Grace & Knowledge Blog

I have tended in the past to think about the book of Proverbs as a random collection of practical advice.  But as a book in the biblical canon, Proverbs also contributes to the overall story communicated in that canon.  I have posted an article on this topic at the Grace & Knowledge website.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, proverbs

I have recently posted an article looking at two biblical motifs:  (1) People marveling at precocious children sent by God; (2) Servants of God treasuring and pondering over divine revelation.  The two motifs come together in the biblical account of Joseph in Gen 37, and in the birth and childhood of Jesus in Luke 2.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Moses' cousin Korah is infamous for rebelling against Moses and Aaron along with Dathan, Abiram, and a group of 250 Levites.  God dealt with the rebellion decisively.  The Levites were incinerated, while the group swallowed up Dathan and Abiram.  A midrash says that both happened to Korah, and he was in flames when he fell into the pit.  

However, Korah's sons were spared, and his descendants went on to serve God as musicians at the tabernacle and temple.  The psalms written by the Korahites reflect their family history, as I explain in an article posted recently in Issue 35.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Christian Old Testament scholar John Sailhamer has noted that in the Pentateuch, a lengthy narrative will be followed by a poetic passage that gives some presentation of the Gospel.  The poetic passage will be followed by a brief narrative epilogue.

The poetic passages are Gen 49, Exod 15, Num 23-24, and Deut 32-33.  The messianic implications of these passages are laid out in depth in a book by a student of Sailhamer, Kevin S. Chen.  I have posted an article today summarizing Chen's treatment of Gen 49 in this book, The Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

In Genesis 37-50, Judah and Joseph emerge as leaders among the sons of Jacob.  Reuben, the oldest son, plays a minor role and seems to be portrayed as somone who is well-intenioned but ultmately ineffective.  Since we have all experienced failure in our lives, we can identify with Reuben.  I have posted an article on Reuben at the Grace & Knowledge website. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

True prophets can be hard to listen to but tell us things that we need to hear.  Take for example the words of two biblical prophets that compare certain groups of people unfavorably to Sodom.

On the other hand, false prophets often tell people what they would like to hear.  There seem to be plenty of these prophets around today.

Tags: current events, grace and knowledge articles

I noticed that a local church is advertising a youth activity for tonight that features "exiting Bible stories." 

The announcement reminded me of the most famous of the "exiting" stories, the Exodus.  Of course, the Bible is full of Exodus stories---Abraham and Sarah being expelled from Egypt, Lot escaping Sodom, Jacob and his family leaving Laban.... The Exodus is a pretty big theme in the Bible.  So the storytellers will have a lot of exiting material to choose from.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, humor

One of things I do at the Grace & Knowledge website is post reports on each of the annual Yamauchi Lectures at Miami University.  The series started in 2006.  Today I finally posted a report on NASA astronomer Jennifer Wiseman's 2019 lecture. 

The next lecture is coming up in early March.  The speaker will be Wheaton College archaeologist Daniel Master, who was one of the directors of a long-running dig at Ashkelon.  I am looking forward to this one, as usual.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

I recently read a paper on the possible symbolism of the Gerasene exorcism, where Jesus sent a legion of demons into a herd of pigs.  There turn out to be interesting connections between the Gospel accounts of this event and the Day of Atonement ceremony from Lev 16 where the sins of Israel were symbolically placed on a goat, which was then released into the wilderness.  In both the exorcism and the ceremony, there's some symbolism of the judgment of evil supernatural powers.  I have posted a short article on the subject.  

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

One thing that I do in Grace & Knowledge is report on significant lectures given at Miami University.  This task can be a challenge for lectures that include lots of technical detail.  

For example, in 2007 Richard Hess of Denver Seminary gave an important lecture showing that the archaeological evidence we have of ancient Israel's religious beliefs and practices is consistent with what we read in the Bible's historical books.  There was so much detail in Hess's lecture that for years I wasn't able to put together a summary.  

Then in 2018, I discovered that Hess had given the same lecture at BYU in 2009, and that lecture was recorded and made available on You Tube.  With help from that recording, I have been able to finally post a summary of the lecture.  

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

Today I have posted an article on how biblical teaching on proper use of material resources reflects Jesus' saying, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:21).  

