Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

TOP 10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES RELATED TO THE BIBLE

Crossway publishers have published a list of the top 10 archaeological discoveries with a photo and short explanation of each.   The material comes from  the ESV Archaeology Study Bible edited by Dr. John Currid and Dr. David Chapman.  Click here for short explanations of each.

1) Rosetta Stone (1798)

2) Dead Sea Scrolls (1948)

3) Tel Dan Inscription (1993)

4) Ketif Hinnom Scrolls (1979)

5) Moabite Stone (1868)

6) Lachish Letters (1930s)

7) Epic of Gilgamesh (1872)

8) Hezekiah's Tunnel (1867)

9) Crucified Man at Givat Hamivtar (1968)

10) Ugaritic Texts (1929)

NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLAR N.T. WRIGHT IN DIALOG AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY ON THE BIBLE

Last night before putting my hands in the dish pit to tackle a pile of dirty dishes (we have human dishwashers at our home!), I went to get my tablet to see if I might profitably feed my mind while doing the dishes.  I happened on an engaging dialog on the Bible featuring world famous New Testament scholar N.T. Wright and Harvard Professor of Philosophy Sean Kelly, a dialog moderated by Jay Harris, the Dean of Undergraduate Education and Professor of Jewish Studies  at Harvard.    N.T. Wright joins encyclopedic knowledge to gracious and entertaining verbal dexterity.  Professor Sean Kelly, for his part, displays disarming honesty and humility that I found quite winsome.  The opportunity to view dialogs like this on the internet would astonish previous generations and make them drool!

 

My previous blogs on N.T. Wright:

     N.T. Wright Interview on Life After Life After Death  (27 minutes)  (An interview occasioned by his book,  "Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.")

     N.T. Wright: "After You Believe" (A Review)

     N.T. Wright --  Easter Ought to be an Eight-Day Celebration

See also:

     N.T. Wright Page - an uofficial web page dedicated to the works of N.T. Wright

     YouTube videos featuring N.T. Wright 

     Books by N. T. Wright

N.T. WRIGHT INTERVIEW ON "LIFE AFTER LIFE AFTER DEATH"

N.T. Wright talks fast!  But everything he says is stimulating and worth hearing.  Wright is without doubt the most prolific and respected N.T. Scholar alive today.  No seminarian can study the New Testament without encountering N.T. Wright.   Here he offers an interview occasioned by his book,  "Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church."

 

I have not yet read Wright's Surprised by Hope.   Fortunately, Jonathan Pedrone has left a valuable Amazon review which I think worth publishing here as well:

N.T. Wright has written another brilliant work echoing he previously published masterpiece on the resurrection [The Resurrection of the Son of God]. Wright's expounds on a Christian hope firmly rooted in the Biblical narrative that longs for new creation.

In a world where the radio orthodoxy of Christianity espouses a gospel of fire insurance, Wright correctly and articulates a gospel and hope for so much more than disembodied bliss. "God's Kingdom in the preaching of Jesus refers not to postmortem destiny, not to our escape from this world into another one, but to God's sovereign rule coming on earth as it is in heaven".

Our hope according to Wright is not "going to heaven when you die" but rather in life after life after death. We hope not for an escape from this earth, but to the glorious day when God will make all things new.

D.A. Carson: How Can We Reconcile the Old Testament God and the New Testament God?

ht: Justin Taylor

THEOLOGICAL FORUM AT TRINITY EVANGELICAL DIVINITY SCHOOL (VIDEO)

February 3, 2010 | How and When Will All Israel Be Saved? A Theological/Missiological Conversation on Scripture, the End-Times, and Jewish Evangelism

Participants | Dr. Mitch Glaser (Chosen People Ministries); Dr. Douglas Moo (Wheaton College); Dr. Willem VanGemeren (TEDS); Dr. John Feinberg (TEDS)

Moderator | Dr. Richard Averbeck (TEDS)

On February 3, 2010, from 7pm-9:30 in ATO Chapel at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, the Henry Center, in conjunction with Chosen People Ministries, hosted a conversation entitled “‘All Israel’ and the Church: A Conversation on Scripture, Eschatology, and Evangelism”. Conversational partners included Dr. Mitch Glaser of CPM, Dr. Douglas Moo of Wheaton College, Dr. Willem VanGemeren of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Dr. John Feinberg of TEDS, and the moderator, Dr. Richard Averbeck of TEDS. The event was free and open to the public.

The following provided avenues for discussion:

In Romans 11 Paul makes the case that God has not cast off his people Israel, despite their rejection as a nation of Jesus, their Messiah. His final argument that God isn’t finished with Israel is that “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25-27). What did Paul mean and how will this come to pass? Who constitutes “Israel,” the biological seed of Abraham or his spiritual seed? Is the salvation in view spiritual, national, socio-economical, or all of these? Has this promise been fulfilled during the NT era by individual Jews and Gentiles turning to Christ and hence “filling up” the “all Israel?” Or is the promise to be fulfilled in the end-times at the return of Christ? If the latter, will only those biologically Jewish be saved, or will there also be a massive turning to Christ among the Gentiles? Whatever the answers to such questions, what are the implications for how Christians should understand the modern state of Israel? And, of most practical importance, how should one’s understanding of Rom 11:25-27 impact one’s attitudes toward and efforts in evangelizing Jews?

The event was webcasted live and live-blogged by the Center.

Part One | Video | Audio

Part Two | Video | Audio

A BIBLICAL VIEW ON SELF-DEFENSE AND OWNERSHIP OF GUNS

There weren't guns in Bible times, but there certainly were weapons.  Wayne Grudem tackles the issue in his book,  Voting as a Christian: The Social Issues, pp. 93-107.   Grudem also discusses the subject in this podcast taken from a Sunday morning Bible class.   An outline of his talk may be found here.  Dduardo D. Co Jr. recently wrote a paper  for a Theology course in Asia Theological Seminary in the Philippines which draws heavily on Grudem in its final section.

