Charts on Paul’s Letters

May 2, 2013 — Leave a comment

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On Tuesday, I told you about Herbert W. Bateman IV’s Charts on The Book of Hebrews. In a similar fashion, Lars Kierspel (former SBTS prof, former dept. chair biblical studies at Trinity College and Theological Seminary) offers readrs Charts on The Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul. Though he cannot go as in depth on any one letter like Bateman did with Hebrews, Kierspel still covers a lot of ground, and provides 111 charts on Paul.

The breakdown for the charts is across four sections:

  • Paul’s background and context (9 charts)
  • Paul’s life and ministry (25 charts)
  • Paul’s letters (43 charts)
  • Paul’s theological concepts (34 charts)

For anyone interested in Paul and his theology, these charts are a must have. Similar to Bateman’s book, Kierspel offers readers notes at the end of the chart section that provide more information, cross references, and additional resources.

I’m finding that as I teach New Testament to 10th graders, and am actually currently finishing up a section on Paul’s letters, these charts are a very useful tool. While much of them are probably irrelevant to that demographic, the fact that Kierspel offers overview charts on each of Paul’s letters came in very handy. Likewise, having Paul’s missionary journeys charted is a plus, as is having relevant information on each of the cities Paul wrote to.

Maybe I’m just a fan of charts, but both this work and Bateman’s I think I’ll be consulting for years to come. Students of Paul will do well to add this work to the their collection, as will teachers and pastors working through any or all of Paul’s letters. There is enough information here to satisfy to the seminary students with a knowledge of Greek and enough non-Greek to help the average reader get a better picture of who Paul was and what he taught in Scripture.

Book Details

  • Author: Lars Kierspel
  • Title: Charts on The Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul
  • Publisher: Kregel Academic (November 14, 2012)
  • Paperback: 288pgs
  • Reading Level: Most are general reader accessible, but many are aimed at Bible school students
  • Audience Appeal: Anyone who loves a good chart and wants to dig deeper Paul’s theology and letters
  • Gratis Review Copy: Yes (courtesy of Kregel Academic)

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Romans (Teach The Text Commentary Series)

May 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

9780801092213

C. Marvin Pate is chair of the department of Christian theology and Elma Cobb Professor of Christian Theology at Ouachita Baptist University and pastor of DeGray Baptist Church. His commentary on Romans is the first in the Teach the Text Commentary Series, which looks to be very promising.

As always, when a new commentary is introduced, the editors feel the need (and rightly so) for giving the rationale to readers for yet another commentary series. These commentaries, are specifically designed “to provide a ready reference for the exposition of the biblical text, giving easy access to information that a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively.” (vii) The divisions of the biblical are thus aimed at preaching units, and often throughout the body of the text the commentator offers explicit recommendations for how he approach certain passages.

These preaching units are further divided into the following sections:

  • Big Idea (exactly what it sounds like, the single point you could boil the text down to)
  • Key Themes (meant to support and flesh out the big idea)
  • Understanding the Text (semi-traditional exposition)
  • Teaching the Text (those recommendations I just mentioned)
  • Illustrating the Text (drawn from literature, film, history, biography, personal anecdotes)

The “Understanding the Text” section is further broken down to include the following elements:

  • Text in Context (rhetorical insights)
  • Outline/Structure
  • Historical and Cultural Background (helpful background details, often pictures)
  • Interpretive Insights
  • Theological Insights

This gives the commentary a nice flow to it, and keeps the focus on the essentials for teaching the text. Depending on how you look at it, this is either good or bad. Pate does a good job of being concise, offers numerous side bars and charts, and explains things clearly. If one were to use this commentary as a sole resource for preaching/teaching Romans, I think it would be a bad idea, but used alongside a major exegetical commentary (like Moo, Schreiner, or Kruse) it would a nice homiletical companion.

If I were going into more detail with Romans in my New Testament class, this would be what I would use. Pate gets straight to the point (which means there are not a lot of endnotes, usually only a half dozen per section) and if I were teaching a class just on Romans (which isn’t a bad idea) I would be relying much more heavily on this commentary than I did.

