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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
SpoiledMilks has commented on (40) products
Core Christianity Finding Yourself in Gods Story
by
Michael Horton
SpoiledMilks
, December 06, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 5/30/16) Michael Horton’s purpose in writing Core Christianity is “to help you understand your reason for your hope as a Christian so that you can invite others into the conversation.” Throughout this book he teaches you about the Bible Story without it feeling like you’re being taught about dreaded doctrine. Socrates who said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Horton points it to Christians, “But it’s also true that the unexamined faith is not worth believing” (16). Core Christianity is situated between the beginner and intermediate level. It’s a good book for a new Christian to read through carefully, and it’s still a good book for long-time believers. Horton gives the church an easily-digestible systematic theology (what the whole Bible tells us about its main doctrines). No biblical doctrine stands alone. Each doctrine and teaching is part of a team that plays together. Conclusion The essentials are the core of what we believe, and the core holds everything else together. If we miss the essentials, we’ll grow selfish and neglect others, perhaps viewing God as our magic genie who agrees to give us everything we could ever want. God’s story is focused on Christ, and the more we see God rightly, the more we will be in awe of our majestic king.
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A Guide to Biblical Commentaries and Reference Works
by
John F. Evans
SpoiledMilks
, December 06, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 7/18/16) John Evans begins by giving the reader “Two Warnings for Orientation” and about how commentaries are not to be used as a crutch. Commentaries do not replace your own personal Bible study efforts. All commentators have their own background of ideas and beliefs (conservative, liberal, and all in between), and none are 100% correct. You need to know how to study the Bible for yourself. He spends 25 pages explaining the different commentary series. Evans, book-by-book, lists his top 5-6 commentaries, giving brief explanations of each one. After his highlights, he gives a successive list on other commentaries helping to sift between the good, the bad, and the ugly. Vast amounts of detail are given, often informing the reader if a commentary is more help to the student, the pastor, or the scholar (or any mix of them). Aside from the biblical books, Evans provides information on books covering 10 different topics such as Pentateuchal Studies, Poetry & Wisdom Literature, Apocalyptic Literature, Jesus & Gospels Research, etc. At the end of the book he gives his top picks for pastors on a budget, an Ideal Basic Library for the Pastor (two commentaries on each book of the Bible), and an if-money-were-no-object Ultimate Reference Library. Recommended? If you enjoy collecting commentaries, this book will save you time and money (or maybe only time). Evans gives more detail in this guide than Longman and Carson’s single Testament guides.
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NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Hardcover Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture
by
Zondervan
SpoiledMilks
, December 06, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 9/6/16) This study Bible’s one purpose is to increase your understanding of the cultural nuances behind the text of God’s Word so that your study experience, and your knowledge of the realties behind the ideas in the text, is enriched and expanded (v). Both Walton and Keener are masters in the cultures of the Old and New Testaments. There are 74 charts and 64 maps throughout the CBSB to help bridge the gulf that lies between the world of the Bible and the world of the modern reader. In my original review I looked at the book of Daniel. It is full of cultural insights which help give you a deeper understanding of the text by giving you the “mind” of the original audience.
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John: 4
by
Edward W. Klink III
SpoiledMilks
, December 06, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 12/11/17) Edward Klink treats Scripture according to its true and sacred nature. Not to treat this Gospel as Scripture is itself a form of eisegesis, and it is a disobedient hearing of the (canonical) text’s own claim and of the God by whom it was authored. The way God/the Gospel speaks determines how we read Scripture: (1) The Gospel speaks in time-and-space history, (2) in literary form, and (3) about the things of God. Klink doesn’t try to historically reconstruct the events of John’s Gospel (besides 2.1–11), because “each Gospel must be interpreted for the individual Gospel’s role or contribution to the one gospel.” The Bible is not a window to what is inspired; it “is the locus of revelation.” God gives divine commentary on his own actions in history in his Word. The ZECNT commentaries divide each section into seven parts: Literary Context, Main Idea, Translation and Graphical Layout, Structure, Exegetical Outline, Explanation of the Text, and Theology in Application. I don’t always find the Translation and Graphical Layout section to be helpful, but each of the other sections are extremely useful. Recommended? Klink emphasizes the use of one’s imagination, and this is something that many need to learn. Imagination is required both in application and in interpretation. Klink is a humble interpreter, and he has written this volume primarily for pastors, bible teachers, and students. I hope this volume will be read widely.
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Creation Care: A Biblical Theology of the Natural World
by
Douglas J. Moo and Jonathan A. Moo
SpoiledMilks
, December 06, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 12/11/17) Edward Klink treats Scripture according to its true and sacred nature. Not to treat this Gospel as Scripture is itself a form of eisegesis, and it is a disobedient hearing of the (canonical) text’s own claim and of the God by whom it was authored. The way God/the Gospel speaks determines how we read Scripture: (1) The Gospel speaks in time-and-space history, (2) in literary form, and (3) about the things of God. Klink doesn’t try to historically reconstruct the events of John’s Gospel (besides 2.1–11), because “each Gospel must be interpreted for the individual Gospel’s role or contribution to the one gospel.” The Bible is not a window to what is inspired; it “is the locus of revelation.” God gives divine commentary on his own actions in history in his Word. The ZECNT commentaries divide each section into seven parts: Literary Context, Main Idea, Translation and Graphical Layout, Structure, Exegetical Outline, Explanation of the Text, and Theology in Application. I don’t always find the Translation and Graphical Layout section to be helpful, but each of the other sections are extremely useful. Recommended? Klink emphasizes the use of one’s imagination, and this is something that many need to learn. Imagination is required both in application and in interpretation. Klink is a humble interpreter, and he has written this volume primarily for pastors, bible teachers, and students. I hope this volume will be read widely.
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Romans
by
Frank S. Thielman
SpoiledMilks
, December 06, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 4/26/19) Frank Thielman hopes his commentary will “play the role of a footman, opening the door to Romans and then quickly stepping out of the way so that others might ‘enter’ the letter itself…” (14). His 23-page introduction covers life and Christianity in mid-1st century Rome as well as Paul’s purpose in writing Romans. One example of Thielman's interpretation is seen in Rom 1:17. He understands the "righteousness of God" refers to “a positive verdict that God renders in a judicial sense and therefore to a righteous status he gives people. He declares people to be righteous, and so they receive 'righteousness'… from him as a gift (3:21-22, 25-26; cf. 1 Cor 1:30; Phil 3:9)” (82). Thielman also has many In Depth sections where he takes a deeper look at a particular topic: Paul’s Understanding of the “Conscience” (Rom 2:15); Jesus as the Biblical “Mercy Seat” (Rom 3:25); the Origins of Paul’s Understanding of Israel’s Stumbling (Rom 9:32-33); Prisca, Aquila, and the Church in Their Roman House (Rom 16:3). Recommended? As biblical scholarship progresses, commentaries are actually needed. One does not need to buy them all, and we can be thankful that there are scholars who can devote their lives to wrestling with the text and distilling it down to others. Thielman’s incisive thoughts on the main ideas, structures, and meanings of Paul’s long letter will benefit you as you seek to know Christ in Romans.
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John: Volume 2a
by
Craig S. Keener
SpoiledMilks
, December 06, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 11/14/19) Craig Keener is a prolific scholar. Everything he writes is quality, nuanced, well-read, and usually massive. Keener understands wide swaths of Jewish and Greco-Roman literature. This commentary is a condensed version of his 2-volume John commentary with fewer references to Jewish and Greco-Roman writings/culture. Footnotes are now endnotes. The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary series aims to give Christians “good historical information” about the Bible without giving all of the information that can be given. There are “hundreds of photos, maps, charts, artwork, timelines, sidebars, and reflections within these pages. * Keener provides a two-page spread on who the Samaritans were (Ch 4). * Though he doesn’t believe the story of the woman caught in adultery to be canonical, he explores what Jesus may have written on the ground (Ch 8:6, 8). * Other topics covered would be the Jewish understanding of “The Name,” the understanding of the Holy Spirit as “The Advocate,” the meanings of “The Spirit of Truth” and “Indwelling of Deity,” “The Vine,” “Pruning, “Ancient Friendship Ideals,” “Resurrection,” “Parallels to the Resurrection Appearances?,” etc. Recommended? This series gives more information per verse than a study Bible and less than the larger commentaries. It’s great for a layperson wanting to dive deeper into the text without getting in over their heads.