 

JESUS' FEMALE DISCIPLES

Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola make some often overlooked observations in their new (2012) book, Jesus: A Theography:  

"When Luke wrote his gospel, he referred to the twelve disciples with the shorthand phrase 'the twelve.'  But he also used another shorthand phrase: 'the women" or 'some women':

The Twelve were with him, as well as some women: Mary called Magdalene; Joanna, the wife of King Herod's cupbearer; Susanna; and many others.  They provided for them out of their resources."  [Luke 8:1-3]

And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid."  [Luke 23:55}

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.'  [Acts 1:14]

"Jesus and His disciples were not beggars; discipleship did not equal destitution.  Jesus and the Twelve had financial backers who supported the ministry, many of whom were women.  In fact, they had sufficient funding not only to warrant a treasurer but to elicit Jesus' insistence that His and the disciples' taxes be paid to Rome.

ORAL TRADITION AND THE NEW TESTAMENT

New Testament scholar Darrell Bock speaking to Simon Smart of the Centre for Public Christianity:  (HT: Justin Taylor)

 

DR. BEN WITHERINGTON III OFFERS A SHORT, PUNGENT INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF MARK

This overview of Mark's gospel is full of insight.  Dr. Witherington is one of the top New Testament scholars in the world today.  He teaches at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Previous blog posts related to the Bible:

FRANK VIOLA - RETHINKING PAUL'S "THORN IN THE FLESH"

AN INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG BLOMBERG ON JESUS AND THE RELIABILITY OF THE GOSPELS

The New Roman Roads: Technology and Bible Reading

ROBERT J. DECKER: "AN EVALUATION OF THE 2011 EDITION NEW iNTERNATIONAL VERSION BIBLE"

CANONICITY - WHICH ANCIENT BOOKS BELONG IN THE BIBLE?

TIM KELLER ON BIBLE INTERPRETATION: "OLD TESTAMENT LAW AND THE CHARGE OF INCONSISTENCY"

Dr. Ben Witherington - Jesus and Women

                           - click below for many more blog posts . . .

FRANK VIOLA - RETHINKING PAUL'S "THORN IN THE FLESH"

I find Frank Viola's  "Rethinking Paul's Thorn in the Flesh" worthy of careful consideration.  Viola writes:  (HT: KH)

“There was given me a thorn in the flesh . . . ”

~ 2 Corinthians 12:7

For generations, Bible commentators have offered countless theories as to what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. The most popular range from various and sundry illnesses (malaria, epilepsy, ophthalmia, etc.) to haunting guilt for persecuting the church to a sexual addiction that Paul never got victory over.

I’ve never found any of these common theories to be persuasive or satisfactory.

To my mind, if we take the text just as it is written and compare it with other texts that use similar language . . . and then step back to take a fresh look at the New Testament narrative in its chronological sequence . . . an entirely different picture emerges. One that I personally find compelling.

Let’s look first at the text carefully: 

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn [splinter] in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 

Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  

Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). 

Paul plainly identifies the thorn. It was a “messenger of Satan” whose purpose was to torment Paul. The word “torment” means to strike with the first, to rain blows upon, to treat with violence. It’s often translated “harass.

AN INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG BLOMBERG ON JESUS AND THE RELIABILITY OF THE GOSPELS

Craig Blomberg is a top evangelical New Testament scholar.  Justin Taylor, who conducts the interview, writes:

Craig L. Blomberg, Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, is one of the most prolific scholars of our day. Among his many books, Historical Reliability of the Gospels is one of the most helpful books ever written on the topic, and his Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey, is the best accessible one-volume resource on this that I know.

Here are the first 3 questions . . .

- Can you tell us a bit about your own personal experience in coming to embrace the historical reliability of the gospels? Was there a period of time in your life when you seriously doubted the historical integrity of the gospel accounts?

- One can easily find blogs and websites claiming that Jesus never existed. Even if we didn’t have the New Testament, what would we know about Jesus from non-Christian sources?

- What are some of the major categories of alleged gospel contradictions?

Read his  answers to these and many more questions.

TIM KELLER ON BIBLE INTERPRETATION: "OLD TESTAMENT LAW AND THE CHARGE OF INCONSISTENCY"

Tim Keller pastors  Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and is the well-received author of many books, including The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism,  The Meaning of Marriage, and Counterfeit Gods, among others.  He frequently speaks at Veritas Forums on university campuses and has twice been invited to speak at  Google headquarters in California (here and here).   His sermons are available here.

In this "Redeemer Report" for June,  Keller addresses an issue that Christians confront time and time again: namely, ignorance about the structure of the Bible as universally understood by Christians.  Here is what Keller has to say about Bible interpretation:  (HT: Justin Taylor)

I find it frustrating when I read or hear columnists, pundits, or journalists dismiss Christians as inconsistent because “they pick and choose which of the rules in the Bible to obey.” What I hear most often is “Christians ignore lots of Old Testament texts—about not eating raw meat or pork or shellfish, not executing people for breaking the Sabbath, not wearing garments woven with two kinds of material and so on. Then they condemn homosexuality. Aren’t you just picking and choosing what they want to believe from the Bible?”

 

It is not that I expect everyone to have the capability of understanding that the whole Bible is about Jesus and God’s plan to redeem his people, but I vainly hope that one day someone will access their common sense (or at least talk to an informed theological advisor) before leveling the charge of inconsistency.

 

First of all, let’s be clear that it’s not only the Old Testament that has proscriptions about homosexuality. The New Testament has plenty to say about it, as well. Even Jesus says, in his discussion of divorce in Matthew 19:3-12 that the original design of God was for one man and one woman to be united as one flesh, and failing that, (v. 12) persons should abstain from marriage and from sex. 

 

However, let’s get back to considering the larger issue of inconsistency regarding things mentioned in the OT that are no longer practiced by the New Testament people of God. Most Christians don’t know what to say when confronted about this. Here’s a short course on the relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament:

Dr. Ben Witherington - Jesus and Women

Tomorrow night I'll be joining a Bible study on Acts, chapter one.  I read in v. 13 that after Jesus' ascension, the followers of Jesus gathered in an upper room.  Verse 14 reads: "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."

My mind went to the difference Christianity has made with regard to the status of women in the world and I recalled that Dr. Ben Witherington, professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, had written books on the subject.  So I did a quick internet search and came across this instructive eight-minute video. 

