9 Marks Forum on Fundamentalism

9 Marks Ministries has posted their March/April 2008 eJournal, which contains a roundtable inquiry of some Fundamentalist and Evangelical leaders on the question: "What can we learn from the Christian Fundamentalists?" There are some good answers and insights from both camps of believers.

A PDF version of the Journal is also available.

9 Marks Forum on Fundamentalism

Book Review--Letters of John Newton

Letters of John Newton. With Biographical Sketches and Notes by Josiah Bull. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2007. 416 pp, Hardcover. $27.00.

Reviewed by Tim Ashcraft.

(Review copy courtesy of Banner of Truth.)

Purchase: BOT | WTS ($18.90) | CBD ($24.99)

ISBNs: 0851519512 / 9780851519517

Special Features: Biographical sketches of correspondents, occasional explanatory notes, outline description of letters in the table of contents.

Many fundamental and evangelical Christians are familiar with the name John Newton. Perhaps we have heard how God transformed the blasphemous slave trader into a shining servant of Jesus Christ. Or maybe we know him only as the author of “Amazing Grace.” In his own day Newton was known not only as a powerful preacher and a wonderful hymnist but also as a letter writer par excellence. People who could not visit him “sought his help by letter, and it was this that brought the best out of Newton” (p. xi). In fact, he appears to have viewed his letter writing as his main contribution to the church during the Eighteenth Century Revival (p. xi).

The subject of this review is a fresh edition of his letters, “not to be confused with the Letters of John Newton first published by the Trust in 1960 and reprinted several times since” (p. v). The older edition, a paperback, contains thirty-nine letters, a few of which are reprinted in this new edition. But “this much larger selection contains many more letters, including several that had not been previously published” (p. v). Newton’s letters appeared as individual books before his death in 1807, the most popular being Cardiphonia: or the Utterance of the Heart (1781), a rare volume today. Except for the small paperback, I am not aware of any recent editions of Newton’s letters other than the letters contained in the six-volume Works of John Newton. So I am happy to see this beautiful new hardback from Banner of Truth.

(Read the full review here.)

____________________
Banner of Truth has also published the following collections, of which readers should also be aware.

• Letters of Thomas Chalmers with Introduction by Iain H. Murray. (Banner of Truth, 2007), 576 pages/Hardcover.
• Letters of Samuel Rutherford. (Banner of Truth, 2006), 744 pages/Hardcover.

Book Review--Letters of John Newton

What Has Athens To Do With Jerusalem?

April DeConick, professor of Biblical Studies at Rice University, has called for a Blog Post Co-Op on Tertullian’s famous rhetorical question, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” Athens represents Greek philosophy; Jerusalem represents the revelation from God—the Holy Scriptures. Tertullian seems to be warning against corrupting Christian doctrine and practice with philosophy (Colossians 2:8). Opinions are divided as to Tertullian’s estimation of the value of Greek philosophy in its place. He himself was trained in the classics and was very familiar with that culture.

I’d like to offer an opinion as a possible answer to his question. Athens has quite a lot to do with Jerusalem, but in a subservient way. It’s well known that Greek culture was widespread before, during, and after the New Testament era. Not only was our New Testament originally written in Greek, but the Old Testament had been translated into Greek (the Septuagint, or LXX) and was in wide use in the time of Christ and the apostles.

What may not be as well known is that certain concepts and exhortations in the NT find their counterpart in Greek philosophy. That doesn’t mean that Christian doctrine came from pagan philosophy or was somehow influenced by it. Rather, Christian doctrine came from God, and the better elements of Greek philosophy came from minds groping for truth. Those minds, like ours, are darkened through the fall into sin and are prone to much error and resistance to light. But shafts of God’s light occasionally pierce the darkness.

For example, the Apostle Paul seems to demonstrate this in the sermon he preached at Athens in Acts 17. (This chapter records Jerusalem having to do with Athens!) Paul proclaimed to the Athenians that God “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children’” (Acts 17:26-28). Paul, of course, is not preaching Universalism here. But he finds common ground in this point of Greek philosophy, which he can use to communicate Scriptural truth to a heathen audience, because all truth is God’s truth.

In its proper subservient place Athens has plenty to do with Jerusalem; not for formulating or even understanding God’s truth, but as a vehicle for spreading God’s truth.

What Has Athens To Do With Jerusalem?

Andreas Köstenberger on Albert Schweitzer

This doesn't fit into our normal Today in Church History series, but I'd like to note Andreas Köstenberger's brief article on the life and works of Albert Schweitzer (January 14, 1875 - September 4, 1965). This article can be found on his blog Biblical Foundations.

Schweitzer probably isn't your theological hero, but his work has greatly affected modern theology. The quest for the historical Jesus studies continue to this day and are carried on by the Jesus Seminar . Likewise, conservative evangelical scholars are continuing to press on in Jesus studies while offering criticism of the methods and conclusions of the Jesus Seminar. Some of the currents scholars involved in these studies are as follows: Jesus Seminar: John Dominic Crossan, Marcus Borg, and others; Evangelical Scholars: N.T. Wright, Ben Witherington, Craig Blomberg, Darrell Bock, and others. (These lists are simply representative and are the authors I've read on the subject.)

Wikipedia article on Schweitzer.

Schweitzer's most popular work:

• Schweitzer, Albert. The Quest of the Historical Jesus. Edited by John Bowden. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001. Paperback, 562 pages.
  

Schweitzer's autobiography:

• Out of my Life and Thought: An Autobiography. Trans. A. B. Lemke. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. Paperback, 296 pages

Andreas Köstenberger on Albert Schweitzer

3 Reader's Editions of the Greek New Testament

While discussing Zondervan's A Reader's Hebrew Bible with Philip Brown and Bryan Smith, I noticed that comparisons were drawn between RHB and Zondervan's A Reader's Greek New Testament. The more we discussed the benefits of RHB the more I came to realize how useful these tools will be for students and pastors.