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Counsel for Couples: A Biblical and Practical Guide for Marriage Counseling
by
Jonathan D. Holmes
SpoiledMilks
, November 15, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 12/31/2020 Jonathan Holmes has written a book to help get you on your feet and to begin to wade in the waters of counseling and reconciliation. In Part 1, Holmes lays down the basics of counseling couples to “leave you with a solid, biblical theology and methodology to help you navigate through the world of marriage counseling” in the sufficiency of God’s Word (18). We can’t “separate preaching the Word from counseling the Word” (25). Holmes gives tips on how much time pastors should spend counseling, while reminding them that counselees teach their counselors more than counselors teach their counselees. Counselors learn “the hard but good realities of shepherding and overseeing,” as well as seeing that they aren’t much different from their counselees at all (30). There is a very practical final chapter on structuring the initial sessions you have with a couple. In Part 2, Holmes provides 10 specific issues you will face in marriage counseling. Holmes provides a theological way forward through these issues with practical tips for the counselor in what homework to give the couple during the week to grow in their relationship together as they work through their problems. Part 3 provides ten ways to take care of yourself and strengthen your soul. Recommended? This is a very helpful book, especially for those who are either new at pastoring or who haven’t had much counseling experience.
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Seek First: How the Kingdom of God Changes Everything
by
Jeremy R. Treat
SpoiledMilks
, November 14, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 6/8/20) What matters most to us is what we think of and talk about the most. What Jesus talked about more than anything else was the kingdom of God. "The kingdom is God's reign through God's people over God's place." We are saved by the death and resurrection of Christ for life, glory, and freedom to follow our savior in the kingdom of light. Three sections to Treat's book: 1. Kingdom Perspective: Treat briefly covers the Bible’s story, what Jesus did, and how we participate in Christ's and in his kingdom, even in the most mundane acts of life. 2. Kingdom Purpose: disciples remain with, learn from, and become like Christ. With the gospel as the center, we aim to stop sinning because we love Jesus. Jesus comes to us through his Spirit, and shows us that we are complete in him. We develop our character in every-day mundane acts. We look for a community, we aim for justice for all people along with the proclamation of the gospel. 3. Kingdom People: we are sons and daughters who have been adopted by the good & wise King who is our loving & gracious Father through our union with Christ. We are exiles waiting for our King's return, faithfully proclaiming the kingdom gospel amongst many who are against Christianity. There is tension and struggle even within ourselves, but God is at work. Recommended? Treat fills his book with clear thinking and cultural references. He shows how the kingdom of God really changes everything for us.
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Do Christians, Muslims, and Jews Worship the Same God?: Four Views
by
Wm Andrew Schwartz, John B Jr Cobb, Francis J Beckwith
SpoiledMilks
, November 14, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 7/13/20) Christians, Jews, and Muslims all claim to worship God: the one God who revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, as well as to other OT figures. But do Christians, Muslims, and Jews all “worship” the “same” God? Each author presents their view within 20 pages, the other authors give a short ~5 page response, and the original presenter offers a final response. Each chapter grew increasingly compelling. I agreed with almost nothing of the 1st position, and I agreed with most of the 4th position. While we pray to and sing praises to God, whose worship does he actually receive? According to the Bible, God accepts the worship only of those who honor him by putting their faith and trust in his Son, Jesus Christ. The final two ministry reflections look at focusing on (1) the common ground and (2) the respectfully held differences in Christian-Muslim relationships. Both were helpful, but I agree more with Shenk's views. Recommended? I was actually surprised at the arguments throughout the book. They helped push me to think more deeply about the issue and to really question what I believed. In the end, I still believe the same thing, but I have a better understanding for the other side of the argument. This is a good book for apologists, pastors, teachers, and for anyone working among Jews and Muslims (and Christians as well, it's a good point of reference).
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A Theology of John's Gospel and Letters
by
Andreas J. Kostenberger
SpoiledMilks
, November 14, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 8/10/20) . Köstenberger (AJK) looks at the genre of John's writings, the style of John's writings and the structure of his writings, and ends with a literary-theological reading his the Gospel and of the letters. The literary-theological is the sort of commentary I enjoy. AJK tells us what each section is saying, and why it fits where it does. Throughout, Köstenberger looks at the themes of glory, the people's messianic expectation, their misunderstanding, divine judgment, death, unbelief, Jesus' signs, and more. . In Part 3 (250 pages), AJK looks at John's worldview and his use of Scripture, the Word, the trinity, salvation history, John's love ethic, theology of the cross, and his trinitarian mission theology. . Köstenberger's book is extremely valuable just for these insights. This section covers roughly 250 pages, which will give you rich connections throughout John's Gospel. . Recommended? This is full of theological insights. AJK is evangelical and fully committed to the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture. There is a gold mine of information here. If you are a preacher, a teacher, a layperson, or anywhere in between, and you want to know and understand John's Gospel better, consider picking this one up. It is worth your time.
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An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach
by
Bruce K. Waltke
SpoiledMilks
, November 14, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 9/14/20) Bruce Waltke offers a canonical look at the OT and all of the 39 books really do contribute to one story. Waltke shows how God reveals himself in the OT. He shows how the books of the OT fit together within both the OT and biblical canons. Waltke wants his readers to know God personally for who he is, the "I am here" and "I am eternal" and to understand how God has revealed himself through his word in history. Waltke desires to turn the OT from looking like disconnected stories of biblical heroes to a single narrative we all participate in. The book contains three main sections: Part One is the Introduction which looks at the basis, task, and method of OT theology. Waltke spends time explaining what narrative theology is to help us understand how to, well, read the narratives theologically. This serves a purpose to help us understand the depth of character in the people we read about. Parts Two and Three (which cover the entire OT) view God's self-revelation to the world throughout history in the form of "gifts." In these chapters, Waltke explains the inner-workings of the OT's theology and even its connections to the NT. The only really disappointment I found is the disproportionate amount of space dedicated to different parts of the OT. 630 pages are given to the Pentateuch/Historical books (Chronicles received only 11 pages). But 165 to the Prophets (45 pgs) and Ruth + Poetic books (120 pgs). Highly recommended.
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Cultural Apologetics Renewing the Christian Voice Conscience & Imagination in a Disenchanted World
by
Paul M Gould
SpoiledMilks
, November 14, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 10/21/20) People need to see the good, the true, and the beautiful. But most of us live in a disenchanted world. Due to scandals, arguments, and lack of conviction, "the church's prophetic voice, once resounding with power on issues of slavery and human rights, is now but a whimper." Many are failing to give a high view of God that changes us to really be more like Christ. In the land of YouTube, the church just can't compete when it comes to entertainment. But it was never supposed to. Gould argues that we need to employ cultural apologetics, establish "the Christian voice, conscience, and imagination within a culture so that Christianity is seen as true and satisfying." Anyone can use this method. It operates on two levels: We want need to show how living as a Christian is better and more desirable than not. Everyone wants truth, justice, beauty, and goodness. We resurrect relevance by showing how Christ answers our human longings. We resurrect hope by "creating new cultural goods and rhythms and practices that reflect the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christianity" (24). Recommended? This was a good push toward thinking about how to influence within culture. While Paul does say the cross is foolishness (aka undesirable), Gould gives a helpful perspective on thinking differently about our faith and how we are called to live as Christians among our neighbors.