 

ALBERT MOHLER ANSWERS THE QUESTION: "THE BIBLE CONDEMNS A LOT, WHY FOCUS ON HOMOSEXUALITY?"

The accusation is "Christians take certain biblical condemnations seriously while ignoring others."  R. Albert Mohler, Jr., the President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, responds:

Are conservative Christians hypocritical and selective when it comes to the Bible's condemnation of homosexuality? With all that the Bible condemns, why the focus on gay sex and same-sex marriage?

Given the heated nature of our current debates, it's a question conservative Christians have learned to expect. "Look," we are told, "the Bible condemns eating shellfish, wearing mixed fabrics and any number of other things. Why do you ignore those things and insist that the Bible must be obeyed when it comes to sex?"

On its face, it's a fair question. But it can be posed in two very different ways.

First, the question can be asked to suggest that the Bible's clear condemnation of sexual sins can simply be set aside. The other way of posing the question represents a genuine attempt to understand how the Bible is to be rightly applied to life today.

ECHOES OF JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT IN THE BOOK OF JAMES

I find valuable Justin Taylor's list of correspondences between the New Testament book of James and Jesus'  Sermon on the Mount.   Taylor writes,

The parallels potentially become more poignant when we remember that the author of the epistle is James the Just, the younger brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55).

Thanks to the ESV Study Bible for first suggesting to me the following parallels.

Rejoice and be glad in your trials.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12)

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” (James 1:2)

Be perfect and complete.

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4)

Ask your good and wise God who loves to give good things.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. . . . Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:5, 17)

Avoid sinful anger before a righteous God.

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matt. 5:22)

“. . . the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20)

WHERE SHOULD A CHRISTIAN DWELL MOST, IN THE GOSPELS OR THE EPISTLES?

I learned (via Justin Taylor) that J. I. Packer recommends spending proportionally greater study time in the gospels. 

J. I. Packer:

[We can] correct woolliness of view as to what Christian commitment involves, by stressing the need for constant meditation on the four gospels, over and above the rest of our Bible reading: for gospel study enables us both to keep our Lord in clear view and to hold before our minds the relational frame of discipleship to him.

The doctrines on which our discipleship rests are clearest in the epistles, but the nature of discipleship itself is most vividly portrayed in the gospels.

Some Christians seem to prefer the epistles as if this were a mark of growing up spiritually; but really this attitude is a very bad sign, suggesting that we are more interested in theological notions than in fellowship with the Lord Jesus in person.

We should think, rather, of the theology of the epistles as preparing us to understand better the disciple relationship with Christ that is set forth in the gospels, and we should never let ourselves forget that the four gospels are, as has often and rightly been said, the most wonderful books on earth.

—J. I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005), p. 70, 71.

ROBERT A. J. GAGNON - THE BIBLE AND THE "GAY MARRIAGE" QUESTION

Gagnon, who serves as Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, has written major books on the Bible and homosexuality.  He writes:

What does the Bible actually say about "gay marriage"? That question is the title of a a recent op-ed piece in the Huffington Post written by Lee Jefferson, a visiting assistant professor of religion at Centre College. According to Jefferson the answer is: "Nothing," or at least "Nothing negative."

Jefferson used the recent passage of "gay marriage" by the New York legislature as a springboard from which to denigrate appeals to the Bible against homosexual practice. I will use Jefferson's article as a springboard from which to answer the question that he and many others have raised.  .  .    [Read more . . .]

- Note also David Virtue's brief review of W.P. Campbell's book,  Turning Controversy into Church  Ministry:  A Christlike Response to Homosexuality
    
In the virulent culture wars over homosexuality in the church, this North Carolina Presbyterian minister offers the church a way forward that is at once irenic and faithful to Scripture. While some churches like TEC, ELCA and Presbyterian churches debate the issue and others avoid it, struggling people fall through the cracks. This is a book for Christians and church leaders who want to rise above the debate and make a difference in the world by thinking, acting, and speaking in ways that express redemptive truth and Christlike love.

Campbell shares insights, tools and practical guidelines for any congregation that wishes to see Christians positively influence how the larger culture frames the issue of same-sex attraction. He demonstrates how readers can converse in a truthful, loving, and insightful manner about such topics as the nature/nurture debate, law vs. grace, and Scriptures call to holiness. Campbell suggests ways churches can build ministry in leadership training, preaching, support groups, mentoring/counseling and outreach.

TYNDALE HOUSE, CAMBRIDGE - A LIBRARY UNDERGIRDING EXCELLENCE IN BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP

Justion Taylor interviewed Dr Peter J. Williams, Warden of Tyndale House, Cambridge, the premiere research library for biblical studies.  Biblical scholarship doesn't usually rank high on the priority list of most lay persons,  but its worth is utterly important.  Williams points out:

Christians accept that it may take vast sums of money to train a soldier or a doctor, and yet sometimes we are unwilling to accept that, if we want Bible scholars as well trained as our medical specialists, it is also going to involve serious investment. Investing in Christian scholarship is a long-term strategy and will usually seem less appealing than more obvious and apparently pressing needs. However, if the church does not have robust scholarship then it will be highly vulnerable to false ideas.

Williams' suggestion for mature charitable giving makes sense:

Evangelicals need to divide up their giving in sensible proportions, giving some to urgent and immediate causes, but also making adequate provision for ministries that tend only to yield fruit in the longer term.

AUDIO FOR THE 2011 GOSPEL COALITION WORKSHOPS

I'm grateful to JustinTaylor for the post and the link:

Training the Next Generation of Pastors and Other Christian Leaders R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Mark Driscoll, David Helm, Don Carson, and Ligon Duncan

The Pastor’s Counseling Ministry David Powlison

The Gospel for Muslims Thabiti Anyabwile

Is Your Church a Safe Place for Sad People? Learning to Walk with Each Other Through Loss Nancy Guthrie

Old Testament Narrative: Letting the Literature Speak Kathleen B. Nielson

Women Teaching Women the Bible: A Suggested Model Jenny Salt

Justification Versus Self-Justification Ray Ortlund Jr.

