermeneutics and teaching the people of a church how to study the Bible. There are other hermeneutical issues, but the bare bones work of interpreting (e.g. contextualization, bombarding the text with questions,) came alive to me with the help of this work.

I might extend the list to 7 if I found a great Biblical Theology book but none have shown up yet for the lay.

So this is what I've decided to recommend to laypersons as to what books they must have. If you disagree give me your 6 books and why.

Those of us, whom God has given the life of study for the church or school need to be able to point sincere and passionate lay persons to the right tools for study. I find great value at points from the likes of Raymond Brown, N.T. Wright, Van Hoozer, and Brevard Childs; yet these are not accessible or warranted for a typical lay person. They need books that are stretching and timeless. This investment I'm calling for would cost a lay person $ 162.68 via Walmart.com but would have immense dividends.

The Ricky Bobby Management Style

2006-12-09T14:37:00.000-05:00

Take it easy over as the holidays approach, but I have a few posts up my sleeve. This first one relates to the business aspect of my life. In the corporate world that I work in (read The OFFICE), there is often discussion about management styles. A quick overview of management styles can be seen similar to government philosophies. A popular style would be the Paternalistic method of the manager rallies others around him/her and then attempts to meet employees needs both professionally and personally. These managers are typically well-liked and often are business units with such leadership become over-dependent upon a single personality.

Well, a new analogy of management style was proposed this week. This would be the Ricky Bobby Management Style. This terminology in reference to the Will Ferrell character in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. The Ricky Bobby character is addicted to winning and doesn't care who he runs over. He is intense about "going fast." In his passionate pursuit of self-aggrandizment and supremacy, he loses his family to his best friend 'til eventually he is nudged out of the spotlight.

To attempt to make sense of this management style comparison, the manager would tend to be production oriented. The production output would most likely be impressive, yet aspects such as peer teamwork and the apprenticing of aspiring management would be deficient.

A "Ricky Bobby" manager would succeed in numeric indicators, yet often be lacking in ethical or soft skill reviews. As the race car driver Ricky Bobby showed winning is the ultimate drive for this time of manager. The life equation would be entirely out of balance and would ultimately deplete performance over the long haul.

In short, this management style could attain short-term performance unmatched as a team would propel its leader into notoriety (as he/she would be the only one noticed in such a scheme). Then the team would break apart in rivalry and bitterness as the up-and-comings would attempt to dethrone such a leader of his successes. All in all, if a business unit needed some numbers quick get a Ricky Bobby type manager into a position then at the point of pinnacle output, drop him/her like a bad habit.

Some humorous musings for you on the corporate conundrum. Going fast isn't the same as going far.

Gentlemen, Buy Books: The Ones with Spines and Edges Though

2006-11-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

I was reading in Forbes Magazine Nov. 27 issue and came across an honest critique of portable electronic books. Stephen Manes wrote an outstanding review entitled "Books: Paper or Plastic." He reviewed the new Sony Reader. It weighs less than 11 oz. and has a $350 pricetag. "The screen uses a new technology called E Ink designed to mimic paper, start up where you left off, and sip so little power that the battery can last thousands of pages on a single charge." This product "can change the display from vertical to horizontal and, if the content permits, adjust the size of type. You can bookmark pages to return to them quickly..." You can get books from Sony's bookstore and is quick at the download and less expensive than the paperback.

Oh, but friends....let me now tell you how honest is the review that Manes shares about this product. I know all of you electroniphiles are drooling, but buy books of the paper and hardback style. This Reader also has a few drawbacks. "Start with the screen. One way it saves power is by omitting a backlight. Instead, each pixel is a pigment-filled microcapsule that can turn white, black, or two shades of gray thanks to electronics...Unfortunately, the white is nowhere near as bright as most paper, reducing contrast and readability -particularly in dim venues liek that airplane."

Manes also calls it "the most lethargic electronic device in recent memory." It could take several seconds to turn a page, and it turns black when it flips. As it blinks, you may wonder if you even clicked the right button. There is no search capability within the text. There is not an internal dictionary. It can play MP3s but not if you bought them from iTunes. It can show photos but only in one color. As Manes concludes, "Sometimes analog is better. For now the iPod of the literary world remains a philosophical construct, not an electronic one."