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Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues
by
Joshua D. Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior
SpoiledMilks
, November 14, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 10/26/20) Chatraw & Prior have produced a resource full of essays giving us differing perspectives on 9 topics which prepare us for future conversations involving clashing views. In Chap 1, Our culture provides us with the lenses we read through, shaping how we think, live, and view others. It affects our affections and desires. It tells us what is "good" and what kind of things/people should be left behind. Chap 2 helps us to see how pivotal it is to know the Bible's storyline so that we can more faithfully interact with culture. Chap 3 encourages us to engage virtuously with culture (e.g., diligence, thoroughness, and humility). Part 2, "Contemporary Issues," is 273 pgs long, and gives us the 9 different perspectives. Each section brings scholars from different viewpoints together to explain their personal beliefs about a particular topic. Each topic contains 5–7 chapters, each being 3–5 pgs. This book doesn’t try to convince you of each position as much as inform you of the many positions. There is plenty to read, so its nice the chapters are so short. Links to websites/books for further reading are provided. In Part 3, the final two chapters encourage us to engage culture as gospel-shaped people and to create culture. Cultivating culture will look differently for different people. Recommended? Though the chapters are very short, it's better to read from scholars than from Joe Schmoe's opinion piece in the paper. Take up and read!
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Apologetics at the Cross: An Introduction for Christian Witness
by
Joshua D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen
SpoiledMilks
, November 13, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 10/30/20) Peter wrote to saints exhausted from harassment and suffering. Instead of a 1,000 page book on philosophic apologetics, he gave them the cross—trust Christ and the reward of his resurrection secured. They were to praise God as a community in the midst of their trials. This is not your usual book on apologetics. We revere Christ as Lord and King. So when reviled, we respond with our defense: gentleness, respect, a clear conscience, and good behavior. Apologetics is the practice of offering an appeal and a defense for the Christian faith. Gods wisdom helps us to live the good life, which we are able to do because we can use our imagination to see how our lives fit into Gods ultimate redemptive plan. Gods wisdom helps us live out and defend the truth he has placed inside of us. The people we talk to are intelligent and reflective, but they are also moral beings with feelings. We are also worshiping beings who worship something, though it is not always so obvious. We need to explain why our covenantal God can be trusted. Recommended? If you are new to apologetics, buy this first. This book is thorough and gracious that keeps your eyes on the cross while building you up in the knowledge of Christ and him crucified. You represent Christ through all that you say and do (and dont say and dont do). Chatraw and Allen remind us that character is not less important than the arguments we make for Christianity. It is part of our defense.
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Joel: A Discourse Analysis of the Hebrew Bible 28
by
Joel Barker
SpoiledMilks
, November 12, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 7/9/21) The aim of this series is discourse analysis. Often times how someone says something is just as important as what they say. After looking at the historical context, literary integrity, and Joel's position within the Minor Prophets, Barker looks at Joel's rhetorical discourse. Barker notes that, "Prophets in the OT did not wield coercive power and could not compel obedience. However, as those who communicated God's message to Israel and Judah, there was an underlying urgency to prophetic communication.... Consequently, prophetic books elevate their discourse through the creative use of language in order to sear their messages onto the hearts of their intended audience" (35-36). Recommended? This series gets into the dirt and weeds and shows why it matters. Barker shows how every word really is important (though he doesn't elaborate on every single word). A knowledge of Hebrew is helpful but not necessary. If you want to dig into the weeds, these commentaries are highly recommended.
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Paul and the Hope of Glory: An Exegetical and Theological Study
by
Constantine R. Campbell
SpoiledMilks
, November 12, 2021
(Full review on SpoiledMilks, 8/17/21) In this book, Constantine Campbell covers 11 themes reflecting Paul’s theology, many of which are broken down into subthemes. For example, if you're going to do a study on the kingdom of God, you can't search only terms like "kingdom" and "kingdom of God." You'll need to search for "king," a king's actions, what the kingdom does or how it functions, and so on. Campbell's book is centered in Paul's understanding of eschatology. “The end” shaped Paul’s thinking. As Campbell writes, “The ‘end’ has already dawned on the ‘middle’ of time” (5). It includes the past (Jesus’ death and resurrection), the present (current situation of Christian communities), and the future (the end of all things). The old age and the new age are realms that “mark out the ‘territory’ over which their rulers exercise influence and power, controlling those who belong to them” (5). The old age is ruled by sin and death, but the new age by Christ by the power of the Spirit. Paul’s eschatology is Christ-centered. It began with the death and resurrection of Christ, it has come, he is ruling the new realm now, and it will be fulfilled when he comes as Judge. If union with Christ is the webbing connecting Paul’s key theological commitments, here “eschatology is the frame of the web” (453). Every theologically significant event takes place within Paul’s “two-ages” schema. It is all-pervasive. I think this is a wonderful book. Highly recommended.
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Evangelical Theology: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction
by
Michael F. Bird
SpoiledMilks
, November 12, 2021
(Read the full review on my blog SpoiledMilks, 9/24/21) Michael Bird updated this volume as “a continued defense and thoughtful explication of what it means to be an evangelical Christian."Bird's purpose for this evangelical theology is to show how the gospel works out in different parts of Christian theology applied to our daily lives. Bird writes, "The gospel is the glue between doctrine, experience, mission, and practice." heology gospelizes. It makes "the gospel shape our thinking, praying, preaching, teaching, and ministering in relation to God so that we increasingly participate in the life and mission of God." Bird’s volume is both bolstered by good biblical, systematic, and historical theology and is easy to read. Wayne Grude’s ST is backed by a lot of biblical texts and theology, but he’s not as strong on historical exegesis as Bird, meaning Bird’s conclusions receive more support from historical exegesis than Grudem’s. Where Bird and Grudem diverge, I usually go with Bird. Highly recommended.
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How To Preach & Teach The Old Testament For All Its Worth
by
Christopher J H Wright
SpoiledMilks
, November 12, 2021
(Read the full review on my blog SpoiledMilks, 9/25/21) The OT was Jesus’ Bible. It’s where he saw himself as God’s Son, and where we learn about the background to Jesus as our Savior.The Old Testament gives us the long story and far-reaching promise of God. Wright condenses the Bible into a drama with six acts/stages. Preachers always need to be looking forward and thinking about where the journey leads us. But when we arrive at the Gospels, we can’t simply forget about our journey. Show your congregation the links to Jesus and the gospel (chap 5). He offers good examples how to look at the different horizons of the text. Wright offers many excellent questions throughout his book, ones you should be asking yourself to dig deeper into the text, or questions you want your congregation to ask as you direct them to Christ. If you are a preacher or a teacher, please pick up this book. It will surely help you to ask more questions of the text, to understand God better, and to preach the gospel more clearly. This is a fantastic resource by someone who really knows the Old Testament. Highly recommended.
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James Verse by Verse
by
Grant R. Osborne
SpoiledMilks
, September 20, 2019
You can read my fuller review at Spoiled Milks (9/20/19). This volume is easy to read and understand. Though written by an academic, this series is not ‘academic.’ Osborne always offers his own interpretation of any passage, and when he does present other views, he represents them carefully with grace. The central theme of James’ letter is “ethical faithfulness to God” (16). Although James only mentions Jesus twice, some think there are “as many as fifty or sixty explicit and implicit allusions” to the sayings of Jesus. What better way to honor Jesus than to put his teachings into practice! You virtually meet him on every line. Are James and Paul at odds with each other? Osborne believes James wrote his letter during the 40s AD before Paul’s missionary travels began, so before Paul’s debate with legalistic Judaizers had even begun. Instead, James “is developing his own theology of the relation between the Mosaic law and Christian freedom and grace” (6). Osborne provides his own outline of James, believing James wrote his letter in a logical series of triads. (Examples of Osborne’s interpretations can be found at my blog). Pastors, teachers, and laypeople will be pleased with Osborne’s commentary. Osborne wants to lead his readers to a knowledge of Christ that expresses itself in joy, awe, and obedience in all matters of life. Osborne will be a great conversation partner for most who want to study James.