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

On March 23 the Center for Judaic-Christian Studies in Dayton will be sponsoring a series of lectures on Christology by Bible scholar Michael S. Heiser.  Dr Heiser will be explaining the biblical and historical roots of the high Christology of the first Christians and the New Testament.  This is one of the topics he covers in his book The Unseen Realm.   

To help set the stage for these lectures, I wrote an article for the Center's March 2019 Haverim Update giving a quick summary of the topic.  I have also posted it in Issue 34 at the Grace & Knowledge website.

Tags: books, grace and knowledge articles, lectures

On October 4, 2018, Jodi Magness visited Oxford to give a lecture on the excavations at the Huqoq synagogue in the Galilee region.  

Each summer since 2012, there has been lots of media coverage, particularly from National Geographic and Biblical Archaeology Review, of the wonderful mosaics that have been uncovered there.  

I have posted a summary of the lecture at the Grace & Knowledge website.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

Today I posted an article exploring the messages Luke may have wanted to communicate with the genealogy in Luke 3:23-38.  

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

When Jesus gave a sermon in his hometown synagogue at Nazareth, the people became angry and didn't let him finish.  I have posted an article, based on research by David Instone-Brewer, proposing a possible reason for their reaction.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

There are a number of incidental details in the Gospel accounts of the feeding of 5000 that point to first-century Jewish customs.  For some of those customs, our earliest known evidence of them comes from the New Testament

The Gospel accounts are also presented to imply that Jesus is acting as a new Moses bringing a new Exodus.  I have posted more on this in a recent post to the Grace and Knowledge website.  

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

All 4 canonical Gospels include the feeding of the 5000.  5000 is the number of adult males in the crowd that Jesus fed with just a few loaves and fishes.  

We might wonder why only the men were counted.  It would be even more impressive to hear the total number of people. 

Another unusual detail is the fact that 12 baskets of bread pieces were collected after the meal.  Why was so much bread left uneaten, and why were the leftovers collected?

New Testament scholar David Instone-Brewer suggests some answers based on Jewish dining practices of that time.  I describe his answers in a new post at the Grace & Knowledge website.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

The best resource that I have found on immigration and the Bible is Dr. James Hoffmeier's book The Immigration Crisis (Crossway, 2009).  Hoffmeier is a leading Egyptologist, and his discussion of ancient Egypt's immigration policies is especially interesting.  I have posted a short article on Hoffmeier's book at the Grace & Knowledge website.

Tags: books, grace and knowledge articles

When the Israelites were leaving Egypt on the exodus, they

"did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians" (Exod 12:35-36). 

This seemingly small detail receives quite a bit of emphasis in the Bible.  Before it happens, there are three announcements that it will happen, in Gen 15:14, Exod 3:21-22, and Exod 11:2. 

It's also foreshadowed by events that anticipate the Exodus and alluded to in later biblical events.  For example,

• After Abram and Sarai take refuge in Egypt during a famine, they leave with substantial assets (Gen 12:10-20). 
• Two generations later, Jacob flees Paddan-Aram with sizeable flocks and Laban's household gods (Gen 31:17-19).
• When the Philistines capture the ark of the covenant, they soon set it free with golden treasure (1 Sam 6:8,11). 
• When Jews return to Judea from exile in Babylon, King Cyrus gives them gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:7-11). 
• The prophets envision a future exodus from exile when those who afflict Israel "shall become...

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Joseph, the main character in Gen 37-50, is viewed by Christians as a forerunner of Jesus.  In particular, Joseph's undeserved imprisonment and subsequent rise to power are believed to prefigure the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. 

The connection between Joseph and Jesus is not mentioned explicitly in the New Testament, but it is implied by a number of verbal allusions.  An article at the Grace & Knowledge website discusses these allusions.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

I enjoy learning about the "reception history" of the Bible, the way that faithful readers through the centuries have interpreted various passages of Scripture.

Ancient readers of the Bible paid close attention to every word, and the questions they asked and answers they proposed can help us see the text in old/new ways.

That is true even when those readers were clearly wrong. 

I was recently given much food for thought when I learned about questions raised by Gen 15:13, where God reveals to Abram,

“Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there."

