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FeaturedBook Review: Ezra–Nehemiah (EPSC), Gregory Goswell
Ezra and Nehemiah have long been difficult for me to understand. Why so much text (and two books) to describe the return from exile when things seem so dismal at the end of both books? Why are they so detailed and, well, rather boring? What am I supposed to do with these books? I was… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Ezra–Nehemiah (NIVAC), Donna and Thomas Petter
The NIV Application Commentary series, having begun two decades ago, has been completed with the final volume on Ezra-Nehemiah by Donna and Thomas Petter. I was excited to get this volume because 1) I don’t have many commentaries on Ezra-Nehemiah, and 2) I find it difficult to know the importance of much of what happens… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: The Paradox of Sonship (R. B. Jamieson)
In the book of Hebrews, the author refers to Jesus as “Son” in a number of places. He is the eternal Son who was incarnated as a human being (1:2). But it also appears that he received the title of “Son” at his enthronement as Messiah (1:3). But which is it? Some (Caird, Hurst) believe… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Exodus Old and New (ESBT), L. Michael Morales
This is the second volume in a 10-volume series called the Essential Studies in Biblical Theology (ESBT) series. Each book looks at an aspect of God’s plan of redemption in the Bible. Each volume is meant to be a primer, accessible to all people, that introduces them to a particular biblical theme while tying it… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Systematic Theology, 2nd ed. (Wayne Grudem)
Wayne Grudem came out with a massive systematic theology (ST) in 1995, which has, as you can see on the picture above, sold over 750,000 copies. 26 years later he has updated his ST, adding at least 250 more pages of information and clarification since a lot has happened in 26 years (like the 2016… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Reflect (Thaddeus Williams)
“Trust yourself.” “Follow your heart.” “Just be yourself.” “You do you.” “Be your best self.” These kinds of phrases are often given to others as an encouragement to not follow the status quo but to be original. Be who you are. Be yourself. Be your best self, in fact. But how does one become their… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Old Testament Theology (Paul House)
Paul House, Old Testament professor at Beeson Divinity School, has provided a clear understanding of the Old Testament’s theology (OTT) for Christians. In his first chapter, Old Testament Theology: History and Methodology, introduces the problems readers today face with reading the OT. Besides understanding the creation of the world, the creation of Israel, and God’s… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: The Liturgy of Creation (Michael LeFebvre)
Here is a book about understanding calendars in Old Testament context (as the subtitle hints). Now I know for most that doesn’t sound riveting, and honestly, the book isn’t. The book is quite technical, especially as it considers Israel’s festivals and dates, as well as how the only dates we find in the Pentateuch are… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Reformed Ethics: Volume One (Herman Bavinck)
Herman Bavinck was a systematic theologian who taught at Kampen and the Free University of Amsterdam in the later 1800s. Baker Academic has already produced his four-volume Reformed Dogmatics, and this Reformed Ethics is the first of three projected volumes from a recently discovered (in 2008) 1,100-page manuscript of Bavinck’s used between 1883-1902. John Bolt, who… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: God’s Relational Presence (Duvall/Hays)
Is there a center to biblical theology? Is there an idea that drives the Bible’s theology? A theme found from the beginning to the end? Found no matter which genre, which book, or, perhaps, which chapter you look? In God’s Relational Presence, authors J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays believe that God’s relational presence drives… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Matthew, Disciple and Scribe (Patrick Schreiner)
One benefit from Bible college was learning more about how each Gospel writer had their own perspective. While teaching through Mark, instead of looking at what all the Gospel authors wrote about say, Jesus’ transfiguration, it was important to see how Mark’s themes fit with his representation of the transfiguration. In Patrick Schreiner’s new book… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Romans, 2nd ed. (BECNT), Tom Schreiner
The Baker Exegetical Commentary series aims to be both readable while paying careful attention to important Greek exegetical matters. Each volume is written with pastors and teachers in mind so they can teach God’s uniquely inspired word. Tom Schreiner is the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of NT Interpretation and Professor of Biblical Theology (1997) and… Read more
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FeaturedThe Farewell Discourse (John 13-17)