As many of you know, I plead with all who love books, "Buy the kind with spines and edges!" The clamor for the electronic variety is a fleeting seduction away from learning. The options in electronics are never as great the paper form. The transportation issue as this article shows still cannot be solved; hence carry your book to read. Lastly, I have a Bible cd of various public domain products (Matthew Henry, Jameson/Fausett/Brown, etc). The version that once worked fine for some reason cannot open when used on my now updated computer resources.

To not buy paper books and resort to electronics is not a decision for the future, but the decision to make your learning a thing of the past once your computer resources can no longer function on the OS of the year 2030.

Fundamentalism: My Contention with the Core NOT with the Culture

2006-11-20T01:22:00.000-05:00

*Friednly WARNING: This is a long post, proceed only if you have the time.*

It is time for a new post after much dialogue has come from the previous one. Although the Youth ministry discussion was short, a larger important topic emerged in discussion. The issue of Fundamentalism again arose to the forefront of discussion. Several voices have been heard in debate and assertion alike. So, I’m bringing up one more post on the issue of Fundamentalism as one, who has been raised and trained in the movement and is now moving from this place.

Being of the younger generation, I have shared my own two cents in dorm room dialogue, papers, and question/comments in the classroom. I intend from this post not a scathing undressing of all the unsightly possibilities of the movement, but rather an attempt to deal with the heart of the current (a.k.a. the next movement) Fundamentalism. What often clouds the discussion between Dissenters (DF) and Embracers (EF) of Fundamentalism is the cultural aspect. I am not original by any means in phrasing a distinction between cultural and historic/authentic Fundamentalism. This point has been made before, yet when the discussion follows (whether formally in conference and writing or more prevalent in word of mouth by the younger generation) the core “idea” of Fundamentalism is often ignored.

The debunking occurs at the level of the cultural aspect. Again, I am not novel for this point, but hear me out. The issue of the historic/authentic variety of Fundamentalism, which is presented as the unifying thread between the quilted patchwork of contemporary Fundamentalism, is never quite addressed. This is where I diverge though at the core not at the culture.

The previous replies to my post on youth ministry in Time Magazine entered into this important discussion. I am appreciative of those who attempted in Christian charity to articulate viewpoints and yet argue passionately for what each believed to be a Scriptural position. I am indebted to Chris Watson for the impetus to the direction for this post on Dr. Kevin Bauder’s response to Richard Mouw at the Beeson Series. Dr. Bauder wrote an intriguing and polished defense of his movement. With characteristic scholarship dipped in wit, he challenged the perception of Mouw on the Fundamentalist movement entitling his response “What’s that You Smell” in Pilgrims on the Sawdust Trail.

Mouw’s book was entitled The Smell of Sawdust, hence the humorous reply of Bauder to the reminiscing remarks of Mouw about his heritage. In referring to Bauder’s article I do not intend to attack the man himself in any way (as I do not know him personally), nor do I intend this to even sound like an end-all discussion. What I want to do is show through the Bauder response a missing element in the dialogue between DFs and EFs. Then from this, hopefully more dialogue will follow from both.

As other Fundamentalists before, Bauder sets a distinction between the various off-shoots of Fundamentalism. In fairness he does a good job at showing we all have cousins we’d like to forget. He cannot ally himself with all segments, but he moves from the movements to the idea. “Fundamentalism is not primarily a social phenomenon, but an idea. And I am much more concerned with the idea of fundamentalism than I am with the fundamentalist movement or movements” (58).

In tracing the idea of Fundamentalism he takes a walk through history. Not where you might think with the likes of Machen, he gets there but looks at earlier pieces from the Reformation and since. This could perhaps be considered incipient Fundamentalism. Bauder writes for the gospel centrality and doctrinal emphasis from this history. Bauder points to Machen to support his “core of the Fundamentalist idea: the belief that Christian unity and fellowship are possible only with other Christians” (62-63).