I have done a good bit of research on the reader's edition Greek New Testaments available on the market and have found the following information:

1. Thus far, Zondervan has published two editions of RGNT.
1. A Reader's Greek New Testament (RGNT1), edited by Richard J. Goodrich & Albert L. Lukaszewski (April 2003)
• Features:
• Leather Bound
• The underlying text of the NIV
• Italic Greek font (click on the pic to enlarge)
• Footnoted definitions of all Greek words occurring 30x or less
• As you will see from the previous pic, the editors chose to include names as vocab. For an intermediate student, the target audience of this tool, this is unnecessary. (The UBS edition skips these names.)
  
• Footnotes offering comparisons with UBS4 (click on the pic to enlarge
• OT references are noted in a separate apparatus at the bottom of the page (click on the pic to enlarge)
• 608 pages
• 9.2" x 5.9" x 0.7"
• 1 lb
• 4 page excerpt
  
• Purchase:
• List Price: $29.99
• WTS ($18.89) | CBD ($21.99) | Amazon ($29.99)
  



2. A Reader's Greek New Testament, 2nd Edition (RGNT2), edited by Richard J. Goodrich & Albert L. Lukaszewski (November 2007)
   
• Features:
• Italian Duo-Tone cover
• The underlying text of the TNIV
• Non-italic Greek font
  
• Footnoted definitions of all Greek words occurring 30x or less
• A superscripted number follows each word to be found in the footnotes
• This superscripted number follows every appearance of every word occurring 30x or more (click on the pic to enlarge)
• According to this strategy, as seen in the previous pic, words situated close together share the same footnote number. However, words appearing a few words apart or more are assigned a new footnote number. (click on the pic to enlarge)
  This is carried over into the footnotes section where the same definition will be repeated multiple times. To me, this is an unfortunate redundancy. (The editors of the RHB sought to remedy this problem. The UBS edition also has a solution.) (click on the pic to enlarge)
• Footnotes offering comparisons with UBS4
• OT references are noted in a separate apparatus at the bottom of the page
  
• Includes a mini-lexicon of words occurring 30x or more
• Based on Warren C. Trenchard's Complete Vocabulary Guide to the Greek New Testament
• Four pages of full-color maps
• 576 pages
• 7" x 10" x 1.1"
• 1.415 lb
• 7 page excerpt
  
• Reviews:
• Rick Mansfield (The Lamp) - A Reader's Greek New Testament, 2nd Edition: Hands On Review
• Rick Brannan (ricoblog) - Reader's Greek New Testament Smackdown!
  
• Purchase:
• List Price: $34.99
• CBD ($27.99) | Amazon ($23.09)



2. Hendrickson has also published a Reader's NT with the standard UBS text.
1. The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader's Edition, edited by Barclay Newman (December 2007)
• Features:
• Burgundy Hardcover
• UBS 4th edition text edited by Barbara Aland, et al.
• Word definitions adapted from Barclay Newman's Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament
• Two-column, footnoted definitions of all Greek words occurring 30x or less
• Some parsing and declension provided
• Translations given according to context (click on the pic to enlarge)
• Section headings
• An appended dictionary of all words occurring 30x or more
• Maps from the UBS Greek New Testament
  
• 732 pages
• 9.33" x 6.22"
  
• 6 page excerpt
  
• Reviews:
• Rick Mansfield (The Lamp) - The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader's Edition (A Hands-On, Comparative Review)
  
• Rick Brannan (ricoblog) - Reader's Greek New Testament Smackdown!
• Purchase:
• List Price: $69.95
• WTS ($43.37) | CBD ($42.99) | Amazon ($44.07)

Here is a chart comparing the features of these three Reader's. (click on the pic to enlarge)

3 Reader's Editions of the Greek New Testament

What Think Ye of Christ?

Fred Eaton at Of First Importance offers a thought-provoking quote from Dennis Johnson:

“To focus on Jesus as example is to reduce him from sovereign Savior to ethical coach, and to transform his gospel into law.”

I've never thought of it in those terms before, but it does seem that this wrong emphasis on our Lord would "transform his gospel into law." That is the logical conclusion to this line of thinking. Many today reject the teaching of His vicarious death and promote Him merely as an example to follow. Why this mad rush to replace His gracious atonement with a works-based system that no one has ever been able to observe perfectly? Is it just a pride thing? Yes, the New Testament teaches that Christ set an example for us to follow, but the overwhelming emphasis of the NT is on Christ as our Sovereign Savior, who offered Himself in the sinner's place.

That's what I think. What think ye?

What Think Ye of Christ?

The Holy War—Shaddai Appeals to Mansoul

How should a king respond to rebellious subjects? In this week’s reading of John Bunyan’s The Holy War Shaddai responds to the people of Mansoul, who had openly defied Him and had allowed a usurper named Diabolus to rule over them. Shaddai’s first response is a gentle, but firm offer of mercy. He could have destroyed Mansoul or taken them by force, but He offers terms of peace if they will forsake Diabolus and return to their rightful king.

Four valiant captains with their 40,000-man army approach Mansoul, having been commissioned by the king to deliver the message. Shaddai thought it best to send them before sending His Son, Emmanuel, so that He might discern the disposition of the town toward Him. Perhaps they may be won back without a battle. The four captains are Captain Boanerges (Captain Thunder in the updated edition), Captain Conviction, Captain Judgment, and Captain Execution. These leaders represent different aspects of the same Gospel message. The Gospel is meant to awaken sinners out of their false security. The open Book of the Law exposes sin and works conviction in the heart. The Gospel also warns of the bad news of judgment to come and drives home the imminence of that judgment. The ax could fall at any time.

