For all of you Fourth Gospel-lovers out there, I am pleased to inform you that the “New Covenant” commentary series’ latest installment is on the Gospel of John, authored by Jey Kanagaraj. I had the pleasure of meeting Jey at SBL last year in the Johannine Lit section. Without even knowing he would be there, I ended up quoting his monograph in my own paper in that section. He has done fine work on John, and I expect his commentary... Read more

In the fall, I will have the privilege of teaching a seminary course on Matthew. This will be my first time teaching on the first gospel (I have taught John several times). I have a good handle of the commentaries I will be making reference to, but otherwise I am open and looking for reading suggestions for insightful essays, articles, and monographs. What monographs, essays, and articles have you found most insightful in the study of Matthew? While I am... Read more

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  This is review #2 of a three part series looking at three new introductions to the NT (Boring, Hagner, Witherington). In the first installment, I gave attention to Boring (WJK). This round it is the volume by Donald Hagner called The New Testament: A Historical and Theological Introduction (Baker, 2012). Let me say, before getting started, Hagner is one of my favorite NT scholars and an all-around great guy. I read his WBC work on Matthew in seminary and... Read more

Last year, 2012, was a unique publishing year in that the academy saw no less than 3 NT introductory books published – one by WJK (Boring), one by Baker (Hagner), and one by Oxford (Witherington). I wish to do reviews of all three of these, but reviews of introductions (much like commentaries) are difficult and could be quite boring and tedious. So, I have decided to focus my “review” on 10 key questions, beginning with the WJK volume by Eugene... Read more

This week in the Gupta household there has been much rejoicing. Come July 1, 2013, I will begin a permanent position as Assistant Professor at Northeastern Seminary (NES) of Roberts Wesleyan College. Since 2009, I have been on a national teaching tour: first at Ashland Theological Seminary (visiting), then Seattle Pacific University/Seminary (visiting), and currently at Eastern University (visiting). I am so happy to say when I go to Northeastern, I won’t be  visiting! They have invited me to stay (i.e., “tenure-track”)!... Read more

When I was looking at PhD programs several years ago, I had an immediate interest in Cambridge and I emailed Prof. Graham Stanton with the hopes of becoming one of his PhD students. Stanton sent me back a very polite reply saying that he had recently retired and could not supervise my research. I ended up getting a fine education at Durham, but I know some of Stanton’s PhD students and friends, and everyone speaks very highly of this outstanding... Read more

When I was looking at PhD programs several years ago, I had an immediate interest in Cambridge and I emailed Prof. Graham Stanton with the hopes of becoming one of his PhD students. Stanton sent me back a very polite reply saying that he had recently retired and could not supervise my research. I ended up getting a fine education at Durham, but I know some of Stanton’s PhD students and friends, and everyone speaks very highly of this outstanding... Read more

In my Paul class on Monday we got into a bit 0f a serious discussion about how to hold together, for Paul, justification by faith and judgment according to deeds. I try to explain it in covenantal terms and allow both elements to be there (faith alone, and works as serious basis for judgment), but it is a notoriously complex matter. Thus, I was ecstatic to see a notice in my email inbox regarding a new “Counterpoints” book from Zondervan... Read more

In my Paul class on Monday we got into a bit 0f a serious discussion about how to hold together, for Paul, justification by faith and judgment according to deeds. I try to explain it in covenantal terms and allow both elements to be there (faith alone, and works as serious basis for judgment), but it is a notoriously complex matter. Thus, I was ecstatic to see a notice in my email inbox regarding a new “Counterpoints” book from Zondervan... Read more