Preaching a Christ to Whom We Can Come Colin Smith

Orphans and Adoption Russell Moore and Voddie Baucham

Power Through Weakness Tim Savage

Signs of Grace in Inner-City Church Planting Eric Mason

Gospel Faithfulness and Business Leadership in Tumultuous Times Bob Doll

Christianity Explored - A Biblical Strategy for Effective Evangelism in the Local Church Craig Dyer and Alistair Begg

ROUND 2

What Should a Local Church Look Like? Tim Keller, Crawford Loritts, and Mark Dever

Pastoring with Discernment: Applying the Gospel to the Hearts of Those You Serve C. J. Mahaney

Asian American Christian Thought and Theological History: Pastoral Implications for Diversity and Innovation in a Multiracial Church Stephen Um and Julius Kim

An Invitation to Hispanic Pastors and Would-Be Pastors Juan Sanchez

Humble Orthodoxy Josh Harris

Gospel-Centered Pastoral Leadership Sandy Willson

The Feminist Mistake Mary Kassian

Literary Beauty and Gospel Truth: Celebrating the Biblical Union Kathleen B. Nielson

Pure Desire: Gospel-Centered Morality in a Sex-Saturated Society Gary Inrig

Mixing Whites and Colors Without Making Them Run: Building Gospel-Centered, Intentionally Multicultural Churches John Mahaffey

‘They All Look Alike To Me’: The Implications of a Christ-Centered Identity on the Issue of Racial Reconciliation in the Church K. Edward Copeland

Writing Corporate Worship Music Keith and Kristyn Getty

ROUND 3

The Spirit-Filled Missional Ministry of Jesus Mark Driscoll

Trellis and Vine Tony Payne and Colin Marshall

Fostering a Praying Church Scotty Smith

The Genesis of Gender Mary Kassian

When Despair Invades Gospel Work: Learning from Elijah Paige Benton Brown

One-on-One Discipleship: Grass-Roots Church Growth Jenny Salt

Biblical Theology: What It Is and Why It Matters Stephen Um and Richard Lints

Substitutes for the Gospel: A Modest Critique of Modern Evangelicalism Erwin Lutzer

The Mission of the Church Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert

Leading Corporate Worship Music Keith and Kristyn Getty

Seizing Global Gospel Opportunities: Why and How You and Your Church Can Get Involved Michael Oh

Questioning Evangelism Randy Newman

The Heart of the Expositor Kent Hughes

I'VE BEEN BUSY PREPARING A SUNDAY MORNING BIBLE CLASS ON EXODUS

I've not had time to do the amount of blogging I usually do.   Sunday mornings I am leading a discussion at my church on "God and History: Exodus 1-20."   We had our first session last Sunday and we have eight more to go.   For background preparation I am making my way through two outstanding commentaries:  Philip Graham Ryken's Exodus (1200 pages) and Douglas Stuart's Exodus (800 pages).  I can't recommend these two books highly enough.  Ryken's book offers scholarship and devotional richness intimately wedded together; every page crammed with nourishment for mind and heart.  Stuart's book complements Ryken's.  Both read so nicely it is a pleasure to pick up and "read some more" in either.

IS THE SABBATH STILL REQUIRED FOR CHRISTIANS?

Justin Taylor introduces  a new book from B&H Academic: Perspectives on the Sabbath: 4 Views, edited by Chris Donato. Taylor lists the contributors and the descriptions of their positions from the back cover:

Skip MacCarty (Andrews University) defends the seventh-day view, which argues that the fourth commandment is a moral law of God requiring us to keep the seventh day, Saturday, holy. It must therefore remain the day of rest and worship for Christians.

Joseph A. Pipa (Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary) backs the Christian Sabbath view. He reasons that every since the resurrection of Christ, the one day in seven to be kept holy is Sunday, the first day of the week.

Charles P. Arand (Concordia Seminary) upholds the Lutheran view that the Sabbath commandment was given to Jews alone and does not concern Christians. Rest and worship are still required but are not tied to a particular day.

Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) supports the Fulfillment view: since Christ has brought the true Sabbath rest into the present, the Sabbath commands of the Old Testament are no longer binding on believers.

(Taylor's blog post stimulated lots of useful comments).  Justin Taylor himself agrees with Blomberg and also cites Thomes Schriner's position in 40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law.  Of this book, Taylor says, I think it’s now the go-to book for an accessible introduction to all the major issues related to gospel and law, the role of law in redemptive history, application of the law today, etc. I could not recommend it more highly.

Taylor received permission from Kregel to reprint the entry for question #37, “Is the Sabbath Still Required for Christians?”

MEANING OF "YAHWEH" - "I AM PRESENT"

Kenneth Way of the Talbot School of Theology writes:

I recently read an article by a renowned scholar in an obscure publication that really got me thinking.  The article was by the prolific Jewish commentator, Jacob Milgrom (“The Desecration of YHWH’s Name: Its Parameters and Significance” in Birkat Shalom: Studies in the Bible, Ancient Near Eastern Literature…Presented to Shalom M. Paul, eds., C. Cohen, et al., 69-81. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2008).  Towards the end of the article Milgrom makes some compelling suggestions about the  meaning of the name YHWH based on the testimony of God himself in the account of the burning bush (Exodus 3:9-15).

Basically, Milgrom suggests that the significance of the name Yahweh revealed here is not so much about God as the Existent One (“I AM”) or as the Creator (the “One Who Causes to Be” [this was D. N. Freedman’s interpretation published in Journal of Biblical Literature in 1960]).  Rather, the significance of the name YHWH which is revealed in this passage for the first time is that God is the Present One (“I AM PRESENT”).

WHAT BOOKS ON SCRIPTURE HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO PASTORS?