The townspeople are initially impressed with the orderliness of such a mighty army. They gather on top of the city’s wall to observe the well-ordered ranks with their flying banners. Diabolus, however, knows the threat this poses and chides the people with a deceptive speech lest they open the gates to these commanders. He warns that this army has come to destroy them and they should do everything in their power to resist. Diabolus achieves his purpose and causes a panic among the people. The unbelieving world is sometimes impressed with the orderly living of God’s people. Unbelievers may even seem more receptive to the Gospel. But it won’t be long until the devil raises “concerns” over these Christians. They can be bad news. Watch them! They will turn the world upside down. They’ll ruin everything.

Captain Boanerges’ trumpeter approaches Ear-gate and sounds a summons for Mansoul to gather and give heed to the king’s message. No one responds. The second summons is likewise ignored because of Diabolus’ orders. The third summons, louder and more insistent, was answered by the governor, Lord Willbewill. “He demanded that the trumpeter tell who he was, from where he came, and the reason he was making noise at the gate and speaking such insufferable words against the town of Mansoul” (Whitaker House edition, p. 53). The trumpeter identifies himself and gives the message. Willbewill replies that he will take the message to Diabolus, to which the trumpeter says that the message is not for him but for the town. The king’s forces will not even regard Diabolus, but will ignore him. Willbewill agrees to relay the message to the town.

When the town gathered on the wall to hear the message, the new mayor, Lord Unbelief, addressed Captain Boanerges while the people made Ear-gate as secure as they could. Diabolus tries to interrupt, but he is completely ignored as though he didn’t even matter. Then the four captains address the town.

Captain Boanerges goes first. He reminds the town of King Shaddai and His claim on them and warns that they will not simply go on in their rebellion. Something will be done. Captain Conviction steps up and reminds Mansoul of their glorious beginning and from where they had fallen. He then urges them to accept the gracious terms of peace, pointing out how Shaddai is humbling himself to appeal to them, though He didn’t need them like they need Him.

Captain Judgment is next, and he warns them of the sure judgment to come and that nothing will save them if they reject Shaddai’s offer of mercy. While Judgment speaks, some noticed that Diabolus was trembling. Then Captain Execution warns Mansoul that the judgment is imminent and that Shaddai’s patience and offer of mercy won’t last forever.

When the people ask for time to consider their answer, the captains agree to give them time if they will throw Mr. Ill-Pause over the wall to them. Ill-Pause was Diabolus’ orator, and Diabolus was unwilling to lose him. So he commands Lord Unbelief to give them an answer.

Lord Unbelief, followed by Willbewill and Mr. Forget-good, the town’s recorder, refuse the message of Shaddai and threaten to resist the captains and their soldiers with all their might. Everyone went back to his house and Diabolus returned to the castle as though all were well. But they knew all wasn’t well, so they reinforced Ear-gate and put Mr. Prejudice in charge of keeping it secure, along with sixty guards called Deafmen, who could not hear the words coming from the other side of the wall.

This section of The Holy War illustrates the preaching of the Gospel. More specifically, it illustrates the use of the Law in evangelism. Much modern-day preaching devalues the Old Testament Law or ignores it altogether. Some people do it through a fear of teaching works for salvation, thinking that Law has no place in a message of grace. Others seem to dismiss God’s Law from an almost complete disregard for any kind of authority. But Bunyan uses these four captains to illustrate the lawful use of the law—producing conviction in the hearts of sinners (See 1 Timothy 1:5-11). The Scripture passage in 1 Timothy seems to couple the right use of the law with the Gospel ministry.

Bunyan shows that there are obstacles and encouragements to victory in Gospel preaching. The unregenerate human heart is occupied by Satan, the understanding is darkened, and the conscience unreliable at best. The senses are well fortified against any penetration of the Gospel. But on the plus side, we have a proclamation from the King! The message needs no embellishment or watering down to be made palatable. So threatened is Satan by the thoughts of faithful Gospel preaching that he has to work overtime to secure his clueless subjects. But God’s grace is invincible when He is pleased to draw those whom He Himself is calling through our faithful preaching.

God would be justified had He destroyed all mankind for our rebellion and collaboration with Satan. He is very gracious in that He condescends to deal with us and save some. He doesn’t do this because He needs us, but because He is gracious and we need Him. God is not only gracious; He is also longsuffering with us. But His patience won’t last forever. Don’t put off trusting in Christ until old age when you’ve first done all the things you want to do; you might not get that chance to turn. There were two thieves crucified along side our Lord. One turned to Christ and was saved, that none may despair; but only one, that none may presume. Count on His grace, but don’t presume upon it. Eleventh-hour conversions are possible, but the Bible command is, “Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

Two small books for help in giving the Gospel:

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2007)

This recent book explains what the Gospel is and what it is not. It gives much encouragement for those of us who aren’t extroverts and think that we can’t persuade people. See Jason’s comments for more information on this good book.

Today’s Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic? By Walter Chantry (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1970)

This is an older book that expounds Jesus’ dealings with the rich young ruler and clearly shows from Scripture the proper use of the Law in evangelism.

The Holy War—Shaddai Appeals to Mansoul

Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (Feb. 23, AD 155)

Polycarp, an elderly minister and disciple of the Apostle John, was burned at the stake on this day in AD 155. The execution took place during a persecution of Christians in Smyrna in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). The church at Smyrna recorded this event and circulated the account, making Polycarp’s death the first post-New Testament Christian martyr story.

He was known as the leader of the hated Christians, so the authorities arrested him and brought him into the arena. The pagans gathered for the spectacle were screaming for blood. When offered his freedom if he would curse Christ and worship Caesar and the pagan gods Polycarp answered, “Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” Thus he willingly refused release so that he might obtain a better resurrection (Hebrews 11:35).