Ancient Jewish readers were very interested in affirming the justice of God, and they were surprised to see God predicting trials and suffering for Abram's descendants right after Abram is praised for his faith (v. 6).  They wondered what Abram had done wrong to bring suffering on his descendants, and they proposed a number of answers.  I discuss them in a new post at the Grace & Knowledge website.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

The epistle of James is full of valuable moral instruction, but commentators have found it a challenge to discern an organizing principle behind it all.  

One promising suggestion, due to David Instone-Brewer:  James may have had the life of Abraham in mind as a model.  

I have posted a brief article on this proposal here.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

In 1 Cor 9, Paul the apostle makes an argument that people who serve in a congregation deserve financial support from that congregation.  He appeals to Deut 25:4, which says

"You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain."

There's been controversy among scholars as to the reasoning Paul uses to apply this verse about oxen to humans.  I discuss this issue in a new post at the Grace and Knowledge site, looking at what Deut 25:4 means in its context in Deuteronomy and at how this verse was applied in Paul's day.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Usually when a New Testament writer states, "The Scripture says.....", it's not too hard to identify what scripture is in view.  But there are some exceptions.  

One of them is James 4:5, which says in the ESV:

`Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?'

On the other hand, the CSB says:

"Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely?"

In the ESV version, the idea attributed to scripture is that God zealously desires our undivided devotion--as stated in Exod 20:5.  

In the CSB, the idea is that the human spirit has a tendency toward lust and envy--as in Gen 6:5; 8:21.

A third reading, proposed by New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham, is 

"The Spirit God made to dwell in us loathes envy."  

Bauckham believes that the scripture in view here is Numbers 11, as retold in a (now lost) work called the Book of Eldad and Modad.  I have further discussion of James 4:5 in an article posted today.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Another interesting JETS paper by Nicholas Lunn, from 2009, investigates symbolism related to the ark of the covenant and the Day of Atonement in the Gospel of John.  I summarize this article in a recent post.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

When we read the accounts of Jesus' baptism and wilderness testing in the Gospels, we can tell these events must be packed with lots of symbolism.  

I discuss this in a new article posted to the Grace and Knowledge site, based on a Dec 2016 JETS article by Dr. Nicholas P. Lunn.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Pitre also looks at the story of Jesus' walking on water in Mark 6:45-51.  

Walking on water is another kind of activity that sets God apart from creation.  Job 9:8 describes God as the One "who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea.'' 

Mark writes that Jesus, in walking across the Sea of Galilee toward the disciples in the boat, "meant to pass by them."  This detail seems to connect to several verses in the Old Testament.  One is Job 9:11:

"Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not;
    he moves on, but I do not perceive him."

Here God "passing by us" seems to mean that he is beyond our comprehension.  And when Jesus walked on water, he was beyond the comprehension of the disciples.  Mark 6:51 says that "they were utterly astounded."

The Greek word for "pass by" in Mark 6:48 appeard in the Septuagint in Exod 33:22, where God "passes by" Moses to reveal his glory to Moses indirectly.  God also "passes by" Elijah at one point (I Kings 19:11).

So for Jesus to "pass by" the disciples could mean that he is revealing his glory to...

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

One excelllent recent book of popular-level Christian apologetics is The Case for Jesus:  The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ by Roman Catholic scholar and apologist Brant Pitre.

Pitre makes a strong argument for the historical reliability of the canonical Gospels and for the proposition that those Gospels teach the deity of Jesus.

In one chapter, he gives some examples of how the Synoptic Gospels hint that Jesus is God incarnate.  One example is the episode recorded in Mark 4:35-41, where the disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat and run into rough waters.  They wake up Jesus, who is asleep on the boat, and he quickly calms the water with a few words.  

This passage in Mark seems to be making reference to Psalm 107:23-32, where some mariners run into a storm at sea and cry out to God, who calms the water with his word.

I have posted a short article on this episode.   

Tags: books, grace and knowledge articles

In Genesis 46, there is a list of the names of some of the patriarch Jacob's extended family who migrated to Egypt at the invitiation of Joseph.  We know the list is not exhaustive, since almost every person in the list is male.  Just two female descendants of Jacob are in the list--his daughter Deborah, previously introduced in Genesis 34; and his granddaughter Serah, the daughter of his son Asher.  