It is at this point that I will begin my query of this basis for understanding Fundamentalism. Bauder makes the point that Evangelicalism is plagued with the problem of understanding the gospel and allowing it to define the contours of the movement. Fundamentalism, so described in the article, holds to separatism. This separatism is marked by removing gospel deniers from their ranks, avoiding ministry association with gospel-deniers, and refusing “to grant recognition as Christians to, or engage in any activity that would imply Christian commonality with, teachers or other leaders who deny the gospel” (63. All three points are on this page, the last I quoted so as not to violate the meaning).

My first difficulty is the affirmation of unity and fellowship only with believers is supported by the separation from at least “potential brothers.” I do understand that to elevate one is at times to devalue others (I know the marriage illustration well). If another person can be distinguished as a Christian ought not that person to also be regarded as due unity and fellowship??

The core of Fundamentalism is about unity and fellowship only with other believers; then it follows to separate. It follows to separate from gospel deniers in institutions. It follows to separate from activity with gospel deniers. It follows to “grant recognition” only to those who do not deny the gospel. Now, does everyone feel like you’re standing on only your left foot? Good. Let’s drop to our right foot.

The other question that comes to mind then is, “Then what do you do with a Christian who loves the gospel, who cherishes right doctrine (the Fundamentals), and yet does not separate?” Let’s say, he is wrong for argument sake. Fine. Do we not as believers have two options: separate or warn, admonish, watch, etc. Even further removed, if a believer has chosen to warn or admonish one who seems to be associating with one who is a gospel denier, can a third believer choose to separate from the second who is carrying out his Christian duty in intent (just perhaps deficiently)?

I have focused on the Bauder article due to it coming up in the previous replies. I appreciate Dr. Bauder’s desire to give a cogent defense of his beliefs at Beeson. I believe that the context of this article is important to remember in this discussion. So I do not want to force his words beyond his contextual meaning, but I do find discomfort with some statements that can be used to transcend the issue of our stance toward gospel deniers and applied to those believers who do not separate from gospel deniers.

“They [most Fundamentalists] are convinced that those who love the Lord Jesus cannot extend Christian unity, fellowship, and cooperation to people who deny the gospel. To do so is akin to ecclesiastical treason” (63). Again, I am cautious with my conclusions because I am aware the context of the statement is different than this discussion, but it would seem to follow that those who do extend unity and fellowship to gospel deniers are traitors at best and perhaps (based on the first statement) not truly loving the Lord. My concern is that we do not jump to these conclusions as I feel some do. Again, we should believe this person to be a believer on the basis of their testimony to the gospel and their stance on the Fundamental doctrines that relate to the gospel. Thus, I contend this action by a believer not to separate from a gospel-denier may be wrong, but does not remove the privilege of Christian unity and fellowship from her.

I conclude by highlighting again my point of divergence from this defining article for Fundamentalism by Bauder and making myself a dissenter. I do recognize the centrality of the gospel to the Christian faith.” I endeavor to “remember the importance of fundamental doctrines in defining the gospel.” I “apply the fundamental doctrines as a sine qua non for the veracity of professions of the gospel.” I do “not pretend that [I] can enjoy Christian unity, fellowship, communion, or cooperation with people whose professions deny the gospel” (66). Hence, I can agree with much of the sentiment in Dr. Bauder’s response. My divergence comes in the fact that I can have unity, fellowship, communion, and cooperation with those who equally embrace the gospel and fundamental doctrines. My litmus test is not separation from those who are not separating from gospel deniers. My understanding is I must separate from those, who are gospel deniers, but strive for unity even with those believers who don’t.

Time Magazine Gets Youth Ministry Right

2006-11-08T09:46:00.000-05:00

Crazy thought I know, but after last week's article by Sonja Steptoe Bellflower it seems Time has a better grasp of Youth ministry than many pastors. The article entitled In Touch With Jesus: Sugarcoated, MTV-style youth ministry is over. Bible-based worship is packing teens in pews now.

The article begins with a description of a scavenger hunt that is more than activity for a youth group but also an object lesson for teaching. This sets up the divergence in the article between the status quo of youth ministry ("hey let's be cool") and the new surge ("Know Jesus and know the Bible'). Bellflower says, "Youth ministers have been on a long and frustrating quest of their own over the past two decades or so. Believing that a message wrapped in pop-culture packaging was the way to attract teens to their flocks, pastors watered down the religious content and boosted the entertainment."