According to tradition the fire formed a wall around him but did not burn him. The persecutors then ran him through with a spear, and the blood that came out put out the fire. This extraordinary event impressed everyone with the difference between the unbelievers and the elect.

Maybe it happened just as the witnesses recorded. But regardless of uncertain traditions surrounding such events, it is evident that this servant of Jesus Christ gave a bold testimony to his Lord, which glorified God and encouraged others at a time when courage was most needed. Christianity Today has a full article that I recommend for reading more on Polycarp and his martyrdom.

As humble followers of Christ the Apostle Paul teaches that we are all brought “into the arena” and made a spectacle unto the world (1 Corinthians 4:8-16). In living and in suffering we are a stage for displaying God’s glory. Someone might ask, “How can that be?” It does seem ironic that God can be glorified in our being physically overcome by unbelievers. Wouldn’t that be a victory for them? But Paul explains, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7). The world sees this and takes notice. As faithful followers we are “always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Cor. 4:10). Our steadfastness is to be attributed only to the power of Christ dwelling in us.

So how can we be steadfast in our testimony for the Lord when even our very life is threatened? By remembering that “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus” (2 Cor. 4:14). There is a better day coming when believers receive the better resurrection. This is what Polycarp was looking forward to, and we will have hope and won’t “lose heart” if we keep in mind that “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18 NASB). A little suffering now—full glory forever!

Recommended reading:

The Spreading Flame by FF Bruce (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1954; Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2004 reprint)

In this three-books-in-one-binding Dr. Bruce vividly recounts the rise and progress of Christianity during the first seven centuries AD, including an account of Polycarp’s martyrdom and its aftermath.

In the Arena by Isobel Kuhn (Singapore: OMF Books, 1995 reprint)

Isobel Kuhn and her husband John were missionaries to China in the 1940s until the Communist takeover in 1949. In the Arena is the second part of her autobiography, which commences with the book By Searching. In this second book she relates her view of trials as “the biblical idea that the Christian is on display, like someone condemned to die in the arena. Isobel was convinced that the trials and difficulties of her life as a missionary were ‘arena experiences,’ which God used not to punish her but to reveal Himself.” (quoted from the back cover) I recommend all her books.

Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (Feb. 23, AD 155)

George Frideric Handel (Feb 23, 1685 - Apr 14, 1759)

This article was written and submitted as a guest-post by Andy Efting (Unsearchable Riches).

George Frideric Handel was born February 23, 1685 and lived for 74 years, dying in 1759. His contemporaries included such notables at George Whitefield (1714-1770), Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758); John Wesley (1702-1791); Ben Franklin (1706-1790), and J.S. Bach (1685-1750). These are just a few of the names that could be mentioned from this time period. It is amazing to think of the notable figures in theology, politics, and music that all lived in that same era and still influence us today.

Handel, of course, was a musician and of his music, Beethoven once declared, “Handel is the greatest composer who ever lived. I would bare my head and kneel at his grave.” While probably referring to his entire body of work, for most of us, George Frideric Handel is synonymous with one major work and that is his great sacred oratorio, Messiah.

Handel composed Messiah in 1741 and performed it for the first time in Dublin, Ireland in 1742 as a charity benefit. As was his standard practice, Handel worked very quickly, finishing the entire score in less than a month. This haste did not sit well with Charles Jennens, who supplied Handel with the libretto (or text). He wrote, "His Messiah has disappointed me, being set in great hast, tho' he said he would be a year about it, & make it the best of all his Compositions. I shall put no more Sacred Works into his hands, to be thus abus'd."[1]

I don’t know what this comment says about the standards of musical composition back in Handel’s day, but Jennens eventually warmed to the final product, as least somewhat, as evidenced by a note he wrote a few years after its premiere,

"I shall show you a collection I gave Handel, call'd Messiah, which I value highly, & he has made a fine Entertainment of it, tho' not near so good as he might & ought to have done. I have with great difficulty made him correct some of the grossest faults in the composition, but he retain'd his Overture obstinately, in which there are some passages far unworthy of Handel, but much more unworthy of the Messiah."

This quote reveals one of the problems Handel faced with his most famous piece. There was wide-spread resistance to using a sacred subject as the source for entertainment. As Handel biographer Hamish Swanton wrote, “Everyone was nervous of New Testament words being further reduced in authority by being sung in a theatre by singers of doubtful reputations among decent folk.”[2]

This reservation may have been one reason for performing the premiere in Dublin rather than London. Evidently, that same reticence did not exist in Ireland. In fact, over 700 were expected for its first performance. Due to the expected crowd, and quite humorously to us today, ladies were advised not to wear hoop dresses and the gentlemen were asked to leave their swords at home. The London premiere occurred a year later in 1743, its legitimacy still not accepted by all parties.

Today, of course, all such reservations have been largely, if not completely, overcome. For those of us who love God’s Word, its prophetic emphasis in the Old Testament of God’s plan of redemption through the Messiah, and Christ’s triumph over sin by the resurrection, there could hardly be a more thrilling piece of music. In fact, I dare say that those familiar with Handel’s Messiah cannot read Isaiah 40 without hearing the soothing tenor accompagnato and aria that begins his oratorio, or Isaiah 9 without hearing Handel’s rousing chorus, or many other passages without hearing them come alive in one’s mind through Handel’s music. The crime today is that most performances only include the so-called Christmas portion.

While Handel’s Messiah is most well-known, it is not his only oratorio dealing with sacred subject matter. While none measure up to Messiah, several are quite excellent, including his Solomon, Belshazzar, Israel in Egypt, and the historical Judas Maccabaeus (from which we get the tune for the hymn, Thine Be the Glory). Others worth mentioning are Jephtha, Esther, Joshua, Saul, Deborah, Joseph and his Brethren, and Samson. Most online CD stores allow you to listen to samples before you buy. For those not familiar with these works, it may be a profitable exercise to sample some of these less-known pieces.