Serah's inclusion in the list suggests she was important, but the Bible says nothing about what she did.  Midrashic tradition has filled that gap with a number of legends about Serah, as I explain in an article posted a few days ago.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

In Psalm 110:4, David addressed "his Lord", the coming Messiah, writing,  

The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
    after the order of Melchizedek.”

What led David to write these words?  What do these words imply about the Messiah?  I look at these questions in an article posted recently.  There's some evidence that David saw Melchizedek as a historical role model.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Once when Jesus was accused of working on the Sabbath, he answered, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." (John 5:17)

Jesus' answer raises the question of what God does on the Sabbath.  Tonight I posted an article on this question.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

In 1 Tim 3:16, Paul tells Timothy, 

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."

In the New Testament there are examples where Paul applies the Hebrew Scriptures in these ways.  I have posted an article on one example, from I Cor 5. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Another way in which Jesus was like Moses was in bringing miraculous bread. 

During the Exodus, manna came to Israel through Moses.  Jesus followed in Moses' footsteps in the miracle of feeding the 5000.  I posted an article today on manna and its prophetic significance.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Jesus came at a time of intense Messianic expectations in Israel. 

In particular, people were expecting the Messiah to be a "prophet like Moses" (Deut 18:15-18).  So the four evangelists, as part of their case that Jesus was the Messiah, highlighted the ways in which Jesus was like Moses.

One way in which Jesus was like Moses is that both established similar leadership structures for the people of God.  I look at the parallels between these structures in a new article posted this week. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

One Bible FAQ involves the "strange fire" that led to the deaths of Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu in Lev. 10:1. 

I have recently posted an article on the subject, with a link to the paper of Dr. Richard Hess that was my main source. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

One of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible is the "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" judicial formula.  I have posted a short article on this subject .

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

The Gospel of Matthew reports that when Jesus was young, he and his family were refugees in Egypt for a little while. 

The very beginning of Anne Rice's novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt imagines what their stay in Egypt might have been like and what happened as they returned home.  A new movie based on this novel, The Young Messiah, will be coming out in March.

Matthew saw a connection between Jesus' sojourn in Egypt and the prophecy of Hosea 11:1. I have posted an article on this connection.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

In 1 Cor 6:18, the apostle Paul exhorts Christians to "Flee sexual immorality."  Here he may be quoting a pseudepigraphical work, the Testament of Reuben from the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. 

Both Paul and the Testament of Reuben have in mind the example of Joseph, who fled the seductions of Potiphar's wife (Gen 39).  In I Cor 6, Paul explains why he considers Joseph's example to be so important. 

Pauline scholar Brian S. Rosner gives a helpful exegesis of Paul's argument in his book, Paul, Scripture, and Ethics.  I have posted an article based on Rosner's work.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Today I posted an article on Jesus's "Jacob's Ladder" reference in John 1:51.  One of my main sources was a new book by Richard Bauckham.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Matthew begins his gospel with the words,

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

In Greek, "book of the genealogy" is biblos geneseos, a phrase found in exactly two places in the LXX--in Gen 2:4 and Gen 5:1.  Gen 5:1 says,

"This is the book of the generations of Adam.''

So Matthew seems to be linking the genealogy of Jesus in Matt 1 with previous genealogies in Genesis.

In Hebrew the word for "generations" in Gen 5:1 is toledot.  This word appears 11 times in Genesis, usually in sentences that say

"These are the generations of ......"

These sentences are "seams" in the book of Genesis, dividing the book into sections.  There is some question over whether these sentences are intended to refer to the material just preceding them, or the material following them.  (Both seem to fit reasonably well in several cases, including Gen 5:1.) 

These facts lead to the idea of thinking of Matthew 1:1 as another "toledot verse" like the ones in Genesis.  Is Matthew 1:1 then intended to refer just to the material following it, or does it also refer to the material preceding it--the...

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

As a follow up to the first article on hallowing God's name, I have posted a second article about Moses' successes (and one major failure) in this regard.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

What is the meaning of the familiar prayer, "Hallowed be thy Name"? 

As I explain in a recent article,

"These words express a desire for God's uniqueness and preeminence to be universally recognized and acknowledged."

The article gives a number of examples, starting with the Exodus.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

I have recently posted a new article on Peter's question in Matthew 18:21:

"Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

Peter's question deals with the application of Lev 19:17:

"You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him."

