Earlier this summer I had a chance to read Graham Twelftree’s forthcoming monograph entitled Paul and the Miraculous (Baker). It is a very stimulating work that deserves wide attention and interaction. Here is my endorsement which, I believe, will appear on the back cover of the book: “Modern Western biblical interpreters tend to view Paul primarily as an academic–a theologian and writer. Twelftree reminds us that he was far more than a writer, and his religious world was not only philosophical... Read more

It has now been almost 3 years since Mike Bird and I launched the Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters (Eisenbrauns). It has been a busy and arduous, but rewarding experience. I thought I would pass along 10 ten lessons I have learned (or continue to learn) about publishing articles. Being on the “other side” of the process has been illuminating and I hope the following advice will improve your research and also give you a healthier perspective on... Read more

In 2010, the Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum focused on the topic of “The Message of Jesus” with speakers such as Crossan, Witherington, A-J Levine, and Darrell Bock. A book is being published by Fortress based on that forum. Check it out. I am particularly interested in Bock’s paper: “Faith and the Historical Jesus: Does a Confessional Position and Respect for the Jesus Tradition Preclude Serious Historical Engagement?” Also David Wenham: “Critical Blindness, Wise Virgins, and the Law of Christ: Three Surprising... Read more

I am thankful for a commenter who brought to my attention a new book (July 1, 2013) from Joseph Hellerman entitled Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why It Matters Today (Kregel; 320 pp). Social historian and pastor Joe Hellerman addresses issues of power and authority in the church—in the New Testament and in the church today—in a fresh, culturally nuanced way. The local church, Hellerman maintains, should be led and taught by a community of... Read more

I am thankful for a commenter who brought to my attention a new book (July 1, 2013) from Joseph Hellerman entitled Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why It Matters Today (Kregel; 320 pp). Social historian and pastor Joe Hellerman addresses issues of power and authority in the church—in the New Testament and in the church today—in a fresh, culturally nuanced way. The local church, Hellerman maintains, should be led and taught by a community of... Read more

I am doing some research on “Scriptural Models of Leadership” for a course and I discovered something unfortunate. There tends to be two kinds of written resources on this subject. Either you have proof-text-laden iso-getical popular fluff, or you find very specific material on one verse or Biblical figure. What would you recommend a pastor read on the subject of “Biblical Leadership”? There are only a handful of books on Biblical leadership that didn’t make my stomach churn. For the OT,... Read more

I am doing some research on “Scriptural Models of Leadership” for a course and I discovered something unfortunate. There tends to be two kinds of written resources on this subject. Either you have proof-text-laden iso-getical popular fluff, or you find very specific material on one verse or Biblical figure. What would you recommend a pastor read on the subject of “Biblical Leadership”? There are only a handful of books on Biblical leadership that didn’t make my stomach churn. For the OT,... Read more

There are lots of good journals out there for Biblical Studies with insightful technical discussions of Greek exegetical issues, new methods of interpretation, textual criticism, hermeneutical discussions, and much more. However, I was having a conversation the other day with a busy pastor (who has a Th.M.) and I could hardly expect him to sit down at the nearest theological library, put his feet up, and dig into Novum Testamentum or Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha.  My guess is... Read more

It has come to my attention that Horizons in Biblical Theology recently published their 35.1 (2013) issue, which contains a nice essay on John Goldingay (Fuller) by Thomas Andrew Bennett. The article is entitled, “Ruled, Creedal, and Located: The Theological Interpretation of John Goldingay.” A few years back, I interviewed Goldingay on my blog and at one point I asked him about the so-called Theological Interpretation of Scripture movement. Goldingay, to my surprise, bristled at the idea of letting tradition govern... Read more

Biblical Commentaries, about half a century ago, came in two basic types: either the stale, crusty, “criticism”-this-and-“criticism”-that type (with no theological interest or nearly none), or the popular “non-academic” devotional commentary to warm the heart and teach Christian-y platitudes. Well…times have changed. There are now well over 100 commentary series – and each series has numerous volumes. Some have balked at the production of each new commentary series. Sometimes I have wondered myself. However, the best kinds that are being... Read more