I dislike study Bibles. I almost said I hate them, but since I do tolerate some of them, that would be overstating the case. My problem with them is that they tend to blur the distinction between the text that we’re studying and the commentary made about it. I have managed to keep my annoyance…
When I wrote yesterday about the HCSB introduction and its use of the label “optimal equivalence” I fully intended to write another post complaining about that introduction. And I will mention the other issue briefly in this post. But something else was drawn to my attention in the meantime. Let me lay a foundation. Some…
David Allen has an excellent series of posts on this passage (HT: David Alan Black), which I think is the key to the entire book. I am, of course, especially impressed with the fact that much of what he says is compatible with the way I believe the passage should be interpreted! Agree or disagree,…
Thomas Hudgins provides 10 steps for biblical exegesis. I’m particularly pleased to see structural and rhetorical analysis on the list.
I was out driving today and saw a church sign with the statement, “The Bible – Your First Notebook.” What exactly does that mean? I see almost nothing about the Bible that makes it like a notebook. It’s still better than the common statement—at least I heard it frequently when I was younger—that the Bible…
Oh, we don’t have to keep it brief. My friend Greg May (also an Energion author, Crewed Awakening and It’s in the Toolbox) wrote a great post this morning about application. There’s nothing wrong, in my view, and much good about learning the nuts and bolts of the Bible. I’ve encountered an attitude similar to…
I try not to call what I do here “reviewing” as I don’t really try to provide an academic review. In fact, I might do better to call these “Ramblings after Reading.” In the case of this book I need to provide an additional caveat. Dave Black is a friend, and I publish several books…
I was reading this morning from the introduction to Moffatt’s commentary on Hebrews in the International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, Ltd, 1979), and found an interesting quote on the variety of proposals for the authorship of the book. Few characters mentioned in the NT have escaped the attention of those who have desired in…
David Lincicum, “University Lecturer in the Faculty of Theology and Religion, and Caird Fellow in Theology at Mansfield College, Oxford” (About), has a new blog. Well, new to me. It’s been around for several months. It looks interesting. Today he posted on a possible allusion (my term) to Judges in Mark in his post Trees…
One of the key things I say in teaching Bible study is: “Aim it at yourself first.” Now that’s a hard one to follow, and it doesn’t mean one can never discover what a text means for someone else. Rather, it’s a focus. I need to look at what I need to change. You need…