In Hebrew the verb for "reason" in Lev 19:17 is "doubled".  A literal translation into English might say, "Reasoning you shall reason with your neighbor."  Readers wondered what implications the doubling of the verb might have.  Rabbinic interpreters read the verse to mean that one should reason with one's neighbor repeatedly if necessary.  Peter's question may be dealing with this particular point.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

While Dan Wallace was in Oxford, he also gave a sermon at Oxford Bible Fellowship on the meaning of the "two-stage" healing recorded in Mark 8:22-26.  I have posted a summary of his message.

I have also posted an article on the significance of Jesus' healing of a person with a serious skin condition in Mark 1:40-45. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus and his disciples arrive in Capernaum, and Peter is asked whether Jesus pays the annual half-shekel tax that supported worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. Peter answers that Jesus does indeed pay the tex.

Jesus later discusses the tax with Peter, asking whether kings tax their own children and asserting that sons of God then ought not be required to pay the Temple tax.

However, Jesus goes on to say that they should pay the tax so as not to cause offense. He tells Peter to go catch a fish, and he will find in the fish's mouth a silver shekel of the type used to pay the tax for a pair or people.

I have always been a bit puzzled by this passage, but feel I have a better handle on it after reading Richard Bauckham's 1986 article "The Coin in the Fish's Mouth." Bauckham gives convincing answers to 3 key questions about the passage:

1. Who are the sons who should be exempt from the tax?
2. Why should they be exempt from it?
3. What is the purpose of the miracle of the coin in the fish's mouth?

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

In the Hebrew Scriptures, there are a number of sentences in which there are different possibilities for the antecedent to which a pronoun refers.  Yesterday my friend Frank Fenton pointed out another one, in Exodus 15;23:

^"And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah." (KJV)

We usually assume here that it is the waters that are bitter, but it could also be said that the Israelites were bitter.  Frank mentioned that the medieval commentator Rashi wrote about the possibility that "they" could be referring to the Israelites. 

There are a couple of articles at the Grace & Knowledge about pronoun ambiguity.  One is "Watch your Antecedents" in Issue10. I wrote a sequel to this article that is posted in Issue 28.  The second article looks at situations where the ambiguity may be deliberate in order to indicate that the pronoun is intended to refer to each of two different antecedents.  Exodus 15:23 may be one example of this phenomenon.  

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Tags: grace and knowledge articles, pronouns

In Matthew 5:43, Jesus said,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ "

His audience at the time had heard this saying, but it wasn't something from the Bible.  So what was the source of the saying, and what was the rationale for it?  

I've posted a short article that addresses these questions.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Every spring I look forward to the annual Yamauchi Lecture, which features some outstanding Christian scholar.  In 2015 the speaker will be New Testament textual scholar Daniel Wallace.

Today I filled in a gap in my online record of the lectures, adding a summary of Donald Carson's 2011 lecture.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

In an August 17 post, I mentioned the possible double meaning in Pontius Pilate's statement "Behold the man!", recorded in John 19:5. 

WIthout intending to do so, Pilate was quoting a verse from the Hebrew prophets, Zech 6:12, thereby identifying Jesus with the Branch, one of the names for the Messiah.

This connection isn't pointed out explicitly in John 19, but it is often noted in Christian commentaries, including Leon Morris's commentary on John, Raymond Brown's Anchor Bible commentary on John, and Kenneth Barker's commentary on Zechariah.

I have posted an article on this possible double meaning in John 19:5

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

There are lots of people in the Bible, especially female people, whose names are not given.  For example, we don't know the names of the wives of Noah and his sons, or the daughter of Shua that Judah married (Gen 39).

Two names we do have are Shiphrah and Puah, leaders of the Hebrew midwives in Egypt during the time when Pharaoh set out to kill male Israelite babies (Gen 1).  

Today I posted a short article about them. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

I have been working on a project with the Center for Judaic-Christian Studies in Dayton, Ohio. 

For the Center's monthly mailings to its supporters, I'll be writing short articles that make connections between the Torah and the New Testament..  

The first two articles are entitled  Abram and the Great Commission (Gen 12) and Tamar's Courage (Gen 38).

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Matthew 23:35 makes reference to a "Zechariah the son of Barachiah" who was "murdered between the sanctuary and the altar."