What is Jesus’ farewell discourse and why did John place it in his Gospel? The farewell discourse has a long history of interpretation, and Klink sets out to place this substantial discourse into its proper literary place in John. In his commentary on John, Edward Klink suggests that there are four substantial monologues in John’s Gospel: The… Read more
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FeaturedImages of God in Revelation
A few days ago I reviewed Matthew Emerson’s Between the Cross and the Throne. In chapter four, The Portrait of God and His People, Emerson gives us the Skeleton Key to understand some of the cryptic images John uses about God. He reveals three of the images which John uses “to describe Yahweh’s rule over… Read more
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FeaturedJames: Brother of Jesus, Leader of the Church
Who are the major players in Acts? Peter takes up the first 12 chapters, and, including chapter 9, Saul/Paul fills in the rest of the chapters from Acts 13 to the end. Who led the church, the Jesus movement, this new people in Christ? In his commentary on James, William Varner suggests that James, the… Read more
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FeaturedPaul’s “Longest” Sentence (Eph 1.3-14)
Ephesians 1.3-14 has a long history of being “that long sentence” Paul wrote. But is it really as long as we think it is? How did Tychicus (Eph 6.21-22) read the letter aloud to the Ephesian church? Did Paul run too many races that all his sentences became run-ons? Steven Baugh, author of the EEC volume… Read more
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FeaturedDaniel 7 and the Cloud Rider
Cloud Riders One of the biggest threats to God’s people in the OT was another god called Baal. Israel was to be a monotheistic community, a group whose sole devotion was directed towards YHWH only. But as the pages of Scripture repeatedly tell us, Israel didn’t follow the rules. Baal was the storm and fertility god. So… Read more
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FeaturedYahweh Divides the Nations
Last time we started to look at what Heiser, in his book The Unseen Realm, calls the Deuteronomy 32 Worldview. What we see in Genesis 11 about the tower of Babel has to do with more than dispersing the people. They were “apportioned as an inheritance according to the number of the sons of God” (113).… Read more
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FeaturedMoney in the Gospel of Luke
Money. Some pastors love preaching about it. Some brag about buying “not one jet, but two!” with cash. Others who don’t want to be associated with the money-mongers, hate preaching about it. This is unfortunate because Jesus set the example for preaching about money (and while Televangelistis would tell you the same thing, they would… Read more
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FeaturedWas Samson a Good Judge?
For all of my church-going life, Samson’s had a pretty bad wrap. He had some positives: he was a judge of Israel, a lion killer who had multiple Holy Spirit fillings, and a Philistine killer. And then there were the negatives: he followed his appetite (e.g., food, women, etc), disregarded God’s law (again, food, women, etc), and fell for Delilah’s… Read more
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FeaturedWhat really is this “partnership in the Gospel”?
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Delighting in the Trinity (Michael Reeves)
Why is God love? Because God is a Trinity. Why can we be saved? Because God is a Trinity. How are we able to live the Christian life? Through the Trinity. In Reeves’s book he brings us an introduction to Christianity and our daily living that is rooted in the triune God who we worship, Father,… Read more
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FeaturedBook Review: Radical (David Platt)
Overused words in Christianity: “Guard your heart” “I don’t feel led” When plans fall through: “It was the Lord’s will” “Hedge of protection” “Are you in tune with the Spirit?” (No, but I have DVR just in case) “Everything happens for a reason” “God told me I’m going to marry you.” (I’ll let you know… Read more
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Book Review: Philippians (TNTC), Jeannine Brown
The TNTC series, a flagship evangelical commentary series, began in 1956. It has been revised once before, and is undergoing a new revision. Jeannine Brown—Professor of New Testament and Director of Online Programs at Bethel Seminary—replaces Ralph Martin’s previous volume. She has written on hermeneutics, the Gospels, the Gospel of Matthew (TTC and THCNT), and… Read more
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Book Review: Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Hebrews (ACT), Cyril of Alexandria
The Ancient Christian Texts (ACT) series offers the full texts of ancient Christian commentaries on Scripture that have only recently been translated into English. This series covers the patristic period (AD 95-750), the time covering a group of people we today refer to as the “Church Fathers.” This was “when the exegesis of Scripture texts… Read more
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