As far as actually commenting on Romans, Pate does a good job. He sees Romans itself as following the ANE suzerain-vassal treaties, but as a charter new covenant document. His outline then looks like this:

  • Preamble (1:1-15)
  • Historical Prologue (1:16-17)
  • Stipulations (1:18-4:25)
  • Blessings (5-8)
  • Curses (9-11)
  • Appeal to Witnesses (12:1-15:13)
  • Document Clause (15:14-16:27)

I’m thinking the last two might be switched up, as either a typo or editorial oversight. Either way, while interesting, I’m not sure I buy it just yet. Paul does rely heavily on Deuteronomy in Romans, but I’m not sure the structure comes from it or the treaty form.

Elsewhere, Pate tries to blend Calvinism and Arminian insights into a Calminian position when discussing 9:6-29 (194). I’m wary of mediating positions (like new covenant theology) and I think is perhaps worse since both Calvinists and Arminians denounce Calminian as a viable or coherent option. This isn’t a fatal flaw in the commentary per se, but it is at least one unhelpful theological insight.

On the plus side, I was impressed with the couple of anecdotes that Pate offered in his illustrations. Some of them came from another author (which is the only reason I can think why The Shack would be suggested as helpful for understanding the Trinity, 121), but in a couple of places Pate shares how he started his commitment to read the Bible for an hour every morning as a preparation for going into ministry (146-147) and that he prayed to be afflicted with the same rare, chronic illness that his wife has so he can understand her suffering better (115, and God said yes!). Though those don’t pertain to commentating on Romans specifically, I did find them helpful for the particular texts they were connected with.

Like I said, this volume shouldn’t replace Moo, Kruse, or Schreiner on your shelf, but for a homiletical commentary, I think this series is much better than Preach the Word. That series is more offering actual expositions, while this series is much more detail oriented works section by section through each preaching unit. In that sense, Preach the Word is like sample sermons to give you an idea of the flow of the text, whereas Teach The Text is more of the spare parts you need all in one place to put together a quality sermon. Pate does a great job of guiding readers through Romans and giving his interpretive wisdom and insight into how to best teach this text.

Book Details

  • Author: C. Marvin Pate
  • Title: Romans (Teach The Text Commentary Series)
  • Publisher: Baker Books (January 15, 2013)
  • Hardcover: 368pgs
  • Reading Level: General Reader
  • Audience Appeal: Pastor/Teachers and lay readers who want to dive into an accesible Romans commentary
  • Gratis Review Copy: Yes (courtesy of Baker Books)

Purchase Info


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Charts on The Book of Hebrews

April 30, 2013 — 1 Comment

9780825424663

Herbert W. Bateman IV has done us all a huge favor. Especially if you teach or preach, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Charts on The Book of Hebrews. In it, Bateman offers over 100 different charts across 4 separate categories:

  • Introductory Considerations
  • Old Testament and Second Temple Influences
  • Theology
  • Exegetical Matters

In most of these, Bateman is synthesizing data from his own close study of the book. Elsewhere, he very helpful offers charts that show the viewpoints of the major commentators. So for example, the first 7 charts show both the history of thought on the authorship of Hebrews, as well as what pretty much every commentator has suggested for the writer of Hebrews. This kind of historical and contemporary consideration also comes into play for the charts on destination, recipients, date, and genre.

If you remember from my review of Jesus The Messiah, Bateman took the helm for navigating through the Second Temple literature. That comes in very handy with a book like Hebrews, where he offers 8 charts just on Second Temple Messianic figures as it relates to Hebrews. This goes along with his charts on general Old Testament quotes and allusions, the tabernacle and other elements of the Jewish cultic system, and the Second Temple Priesthood. In studying a book like Hebrews, these kinds of charts are invaluable.

The final sections offer charts on the Godhead, theological themes, words of exhortation, interpretive issues, text critical issues, figures of speech, and important words in Hebrews. Also, very helpfully there is a section at the end of the charts with brief notes on each chart that cross reference between the charts and point readers to additional resources. All this together makes Charts on The Book of Hebrews an excellent resource, and one that I would highly recommend to both pastors and teachers, as well as curious and inquisitive Bible readers. The former will get the most mileage, but the for the average Bible reader, there is much interpretive insight to be gleaned from these charts.