There are differing opinions as to the identity of this Zechariah.  Some people maintain that this is Zechariah the prophet who wrote the biblical book of Zechariah. 

Others think that it is the Zechariah who was murdered in the temple area during the reign of King Joash of Judah (2 Chron 24).  

It turns out that a good case can be made for either one.  I have posted an article on this topic.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Dr. Marvin Wilson, who visited Oxford in March, was back in southwestern Ohio on June 28. 

To mark the publication of his new book, Exploring our Hebraic Heritage, he gave three lectures that morning, then a sermon that evening at Church of the Messiah. 

The sermon provided an overview of the book of Micah, a very appropriate complement to the Minor Prophets study at Church of the Messiah this year. 

Tags: books, church of the messiah, grace and knowledge articles, lectures

This year in the Church of the Messiah's weekly study of the Minor Prophets, we reached the third chapter of Habakkuk just in the time for Pentecost. 

Here the timing was providential, since the psalm of Habakkuk 3 is part of the Jewish liturgy for this festival.  

Today I posted an article on the message of the book of Habakkuk.  

Tags: church of the messiah, grace and knowledge articles

At  Church of the Messiah this year we have been stuyding the  books of the 12 Minor Prophets.

With some of these prophets, we don't know much about them beyond their names and messages.  Their books don't really say how they spent their spare time.  

We do know that Amos was a farmer, who took time out to deliver a message from God, then presumably went back to farming.  

It's possible that Habakkuk delivered fast food.  At least there is a legend that he did so once.  This legend appears in the Greek addition to Daniel known as Bel and the Dragon.  In the RSV,  

{31]They threw Daniel into the lions' den, and he was there for six days.

[32] There were seven lions in the den, and every day they had been given two human bodies and two sheep; but these were not given to them now, so that they might devour Daniel.

Now the prophet Habakkuk was in Judea. He had boiled pottage and had broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field to take it to the reapers.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

A couple of weeks ago Dr. Marvin Wilson visited Oxford to give this year's Yamauchi lecture.

WIlson has a couple of connections with southwestern Ohio.  For one thing, he was a graduate school classmate of Prof Yamauchi.  Both studied under Cyrus Gordon at Brandeis, with Wilson earning his PhD in 1963 and Yamauchi completing his doctorate in 1964.  

In addition, the Center for Judaic-Christian Studies in Dayton, Ohio, helped to publish Wilson's book Our Father Abraham:  Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith in 1987.   This text has provided knowledge and inspiration to many students since then.  

While Wilson was in Oxford, he gave a sermon at Oxford Bible Fellowship.  I have posted a report on his message. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

One of the memorable episodes in the Gospels is Jesus' encounter with a a rich young man who asks what one must do to gain eternal life. 

Jesus  initially points the man to several biblical commandments:

"You know the commandments: `Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' "   (Mark 10:19)

In one traditional numbering, these are, respectively, the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th commandments, followed by "do not defraud" and then the 5th commandment.

"Do not defraud" is a specific case of the 10th commandment ("Do not covet").  So why didn't Jesus say "do not covet" instead?

One answer to this question has been given by Dr. James Bruckner of North Park Seminary.  I have posted an article on his answer.   

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Back on October 5, I had the opportunity to attend a series of very stimulating lectures by Dr. David Emanuel of Nyack College.  The lectures dealt with the way that motifs from the Exodus are used throughout the BIble. 

I have now posted an article based on these lectures.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

In Deut 17:14, Moses tells the Israelites that they have the option of appointing a king after they settle in the Promised Land. 

But 350 years later, when they request a king, the Israelites are sternly reprimanded, according to I Sam 8.

This raises a question:  Did God intend for Israel to have human kings, or did he just grudgingly put up with the idea because he knew the Israelites would want a king?

I have just posted an article on this question.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Back on March 23, 2013, Dr. William Lane Craig gave a lecture at Miami University on proofs for the existence of God in light of the scientific discoveries and theories of the past century.  Today I posted a report on that lecture.  The content of the lecture is covered in Craig's book Reasonable Faith.