Recommend CD’s:

• Messiah
  
• Solomon
• Belshazzar
  
• Judas Maccabaeus
• Israel in Egypt
• Joshua
• Saul
• Esther

On the Web:

• GFHandel.org

---

[1] http://gfhandel.org/chron3.htm, accessed 18 Feb 2008.

[2] Hamish Swanston as cited by David Daniell in his The Bible English, pp. 569-70.

George Frideric Handel (Feb 23, 1685 - Apr 14, 1759)

A New Bible Translation

A new Bible translation is in the planning stages. See here.

• HT: Peter Kirk at Better Bibles Blog
• ht: Doug at Metacatholic
• ht: Michael Bird at Euangelion
• See also...
• John Hobbins' comments at Ancient Hebrew Poetry
• Henry Neufeld's comments at Participatory Bible Study Blog

From the ournewbible website:

A new ecumenical Bible translation is coming. We promise that this version will provide:

1. Clarity of language, as in "plain speaking"
2. A reliable, genuine, and credible power to transform lives
3. An emotional expectation to find the love of God
4. A rational expectation to find the knowledge of God

The name of this new translation will be disclosed soon. The Bibles produced from this translation will be developed with a special emphasis on education and worship in congregations. More information.

A New Bible Translation

I Like Google Reader Even More

As time goes on, there seems to be, not only, more and more bloggers, but also, more and more blogs worth reading. However, time keeps ticking by getting more and more scarce. My good friend, AJ, introduced me to Google Reader some months ago and I was quickly hooked. Until then, I had been using Bloglines and had been relatively happy with it. I was amazed to find out what all I had been missing in the world of RSS readers.

Just this morning I found a resource listing keyboard shortcuts for Google Reader. It's like falling "in like" all over again! Or, something like that. Anyway, here are some links that should revolutionize the way you read your blogs:

• Google Reader Keyboard Shortcuts
• J-Walking with Reader

Some of my favorites:

• ? - this will pop up a list of shortcuts
  
• G then A - this will show you All Items
• P - Previous Item
• N - Next Item
• V - Show Original Post

Check it out for yourself and/or let us know what other RSS Reading tips you have. Have any of you moved from Google Reader to another RSS Reader?

I Like Google Reader Even More

Book Review--Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics by Goldsworthy

The following review has been in the works for a long time and I am very glad for the fine job Doug has done in evaluating and comparing this book with a couple of other books on the same subject.

Reviewed Doug Smith.

Goldsworthy, Graeme. Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007. Jacketed Hardcover, 341 pp. $29.00.

(Review copy courtesy of InterVarsity Press.)

Purchase: IVP | WTS | CBD | Amazon

Indices: Name and Scripture.

ISBNs: 0830828397 / 9780830828395

Table of Contents

Excerpts:

Introduction: Can hermeneutics be saved?
1. The necessity for hermeneutics

Subject: Hermeneutics

Graeme Goldsworthy (Th.M. & Ph.D., UTS Virginia) is a retired lecturer at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. His other books include Prayer and the Knowledge of God (IVP, 2005), According to Plan (IVP, 1991; 2002), Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture (Eerdmans, 2000), Gospel & Kingdom, The Gospel in Revelation, and The Gospel and Wisdom. These last three titles have been reprinted as The Goldsworthy Trilogy (Paternoster, 2001).

(Read the full review here.)

____________________

The two other books recommended are as follows:

• Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan: the Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible (IVP, 2002) [WTS ($14.30) | CBD ($16.99) | Amazon ($14.96)]
  
• Vaughan Roberts, God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (IVP, 2002) [WTS ($9.00) | CBD ($9.99) | Amazon ($9.60)]

____________________

Other reviews:

• Mark Traphagen at Westminster Bookstore Blog: Reveiw
• Conclusion: Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics is a clarion call for those who believe that the Bible is the word of God to interpret it like it is the word of God. It is chock full of insights useful to any thoughtful believer who wants to be able to read his or her Bible Christianly. Goldsworthy is to be particularly commended for his clear demonstration that a robust and believing biblical theology provides a solid foundation for knowing how to approach the Bible."
• Miles Van Pelt at Reformation21: Review (This is a lengthy and helpful review.)
• Conclusion: "This reviewer enthusiastically recommends Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics for both personal and classroom use. Note, however, that it is not a book best handled with casual reading. Rather, it is the type of book that must be approached with a certain level of hermeneutical angst and a willingness to perceive one’s own hermeneutical shortcomings. It is also the type of book that should be read more than once, perhaps annually for a decade or so. I conclude by expressing my sincere thanks and gratitude to the author for all of his hard work for our benefit."

Book Review--Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics by Goldsworthy

RBL Recent Reviews

A couple of reviews recently published by RBL have caught my eye. These are worth taking reading as you consider building your theological library.

1. Philippus Botha's review of John Goldingay's commentary Psalms: Psalms 1-41, BCOTWP, Vol. 1 (2006). Here's a link to this favorable review: RBL 02/2008
2. Tiberias Rata's review of Bruce Waltke's A Commentary on Micah, (2007). Here is link to this favorable review: RBL 02/2008
   

RBL Recent Reviews

A Reader's Hebrew Bible: Preview

This past weekend I drove my family up to Greenville for a quick weekend visit with friends. We had a wonderful time and wished that we had more time to visit with everyone we saw. The Lord has been very good to us to have surrounded us with so many good friends.