The new surge in youth ministry is described as "grounded in Bible study and teachings about the doctrines of their denomination." Bellflower is stating just how trendy and contagious this approach is becoming. She looks to the Barna Group, which shows the rise in growth for youth groups using Bible-based ministry. The reasoning is based on statistics that show more and more teens, who were involved in a teen church ministry do not maintain a church relationship in adulthood.

Several teen testionials follow describing what has occurred in lives due to the focus on the Scriptures. Bellflower says, "As the exodus has increased, churches are trying to reverse the flow by focusing less on amusement and more on Scripture." One of the churches exemplifing this emphasis on Scripture is Covenant Church in Gaithersburg, MD. C.J. Mahanney was pastor there, now Josh Harris (of Dating Fame) is leading. If you recall from previous books and articles about Josh Harris he has emphasized teachings from Wayne Grudem's Bible Doctrine book for teens.

These ministries highlighted in the article should be emulated for their commitment to teaching all generations (Youth included) of believers and congregants the doctrines of Scripture. The intent is not that, which is offered by Time. It is not just about a growing trend (pragmatics) or trendiness (popularity), but of timely tested aherence to the church's Scriptural mandates applied to all ministry -even Youth ministry.

In Touch With Jesus

Freemason Abbey

2006-11-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd give a dinning post for my last night enjoyment at Freemason Abbey. It is located in Downtown Norfolk near Waterside. The first part of the great experience came with the free parking available behind the building (always a plus when downtown). As the name suggests the restaurant is a renovated old church. There were 2 false ceilings that they removed to to allow the ground floor to view all the way to the gorgeous trussess of the roof. It is a 133 year old church building, which originally housed the Second Presbyterian church.

The history aside; it was an outstanding meal. We started with a huge portion of She Crab Soup, which stood up to the claims of the best in Hampton Roads. Having tasted She Crab Soup from a number of restaurants, this stood out for a good kick of spice and generous portions of crab meat. Next, the meal continued with a house salad with an interesting arrangement of iceberg lettuce with a whole cheese plank and dressing on the side. Katie enjoyed the Veal Pallard and I had the broild seafood platter: shrimp, crab cake, scallops, and flounder.

The portions were perfectly filling and matched well with an atmosphere of soft lighting and quiet chatter. Enjoying some pleasant conversation, we were taken aback with the delictable dessert plate. We had every intention of leaving without dessert, but couldn't decline a slice of cheescake to share.

It was urban, semi-casual dinning at its finest. Fun atmosphere. Superior service. Food with a flare of historic style. When you find yourself in Norfolk look it up.

Money Musings

2006-11-02T21:55:00.000-05:00

"When opportunities present themselves to make more money with more work should one take it? "And, "To what extent?"

I have been pondering the opportunities God brings across my path from time to time to make more money. It is seldom a heavenly handout, but usually requires greater time and effort on my part. The opportunity is usually staring me in the face. If you work more you can make more money.

Some points in the past I have heeded the solicitation for extra work and justified it as God making provision for a need. Other times I have justified not taking the work because of need to spend time with family or ministry or perhaps rest. There has been only one opportunity that I can recall where I had an opportunity to work extra and then almost an identical need arose to meet for the exact amount.

I am thinking through the opportunity that is before me to absolutely give myself to extra work, and I am hesitant for a moment. I want to consider just what God might be wanting me to do with the opportunity. Is there something God wants me to do instead of working? Is there something that God wants me to specifically do with this money? Is there a specific need that God will show me that I am to meet with this money?

This is a little bit of a ramble and perhaps not many have had to muddle through a similar issue. I see an opportunity before me, and it just took me back to think about what my perspective ought to be.

I Timothy 6:18-19 come to mind on the issue and really has caused me to wrestle with what often seems like a no brainer. I want to be wise and perhaps save, but I also want to store a good foundation for the future with good giving.

"Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life. "

Just some of my thoughts out there. Comment with any that you might be able to aid to my befuddlement.