Book Details

  • Author: Hebert W. Bateman IV
  • Title: Charts on The Book of Hebrews
  • Publisher: Kregel Academic (November 28, 2012)
  • Paperback: 272pgs
  • Reading Level: Most are general reader accessible, but many are aimed at Bible school students
  • Audience Appeal: Anyone who loves a good chart and wants to dig deeper into Hebrews
  • Gratis Review Copy: Yes (courtesy of Kregel Academic)

Purchase Info

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The Invention of The Biblical Scholar

April 25, 2013 — Leave a comment

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In reviewing a book like this, I’m not really sure where to start. This is a small, yet incredibly dense volume. The density makes it almost impossible to summarize in a review form that is not just a recreation of the back matter. The book is only 131 pages long and only has 3 chapters. Yet, as the authors, Stephen D. Moore and Yvonne Sherwood note in the preface, these chapters began as a single conference paper, “After ‘After Theory,’ and Other Apocalyptic Conceits in Literary and Biblical Studies.” In exploring where biblical studies might go after Theory, the authors want to retrace the path created the biblical scholar in the first place.

The first chapter is concerned with Theory with a capital “T,” which is the proper name for poststructuralist theory (read: postmodernism). In exploring the rise and fall of Theory, the authors discuss all things methodology, the perennial scholarly obsession even to the point of methodolatry (their word). If you were ever curious about postmodernism’s rise, effect, and fall in literary studies in general, this chapter will get you up to speed.

Chapter 2 turns to the rise of the biblical scholar proper and is rather illuminating. With a brief stage setting in precritical biblical studies, the authors then detail the invention of “moral unbelief” a la Kant. This gap between the scholar’ personal religious beliefs and his scholarly focus is what would pave the way for the modern biblical scholar. In a state of “moral unbelief” the focus in biblical studies turned toward a primarily historical focus (are these stories true?) rather than a religious focus (should these stories inform the way I live?). The religious focus was increasingly denied, and the Enlightenment solidified this stance. The “Enlightenment Bible” was a book of problems (mainly historical) to be solved, not a book of solutions for how to live.

Chapter 3 then takes a critical look at the state of modern biblical studies and offers a proposal for a way forward. The chapter starts with detailing the biblical sub-sub-sub specialist. They use the example of a “Markan literary critic,” who is a subspecialist (studying the literary nature of Mark) in a subdiscipline (Markan studies in general) of a subdiscipline (New Testament studies) of a main discipline (biblical studies in general). Here is a person who’s entire publishing career may be devoted to a specific type of reading of 20 pages of the Bible. This leads to a field of study that is not only isolated, but increasingly in conversation only with itself, as the authors detail toward the end of the chapter. Instead of feasting on the text directly, the “picnic is increasingly being postponed” as the authors put it (107). The suggestion, in the closing pages, is that we move onward to the past and recover and in the final word of the authors, “we need to find religion.” (131)

This is a book for Ph.D students, and primarily those in biblical studies programs. While the type of biblical scholar the authors have in mind is the mainstream critical scholar, the insights will be helpful to those even in a seminary environment. It helps to explain why biblical scholars focus on the topics that they do and provides a helpful reminder that many professional biblical scholars treat the Bible merely as text to be dissected. The temptation is always present to move in that direction if you’re part of a graduate study program, but that is not an approach you will find in the major streams of the Christian the faith. It is recent, post-Enlightenment invention and these authors help to explain how it all came about. The book is heavy sledding, so its not for everyone. But if you’re in seminary or pursuing a Ph.D in biblical studies, this might be a good book to pick up.

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Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Four Views

April 23, 2013 — Leave a comment

9780801039362

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a big fan of the multi-view books. I think this is my fifth one to review, but it’s my first one to offer a giveaway for. Keep reading for detail on that.

Overview

Understanding Spiritual Warfare opens with a substantial introductory essay. Editors James Beilby and Paul Eddy have done their share of multi-view books, and they provide a strong foundation for the ensuing dialogues. They detail 3 broad issues that inform the spiritual warfare conversation: (1) moral objection to the spiritual warfare language, (2) the actual existence and nature of spirit beings, and (3) Christian perspectives on the theology and practice of spiritual warfare itself (2). Their opening essay contributes a vital part of the discussion in its own right, which is a marked contrast to the last multi-view book I reviewed.