While in Greenville I saw Bryan Smith and, for a few minutes before the evening service at Mount Calvary, I had the privilege of previewing his copy of A Reader's Hebrew Bible. My initial impression was very positive! It is a very attractive volume about the same size and weight of an average Bible. (Bryan was holding his newborn baby in one hand and his RHB and an English Bible in the other hand and wasn't even breaking a sweat.) In all seriousness, it is a very nice volume with a soft leather binding, silver gilded page edges, a ribbon. The first thing I wanted to view was the bleed-through. There is a slight bleed-through, but not nearly as troublesome as I had feared. Also the text and the footnotes sections are very crisp and readable.

I wish that I had more time to peruse this book, but I'm at least glad to have been able to preview it. I'm eager to get my own copy! I also am considering purchasing the Greek edition. I can certainly stand to continue working on my skill with both languages.

I hope that you, too, will consider this new tool. I expect it to be a great help for those of us who still need some help with the vocab.

If you haven't read our Q&A with the editors, please read the following posts:

• Forthcoming: A Reader's Hebrew Bible edited by Philip Brown & Bryan Smith
• Q&A with Philip Brown: A Reader's Hebrew Bible | Part One
• Q&A with Philip Brown: A Reader's Hebrew Bible | Part Two
• Q&A with Bryan Smith: A Reader's Hebrew Bible

A Reader's Hebrew Bible: Preview

The Holy War—Good News for Mansoul

Our people at church are in the third week of reading through John Bunyan’s great allegory The Holy War. In this classic work Bunyan portrays salvation through the recovery of the town of Mansoul, which had been created by good King Shaddai but was taken over through the deceit of an enemy called Diabolus. So far in the story it has seemed that Diabolus was successful in completely alienating the town from Shaddai. He had bragged to the townspeople that they were living the way they want to live, and the fact that they had heard nothing from Shaddai was proof that He had given up on them. Does it seem that because God has not yet stricken you down with judgment, He doesn’t notice your sin, or doesn’t care?

In this week’s reading a faithful messenger delivers the news to Shaddai and his court that Mansoul has fallen to Diabolus. He recounts all the details of the city’s rebellion against their rightful King and lists the ways in which Diabolus has fortified the city against godly influence. This news causes much grief in the king’s court. The King and His Son, Emmanuel, had foreseen this and had already provided for Mansoul’s redemption, yet they still grieved at Mansoul’s defection. It’s an amazing aspect of God’s character that, though He knows all from the beginning, He doesn’t react stoically to our sin; He grieves. If we can feel the sting of a friend’s treachery, how much more can God feel the rebellion of those He made in His image, made for His fellowship and pleasure?

How would you expect Shaddai to respond to the news of Mansoul’s defection and corruption? In anger? In judgment? In total annihilation of Mansoul? Retiring to their private chamber the King and His Son resolve that Emmanuel should go to the country of Universe at an appointed time to make restitution for the sins of Mansoul, thus laying a foundation for her perfect deliverance from Diabolus and his tyranny. He will also make war on Diabolus, drive him out, and retake the city so that it is happier than ever before. This reveals God’s attitude toward His fallen creation. He is grieved; He is angry with sinners and cannot merely let our sin go as if it were a simple slip-up. Sin must be dealt with and paid for to satisfy God’s justice and holiness. But it is God Himself who sends His own Son to pay the price for our sins. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Shaddai gives this order of salvation to the Lord Chief Secretary to make into a document to be published in all corners of the country of Universe. This represents the Holy Spirit inspiring the Holy Scriptures and directing its publication in all parts of the world. This, in a nutshell, is the message of the Bible: God gains for Himself greater glory through the perfect obedience of His Son Jesus Christ, and mankind receives salvation and greater joy than ever before through faith in our Righteous Substitute.

This grand proclamation wasn’t well received by Diabolus. It meant he was finished, and he knew it. But he isn’t giving up so easily. He immediately begins making preparations for war. His first order of business is to keep this good news from the ears of the people. Keep them in ignorance. He calls a meeting with Mr. Willbewill and tricks him with flattery into keeping strict watch over the gates of the city, especially Ear-gate. Diabolus also gives Willbewill authority over spies that will suppress and destroy anyone thought to be siding with Shaddai and Emmanuel. The usurper then makes the town swear to never forsake him as their king. This not being good enough for him, he further corrupts the town, thinking that Emmanuel will see the peoples’ rottenness and decide to condemn them rather than redeem them. After all, Diabolus had fallen and had been condemned; the town’s fate would be the same as his.

One more stratagem the enemy used on the people to prepare them to resist Shaddai. He tells them that Shaddai is raising an army to completely destroy them and that they must be prepared with armor supplied by Diabolus. While the enemy fortifies himself in the castle (the human heart) the deluded people take their new armor and prepare to fight.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ really is such good news that, to a redeemed soul, it’s a wonder anyone could reject it. But Satan has his war machine in place. He seduces people with the temporary pleasures of sin and inoculates them against thinking that God cares, or that God will judge, or that God is ready to receive and pardon the one who trusts in His Son. He does all he can to keep people from hearing the good news. His emissaries frequently pose as trusted religious leaders, but they teach the precepts of men and they hide or distort the Word of God. Those who hear the Word have been trained to think that God wants to destroy them, that is, that the Christian life is dull and boring and will rob them of all joy in life.

But Satan is a frightened usurper, not an invincible warrior. “We tremble not for him” (Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress is our God”). The devil is battening down the hatches in the hearts of mankind, but he can be resisted in the strength of the Lord, and only in His strength.

God’s design is not to harm us but to bless us by turning us away from our iniquities and toward His Son, whose death on the Cross paid the full price for our sins and satisfied His justice. He has withheld His judgment so long because He desires that no one should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Rather than being robbed of the joy that life has to offer, the believer in Christ discovers that “in [His] presence is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

If you have heard His voice in the Gospel, harden not your heart. Open up to Him, and the Lifegiver, the King of glory, will come in.