Sovereign Freedom and the Love of God

2006-10-29T21:40:00.000-05:00

Gaining some initial introduction to Karl Barth with the reading of John Webster's intro. to Barth. I am also working through David Ford's The Modern Theologians. I came across a beautiful insight from Barth and further hightlighted by Webster.

"The wisdom of God is the inner truth and clarity with which the diving life in its self-fulfillment and its works justifies and confirms itself and in which it is the source and sum and criterion of all that is clear and true. It is in this inner truth and clarity that God loves, and this is the source of the dignity with which He is free in His love. In it He also demonstrates the legitimacy, necessity and the sufficiency of His divine existence and action. God is glorious in His wisdom. He attests Himself as God by attesting His wisdom." (Dogmatics II/1, p.426)

Webster clarifies Bath's insistence to sow God's utter freedom in His action. He aquainted the love of God with His understanding of God's freedom. He did not want to the two to seem at odds. In summation Webster makes an astounding statement to ponder:
"Divine freedom, because it is not abstract but takes form in the acts of creation, reconciliation and redemption, is the freedom in which God loves. Freedom is not anterior to God's love but its divine depth; divine love is the actuality (not the surrender or compromise) of divine sovereignty" (p.86).

God's love is not something in opposition or distinction from His sovereign freedom. God of His own good choosing loves. The expression and relishment of God's love is a celebration and cherishment of God (the OTHER) communicating as He chose in the Word and by the person of Christ a love to humanity. If God chose not to display it, we would not know of His abounding love. Of His own choosing He displayed it.

Preaching Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors

2006-10-16T10:29:00.000-04:00

Variety does a lot for interest and for learning. The variety of literature in our Bibles raises the question of how to preach the various genres. I am by far not the first to engage this topic. It seems to be all the rage for contemporary preaching books to weigh in on the topic. Carter, Duvall, and Hays do not give you enough in Preaching God's Word while Matthewson is outstanding on Preaching OT Narratives . I have yet to find a work that handles all genres equally well -a difficult task I admit. Equally handling all the genres while difficult is in fact the charge placed upon Pastors, who attempt to expositionally preach the whole counsel of God.

With this aim in mind (through some experiences granted), I have been thinking through how to preach the various genres. As my last post explained, I am coming away from the typical outline format. As I was graciously reminded of the linguistic reality that is present in epistolary literature, I still question that format for historical narrative, gospels, or poetry. What I would like to offer is some of my musings on these genres, and I request if you have preached in one of the listed genres please enter your "yeahs & nahs."

Historical Narrative: With limited success it seems that the best way to approach the telling of a historical narrative (e.g. the Ark sage of 1 Sam. 4-6; the Abraham stories of Gen.) is to retell the story for the audience. It is important not to be pulled off course in the act of storytelling, but to highlight the section of the narrative where the author has slowed down and given detail. Then pick up the pace where the author is moving. Illustrations may not be necessary in this sermon at all, because the story is told with vivid detail. In this fashion a story can be told covering several chapters of the biblical material. The story would be moving toward the proposition at the end of the sermon (room for other possibilities here), and if OT it provides a wonderful opportunity to take the original setting of the OT narrative into a Christian reading. One does not do damage to the original context by telling the story the first time, then in the application the reading can be given a Christian Scripture understanding.

Poetry: The difficulties of Hebrew poetry are beyond my abilities at this point. As I have been dabbling I am thinking that this varied genre is about nailing the main point as always. Then in the emotive structure of poetry, the preacher is called upon to recreate the emotion of the psalm with the audience. The preacher is attempting to elicit the joy, sorrow, anger, or fear. The hold poetry commands on the emotions may cause the preacher to bring out more emotions than might be present in an epistolary sermon (Of course not that an epistolary sermon is to be dead and lifeless!).

A poetry sermon might continue with the metaphors and hyperbole to help the audience feel what the poet is saying. For an example, I used while preaching Psalm 130 the idea of weight of our sin. If the Lord counted all of our sins, who could stand. I wanted the audience to feel the burden that is lifted with God's forgiveness. I illustrated sin like holding on to weights, then having it placed on your back. This picture of being crushed under your sin was moving. Afterall, so is Psalm 130. The relief pictured by forgiveness was felt through the illustration. The emotion communicated was genuine hope or relief in God's forgiveness.

