Gospel of John We continue with our series of 5 books to read (not commentaries). J. Louis Martyn, History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel, Revised and Expanded A key study, now a classic, that looks at John as not only a story about Jesus, but also a text addressing the relationship between Jews and Christians in the ancient writer’s own time. Andrew Lincoln, Truth on Trial: The Lawsuit Motif in the Fourth Gospel An important thematic study of truth, knowledge,... Read more
This is PART 2 of my interview with Luke Timothy Johnson, Robert W. Woodruff Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Christian Origins at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. In this interview (part 2), Johnson talks more about his book Constructing Paul and some other projects as well. NKG: You offer one key case study for your approach to Paul in this volume: Philemon. (You cover Paul’s other letters in your next volume) Why did you decide to front load Philemon? How... Read more
Gospel of Luke We continue with our series of 5 books to read (not commentaries). C. Kavin Rowe, Early Narrative Christology: The LORD in the Gospel of Luke An important study of “Lord” language in Luke. Luke Timothy Johnson, Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: The Challenge of Luke-Acts to Contemporary Christians This has been one of the most transformative studies for me of the nature and identity of Jesus, and in parallel the identity of the church. Salty Wives, Spirited Mothers, and Savvy Widows:... Read more
I am pleased to offer to you this interview I conducted with the one and only Luke Timothy Johnson, Robert W. Woodruff Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Christian Origins at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. In this interview (part 1), Johnson talks a little about the story behind his new book Constructing Paul and some of the reasons why he wrote it. More to come also. NKG: What inspired you to write Constructing Paul? LTJ: My inspiration for writing the two volumes... Read more
The Series Continues We are proceeding with our series where we recommend 5 academic works that will help you understand each book of the New Testament. We continue with the Gospel of Mark! If you missed Matthew, see here. The Gospel of Mark Ched Myers, Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark’s Story of Jesus This is a classic, and the subtitle tells it all. Myers offers a compelling argument for attending to the political dimensions of Mark and... Read more
Constructing Paul: The Canonical Paul (Vol. 1) I comfortably put Luke Timothy Johnson (whom I lovingly abbreviate in my personal notes as “LTJ”) in the highest tier of New Testament scholars. Not only is he incredibly well-read, he always offers incisive critique of other views, and brings a fresh perspective to the text. His many commentaries are excellent, but his monographs are also remarkable, often ground-breaking. His new tome is no exception. *NB: Dr. Johnson has agreed to answer some... Read more
New Series In this series, I suggest 5 books every pastor should read related to every book of the New Testament. I will do one post per NT book (so today is Matthew). Now, I am going to try to recommend books that are not commentaries. Commentaries are great, and you should use them, but this series is focused on more thematic books that will shape your understanding of that NT book. *Caveat: I want to try to keep myself to... Read more
Study Philippians with Me This Summer (6 weeks) My very first course with my new institution Northern Seminary is a summer online Bible Study on Philippians. It is open to the public and Northern has made it very affordable for audit (current students are free [audit], normal tuition rates for credit) Bonus#1: The first ten people to register will get a free copy of my book Reading Philippians. Bonus #2: On the first day of class, I will do a random... Read more
I had the privilege of preaching (via recorded video) at New Hope PDX yesterday. They are working their way through Philippians and I spoke on Phil 3:17-21. You can find the service and sermon on New Hope’s Facebook page. (sermon starts ~ minute 29) In addition, the lead pastor John Rosensteel and I did a Q&A afterwards on Philippians and the Covid-19 Pandemic: what would Paul say to us now? Check it out if you are interested New Hope is also... Read more
I was excited to see the announcement that my friend Dr. Janette Ok has been hired as associate professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary. Fuller has a rich history of New Testament scholarship (Scholer, Thompson, Green, Hagner, Kim). Ok brings expertise in Catholic Epistles and a fresh perspective on global hermeneutics. [Ok was on my list of 50 NT scholars to follow—see her profile and interview HERE] From the Fuller Seminary announcement: Janette Ok will begin as associate professor... Read more
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