The Holy War—Good News for Mansoul

The Simplicity of God & Man's Praise

Lately, I've been doing a bit of reading in modern theology. In an attempt to get a better handle on Karl Barth I picked up my copy Church Dogmatics: A Selection (translated by G. W. Bromiley) hoping to get a quick sampling of his writing. Last night I came across the following statement on the simplicity of God, and I had to stop and wonder at the glory of God (this is, by no means, a blanket endorsement of Barth's theology, just something I think he put well). Barth writes...

God Himself is simple, so simple that in all His glory He can be near to the simplest perception and also laugh at the most profound or acute thinking--so simple that He reduces everyone to silence, and then allows and requires everyone to make Him the object of their thoughts and speech. (p. 36)

This thought caught my attention because it reminded me of a similar lesson I learned while studying the Praise Psalms for a recent Sunday School series. As I was reading and studying the Praise Psalms I picked up a copy of C. S. Lewis' Reflections on the Psalms. Lewis wondered at the fact that we are commanded to praise the LORD.

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes 5:1 cautions against hastiness in speaking before God.

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. (ESV)

However, praise is unrestrained in the Psalter.

Psalm 9:1-2
1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. (ESV)

Praise is required of all creatures.

Psalm 150
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!

3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! (ESV)

What an awesome privilege this is!

The Simplicity of God & Man's Praise

Book Review: Commentary & Reference Survey, John Glynn

Glynn, John. Commentary and Reference Survey: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical And Theological Resources, 10th Edition. Forward by Darrell L. Bock. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2007. Paperback, 380 pages.

(Review copy courtesy of Kregel Publications.)

Purchase:

Read an Excerpt

ISBNs: 0825427363 / 9780825427374

LCCN: Z7770 .G59 2003 BS511.3 / DCN: 016.22 22

John Glynn (d. 2007) (graduated from Emerson College in Boston, MA (1977) and completed further studies, after his conversion, at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL (1990-92) and Dallas Theological Seminary (1992-94). He was a freelance writer and proofreader and was a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. He also authored the "2006 Survey Of Bibles And Bible References"... the annual retrospective of Bible and Bible references for Preaching magazine.

I have enjoyed Glynn's Survey for nearly 10 years. Now his Survey is in it's 10th edition. This is the second edition published by Kregel, the first having been published in 2003.

As I began collecting book recommendations from my pastor, friends, and teachers, I also began searching the internet for recommendation lists. One of the lists I found early on was John Glynn's Survey posted at bible.org (it has since been removed). Glynn's work offers a great format for categorizing and labeling books. He is interested in the level of difficulty as well as the theological viewpoint--two very important pieces of information when it comes to selecting books.

Glynn's method is to collect recommendations from reputable evangelical sources and to consolidate them into categorized lists. For each book of the Bible, Glynn distinguishes between technical, semi-technical and expositional commentaries. He usually adds a section for monographs dealing with special subjects on each Biblical book. He also has a system of noting the theological perspective of each author (such as evangelical, evangelical/critical, conservative/moderate, and liberal/critical). In the introductory sections to the book and each division Glynn spells out his method and criteria.

Along with listing commentaries, Glynn covers reference works, introductory works, theological works, church history works, language works and even Bible software (such as Logos, Accordance, and BibleWorks). Some of his previous reviewers have noted that the Survey bears the obvious marks of Glynn's strengths and weaknesses. This is partly the case because Glynn decided to highlight his own recommendations. While this is a nice feature it truly distracts from his intent to provide a list of books most recommended by scholars and professors. However, it does provide the reader with someone to associate with the recommendations offered which leads to my greatest criticism of this volume (to be dealt with below). In many places it is obvious where Glynn spent the greatest amount of time.

• In the commentary section the greatest concentration is on the Gospels, Jesus, Paul, and the Book or Revelation.
• In the Classic Theologies section he omits any reference to Calvin (other reviewers have noted the absence of Barth and Acquinas), and he highlights none of them.
• He is very heavy in pneumatology, especially Charismaticism; and in eschatology, especially Dispensationalism.
• The Church History section is a nice start, but leaves much to be desired. You can spot Glynn's predispositions best in this section.
  

Chapters 19 and 20 have a lot of helpful analysis of available computer resources.
Chapter 21 provides a selection of web sites which is greatly lacking, but a fair start for the person unfamiliar with the many online used book dealers, academic sites, and theological journals. Finally, a very helpful addition to this volume is "The Ultimate Commentary Collection" which is a quick listing of the top 2-4 commentaries for each book of the Bible.

Another feature of this volume worth mentioning is the footnotes regarding forthcoming volumes. Of course, these notes will quickly become obsolete, but it is a very helpful service that deserves being perpetuated.

Really, this entire project is worth being continued. The concept of cataloging the most recommended books is extremely helpful to students and teachers alike. I've read a handful of notes from professors who direct their students to this Survey when they are asked for book recommendations. However, there is room for improvement. Here are a few of my observations:

1. One of the greatest weaknesses of this volume is the fact that we are not told who has recommended each title. To that, we don't know which books are the most recommended except for the ones highlighted by Glynn himself.
2. There are very few annotations. I'm not a fan of lengthy annotations, but some basic information about the usefulness of each volume would be ideal.
3. Glynn only identifies the theological perspective of the authors in the commentary section. Granted this is an ambitious task to begin with. However, similar labeling would be of great benefit throughout the theology section.
4. This volume is great for listing the most recently published works and is spotty when it comes to classic works. A true "comprehensive guide" would include the best classic works, too (even puritan, neo-orthodox, and liberal works).
5. A work like this would be most beneficial if it were offered in a searchable, digital format. I would love to see this made available online and/or as an add-on to the popular Bible software packages. Making this Survey available in this way would allow for more room to add extra notations, labels, bibliographic information, author details, etc. Really the sky's the limit.
   