With the stage set, the first contributor is Walter Wink, though his writing is edited together by Gareth Higgins. Wink is the only contributor who denies the existence of Satan and demons and this significantly weakens his overall model, the “World Systems” approach. Instead, he sees what we attribute to be Satan and demons is the emergent “soul” of corrupt world systems. For the most part, conservative evangelicals will find Wink’s liberal theology unpalatable and as David Powlison notes in his response, it really is a different kind of religion (77, in Wink’s case at least). Having misdiagnosed the issue, Wink’s approach is not attractive, but it gives the book an overall balance.

David Powlison is the next contributor, and his approach is dubbed “The Classical Model.” Every setting some biblical foundations, Powlison answers 5 key questions (98):

  • What is the look and feel of spiritual warfare?
  • How do we understand and help those involved in the occult?
  • How do we understand and help those living in addictive bondage to sin?
  • How do we understand the exorcisms in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts?
  • What about the experiences that are common in “spiritual warfare ministries” and in animistic cultures?

I like this layout and I think it really hits on the key questions we need to ask and answer on this topic. Honestly, I think the whole book would be stronger if each contributor had had to answer these questions.

Next comes Gregory Boyd with “The Ground-Level Deliverance Model.” I think this is the next strongest approach, even though I would disagree with most of Boyd’s theological positions. He at least takes the text of Scripture seriously and offers a model that grapples with the realities at work (unlike Wink’s approach). Boyd also offers some proposals for actually engaging in spiritual warfare, which are (1) wake up (to the reality of warfare), (2) live a revolting lifestyle against the kingdom of Satan, and (3) stand against demonic oppression and infirmities. (151-154) Powlison and Boyd really seem to be only separated by a theological divide, as Boyd affirms most of Powlison’s position (117-118) and only questions Powlison’s approach to divine providence (118-119) and feels Powlison may have overly domesticated the battle (119-122).

Lastly, C. Peter Wagner and Rebecca Greenwood offer “The Strategic-Level Deliverance Model.” Greenwood does most of the writing, but Wagner is the forefather/innovator of the position. As they understand it, spiritual warfare has a “ground-level” dimension (delivering an individual from demonic influence), a “occult-level” (more organized demonic presence through witchcraft, Satanism, etc.), and finally a “strategic-level” (power confrontations with high-ranking principalities and powers). To the latter, Boyd objects in his essay not to its practice in general, but that the Scriptural precedent seems that angels take care of this without our help (cf. Daniel). However, the majority of the essay is Greenwood offering anecdotal evidence for practicing this very thing. Though this essay is the most overtly focused on explaining how to do spiritual warfare, it has the least developed foundation, something each responder points out.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a very helpful book. The introduction sets out the issues nicely, and the contributors come from a variety of positions. Rather than each being a different shade of evangelical options, only the central two positions are. Though the final position is not entirely incompatible, it represents a well-developed approach that lacks appropriate biblical foundations, which is problematic to say the least. Maybe not as problematic as Wink’s denial of Satan and demons, but his approach is a kind of non-approach anyway.

Readers who want to dig into this subject ought to pick up this book, and here’s how you can win a copy. If you’re in RSS, you’ll probably need to click through to see the PunchTab form. As always, just follow the prompts to earn your entries! I do want to add this disclaimer though: I plan on starting a blog newsletter in the coming weeks or sometime before Google Reader’s demise. By entering your email, you are also adding yourself to the mailing list. You can enter the giveaway without using your email, but if you go that route, that is what you’re doing (and this will be true in giveaways from now on!)

Book Details

  • Editors: James K. Beilby & Paul Rhodes Eddy 
  • Title: Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Four Views
  • Publisher: Baker Academic (December 1, 2012)
  • Paperback: 240pgs
  • Reading Level: General Reader/Bible School
  • Audience Appeal: Christians and especially pastors interested in the subject of spiritual warfare
  • Gratis Review Copy: Yes (courtesy of Baker Academic)

Purchase Info

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