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Pressure Points: A Guide to Navigating Student Stress
by
Shelby Abbott
SpoiledMilks
, September 19, 2019
You can read my fuller review at Spoiled Milks (7/12/19). Shelby Abbott has worked in student ministry for almost twenty years, and he has been around students and in their lives long enough to spot their pressure points. What do most high school and college students find challenging about life? There are many decisions that need to be made in this very short period of life. “Your decisions… will shape your future reality, making college time potentially the most stressful of pressure cookers” (2). Abbott divides his book into three sections dealing with areas life places the most pressure: our finding purpose, our relationships, and other difficulties. Abbott answers questions about whether God likes us, how to discover our life’s direction and God’s will, and how to handle the void. The student should ask “How does my life fit into God’s will?” We live in God’s world, and he is doing something larger than what goes on in your life. In part three, Abbott looks at other difficulties in life, how to work through them, and how they shape us. There are four chapters, and he first writes about how challenges shape our character. Give this to your son or daughter as they enter high school or go off to college. Give this to students in your youth group or at your church. Their life probably feels like a pressure cooker right now, and this book will help let off some of the steam for them and point them to Jesus who holds them in his hands.
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Discovering the New Testament: An Introduction to Its Background, Theology, and Themes (Volume I: The Gospels and Acts)
by
Mark J. Keown
SpoiledMilks
, June 28, 2019
Read my full review on my blog Spoiled Milks (1/16/19). For Keown, the "center of the Biblical narrative, God's story of salvation, is Christ" (1). He writes, "The letters of the New Testament [as well as the Old] then must be read in light of Christ, always pointing us to Christ and what he means for us, for the church, for life, and for everything!" (1). After briefly looking at the formation of the NT, Keown spends two chapters on the Jewish and Greco-Roman context of the NT, looking at the life and writings of those cultures. Understanding these backgrounds is very beneficial to understanding the NT. Keown gives 190 pages to the four Gospels and Acts and looks at the questions of authorship, date, provenance, setting, audience, structure, context, purpose, etc. He then looks at the different emphases in each Gospel and in Acts. Each chapter is packed with information, and should lead you to begin marking up your Bible so that as you read through these books in the future you can remember and make new connections. The final three chapters center on the kingdom of God. The first covers what the kingdom of God is, then the power of the kingdom (seen in Jesus' miracles), and then the teaching of the kingdom (seen in Jesus' parables). The kingdom of God "is found where the people of God are and [where?] the work of God by his Spirit [is?] across all of creation" (457). The church is not the kingdom, but represents it. Yes. Keown has written a fantastic NT introduction, and it's only the first volume. I expect as much quality in the next two volumes as found here. Great for those in college, Bible college, and seminary.
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Jesus Wins: The Good News of the End Times
by
Dayton Hartman
SpoiledMilks
, June 28, 2019
Read my full review on my blog Spoiled Milks (1/29/19). With two appendices, the book reaches to 78 pages. It could be read in one sitting (or five with kids). Trevin Wax writes the foreword and reminds us that the book of Revelation reveals Jesus, not "the specifics of a worldwide calamity reserved for the future" (xiii). It is to spur us to faithfulness because we know what the future holds: Jesus wins. Hartman gives us five chapters on the end times, constantly reminding us of the one truth that Jesus wins. He is reigning and he will return for our rescue. Eschatology is not supposed to scare us and give us the goosebumps as we speculate about the newest conspiracy. As Hartman writes, "Speculation deemphasizes Jesus and leads to fear" (8). He shows that in both the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed were united in the hope of Christ's return. Hartman even has a chapter which simply describes the different end time views. Though they have their differences, they all (the ones he writes about, that is) agree on Christ's return. We are headed for a new global Eden where, like Adam and Eve, we will live with and work alongside God, only now as redeemed citizens of Christ's kingdom. The daily news is pessimistic. Fearful stories grip us, but they can leave us anxious and apprehensive. We should have confidence in Christ's return because he will bring justice. He will set things in order as they should be, and he will rule over all in righteousness and justice. This is a good, short-and-simple book on how our eschatological focus should be Jesus and the fact that he wins. Jesus wins. Too many Christians make secondary matters (our end times views) more important than the gospel, or they make them so important that their views water out the gospel. Rather than disagreeing on small details, we can all agree on the fact that our hope is in Christ, who rules over all, and who will come and rescue us. Jesus wins. This would be a good book for the layperson to begin reading in their pursuit of understanding the end times.
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Angels What the Bible Really Says about Gods Heavenly Host
by
Michael S Heiser
SpoiledMilks
, January 03, 2019
See my full review at Spoiledmilks (1/3/19) Yes, we need another book on angels, one centered on the biblical text by someone who studies the entire Bible, knows the biblical languages, and understands how ideas of spiritual beings have changed from the Old Testament to the New. Introduction In the introduction, Heiser poses a question: why would we need to know this information? Why bother? Heiser answers, saying, “A life well lived extends from wisdom. Biblical wisdom involves not only practical, principled, decision-making skills but eternal perspective. Eternal perspective requires understanding what makes God tick. That’s only discoverable with a firm grasp of who God is, what he’s done, why he’s done it, what else he intends to do, and why he doesn’t want to do it alone” (xiv-xv). He continues, “God’s supernatural family is a theological template for understanding God’s relationship to his human family of believers—and our greater importance compared to them. Learning what the Bible says about angels ultimately is tied to thinking well about how God thinks about us” (xv). God’s heavenly host (or here, “angels,” because it’s easier) image him through representation. God’s human family also image him by representing him. Heiser says, “We image God by doing what he would do, when he would do it, and with the motivation he would have for doing it” (xvi). God wants to reside with his human family, and so Jesus, in order to save us so that we could be in his presence, “was made lower than the angels” in order to help “the offspring of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:9, 16). Christians are God’s children who will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3) and who will rule the nations (Rev 3:21). “Knowledge of God’s heavenly host helps us to think more clearly about our status, our purpose, and our destiny” (xiv). Recommended? Certainly, there is some overlap with Heiser’s The Unseen Realm, but there is much that is new here. There is little to complain about, only that I wish it were longer. I should warn some of you that this is an academic book. Footnotes and block quotes are numerous throughout the book. Should that be off-putting to anyone wanting to learn more about angels? I sure hope not. We live in an age where guys like Bill Maher associate Christianity with anti-intellectualism. Clearly, he has never picked up a commentary or read a dissertation by Christians. There is much more going on in the Bible with spiritual beings than we realize, and most books will either be too difficult to understand or they will teach you nothing about the Bible (so a waste of time). While two chapters probably won’t interesting to many laypeople (i.e., those on the intertestamental period—though academics should look there), the rest of the book is great and fills a gap for both the layperson and the academic. Looking for his upcoming book on demons. I received this book from Lexham Press with no requirement for a positive review.