Yesterday I received an email from an Israeli Bible scholar, Dr. Eliyahu Lizorkin-Eyzenberg.  I've added his website to the Links page.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

In Issue 27 of Grace & Knowledge, I included an article about the pitfalls of pesher interpretation of prophecy.  One of the examples I used in the article was the historicist reading of the messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, which sees these messages as prophecies about seven successive eras of Christian history. 

This way of reading Revelation 2-3 has been around since the Middle Ages.  But when one looks at the various ways that this idea has been implemented, one finds that there isn't any agreement on how to identify the different "eras".  My conclusion is that there just isn't enough information in Rev 2-3 to support this kind of interpretation.  Trying to identify church eras in Rev 2-3 is like reading a newspaper horoscope or a inkblot test--interpretations vary widely, according to the background and views of the interpreter.

Historicist interpretations of the Beast in Revelation have the same kind of problems.  Seeing my article prompted my friend Jared Olar to finish an article on this subject that he had been meaning to submit for several years.  Thanks, Jared!

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Back in 2005, I heard an interesting lecture by an Australian scholar, Dr. Don Stanley, on how the land Sabbath is observed in the modern nation of Israel. 

Over the years since, I have occasionally heard from people who enjoyed the article that I posted on Stanley's lecture.  One response came from a Norwegian who related his own experiences in rotating his crops and giving his land sufficient rest.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

When William Lane Craig was visiting Oxford in March to give the 2013 Yamauchi Lecture, he spoke at Oxford Bible Fellowship. 

It happened to be Palm Sunday, and so Dr. Craig spoke on Jesus' Triumphal Entry.  Sherry and I were glad to be able to hear his message.  I have posted a report.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Back on March 21, 2013, I was able to attend an interesting lecture about Christianity in Africa and  the  impact of African immigrants on the American religious scene.  The speaker was Dr. Jehu Hanciles of Emory University.  I have uploaded a  summary of the lecture.

Prof Hanciles explained that over the past century, Christianity has spread very rapidly in Africa, so that the direction of missionary activity in the world is now being reversed.  We used to think of missionaries as people from the West who traveled to Africa or Asia.  Now it is often the other way around.  

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

A number of years ago I wrote an article called "Watch your Antecedents!" that discusses three places in the book of Genesis where a pronoun can have two possible antecedents.  In each case, it is interesting to consider both possibilities.

I recently ran across an article discussing four more examples of this phenomenon, three from Genesis and one from Exodus. All four of these involve people in close relationship.  The article suggests that in such cases, the text may be saying that both antecedents are intended. 

I find this intriguing and have written another article of my own on the subject.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, pronouns

Today Jonathan Cahn's The Harbinger ranks number 10 on the New York Times bestseller list in the trade paperback fiction category.  This book has picked up over 1000 reviews at Amazon.com so far.

I read it after a friend at church asked me what I thought of it, and I don't recommend it.  As I explain in an article that I recently posted, Cahn claims that the prophecy in Isaiah 9:10 has a special message for the post 9/11 United States. I think that his premise is far-fetched.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Today I posted an article based on the book

The Torn Veil:  Matthew's Exposition of the Death of Jesus  by Daniel Gurtner (Cambridge University Press, 2007).

In this book, the published version of his doctoral dissertation, Gurtner investigates the meaning of the rending of the temple curtain at the time of the death of Jesus (Matt 27:51).  

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Today I've posted my report on the 2012 Yamauchi Lecture, a discussion of "Josephus and the New Testament" by Paul L. Maier, Professor of History Emeritus at Western Michigan University. 

Maier's engaging lecture was timed perfectly from my point of view, since our Bible study group has been making heavy use of Josephus in a study of early Christian history.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

A number of popular TV series have ended their seasons recently, often leaving viewers in suspense for the summer. 

• NCIS has left medical examiner Ducky collapsed on the beach. 
• On NCIS-LA, Callen's shooting of an international criminal called the  Chameleon was picked up live by TV cameras.
• On CSI, Russell's granddaughter has been kidnapped.
• On Psych, Shawn's father has just been shot.
• On Person of Interest, Mr. Finch is being held at gunpoint.  Will Mr. Reese find him in time? 

And so on, ad inifinitum. 

Meanwhile, our Bible study group has reached the end of the book of Acts, which leaves the apostle Paul in Roman custody.  I have posted an article on that historical cliffhanger.

