In a previous post, I shared the beginning of a conversation that I was privileged to have with NT professor Craig Keener.  Here is the second and final portion. NKG: Based on your work on this commentary, can you give us a one-sentence summary of Paul’s message in Romans? CK: How about something like: “The good news is God’s power to save everyone who believes, whether Jews or Gentiles, for God’s righteousness is revealed in it …” (Rom 1:16-17)… Oops,... Read more

Craig Keener (Prof. of NT at Palmer Theological Seminary) has recently published a very insightful Romans commentary in the New Covenant Commentary Series. It is as if you have been invited to a party to hear the keynote speaker (Paul), but you don’t really know anyone that will be at the party.  Well, Keener is your party guide who gives you the scoop on everyone in the room.  His knowledge of ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman parallels and backgrounds is astounding... Read more

Yes, I had trouble believing it, but it is true.  Oh blessed Google. Read more

Apparently it is John Goldingay (Fuller Theological Seminary) who has been slated by WJK to produce the Old Testament counter-part to the popular Wright series The New Testament For Everyone.  I must say that I have been listening to Goldingay on itunes and he is absolutely the best choice for working on the OT series of this type.  His illustrations are reasonable and insightful and often humorous.  He has a warm and charitable way, similar to Wright.  He knows his... Read more

At the end of January, I am leading a church day-seminar on how to study the Bible in depth (at my brother-in-law’s church in Holland, Michigan).  One of my responsibilities is to equip laypeople to use Bible study resources that are not esoteric or that require knowledge of Biblical languages.  This is the first time I have had to use a reverse-interlinear and an ink-and-paper concordance (I have relied on Bibleworks for many years). One resource I think that is... Read more

Below you will find an interview I conducted with world-class biblical scholar Gordon Fee (emeritus, Regent College) with special regard to his recent Galatians commentary (DEO publishing).  For being a short commentary, it was very insightful and Fee is such an impressive reader of texts.  It was nice to have his perspective on various controversial issues that he is able to weigh in on.  I highly recommend it. Without further ado. Nijay: How has your previous research helped prepare you to... Read more

No, the expert is not me.  It is T. Desmond Alexander and the book is called From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology.  Having seen some of the chapter titles, I get a sense that Alexander will emphasize temple-theology and the master-theme of God’s presence (and absence).  Thus, I presume that he will be covering some of the same ground as Beale did in his work on the temple and the church.  Also, Alexander works largely... Read more

Now accessible online is the latest JSNT – with interesting articles on very broad and very specific issues.  It is nice to see, in fact, the kind of “forest” discussions once in a while, when most of the time we have articles only interested in the “trees.” Enjoy! Read more

I was pleased to receive confirmation that my paper was accepted for the Midwest SBL in the Paul group. TITLE: “The ou….alla (not…but) New Testament Rhetorical Pattern (and why hasty assumptions about its interpretation can set theological decisions off-track)” ABSTRACT: One can detect a certain New Testament rhetorical pattern which contains the pairing of ou…alla.  It is often used to set up some kind of exclusive negation, as in “the body is not (ou) for sexual immorality but (alla) for... Read more

It was recently brought to my attention that the prestigious University of St. Andrews in offering some very attractive PhD scholarships for New Testament and Old Testament students.  Specifically, the Richard Bauckham scholarship will be awarded to one NT student and she will receive £3500 per year off of tuition (if from the US) as well as a one-time £3000 grant. Given that these are trying times financially, and living in the UK can be very expensive for Americans, I... Read more