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Romans
by
Thomas R. Schreiner
SpoiledMilks
, January 03, 2019
Read my fuller review at Spoiledmilks (11/23/18) Schreiner’s commentary is attuned to understanding Paul’s flow of thought, which is very important to understand anything Paul says in any of his letters. No verse is an island, and each reflects an aspect of Paul’s theology throughout the full letter. Schreiner has changed his view on a few key issues (Rom 1:16–17; 2:14–16; 5:12; 7:7–21) But, besides these, Schreiner has changed his interpretations on much smaller points too (see my blog for a fuller discussion). Schreiner once understood “law” in Romans 7.21 and 23 to refer to the Mosaic law (376), but he now understands it to mean something akin to “principle” (375). Many of these nuances abound in his volume. Schreiner’s bibliography has been revamped and has been updated to 2016, with the exception of Timmins’ work (2017), Peterson’s Romans commentary (2017), and Thielman’s forthcoming Romans commentary (2018). Even his footnotes have been updated, even if not completely changed. The Spoiled Milk? Due to his brevity (or my own ineptitude) I don't understand some of Schreiner's arguments: God's righteousness is to be understood only forensically; Romans 2.15 and how the gentiles here are two different groups (believing and non-). But those are minor issues. The text as a whole is very readable. Recommended? Scholars will want to pick this up for Schreiner’s changed positions, his updated nuances, and the additional bibliographic entries. If you have Edition 1, sell the first and buy the second. Schreiner's volume is perfect for examining the flow of thought along with other interpretive and exegetical matters. But for all that allotted space, other matters must be left for other commentators. I may not be given the details of a particular word, but I at least understand how it is used in Paul's flow of thought. Schreiner has published a plethora of works since his first edition, and as a result he has sharpened his thinking on numerous matters. This comes highly recommended. I received this book from Baker Academic with no requirement of a positive review.
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Honoring the Son Jesus in Earliest Christian Devotional Practice
by
L W Hurtado, Michael F Bird
SpoiledMilks
, September 24, 2018
Full review at SpoiledMilks (9/21/18) After a Foreword by David Capes, Hurtado’s Introduction previews the plan of his book and then briefly reviews 20th century scholarship on how Jesus received cultic (“religious”) devotion. In brief, chapter 2 covers worship in the ancient world. Worship was “the heart of Roman-era religion” (21). They viewed gods as the guardians of homes, towns, nations, and the Roman Empire. To refuse to honor gods “might provoke them to retaliate, or at least to take offense” (22). Chapter 3 looks at ancient Jewish monotheism. All people honored each others gods… except for the Jews. It’s not that they didn’t think there weren’t other gods or spiritual beings, but they worshiped only one God, Yahweh. Chapter 4 brings us to the early Christian “mutation.” Jews died for their belief that they worshiped one God alone. How did Jewish Christians come to incorporate Jesus into their devotional practices? Paul regularly refers to Jesus as “Lord” (examples are given) Chapter 5: Jesus in Earliest Christian Devotional Practice presents the different ways in which Jesus was worshiped, honored, and revered not as a second god, nor at God’s expense, but with God as a recipient. All feature the uniqueness of Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, in the New Testament time. Honoring the Son ends with a Conclusion and an Appendix against Bart Ehrman’s ideas in his How Jesus Became God. Thoughts This is a great resource and an excellent distillation of Hurtado’s previous books. Every chapter was good, and it was especially helpful to have the brief overview of Greco-Roman thought when it came to religious worship. The Jews stood in stark contrast to them, with many being mocked and martyred for their beliefs. For Paul, the other NT authors, and the early churches to view Jesus so highly would be in stark contrast to the Jewish way of life, while still fitting with the Old Testament! The historical context Hurtado presents gives even greater meaning to those of us Christians today who just assume that it was obvious Jesus was divine so there shouldn’t have been a problem worshiping him. As Paul hows from the OT Scriptures, Jesus was closely associated with Yahweh, having received the “name above all names” (see the above references). Hurtado once described this new devotional pattern (worshiping God the Father and the Son) as “binitarian.” He now describes this Christian development as “dyadic,” but he doesn’t explain what a dyad is. According to Wikipedia, “In sociology, a dyad is a group of two people, the smallest possible social group. As an adjective, ‘dyadic’ describes their interaction.” I do hope many pastors and teachers will pick this up to show the historical significance of Jewish Christians worshiping Jesus and calling on his name to be saved. Hurtado’s book helps to affirm the divine position of the Son of God. I hope this book will be read widely.
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The Divine Christ: Paul, the Lord Jesus, and the Scriptures of Israel
by
David B. Capes
SpoiledMilks
, September 24, 2018
You can read my full review at SpoiledMilks (5/9/18). How did a Jewish, middle class, Israelite man who was beaten, flogged, stripped, and nailed to a cross become to be believed and associated with the almighty God of Israel? In his book The Divine Christ, David Capes examines Paul’s texts and argues both historically and theologically that Jesus was believed to be divine early on in the history of Christianity. In the first chapter Capes surveys the Hebrew and Greek words behind our English Bibles translate as “lord,” “Lord,” and “LORD.” After knocking down the arguments of an early 20th century scholar in chapter two, in chapter three Capes examines Paul’s writings where he refers to Jesus as kyrios. He uses it in four ways: for those who hold authority over others, for other gods and deities, and for the one God of Israel. The fourth way, the majority of Paul uses, refer to Jesus Christ. At the resurrection, Jesus received God’s unique covenant name (YHWH). In chapters four and five, Capes notes that Paul unambiguously quotes thirteen OT texts which use the divine name Yahweh. About half of Paul’s uses refer to the Father, with the others referring to Christ. Even his allusions to Yahweh texts refer to Christ. Capes helps the reader delineate between texts which refer to God or Christ—Yahweh texts are reserved for God “primarily in theocentric passages such as Rom. 9–11” (149). When Paul wants the reader to understand that the Father is in view, he clearly states it in the context or in an introductory formula. Paul uses kyrios to refer to Jesus in a pretty straightforward way, possibly because references to Jesus as kyrios make up most of Paul’s uses. Paul has a pattern of associated Jesus with God, Jesus is the only one associated with God, he has received the divine name from God, Paul quotes and alludes to OT Yahweh texts and uses some of them to refer to Jesus, and Jesus was a real, historical figure who was a contemporary to Paul. He was not a legendary person of old (like Melchizedek). And so, a high Christology can be traced back to the beginning of the Christian movement. Recommended?: Though this review is brief, Capes offers a good synopsis of Paul’s use of the Yahweh texts. Especially in chapters 3-5. He gives enough information for some to be satisfied and to pique the interest of others to go searching for more. The divinity of Christ will be debated with each new generation, and Capes provides a way for us to understand the apostles' thinking, particularly Paul's. Some will be disinterested in the first two chapters, but they lay an important historical foundation for the need for this study. Capes' book could be read in tandem with Gordon Fee’s Pauline Christology (see his more accessible work, Jesus the Lord according to Paul the Apostle), and anything by Larry Hurtado, especially his upcoming Honoring the Son.
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Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith
by
Michael Reeves
SpoiledMilks
, September 24, 2018
You can read the (much) fuller review on SpoiledMilks (8/9/13) Why is God love? Because God is a Trinity. Why can we be saved? Because God is a Trinity. How are we able to live the Christian life? Through the Trinity. In Reeves's book he brings us an introduction to Christianity and our daily living that is rooted in the triune God who we worship, Father, Son, and Spirit. Through the Trinity we understand the person and work of Christ, along with prayer, the church, and every aspect of our faith. His book isn't a point-by-point basis of 'who/what' the Trinity is, but why Christians should rejoice in the Trinity. We can have comfort and joy in knowing that our triune God is beyond comparison with any other god made up by man. Why does it matter if we have a Trinity or not? How does what I know about the Trinity affect my daily living? The Father, overflowing in love, created us and sent His Son to die and share in what He has so that we could be co-inheritors with Christ and be reunited with God who then gives us even more. This book is about the love of the Trinity for mankind and how it is so unexpected, undeserved, unmerited, and how God continues to show His mercy on us even still. The Chocolate Milk: • He says that the Trinity isn't an oddity, but many of the images people use to describe God (eggs, water, a shamrock, even bacon) make the Trinity seem anything but 'normal.' Reeves then goes on to show how we can begin to view the Trinity as something normal. • At 121 pages, it is a short and simple read. • It's a deep read: Simple doesn't equal childish. This book is not about being able to spit out facts on the omniscience of the Holy Spirit and how the hypostatic union of Christ works. It's about a true relationship, and the more we see how much God loves us, the more we want to be enveloped in that love and spend time with Him and live in a way that pleases Him. Not all gods are the same. Not all religions are the same. Not all beliefs are the same. And to disagree with Oprah, my God, the Christian God, is a jealous God because He is so loving. I have no qualms with this book. Recommended?: Exceedingly so. Too often we hear the word "Trinity," sigh, roll our eyes, and don't even bother because God is 'too big and unknowable' that we might as well not even try. The doctrine of the Trinity is a huge concept, and you won't understand everything about the Trinity after this book. But you will understand and appreciate the Trinity much more. This book isn't salvation, but you'll look differently at God and all He has done. + Who would benefit from this book? Every Christian who hasn’t read much or thought much about the Trinity.