Tags: acts, grace and knowledge articles

Today I posted a short article on Jewish customs to which the first known written reference is a New Testament passage. 

At a recent seminar sponsored by the Center for Judaic-Christian Studies, Dr. R. Steven Notley mentioned several examples of this phenomenon.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

The title of the sermon was "No Myths, Fantasies, or Fables".  Dr. Maier's text was 2 Peter 1:16.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

I added a new article to the Grace & Knowledge website today, based on an interesting paper by Dr. Stephen Chapman of Duke University. 

The article gives a good answer to a question about the biblical book of Acts:  Why does Luke, the author of Acts, refer to Saul of Tarsus/Paul the Apostle as "Saul" before Acts 13 and as "Paul" starting in Acts 13:9?  Chapman believes that Luke's use of Paul's two names heightens a contrast Luke is making between Saul of Tarsus and King Saul of Israel.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

My friend Jared Olar, community editor for the Pekin (Illinois) Daily Times, has a great column this week on the Christmas/Hanukkah connection.

For related material, see Jared's article on 2 Maccabees and my article on I Maccabees.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Today I ran across a blog entry from some Christian artists in Germany whose religious community is using Sukkot imagery to celebrate the Incarnation this year. 

They reference a G&K article that discusses the connection between Sukkot and the Incarnation.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

There've been some good lectures on campus already this fall.

On September 20, Dr. Connie Rodriguez of Loyola University New Orleans gave an Archaeological Institute of America lecture on "Dress Boots of the Roman Emperors".  I've never been especially interested in expensive Italian shoes, but hearing about ancient footwear turned out to be fun.   I've posted an article on this lecture at the G&K website. 

On October 10, Dr. Daniel Buxhoeveden of the University of South Carolina gave a lecture called "Christianity and Science in Dialogue".  I was glad to hear the thoughts of a scientist who is also a serious Christian (of the Eastern Orthodox persuasion).

Then on October 12, writer Hooman Majd, who is a citizen of both the U.S. and Iran, shared an Iranian perspective on America in a lecture called "The Iran Question."

Tags: current events, grace and knowledge articles, lectures

Yesterday I posted an article called "Heroines of the Exodus" , the first article for Issue 27. 

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

I've now finished up Issue 26, adding a review of Tony Williams's The Pox and the Covenant, a book about a 1721 smallpox epidemic in Boston.  The epidemic marked the first time that variolation, an early form of immunization for smallpox, was tried in North America. 

The effort to try this procedure was spearheaded by Cotton Mather.  Mather faced plenty of opposition, most notably from a young newspaper editor named James Franklin (Ben's older brother). 

According to the info at amazon.com, WIlliams is working on a book about Jamestown.  I look forward to seeing it.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

I've posted a new article at the Grace and Knowledge website based on Richard Talbert's Sept 20 AIA lecture on an unusual Roman world map now commonly known as the Peutinger Map.

The lecture encouraged its audience to think about maps in a new way.  We usually think about maps as conveying certain kinds of practical information, but maps can also serve a number of other purposes.  In the Roman Empire, maps were a form of public relations.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

I've just posted a new article at the Grace and Knowledge website. 

The article deals with a very clever joke made in the Babylonian Talmud at the expense of Christianity..

Tags: grace and knowledge articles

Today I put a new page on the website with links to reports on the annual Yamauchi Lectures at Miami.  I have been meaning to do this for awhile, since I plan to continue writing these reports each year.  

I'm already looking forward to the lecture next March.  The 2011 speaker, Donald A. Carson, is the author of, among other things, my favorite commentaries on the Gospels of Matthew and John.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

I've finally posted my report on Mark Noll's 2010 Yamauchi Lecture, given on March 20. 

 The lecture, entitled "The Bible and Slavery,"  was based on Noll's book The Civil War as a Theological Crisis.

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

Back in April 2009, less than a week after I got out of the hospital, I was able to attend an interesting lecture by Dr. Michael Cook of Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati.   

Cook, a Jewish scholar of the New Testament, has taught classes in New Testament to many Jewish students studying to be Reformed rabbis.  He talked about how educated Jewish readers tend to approach and interpret the Gospels.

It took me awhile to write a report on Dr. Cook's lecture, but I have finally posted one.   

Tags: grace and knowledge articles, lectures

Tags: grace and knowledge articles