Again these are thoughts. I am trying to find the way to shape my preaching along the contours of all 31 flavors (if you'll pardon the mixed metaphor. :)

Trinity Bound

2006-10-11T10:53:00.000-04:00

As of today I have received my letter of acceptance to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) in Deerfield IL. I will continue my M.Div. studies there. I have attended Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Viriginia Beach VA for 3 years, and I am now transferring. I am getting an awesome deal on the amount of credits to transfer and hopefully some advance placement in other areas.

I thank God for how He has orchestrated the events. This was an opportunity presented not too long ago to pursue further studies through this accredited M.Div. Because of my longterm educational goals to better the church and exalt God's glory in all things, the accredited degree became a crucial piece. The Trinity M.Div. can be considered second to none with graduates enrolling at Ph.D. programs around the world.

The other benefit that God in his goodness might be opening through this unexpected move is additional ministry opportunities. This is still in the works, but I am eager and anticipate the approaching joy of church planting.

Finally, I am thankful for the years I have studied at Central Seminary. I have gained much from personal interaction with professors, classroom time, and reading of course material. These things have laid a foundation for me to build upon in further academic ministry pursuits while serving the greater Body of Christ. So Fall 2007 Katie and I are Trinity Bound!

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Preaching: Tell Me the Old, Old Outline

2006-10-09T10:17:00.000-04:00

I have been contemplating more about preaching as of late, and was afforded some recent opportunity, which provided a "preview showing" for some of these thoughts. I don't want to stand as a homeletic authority, but I hope this post brings some interacting thoughts from others who may have been pondering preaching.

1) I think that the age of preaching an outline may be gone. It seems that as we have all almost been taught to form a proposition then arrange the preaching material into a western outline of linear logic. You can't have a 1 unless you have a 2. You can't have an "A" unless you have a "B." Still the problem exists of, "what if Paul didn't have a 2 or a B?" Do I make one up for him?

2) If I preach an outline my best congregant walks away with my 3 points and understands what I said. He/She may not know what the text says. Hopefully, I have attempted to give a fair representation of what the text says, but still I was the one trying to communicate so I want the audience to walk away with my proposition and my outline.

3) When we approach a biblical text there are so many voices in the room it sounds like a Chuckee Cheese birthday is going on! The author has voice. Let's assume for the moment that even the Author's voice of the biblical text is saying the same thing as the author. The preacher is screaming his opinion often. Each congregant might have another radio preacher going through their mind with a phantom voice on how to read this passage. The study Bible the congregant is looking at is clearing its throat to speak to this passage.

With all these voices, a preacher should be focused on hearing the author/Author's voice and then trying to help their voices be heard above the white noise in the room.

4) Therefore, I contend we cannot afford to preach outlines. We should attempt to show how the author/Author has arranged material. Speak to what the original situation was without bringing in my own ideas. I should show where Paul/John/Moses, etc start their new point and then how they each develop, illustrate, and support that idea.

There may be points that I summarize with my own words, hence that could be considered an outline of sorts. I however am focused on showing the congregant what Peter for example is saying. Why does he use this word? When has he said something similar to this before in the book?

Illustration might be used at points to make the material more understandable, but I'm hopefully trying to jump the time/location/language/culture/social differences between the text and today with the illustration. I should not have to illustrate my point.

5) Because of this shift in my thinking, it has resulted in trying whenever possible to speak without notes. My reasoning is that I should know this particular text well enough to answer the issues arising and lead my hearer from start to finish without notes. For myself, what I have found is taking notes up to the pulpit inevitable causes me to try to be cute, quotable, or memorable with my words. This at times distorts the telling of what the biblical author/Author has said in a particular passage.

He/he had a particular "outline" of sorts in place in telling the message of their literature. I want to find this old, old outline and tell my congregation it. It may not have the right number of 1s and 2s, As w/o Bs. That's okay; it is what the Author/author has agreed to be the message that is needed.

What are your thoughts? Do you see that I am saying something different than our training or does it sound the same?