Of course, there are space constraints and noting all of these features would take up too much space to make this book manageable in print. However, a reasonable compromise could be agreed upon or the project could be printed in different volumes--one for commentaries, one for theological works, etc. The plan of this Survey is great and highly useful for a fairly broad range of students. It is a project that requires constant updating and expansion. I truly hope that Kregel will find someone (or a team) able to take up this project and carry it on through many more editions.

UPDATE [9/12/08]: I have learned that the next edition of this Survey is being edited by professors at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Other Reviews:

1. Andy Naselli
   
2. Noah at Two Tack's Thoughts
   
3. Preaching.com
4. Preaching.org
5. Ray Van Neste (PastoralEpsitles.com)
   

Reviews of the 9th edition:

1. Peter-Ben Smit (RBL 6/12/2004)
• Critique - numerous omissions spotted; some imbalanced sections; lack of non-English titles
• "Probably the most serious weakness of the work lies in its total neglect of “application.” Even if popular commentaries are listed, one will wonder what happened to homiletics and all other practical disciplines (nothing on “how to conduct a sensible Bible study.”)"
• Positive review with minor exceptions.
  
2. Henning Graf Reventlow (RBL 6/6/2004)
• Critique - "one detects many titles the original of which was written by European, mostly German, authors, and too infrequently this origin is noted."
• Positive review.
  
3. J. Daniel Hays (JETS 9/2003)
• Critique - "no price data"
• Positive review.
  

Book Review: Commentary & Reference Survey, John Glynn

Kingdom of Priests, 2nd edition by Eugene Merrill

Coming Soon

Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. Paperback. 560 pages. $34.99

ISBN: 9780801031991

Read an Excerpt.

Publication date: Mar. 08 | Division: Baker Academic

Pre-Order: CBD ($19.99) | Amazon ($23.09)

This afternoon I noticed that Baker Academic will be releasing a 2nd edition of Eugene Merrill's Kingdom of Priests. I don't yet own a copy, but this book has been on my watch list for years. I remember some hearty recommendations of this work by Dr Layton Talbert as he taught through the kings of Israel in a Sunday School series.

This evening I emailed Dr Talbert and asked him to tell me, again, about the usefulness of this work. He graciously responded with a copy of his review of Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.'s A History of Israel (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998) which has been published in Biblical Viewpoint. In this review he compared Kaiser's work with the preceding Kingdom of Priests by Eugene Merrill. Dr Talbert's review pointed out, in a not so flattering way, how much Kaiser seems to have relied upon Merrill's work. In the end he concludes that, "for the serious and reverent student or teacher of the Old Testament, Kaiser’s work makes a helpful addition to Eugene Merrill’s more theologically thoughtful and readable Kingdom Of Priests."

The major difference between these two History's is that of approach. Talbert notes,

Kaiser’s Preface makes clear that the focus of his concern is almost exclusively historical. Contrast that with Merrill’s philosophy of writing a history of Israel: “The Old Testament is first and foremost theological and not historical literature; this means that theological and not historical approaches must be brought to bear if its underlying purpose and message are to be discerned” (Kingdom Of Priests, 11). This difference in focus produces very different results, indeed. The difference is not that Merrill is any less historically helpful, but that Kaiser is less theologically illuminating.

In his email to me, Dr Talbert closed the sale with the following sentences:

Despite Kaiser’s greater name recognition and wider respectability, Merrill’s volume beats Kaiser’s hands down. (Naturally, since Merrill was trained and taught for a while at BJU!) It is more readable, more substantive, more thorough, more conservative, and less self-conscious about impressing liberal readers.

I especially like the the shameless plug for BJU. :)

Eugene Merrill (ETS page) began his studies at Bob Jones University. It was there that he earned a B.A. (1957), an M.A. (1960), and his first Ph.D. (1963). He taught for a while at the University and then went on to earn a second M.A. at New York University (1970), an M.Phil. (1976), and a second Ph.D. at Columbia University (1985). He is currently the Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Here is a list of recommendations I have noted of Kingdom of Priests.

• Akin, Daniel L. Building a Theological Library: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
• Carroll R., M. Daniel & Richard S. Hess. (2005) Annotated Old Testament Bibliography. DJ.
• Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. (2005) Basic Library Booklist. Revised ed.
• Köstenberger, Andreas J. (2007) Helpful Reference Tools for Biblical Studies.
• Ligonier Ministries. (na) Book Reviews & Recommendations.

Kingdom of Priests, 2nd edition by Eugene Merrill

Forthcoming: The Surprising Work of God

To Be Released July '08

Rosell, Garth. The Surprising Work of God: Harold John Ockenga, Billy Graham, and the Rebirth of Evangelicalism. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. Paperback. 288 pages. $19.99.

Publication date: Jul. 08 | Division: Baker Academic

ISBNs: 9780801035708 / 0801035708

Pre-Order: CBD ($14.99) | Amazon ($13.59)

Garth M. Rosell (PhD, University of Minnesota) is professor of church history at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 1978, and former director of the Ockenga Institute. He is the author or editor of eight books, including The Memoirs of Charles G. Finney and Commending the Faith: The Preaching of D. L. Moody.

Here is a very interesting forthcoming publication. I admit that the use of the term "interesting" is very subjective. It is interesting to me because I had just recently searched for information on Ockenga and the founding of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Also interesting to me is the title which draws a parallel between the growth of Evangelicalism and the spiritual awakening witnessed by Jonathan Edwards (note Edwards' Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God. The subtitle elaborates this parallel: How America's 20th Century Evangelical Awakening Became a Worldwide Christian Movement.

There is a little bit more description available on Baker Academic's website. Hopefully they'll post an excerpt soon. I'm eager to read this one.

Forthcoming: The Surprising Work of God