Three scholars associated with The Gospel Coalition offer suggestions:   (HT: Justin Taylor)

Kevin DeYoung, senior pastor at University Reformed Church, East Lansing, Michigan:

• B. B. Warfield, Inspiration and Authority of the Bible (P&R, 1948), 446 pages. – A deserved classic. Still relevant. Still right.
• Timothy Ward, Words of Life: Scripture as the Living and Active Word of God (IVP, 2009), 184 pages. – Accessible, yet pretty thorough. Affirms inerrancy, but too squeamish about the word  in my opinion. Otherwise a fantastic book from a reformed, evangelical perspective.
• D. A. Carson and John Woodbridge (editors), Scripture and Truth (Baker, 1992), 446 pages.
• D. A. Carson and John Woodbridge (editors), Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon (Wipf & Stock, 2005), 468 pages.
• D.A. Carson, Collected Writings on Scripture (Crossway, 2010), 335 pages. Anything by D. A. Carson on Scripture is worth reading.
• J. I. Packer, Truth and Power: The Place of Scripture in the Christian Life (IVP, 1999), 191 pages. – Sadly out of print, but a wonderful defense of inerrancy, including the use of the word.
• Carl Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority (Crossway Books, 1999), 3,030 pages. – Get the big set and read the chapters that scratch your itch. A treasure that is still largely neglected.
• John Woodbridge, Biblical Authority: A Critique of the Rogers/McKim Proposal, (Zondervan, 1982), 240 pages. Woodbridge demolishes the Rogers/McKim thesis that inerrancy is a modern invention.

N.T. Wright: "After You Believe" (A Review)

- Update - I am indebted to "Jim" who left a comment on this post linking to N.T. Wright speaking at Elmbrook Church last April on "After You Believe."  It's a wonderful talk which I highly recommend.  Click here.  For more of Wright's articles and talks, see the N.T. Wright Page.

- I love book reviews.  They introduce me to new books and new authors, and they offer critical evaluation of authors already familiar to me.   Bill Kynes' review of N.T. Wright's After You Believe  appears in the current edition of Themelios, a wonderful theological journal that helpfully (and wonderfully!) publishes its articles and book reviews online.  I found the discussion of "rule-based morality" particularly cogent.  Kynes writes:

What are we here for? What constitutes a “good life”? What does God want from us? N. T. Wright applies his considerable biblical acumen to these questions as he seeks “a fresh reading of the moral thrust of the New Testament” (p. 67). The book doesn’t set out to deal with ethical or moral questions or to offer a fine-tuned study of character traits. Rather, Wright looks at the big picture, the overall theological framework, for living the Christian life.

Wright’s biblical framework is decidedly teleological/eschatological: “The basic point is this: the Christian life in the present, with its responsibilities and particular callings, is to be understood and shaped in relation to the final goal for which we have been made and redeemed. The better we understand this goal, the better we shall understand the path toward it” (p. ix). This emphasis on God’s final redemptive purpose makes this book in some sense a sequel to Wright’s earlier work Surprised by Hope (2007), which sets forth the NT eschatological vision of resurrected believers populating the new heaven and new earth (versus the common conception of disembodied souls occupying an ethereal heaven). We are not only saved from sin; we are saved for a new purpose—to fulfill God’s design when he first created human beings in his image to have dominion over his creation. Knowing what we are made for is essential to our understanding of how we ought to live.

BEST DEFENSE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

So says Gordon Wenham and Christopher J.H. Wright of Paul Copan's Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God (Baker, 2011).  Wenham and Wright are Old Testament scholars of the first rank.  Their opinion carries weight, as does the exuberance of a galaxy of other excellent scholars found at the end of this blog post.

Gordon Wenham says:

“Lucid, lively, and very well informed, this book is the best defense of Old Testament ethics that I have read. A must-read for all preachers and Bible study leaders.”

Christopher J. H. Wright says:

“This is the book I wish I had written myself. It is simply the best book I have read that tackles the many difficulties that the Old Testament presents to thinking and sensitive Christians and that give such ammunition to the opponents of all religious faith. Paul Copan writes in such a simple, straightforward way, yet covers enormous issues comprehensively and with reassuring biblical detail and scholarly research. Use this book to stock your mind with gracious but factual answers in those awkward conversations. Better still, give it to those who are swayed by the shallow prejudice of popular atheism without reading the Bible for themselves. I strongly recommend this book. We have wanted and needed it for a long time.”

I learned about the book from Justin Taylor who links to a synopsis found in Copan's own blog post:

Dr. Sandy Richter - "The Epic of Eden"

Ben Witherington reposted on his blog a solid interview with Professor Sandra L. Richter on the relevance of the Old Testament.  After reading the excellent interview, I went to Amazon to investigate her book, The Epic of Eden:  A Christian Entry into the Old Testament.  I browsed the "search inside this book" feature and copied the following two insightful paragraphs.

On the Old Testament concept of the "love of God," and especially in Deuteronomy, Dr. Richter writes:  (my underlining)

William Moran wrote an important article “The Ancient near Eastern Background of the Love of God in Deuteronomy,” CBQ 25 (1963): 77-85  Here Moran demonstrated that the word love in ancient Near East treaty documents (and by extrapolation in the book of Deuteronomy) was political terminology having to do with covenant loyalty—not any sort of sentimental or emotional posture toward the covenant partner.  In light of this, consider Rom. 9:13: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”  Gallons of ink have been spilt over this passage!  Could the resolution to this difficult language perhaps be found in covenant terminology?  In other words, rather than this passage communicating that God has despised Esau and his offspring, perhaps ‘love’ and “hate” were intended to communicate something akin to: ‘Jacob I have chosen as Isaac’s heir and therefore heir to Abraham’s covenant; Esau I have not chosen as heir.'  Note 19. p. 240

 On the sacrifices brought by people in ancient Israel she writes:

 W.S. LaSor, D.A. Hubbard and F.W. Bush offer a helpful summary of the various categories of Mosaic sacrifice in Old Testament Survey, 2^nd ed (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), p. 83.  It is important to realize that out of the eight categories listed, only one involved the complete holocaust of the sacrificial victim.  In contrast to what most Christians typically imagine, the bulk of the sacrificed animal was normally returned to the worshipper so that he and his family might feast together in God’s presence.  In other words, the act of sacrifice was usually a time of joyous fellowship with one’s family and one’s God at the holy site.  These holy days were truly “holidays.”  In fact, throughout the law code of Deuteronomy, which is focused on proper worship of Yahweh at the central holy site, the repeated command is to ‘eat’ and to ‘rejoice’ in Yahweh’s presence (Deut 12:7, 12,18; 14:26; 16:11,14; 26:10-11; 27:7).  God was not interested in taking from these people the little they had; rather, he was interested in them bringing a portion of what he had given them into his presence so that he might enjoy their joy with them.”  (p. 250)

This reminds me of some pages I read years ago in C.S. Lewis's Reflections on the Psalms.  In chapter 5, "The Fair Beauty of the Lord,"  Lewis wrote:

DO JOB AND ECCLESIASTES CONTRADICT PROVERBS?