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Radical Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
by
David Platt
SpoiledMilks
, September 24, 2018
You can read the (much) fuller review on SpoiledMilks (8/1/13) The Chocolate Milk: Platt actually doesn't tell you the reader to downsize their house, their car, their income, go move to the inner city, etc. He gives examples of some in his church and others who he knows who have done so to remove themselves from the "American dream" and to spread the gospel to those they wouldn't normally reach. Platt helpfully points the reader away from the American dream and directs them to send help (financial/physical) to the lost in America and in the world. Salvation means there should be a life-style change (pp. 38-39). Making money isn't wrong, but there's more to life than spending it all on our wants and desires, but there are others who really need it (2 Cor 8:9). It's not a "Social Gospel" of merely meeting all physical needs, but showing love by sacrifice. Platt doesn't tell us to put legalistic pressures on ourselves or others. We should ask ourselves and pray about how much we should keep and how much we should give. Be neither the slacker nor the hoarder. The Spoiled Milk: My biggest peeve with the book is one theme implied throughout the whole book:dichotomy. Platt makes a distinction between Christians who live "radically" and those who don't. What's an ordinary Christian to do? What is a busy, single parent to do? There are things they can do, but nothing as ‘radical’ as what Platt suggests? What do you do? You live. Acts 17:28a: "for in Him we live and move and have our being” (see 1 Cor 10.31). He seems to assume his audience is wholly made up of money-hungry, American Christians who don’t like to share their money (even if that’s very true). What is really radical? Loving your spouse. Raising your kids to love God and being the godly example for them. Representing God well to the world. Read your Bible, study your Bible, and pray. Love the world. + Also, this book was boring. Recommended?: No.
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Supernatural
by
Michael S Heiser
SpoiledMilks
, September 24, 2018
You can read the (much) fuller review on SpoiledMilks (5/8/16) Released at the same time as his larger, more academic work The Unseen Realm, Heiser made sure that Supernatural would be specifically intended for "the person in the pew" (10). The question for is: Do you really believe what the Bible says? Do you really believe that God meets with a group of spirit beings to decide what happens on earth (1 Kgs 22.19-23)? Do you really believe that God sent a bunch of angels to an underground prison (Jude 1.6)? Have you ever realized these scenarios take place within our Bible? Heiser sets out to blow off our modern day lenses so we can see that there is more to the supernatural world than what we think. Summary: God has a divine council, a family, sons of God, and at a certain time a certain amount of this council rebelled. God had created his own family on earth, but then that family, Adam and Eve, also rebelled. God gave them a promise of redemption. In Deuteronomy 32, we find out that when God separated those at the Tower of Babel, he placed them under the other gods of the council (but he called out Abraham to be Yahweh's nation). Psalm 82 reveals that these gods rebelled and rule unjustly over the nations. Yahweh places his name on his angel, his physical representative, the seeds of what we know as the Trinity. Israel failed as a nation, being subjugated to foreign enemies. Yahweh himself would have to come to earth, in the flesh, to accomplish his plan. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, the cloud rider of Daniel 7, dies, rises again, and ascends to heaven. He pours out his Spirit onto his people, and a great reversal happens. Many of Genesis 10's Table of Nations are mentioned as being in Jerusalem at Pentecost. Many Jews heard God's word and were saved! After repentance comes baptism, the declaration that one follows the resurrected Lord - and not the other gods (Deut 4.19). Those who put their trust in God and are loyal to him, are now sons of God through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Christians in the new heavens and earth will "rule over angels" (1 Cor 6.3). We will live in the eternal Eden, and we will not face the second death. We will have eternal life as sons (and daughters) of God in the presence of the Trinity (see Rev 3.20-21). At the end of each chapter Heiser places a Why This Matters section which condenses Heiser's main points, especially in the Why This Matters section. Why does learning about sacred space matter? Because while we no longer have tabernacles or temples, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Why Does This Matter?: The more we know about God, the more we can see his eternal perspective of things. That shapes how Christians should live.
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To Live Is Christ to Die Is Gain
by
Matt Chandler
SpoiledMilks
, September 19, 2018
You can read the (much) fuller review on SpoiledMilks (8/4/13) Chandler wrote this book "to invite readers into authentic Christian maturity,” and looks at some of Paul's themes in Philippians, a letter written to help grow one to maturity, unity, and contentment in Christ The Chocolate Milk The book really began opening up on chapter 4. Ch 4 is about showing humility to a world that wants to show off. Yet do we follow God for a nice earthly mansion, or because of who He is and what He's done? The life of humility is based on the cross of Christ. Chandler advocates for being content in Christ and discontent in our imperfect selves. Strive for perfection to get stronger in our weaknesses (prayer, studying, evangelism, serving, etc), knowing God will use us despite our weaknesses. Chandler's book is theologically sound. His points and arguments come from Scripture, his examples are interesting and to the point, and he's level-headed with common sense. The Spoiled Milk A mere few times Chandler doesn’t explain the cultural context which would help with the application. In Ch 5, Chandler says the dogs from Philippians 3 are those who say, "I'm not as bad as I was when I was in college. I'm not as bad as I was when I first got married. I'm not as bad as you" (53). They want to think and say those things for their superior spiritual/moral goodness. It would have been more helpful for Chandler to have said who the dogs were and then applied it to the reader's life. Instead, he mentions the dogs and then jumps to applying it to the reader's life. The "dogs" are a bunch of pro-foreskin-cutting Judaizers. How does this relate to me? They think circumcision is met with God's approval. Now I can relate them with the "I'm not as bad as I was when..." mentality. This book would be geared more toward any member of the church, especially youth and college age. It can be hard to find his main point, but there are plenty of good tidbits and ideas.
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Jesus Is Find a New Way to Be Human
by
Judah Smith
SpoiledMilks
, September 19, 2018
You can read the (much) fuller review on SpoiledMilks (7/24/13) The idea of the book is discovering out who Jesus is. It's not an in-depth, scholarly study of the real Jesus. This is not a continuation of the third quest for the historical Jesus. The question asked in this book is "Jesus is ______? How would you finish that sentence?" There are 6 major sections. Judah intends to point us to a Jesus who is in love with us and wants to be with us just like He was with men and women in the Scriptures. He attempts to help give us the opportunity to drown out the lies that we've heard and get down to the basics of who Jesus really is and what He did for us. CHOCOLATE MILK Judah has a pretty engaging style. and I'm sure that's why most people like him. Judah believes the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit. I was actually impressed with how he took the parable of the prodigal son in Chapter 4: Embrace Grace. I haven't "studied" that parable myself (aside from hearing it in sermons and reading it myself), so things he said (that were right there i the text) just opened my eyes to the difference it had on the people Jesus was talking to. It was simple, but I enjoyed it. We don't need to spend every day in the slums of life, but it should lead us to stop and think about how we treat other people who we see as 'dirty and dingy.' They're still people and God still loves them too. Every one of us are dead in our sins without Jesus Christ (Eph 2). SPOILED MILK Smith uses Scripture to support his message, but the pop culture references were too much and he gets wordy. "[Jesus] came down to their level because they could never rise to his. He wasn't out to prove how good he was or how bad they were. He just wanted to offer them hope" (22). When reading the whole book you can see Judah talk about the gospel. However, Jesus was out to prove how good He was and how bad others were. He is the standard bar none. No one would follow the Messiah if He wasn't perfect, or if they thought they could get to God themselves. Everyone needed to see how perfect Jesus was, how filthy they were, and how much He loved them. The good news is that we are filthy, yet God still loves us and took the initiative to make a way for us (Eph 2:10). Some of Smith's stories drag on for pages at a time, some analogies barely work, and others don't work. Recommended? Maybe. Smith never tells us to live how we want, but to live in a way that pleases God. This is a book for anyone dealing with legalism or earning their salvation, new Christians, and youth group/high school age.
