A little while back I mentioned the radio face-off between Bart Ehrman and Richard Bauckham on the reliability of the Synoptic Gospels. They returned to Justin Brierley’s show again in mid-April to discuss “eyewitness testimony” in general, but especially in first century historical works. This was an engaging, fascinating back-and-forth. There was a bit of who’s the better historian volley, and they were well-matched. This is an hour well spent! Bart’s latest book is called Jesus before the Gospels  For more from... Read more

What a great combo! This made my morning.     Read more

For the past several years, I have consistently used Bruce Longenecker’s historical-fiction textbook The Lost Letters of Pergamum in my NT survey course. It blends engaging plot with expert insight from the Jewish and Greco-Roman world of the first century. I have not found a better textbook that connects students to the world of the earliest Christians. Students  – almost without exception – rave about this book. Recently Baker published a second edition of the book (April 2016) – the book is... Read more

Last summer I got to spend a bit of time with my friend George Guthrie (Union University). I passed by George’s desk at Tyndale House and I was immediately struck by how well-organized he was, and he seemed to have an efficient system for research. Now it is time for George to share his “ways” with the world! Thanks, George! NKG: How do you approach research as a whole? Do you have a big-picture strategy? Do your research all at once, and then write? Do you do some sketching and reflecting on paper and... Read more

In seminary (Gordon-Conwell) I cut my teeth on LXX-studies with the first edition of Invitation to the Septuagint (Baker, 2000, by K. Jobes and M. Silva). The same book again was used at Durham in a postgrad seminar on LXX Tobit (taught by Stuart Weeks and Loren Stuckenbruck) – clearly Jobes/Silva’s work gained notoriety and at the time it was the only “textbook” of its kind – even today hardly anything can be found so comprehensive, yet user-friendly. A second edition... Read more

We are continuing our series called “How I Do Research.” I am pleased to present an interview with Dr. Harold W. Attridge, Sterling Professor of Divinity and Religious Studies and Classics (Yale). Dr. Attridge is prolific, his outstanding Hermeneia Hebrews commentary stands out in my mind. Without further ado…. NKG: How do you approach research as a whole? Do you have a big-picture strategy? Do your research all at once, and then write? Do you do some sketching and reflecting on paper and then dig into research? Do you go back and forth? HWA: I have followed... Read more

So, someone on social media asked me for my personal reading list for new books for 2016. Some of these are tentative release dates. If you know of books coming out that you think I would like, leave a comment – always willing to add! (NB: I am esp looking for books on Matthew, Jesus studies, NT Ethics, Philippians, 1-2 Thessalonians, Galatians, Pauline Theology, and earliest Christian history) February Sampley, J.P. Walking in Love: Moral Progress and Spiritual Growth with the... Read more

Recently Bart Ehrman and Richard Bauckham appeared on the radio show “Unbelievable” to debate the authorship, origins, and background of the NT Gospels. This is a fascinating, rich discussion – both are capable historians. Well worth a listen! Apparently the discussion will continue next week with another radio show with these scholars. CLICK IMAGE BELOW     Read more

In the last few decades “theological hermeneutics” has become all the rage. Biblical scholars and theologians have become interested, not just in the methods of interpretation (what I tend to call “exegesis”), but in the philosophy of interpretation based on the nature of Scripture and its purposes. These are some latest offerings on this subject. Craig Bartholomew, Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics: A Comprehensive Framework for Hearing God in Scripture (Baker, 2015). Comprehensive indeed – this is not your grandmother’s hermeneutics textbook. This is a 600-page tour de force... Read more

In the April 2016 issue of The Expository Times, there is a major review by Paul Foster of John Barclay’s Paul and the Gift. Foster says this at the end of the review: This absolutely splendid study contains pearls of great insight on every page. It is a beautifully crafted argument, communicated with extraordinary clarity and meticulous care. The intellectual framework is introduced with a light touch and applied in a manner that elucidates the discussion and never encumbers it. This book will... Read more