From the perspective of Jesus, the Pharisees were somewhat like tutors acting as tyrants. If the kingdom was in their midst, then much of what they were saying and were doing was irrelevant, it was like arguing about phylacteries while a city was pulling down statues of Caesar and manning the walls (Lk 17:20-21). Many Pharisees had forgotten how scripture itself prioritizes righteousness over ritual and love over law (Mt 9:13; 12:7; Lk 11:42). Some had used their position to... Read more
John Dickson’s Undeceptions Podcast features an episode on the NT canon with interviews by myself and Chris Forbes. Was the New Testament a Constantinian conspiracy, chaotically cobbled together, or an emerging consensus? Plus, some great sound bites from Survivor and The Da Vinci Code. Read more
The Pharisees did not think of themselves as niche interest group, rather, they were propagating and practicing what they believed to simply be the Judean way of life as God required it, as the Torah taught it, and as they understood it. What stood in the way of that was, of course, the contamination of foreign domination, which had to be addressed one way or another, beginning with themselves. Only once they had dealt with the pollution of the self,... Read more
Once again Aimee Byrd and I sit down for a chat, this time discussing: – US election – Mike’s car appearing in a Netflix TV show – Stephen McAlpine’s post about whether abuse is more prevalent in the church now than in the past – Lisa Bowens’ book on African American Readings of Paul – Amy introduces Appalachian moonshine Read more
Lisa M. Bowens African American Readings of Paul: Reception, Resistance & Transformation Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2020. Available from Eerdmans Okay, easily one of the best reads in biblical studies for 2021 has to be Lisa Bowen’s book on the reception of Paul in African-American interpretation. After the first two pages I was hooked. Due to the Pauline household codes, i.e. slaves obey your masters, you would expect or understand why African-Americans in the 19th century might not be a... Read more
Mary DeMuth We Too: How the Church can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crisis Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2019. Available at Harvest House and Koorong By Laura Thierry There are few things that have so shattered the church’s witness and wounded Christ’s sheep as sexual abuse within the church. As devastating facts continue to pour forth and dams of secrecy finally burst, the church continues to struggle to know how to respond well. It’s easy to be repelled, blame... Read more
Over at the Adherent Apologetics channel, I an interviewed by Zac Sechler on Jesus Mythicism, Apocalyptic Paul, Penal Substitutionary Atonement, the genre of Romans 2-3, and more. Plus, I do a Monster Track Rally announcer imitation! Read more
Over at TGC, Trevin Wax has a great overview/review of the second edition of Evangelical Theology. He carefully highlights what is different between the first and second edition and gets it very right. All the chapters and major sections are the same as in the first volume, although some of the sub-points are rearranged or retitled, maintaining the same creative, gospel-centered structure as before. Bird has also incorporated a broader group of conversation partners throughout the work—more female and non-white... Read more
David A. deSilva In Season and Out: Sermons for the Christian Year Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019. Available at Lexham or Koorong By Laura Thierry Over recent years, the Christian world appears to have developed an increasing interest in traditional liturgical resources. From catechisms, to Evensong, to the Book of Common prayer, established practices of worship and discipleship seem, on many fronts, to be currently experiencing a season of renewed appreciation. Within such a climate, it is a great good... Read more
Zondervan is offering 30 Days of Free Access to Master Lectures streaming service. Includes high res versions of lectures on Evangelical Theology, What Christians Ought to Believe, and Four Views on the Apostle Paul and Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy Stream video courses from world class Bible scholars, theologians, and ministry leaders on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Watch thousands of video lectures on the Bible, theology, apologetics, ministry, and more, from world class scholars Get unlimited streaming... Read more
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