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Philippians Verse by Verse
by
Grant R. Osborne
SpoiledMilks
, September 19, 2018
You can read my full review on SpoiledMilks (9/8/18). Grant Osborne is doing pastors and teachers a big favor with his commentary series. Clocking in right at 200 pages, Osborne’s commentary on Philippians is easy to read and understand. Though written by an academic, this series is not ‘academic.’ It is not filled with terms from another language, the reader does not have to choke on reading about source-, form-, or redactional criticism, nor does the reader need to know what every other scholar thinks about a passage. Osborne does spend some time, albeit little, on what others think about specific passages in Philippians, but he always offers his own interpretation of any passage. He represents other views carefully with grace. Osborne understands the apostle Paul to be the author of Philippians, which could have been written probably in the early 60s AD during Paul’s Roman trial and imprisonment. Osborne takes the genre of Philippians to be both a single “letter of friendship” and a “word of exhortation.” He believes there are four groups of opponents confronting the church. Osborne gives three-and-a-half pages on the theology of the letter. All focused on Christ, he presents the doctrine, the gospel, the church, and the return of Christ. The commentary ends with a two-page glossary in the back and a two-page bibliography...... Recommended? Pastors and teachers will be pleased with Osborne’s commentary. Osborne wants to lead his readers to a knowledge of Christ that expresses itself in joy, awe, and obedience in all matters of life. Osborne is faithful to Scripture, and I would highly recommend anyone who wants to study the Bible to pick up any of Osborne’s commentaries: laypersons, pastors, and teachers. Osborne will be a great conversation partner for most who want to study the New Testament.
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1 Corinthians
by
Paul D. Gardner
SpoiledMilks
, August 25, 2018
My fuller review can be read at Spoiled Milks (8/25/18). Paul Gardner has written the newest volume in the ZECNT series on 1 Corinthians, a book that always requires a massive undertaking to study, teach, and exegete. Beyond the usual introductory items of authorship, date, provenance, Gardner provides helpful insights into the Corinthian pervasively religious lifestyle. Also, Gardner says the “main underlying issue that Paul addresses concerns the possession of wisdom and knowledge…. [T]he Corinthians regarded these as spiritual gifts and gave them a significance that caused spiritual arrogance among some” (36). As a result, “Paul’s response is to return to the humbling centrality of the gospel message in which Christ is preached as the crucified Lord” (36). Commentary Set-Up The highlight for many pastors and teachers, the Theology in Application section discusses how a particular section contributes to the overall theology of the book and provides some suggestions for application to the church. It will be incredibly helpful to the pastor/teacher in drawing out the text’s implications for the Christian community founded on solid exegesis. For example, In 15.20–28, Jesus is the conquering King who saves us from death, the great enemy of all people from the very beginning (at least since the third chapter). Paul writes of “Christ” (Messiah) four times, and this Christ represents his people who belong to him by being in him and are in his kingdom. He is currently destroying all powers and authorities, and he will destroy death itself. Thus, sin cannot be treated lightly. It must be preached so that Christ’s saving power over broken relationships, death, diseases, and corruption can be longed for. Recommended? There are an overwhelming amount of 1 Corinthian commentaries one could buy. There is no ‘right’ commentary. Excellent commentaries have been written by Fee, Garland, Hays, Blomberg, Ciampa/Rosner, Thiselton, with most of these (especially Ciampa/Rosner) being pretty long. Gardner has provided one that is worthy of purchase and could be paired with Schreiner's upcoming volume in the TNTC series, which is shorter than most of the above. Gardner provides explanations, the main points, flow of thought, and a commentary that abounds with application sections. Gardner is to be commended and his volume recommended. His volume is an excellent addition to the ZECNT series. Disclosure: I received this book free from Zondervan. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary
by
Jonathan T. Pennington
SpoiledMilks
, August 06, 2018
You can read my full review on my blog, Spoiled Milks (2/12/18). Jonathan Pennington has written “a historical, literary, and theological exposition of the Sermon on the Mount” (1). He situates the Sermon “in the dual context of Jewish wisdom literature and the Greco-Roman virtue tradition, both of which are concerned with the great theological and existential question of human flourishing” (1). It is laid out in three parts with his own translation and an introduction providing an overall reading strategy for the Sermon. Jesus, the true king and embodiment of God’s Law, “is the epitome of wisdom and virtue” (15). Pennington defines what he means by flourishing: “True human flourishing is only available through communion with the Father God through his revealed Son, Jesus, as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. This flourishing is only experienced through faithful, heart-deep, whole-person discipleship, following Jesus’ teachings and life, which situate the disciple into God’s community or kingdom” (14). Recommended? No section of Scripture has been written about more than Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. “The Sermon, standing as it does as the first teaching of the new-covenant documents, likewise reveals much about how one understands several issues of theology and Christian practice” (3). Jesus teaches his new-covenant members—then and now—how to flourish and live virtuously in a covenantal relationship with their Father, the God of the universe. Anyone studying the Sermon on the Mount would be at a loss without Pennington’s book. Pennington has spent fifteen years in Matthew, and one sees the depth of his research in his insights, explanations, and footnotes. Pennington has an eye for Matthew’s literary techniques such as structuring, inclusios, and word plays. He also brings out how Jesus’ instructions show us how to live virtuously as new covenant members. Pennington’s book is a must-have.
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The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary
by
Jonathan T. Pennington
SpoiledMilks
, August 06, 2018
You can read my full review on my blog, Spoiled Milks (2/12/18). Jonathan Pennington has written “a historical, literary, and theological exposition of the Sermon on the Mount” (1). He situates the Sermon “in the dual context of Jewish wisdom literature and the Greco-Roman virtue tradition, both of which are concerned with the great theological and existential question of human flourishing” (1). It is laid out in three parts with his own translation and an introduction providing an overall reading strategy for the Sermon. Jesus, the true king and embodiment of God’s Law, “is the epitome of wisdom and virtue” (15). Pennington defines what he means by flourishing: “True human flourishing is only available through communion with the Father God through his revealed Son, Jesus, as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. This flourishing is only experienced through faithful, heart-deep, whole-person discipleship, following Jesus’ teachings and life, which situate the disciple into God’s community or kingdom” (14). Recommended? No section of Scripture has been written about more than Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. “The Sermon, standing as it does as the first teaching of the new-covenant documents, likewise reveals much about how one understands several issues of theology and Christian practice” (3). Jesus teaches his new-covenant members—then and now—how to flourish and live virtuously in a covenantal relationship with their Father, the God of the universe. Anyone studying the Sermon on the Mount would be at a loss without Pennington’s book. Pennington has spent fifteen years in Matthew, and one sees the depth of his research in his insights, explanations, and footnotes. Pennington has an eye for Matthew’s literary techniques such as structuring, inclusios, and word plays. He also brings out how Jesus’ instructions show us how to live virtuously as new covenant members. Pennington’s book is a must-have.