From Justin Taylor's post:

Here is a helpful answer to that question from Tremper Longman’s essay, “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? A Biblical-Theological Approach,” in the new book, Eyes to See and Ears to Hear: Essays in Memory of J. Alan Groves, ed. Peter Enns, Douglas J. Green, and Michael B. Kelly (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2010), pp. 13-14:

---

Our presentation of the material above may lead to a misconception if not read carefully. Proverbs emphasizes the rewards that come to those who follow the way of wisdom, while Job and Ecclesiastes question the connection between behavior and consequences. Does that mean that Job and Ecclesiastes contradict Proverbs, not to speak of the other strands of the OT that imply that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people?

Close study of these books suggests a negative answer. In the first place, Proverbs does not guarantee reward to the righteous or punishment for the wicked. A proverb is simply not in the business of issuing promises or guarantees. Rather, a proverb states the best route to a desired end, all other things being equal. Most of the time it is true that lazy behavior will lead to poverty and hard work will result in a better living standard, but not always. An indolent person could inherit a fortune, or a hard worker might be wiped out by a natural calamity or a crooked administrator. Proverbs 13:23 acknowledges the latter when it says:

A poor person’s farm may produce much food,
but injustice sweeps it all away.

Another indication that Proverbs itself does not believe there is a mechanical and absolutely guaranteed connection between wise behavior and good benefits is in its acknowledgment that the fool can have wealth—even if only temporarily:

Wealth from get-rich-schemes quickly disappears;
wealth from hard work grows over time. (13:11)

But even when the wealth of fools might last, it does not really help the person:

Riches won’t help on the day of judgment. (11:4a)

Thus, a number of better-than proverbs imply that a person may have to decide between wisdom and success in life:

Better to be poor and godly
than rich and dishonest. (16:8; see also 15:17; 16:16; 17:1; 22:1; 28:6)

In conclusion, Ecclesiastes and Job do not correct Proverbs, but rather they correct an overreading of Proverbs.

ALBERT MOHLER: "THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE: THE FIFTY YEARS' WAR . . . AND COUNTING"

Mohler offers a useful overview of new challenges to the evangelical doctrine from within the evangelical camp.  (HT: VirtueOnline)

WHEATON THEOLOGY CONFERENCE EXPLORES THE WORK OF N.T. WRIGHT

I had thought about traveling to this conference held back in April, but then I reconsidered, supposing I could save time and money by ordering the tapes instead.  You can imagine how pleased I was to discover (via Ben Witherington's blog) that the conference sessions had been videotaped and have now been posted on the internet.  So far I have listened/watched N.T. Wright's magnificent chapel message to Wheaton College students and Richard Hay's brilliant appreciation and critique of N.T. Wright's work.  I intend to make my way through the rest of the sessions as time allows.

For those new to the work of Professor (Bishop) N.T. Wright, it is perhaps enough to know that Wright is perhaps the foremost New Testament scholar of our day.  He has written massive tomes as well as numerous more popular books.  A page with links to articles and talks can be found here.  And below are the sessions from the theology conference at Wheaton.

Jesus, Paul and the People of God: A Theological Dialogue with N.T. Wright The 19th Annual Wheaton Theology Conference | April 16-17, 2010   To download an MP3 audio or MP4 video file, right-click on the download link and choose "Save Target As" on the popup menu. When viewing a Flash video, you may be prompted to update your Flash Player or to download and install the Adobe Flash Player.   Friday April 16 Richard Hays Knowing Jesus: Story, History, and the Question of Truth | 8:40a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Marianne Meye Thompson The Gospel of John Meets Jesus and the Victory of God | 9:30a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video N.T. Wright Chapel Message | 10:30a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat 'Outside of a Small Circle of Friends': Jesus and the Justice of God | 1:00p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Nicholas Perrin Jesus' Eschatology and Kingdom Ethics: Ever the Twain Shall Meet | 1:50p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Wright, Hays, Walsh, Keesmaat, Thompson, and Perrin Panel Discussion | 3:15p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video N.T. Wright Jesus and the People of God: Whence and Whither Historical Jesus Studies and the Life of the Church | 7:00p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video     Saturday April 17 Kevin J. Vanhoozer Wrighting the Wrongs of the Reformation? The State of the Union with Christ in St. Paul and in Protestant Soteriology | 9:45a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Jeremy Begbie The Shape of Things to Come? Wright Amidst Emerging Ecclesiologies | 10:35a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Markus Bockmuehl Did St. Paul Go to Heaven When He Died? | 1:00p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Edith Humphrey Glimpsing the Glory—Paul's Gospel, Righteousness and the Beautiful Feet of N.T. Wright view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Wright, Vanhoozer, Begbie, Bockmuehl, and Humphrey Panel Discussion | 3:15p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video N.T. Wright Paul and the People of God: Whence and Whither Pauline Studies and the Life of the Church | 7:00p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video

QUICK TAKES

-- Al Mohler on developing a Christian response to the challenge of Islam

- - Tim Keller on the biblical view of justice  

-- Myths about Emerging Adults

-- Mark Driscoll's series on the Song of Solomon

WHICH DOES THE BIBLE SUPPORT: PROPERTY RIGHTS OR REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH?

Wintery Knight offers a fine excerpt from an article by David Puller, "Is Scripture Statist?"

Wintery Knight also links to a short First Things review of  Jay W.  Richards' Money, Greed And God: Why Capitalism Is the Solution and Not the Problem  of which George Gilder wrote:

"In Money, Greed, and God, Jay Richards has written the definitive case for capitalism, a crisply written and incisive discourse on wealth and poverty, money and morality for the 21st Century."

JOHN PIPER'S Q&A WITH PRISON INMATES

Pastor/theologian John Piper's 30 Minute Q&A (video) with prisoners at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) can be found here. I was blown away by the depth of the questions and Piper's thoughtful answers. These men are serious Bible students!  My guess is that the depth of the Q&A session found at this prison would rival or surpass a similar session in an average evangelical church.

PROF. BEN WITHERINGTON'S LIST OF "TEN 2009 BOOKS ON THE NEW TESTAMENT YOU SHOULD HAVE READ"

I take the title of Witherington's post as something of a joke, a professor's way of producing a wry smile on the faces of his indulgent audience.   If I had the time, I would go to Amazon and calculate the total pages of the 10 books.  I would bet the average is over 400 pages!  I wonder if he gives points for having heard of the books, let alone having read them?  If so, I can truthfully say I have heard of only three.  One, Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, I had blogged about previously and offered a link to a radio interview/debate with the author.  Bauckham's book defends the trustworthiness of the New Testament gospels in new ways.  It arrived in the mail today, all 538 pages of it!!  It looks terrific.

BEN WITHERINGTON - AMAZING ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORK IN EPHESUS (TURKEY)

Anyone even remotely interested in archaeology will want to become familiar with these fantastic photos of Ephesian terrace houses.   Witherington comments on the light they shed on the Apostle Paul and his ministry.

More . . .

EMERGENT CHURCH: IS TRUTH REALLY PLURAL?

Albert Mohler offers a major review and critique of John R. Franke's Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth,  (HT: Between Two Worlds).

In recent years, John R. Franke, a professor at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, has been among the foremost proponents of the embrace of a postmodern worldview. A major figure in the emergent church, Franke has been a significant critic of modern evangelicalism. In his new book, Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth, Franke offers an argument that pushes the postmodern envelope and offers what amounts to a completely new way of understanding truth. Truth, Franke argues, is inherently plural.

Franke's new book is part of the "Living Theology" series published by Abingdon Press in cooperation with Emergent Village. The book deserves close attention, for it presents a vision of truth we are sure to confront in years to come.   [more . . .]

BEN WITHERINGTON - "RELATING THE OT AND NT THOUGHT WORLDS"

Asbury Theological Seminary New Testament Professor Ben Witherington offers a substantial excerpt from his yet-to-be-published book, The Indelible Image (vol. 2).  Click here.  Very interesting.

USEFUL ITEMS FROM "BETWEEN TWO WORLDS" BLOG

There are loads of useful recent posts on Between Two Worlds.  I'll highlight a few below.  This is a blog you will want to check regularly.  Readers of my blog will recognize many previous links to "Between Two Worlds."

    - Link to a free audio download of Dante Alighieri's "The Divine Comedy" at Christianaudio.com

    - Theologian Wayne Grudem's Sunday School Class - mp3 & outlines.  This represents an amazing opportunity to listen to a distinguished professor teaching lay people week by week.  Years of teaching by topic available.

    - The 99 Most Essential Bach Masterpieces.  99 downloadable tracks for $2.99 (total).  Another amazing offer

TOP 5 COMMENTARIES ON EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE

Keith Mathison of Ligonier Ministries is the one doing the selecting.  Worth consulting.  Click here.  (HT: Between Two Worlds)  I value some new steers, but am surprised to see some omissions as well, such as Klyne Snodgrass on Ephesians (whose work I like), and Gordon Fee on I Corinthians. 

A reader suggests checking www.bestcommentaries.com as well.   In an earlier post I referred to the Old Testament commentary picks chosen by professors at Denver Seminary.

PROF. BEN WITHERINGTON REPORTS ON THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF "LAODICEA"

Fascinating photos and text.  Click here.

R. A. TORREY (1856-1928) - MAJOR AMERICAN EVANGELICAL LEADER OF AN EARLIER AGE

Earlier generations of Christians were well acquainted with the famed American Bible teacher, scholar, and evangelist, R.A. Torrey.  The renown of R.A. Torrey during his lifetime reached enormous heights.  I have known of him for years (in fact an uncle of mine was named after him), but I've not read very widely or deeply in his writings.  Today I looked on the internet and discovered a treasure trove of materials at The R.A. Torrey Archive.  The website contains entire books, numerous articles, and various resources related to the man.  Particularly interesting to me was an audio recording of a sermon preached by R.A. Torrey.  It is the only voice recording that has survived.  I listened to it (it is 27 minutes) and was  struck by the depth and

LESSONS FROM ECCLESIASTES

The other day I was reading the book, Christianity: The True Humanism, by J.I. Packer and Thomas Howard, and found comments on Ecclesiastes worth jotting down.  I am assuming they are Packer's, since Howard's style usually gives itself away with its florid prose.  The writer of Ecclesiastes, Packer says,

piles on the agony of hope frustrated and builds up his picture of life's letdowns with a somber artistry, that makes that heart ache.  Do not kid yourself, he says, that life is a bed of roses for anyone; it is more like a bed of nails. Yet he is not a cynic; on the contrary, his whole aim is to make clear three things which, when grasped and understood, become a permanent bulwark against cynicism in the human heart.  Here they are.

PROF. BEN WITHERINGTON TAKES ISSUE WITH BART EHRMAN'S "JESUS INTERRUPTED"

Ben Witherington is a world class New Testament scholar, so when he reviews Bart Ehrman's Jesus Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know Them, one must give due weight to his critique.  Witherington offers his review in three segments (so far), here, here, and here.  Update: Ssgment four is here, and five here.  Segment six is here.

Extra: Stephen Colbert interviewed Ehrman about his new book.  Colbert, as one commentator said, "is at the top of his game" in this interview.  Witherington offers a comment:

Psalm 23 - Exposition by Dr. Daniel Block

I have often wondered about various images found in Psalm 23.  Dr. Daniel Block, Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, opens up Psalm 23 in a magnificent way, using the psalm as a meditation on leadership.  He offer his exposition in a talk he gave on April 4, 2007.

Most Memorable Christian Audio of 2008

Justin Taylor links to the Faith by Hearing Audio blog which has posted their best audio list for 2008.  I hope I won't get in trouble for reproducing the list below.  (I am not sure of blog etiquette regarding this).  But let me add that this website/blog, Faith by Hearing looks amazing!  There's an incredible amount of material here.  "Faith by Hearing" says:

Having listened to hundreds of sermons, discussions and interviews this year, I have listed here the 12 mp3’s or mp3 series that still linger in my memory as being particularly impactful.