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Echoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif
by
Bryan D. Estelle
SpoiledMilks
, August 06, 2018
You can read my full review at SpoiledMilks (4/27/18). Bryan Estelle provides a book on intertextuality on how the whole Bible develops a major theme: the exodus. Estelle *traces* this biblical motif throughout the Bible (remember that when you read this). He doesn't spend much time exegeting passages or drawing out how each line looks back on an exodus event. Rather, he looks at a passage and states how it broadly uses or reinterprets an idea from the exodus. After a technical (but important) chapter on intertextuality, allusions, and echoes (see also the book's appendix), Estelle moves on to the exodus motif. The exodus was when Yahweh delivered his people from the grip of Egypt. He brings his people to the cosmic mountain, the mountain of his presence, Mt. Sinai, gives Israel his instructions and has them build a tabernacle where he will dwell among them- just as he dwelt among Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Estelle defines the exodus motif in this way: "both the deliverance from the enemies of Israel in Egypt and the wilderness wanderings as described in the Sinai pilgrimage, which culminate in the arrival at the foot of the mountain of God" (102). Estelle then takes his readers through the Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Ezra and Nehemiah, Mark and Matthew, Luke and Acts, Paul, 1 Peter, and Revelation. Often throughout the Old Testament texts Estelle includes his own translation, often including Hebrew transliterations of key words that allude to the exodus. Estelle wants his readers to feel confident when they read their Bibles to be able to 'hear' the Bible's own allusions to different events, specifically the exodus, even if they don't know the biblical languages themselves. Recommended? One upside to the book is also a downside. Tracing a theme throughout the whole of Scripture means that each section/allusion gets a short shrift. But for those who are new to the Bible's own intertextuality and the theme of the exodus, this would be a great book to get. To know who to recommend this to is iffy though. If you have Carson and Beale's Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, if you've read Beale's Revelation commentary, anything by Richard Hays, or Rikk Watts, then some (or all) of this won't be new. But if you're brand new to this, then pick up this book and see one of the Bible's greatest themes and how it runs from the beginning of the Bible through our salvation and up to the new creation. Disclosure: I received this book free from IVP Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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Commentary on Romans
by
David G. Peterson
SpoiledMilks
, August 06, 2018
You can read my full review at my SpoiledMilks blog (7/27/18).......... In a world of Romans commentaries, why buy one more? Or if you don’t have any, why buy this one? The Biblical Theology for Christian Proclamation series focuses on discussing the themes of each biblical book and how it fits into the whole canon for Christian proclamation. This series doesn’t aim at producing dense, academic works, but rather to present Biblical theology to the lives of all of Christ’s body. Peterson’s introduction is pretty short. He agrees with many of the conservative, consensus views, although here he takes a new approach to the structure of Romans. He believes Paul alternates between confirming the gospel and defending the gospel against Jewish objections. He presents the book of Romans as one long recursion (or chiasm), however I did not understand his recursive structure (see p. 18),andPeterson offers almost 50 pages on the biblical and theological themes of Romans.Peterson helpfully explains the logic of Paul’s arguments, how the verbal forms of Greek explain Paul’s thinking, and how that helps the pastor understand Paul’s theology. Each new section begins with a brief summary of that section, the particular text from Romans, a section on the surrounding context, and the structure of the section. Peterson then goes verse by verse and sketches out Paul’s teaching.The BTCP series succeeds here where others series fail. All of this helps to situate the reader into the text and to orient him (or her) to his surroundings. Rather than having to read the previous ten pages to get a grip on the argument, the reader is quickly brought up to speed with each new section.I would certainly recommend Peterson’s commentary to any teacher, paster, student, Bible study leader, etc. Having a commentary from the deep well of a biblical scholar that is easily accessible is uncommon, but it is a pleasure to read. It would serve you well to pick up anything by Peterson. Disclosure: I received this book free from B&H Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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Righteous by Promise: A Biblical Theology of Circumcision Volume 45
by
Karl Deenick
SpoiledMilks
, June 29, 2018
My review can be found on SpoiledMilks (6/25/18) This book doesn't deal only with the topic of circumcision in the Bible, but "two [other] facets on which this book focuses are the key biblical concepts of faith and righteousness." The reason for this is seen in Paul's statement about Abraham in Romans 4.11 that he "received the sign of circumcision of the seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised." Paul believed that circumcision meant something to Abraham about righteousness and faith. But how? Why circumcision? And scholars are in disagreement as to what the circumcision-righteousness-faith complex symbolizes. The OT authors look forward to a day when God's people will be spiritually circumcised and will love and obey God with all their heart (6). Deenick does not consider every biblical reference to circumcision but only those which help demonstrate how righteousness and faith are woven together with circumcision. In chapter two he shows how righteousness and blamelessness are "both a present status but also a future promise that is appropriated by humble trust in God's promise to Abraham of a blameless 'seed'" (211). This is seen in Genesis 15 and 17. Abraham is reckoned as righteous because he believed Yahweh's word (15.6) and then God called Abraham to walk blamelessly (17.1) before in a unique relationship. After examining these truths and the 'singular' seed in Genesis, Deenick looks at how the sign of circumcision developed throughout the OT: Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 10 and 30, and Joshua 5 (chapter three). Deenick then observes how the NT authors picked up the metaphors of 'walking' and 'being blameless' (chapter four). Deenick ends the chapter looking at contested passages in Philippians 3, Colossians 2, and Ephesians 2. Chapters five and six cover Romans 2-4 and Galatians. Faith in God's promised seed, Jesus, humility, and repentance over sin are what matter. For Christians, as Deenick points out, the imputation of christ's righteousness teaches us that "it is not enough to be 'not guilty': we must also be reckoned to be perfectly obedient and holy" (213). Abraham's circumcision was a seal that he was humble and righteous by faith. The continuing acts of circumcision pointed God's people to the future seed who would fulfill God's promises to Abraham. It meant nothing to follow God's law while rejecting his promise of a future seed. Instead, believing the promise meant fulfilling God's law as your trust was in the future seed who would make you blameless. Christians don't need to follow circumcision for we are circumcised in Christ. The flesh has been put off, and we are baptized in him. We have died and are raised with him. Recommended? I hope Deenick's book will be read widely by students, teachers, and the scholarly community. While it is not written for the layman, teachers and pastors who pick this up can easily bring the information to life. Neither does Deenick give bland facts in his book. He fits his information within the story of Scripture, allowing the story to illuminate the details, and the details the story. We are the circumcision of Christ who have put off the old flesh, have received a spiritual circumcision, and love and desire to obey God. I highly recommend this book. Disclosure: I received this book free from IVP Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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Exodus
by
T. Desmond Alexander
SpoiledMilks
, June 26, 2018
Fuller review, see SpoiledMilks (6/26/18). With each section of the commentary Alexander provides his own translation of the Hebrew text, relevant notes on the text dealing with translational and linguistic matters, the form and structure of the unit, comments on the passage, and a final explanation which often brings together Exodus with the rest of the Bible and pairs it with our daily life and ministries. Alexander is extremely insightful with keeping the context of Exodus and of the whole canon in view in his exegesis. God is not an angry deity. Rather, he wants his people to be holy, and he expects them to be loyal and to leave behind egregious sinful ways. Alexander doesn’t provide his own outline. No footnotes means a cramped text. Regardless, these points in no way outweigh the weight of Alexander's own scholarship and work in this volume. Recommended? Alexander’s Exodus volume is a wealth of critical and conservative knowledge. He has written much on both the Pentateuch and biblical theology, and his wisdom shows forth in his work. If you can only own one scholarly commentary on Exodus, make it Alexander’s. If you have others, sell them. Now buy Alexander’s.
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