Gordon Fee’s 3 part series on Reading & Studying the Bible for Life is perhaps the most important series I’ve posted on FBH. Fee nails one of our generation’s most dangerous blind spots in regards to the Christian faith.

Sinclair Ferguson’s 17 part sermon series through James is an incredible journey of powerful expository preaching.

Dr. Ben Witherington Writes on the Apostle Paul's Ethical Trajectory Regarding Slavery

Dr. Ben Witherington, Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, has a blog on which he has published a section of a book he is writing on New Testament ethics.  I have extracted below a portion of what he published, all of which I found very interesting.  Witherington shows how Paul's treatment of slavery exhibits increasing specificity as the closeness of his contact with those receiving his letters advances.  In short, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon demonstrate an ethical trajectory which proves quite illuminating.

Witherington labels this section "LEVELS OF MORAL DISCOURSE"

Unfortunately, besides the neglect or disparagement of NT ethics, one of the other negative things that has happened to NT ethical material is the de-contexualizing of the material and the failure to see its usual ad hoc nature. All too often it has been treated rather flatly or uniformly. These things ought not to be. NT ethics is just as much a word on target for certain Christian audiences as the theologizing we find in these same documents. And in fact, when we have material that is repeated in more than one document, for example like the household codes, we begin to discover that there are trajectories of change in some of this material, just as there are levels of discourse. Let me explain what I mean by these two concepts (levels of discourse and trajectories of change) as they are in fact intertwined.

If a person has any sensibility about wanting to make an effective communication with a particular audience and persuade them of something, especially if the issue here is exhortation and application, then that person must:

D.A. Carson's Lectures and Sermons Now Online

Dr. Don Carson, a prolific writer and outstanding Bible lecturer and preacher, currently serves as Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,  Deerfield, Illinois.  Carson now has 443 of his sermons available online.  This is a boon to the serious Bible student.  The sermons can be accessed here by Scripture passsage, topic, or category.   (HT: Justin Taylor).

BIBLE STUDY HELPS AVAILABLE IN THE NEW "ESV STUDY BIBLE'

Clinton Arnold is the author of the notes on Colossians in the soon-to-be published (October) English Standard Version (ESV) Study Bible.  He offers useful comments on Colossians in an interview which also contains a link to the introduction and notes on Colossians that will be published in the ESV Study Bible.  This is a great gift to online readers.

Another great gift is an interview with Ray Ortland who contributed the introduction and notes to Isaiah in the ESV Study bible.  At the webpage of the interview,  there is a link to his introduction and notes for the first two chapters of Isaiah.

And here you can find a link to download some of the articles that will also appear in the ESV Study Bible, namely:

• Reading the Bible Theologically, by J.I. Packer (pp. 1-2)
• Reading the Bible as Literature, by Leland Ryken (pp. 3-4)
• Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God, by John Piper (pp. 4-6)
• Reading the Bible for Personal Application, by David Powlison (pp. 6-8)
• Reading the Bible for Preaching and Public Worship, by R. Kent Hughes (pp. 8-10)

An interview with David Powlison related to his essay, "Reading the Bible for Personal Application," is also available.  More information on the ESV Study Bible is available here.

ONLINE BIBLE READING PROGRAMS (WITH SOUND!)

Good News/Crossway offers a marvelous online selection of Bible reading programs.  Until now, I have not utilized online resources, but I think this website may change that.  I like the fact that one can listen to the Biblical text being read, in addition to reading the Bible oneself.  I highly respect the Bible version that Good News/Crossway publishes and uses on this website - The English Standard Version.

• Daily Light on the Daily Path. For over a century, Daily Light on the Daily Path has been a favorite devotional book of those who realize the tremendous benefit of reading and praying Scripture. Originally printed in the mid-1800s, Daily Light was born out of the devout faith of Samuel Bagster, a British bookstore owner determined to share his faith with his twelve children. The Bagsters’ daily practice of reading Scripture together, then connecting the day’s verses with other passages, inspired one of the children to compile their devotions for publication. The family discussed and prayed over the selection and arrangement of each verse until they were convinced that no further improvement could be made. After two years of prayer and consideration, the devotions were printed in two volumes for morning and evening reading.
• Every Day in the Word. The popular reading plan features a reading from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs each day. This plan divides the text into 365 sections, so you can read through the entire Bible in one unforgettable year—in as little as 15 minutes a day. In one year, you read the Old Testament, New Testament, and Proverbs once, and the Psalms twice.
• One-Year Tract Bible Reading Plan. This plan is based on the M'Cheyne reading system, featuring four different readings for use in both family and personal devotions. Each day has two passages from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and one from either the Psalms or the Gospels. In one year, you read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice.
• Through the Bible in a Year. The online version of the popular tract. Each day includes a reading from the Old Testament and New Testament. Starting in Genesis and Matthew, the readings continue sequentially—over the course of a year, you never read the same passage twice.
• Book of Common Prayer Daily Office Lectionary. This plan follows the Daily Office Lectionary found in The Book of Common Prayer (1979) used worldwide by Anglicans and Episcopalians.
• Daily Reading Bible. Follows the reading plan found in the ESV Daily Reading Bible. Each day has one Old Testament reading, one New Testament reading, and one reading from the Psalms. You read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice over a year.
• Chronological. Read the events of the Bible as they occurred chronologically. For example, the Book of Job is integrated with Genesis because Job lived before Abraham. This reading plan is copyright Back to the Bible.

SHOULD MORE "GOSPELS" BE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?

In the December 2007 issue of Christianity Today, Darrell Bock wrote an article pointing out the need for churches to equip their people in answering common objections to Christianity that have become popular in recent days. It is not unusual, for example, for people to say, "Well, what about all those other gospels that never made it into the Bible?" Or, "Don't you know that history is written by the winners and

Vishal Mangalwadi - "Can the Words of Men Be the Words of God?"

This article constitutes Appendix I of Vishal Mangalwadi's forthcoming book, Must the Sun Set on the West? An Indian Explores the Soul of Western Civilization.  Mangalwadi is an unusually creative and original Indian Christian thinker from whose works I have benefited greatly.  He is also making available an 11-part audio CD lecture series delivered this past fall at the University of Minnesota titled, "Must the Sun set on the West?