Studying the Jewishness of Jesus

Over the past several years I’ve seen an increased interest in studying the “Jewishness” of Jesus. I commend and encourage the interest but it has far too many on the popular level who do a sloppy job. I was happy to see the post by Joel Willitts from Euangelion who notes a source which seems to come up often: Ray Vanderlaan (though he is made even more popular by others such as Rob Bell). The common complaint is that too often the points made by these populizers is based on sources from much later than the New Testament. Here’s part of what Willitts wrote:

“Rabbinic literature is very difficult to work with for a number of reasons not least one needs a sophisiticated (sic) methodology for dating the traditions. When I was doing my doctorate I remember working tirelessly for a couple of months in the Rabbinic literature. I came to realized (sic) how foreign a world it was. One must be proficient in the first with biblical, mishnaic and modern Hebrew. Most of the secondary sources and study tools are in modern Hebrew. And those working in the field are almost exclusively Israelis. One notable exception is my friend David Instone Brewer at Tyndale House, Cambridge who is working on a multi-volume project whose acronym is TRENT (Traditions of the Rabbis from the Era of the New Testament). The second volume is to be released next month. This is an essential resource for those interested in using the Rabbis as background for the NT.”

It would be nice to have a popular treatment similar to D. A. Carson's Exegetical Fallacies that focused on these kind of fallacies.

Coming Soon from B&H Academic - Lukan Authoriship of Hebrews

Who wrote the book of Hebrews?  And the nominees are: Paul, Silas, Apollos, Philip, Clement of Rome, Epaphras, Barnabas, Priscilla, Luke and even Mary the mother of Jesus!  Few scholars today believe Paul wrote the book.  One of the few I can think that does espouse Pauline authorship is Robert Reymond in his book Paul Missionary Theologian.  Most of the New Testament scholars I've read simply acknowledge their ignorance and add to the chorus started by Origen and say "Only God knows."

Along comes a new book by David Allen in the New American Commentary Studies in Bible & Theology Series called Lukan Authorship of Hebrews.  Allen will definitely be swimming up stream with this view.  I've never really looked at the subject that close but I'm intrigued by what Allen might have to say.  The catalog description says the book has an endorsement from Paul Ellingworth "who has said Allen's is the best argument for Lukan authorship he has read." 

David L. Allen is dean of the School of Theology, professor of Preaching, and director of the Center of Biblical Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Watch for it this June.  It will be a hardcover with 400 pages and sell for $24.99. 

The Liturgical Year and Spiritual Formation

Don’t you love it when you read something that describes perfectly what you’ve been thinking or feeling? I’m reading through The Brazos Introduction to Spirituality and the second chapter is on “Exploring Christian Spirituality.” The chapter looks at Christian spirituality as an interdisciplinary exploration. That is to say it looks at “six realms of experience which provide us information about what relationship with God is like.” (39) One of those is personal experience. The author, Evan Howard, is careful to note the strengths and weaknesses of each of these realms. But the following paragraph seemed to express exactly what I’ve been hoping for (and fearful of) in my exploration of the liturgical year.

"Second, don’t be afraid of imitating others, yet be yourself. This may sound like a contradiction, but it’s not. We begin to become ourselves through imitation. This is true of virtually every kind of learning. Apprentice painters often go through seasons of learning to paint ‘like’ Pierre-Auguste Renoir, ‘like’ Rembrandt van Rijn, ‘in the style of’ Vincent van Gogh. Similarly, scholarship is learning to think ‘in the style of’ those whom we incorporate. Yet in time, one can discover one’s self—distinct from all the imitations. A stroke of the brush, an independent idea, and we find ourselves, never wholly independent from those we have imitated yet with a unique contribution to offer. It is the same in the spiritual life. In exploring the spiritual life, we travel down roads others have traveled before. ‘I would like to try on the mantle of the desert elder for a while.’ ‘Just for fun, let’s experiment with Methodist class meetings for one year.’ And so on. Of course, with this kind of exploration, one faces the danger of ‘dabbling,’ where personal spirituality begins to look more like a shopping trip than an authentic relationship with God. There is also the danger of turning personal spiritual formation into an attempt to become the next Francis or Clare of Assisi. But at the same time, exploration of relationship with God needs the freedom to find itself through imitation." (45)

I read this and said, “That’s it!” My journey with liturgical year is my imitation of those in various traditions for which this is such a vital part of their spiritual formation. But I didn’t want to simply “dabble” with it as if it were a new toy. Howard continues with some very helpful advice and a warning.

"Finally, pay attention. If your personal experience is going to be a tool in exploring Christian spirituality, you will have to be aware of what goes on in your relationship with God. Keeping a journal, or some system of notes, may be helpful in order to record the goings on of your spiritual life. You can integrate this information with that gained from the other resources for exploring Christian spirituality. Once again, in the practice of paying attention, another danger arises—namely, that personal spirituality will become an exercise in analysis rather than a delightful, spontaneous relationship with God. Watch out for this! It is easy to discuss all manner of spiritual dynamics, complete with personal illustrations, and all the while avoid the real work of authentic relationship with God." (45) 

John Walton Responds to Vern Poythress

Readers of this blog may recall a review I did of John Walton's book The Lost World of Genesis One.  Theologian Vern Poythress did a review of the book for World magazine.  Walton has now responded to that review.  He says he normally "does not find responses and counter-responses to be fruitful, but Poythress’s review of my book is particularly problematic, and I feel it is important to set the record straight for interested readers."  The Biologos blog has invited Poythress to respond and they say they will publish his response if he would like to.  Walton's final paragraphs are of particular interest:

"All of these comments have reflected on the statements that Poythress actually made. I realize that he had limited space for the review, but it seems quite telling that he did not interact with any of the evidence from the ancient Near Eastern literature, which serves a very significant role in the argument. He also did not deal with all the Hebrew lexical information that was brought to bear to demonstrate the position within the Bible itself. Instead of dealing with the evidence that was presented, he contented himself with saying it did not make logical sense to him. But isn’t that the very point? Ancient ways of thinking are not intuitive to us, nor is their logic transparent. That is why we delve into the literature for evidence. These are serious oversights."

"I have read a few other reviews of the Lost World of Genesis One by scholars who had reservations about my theory. They were balanced, understood my position well, interacted with my ideas and evidence in depth, and offered assessment of aspects of the theory as they raised important questions. These are much appreciated. Dr. Poythress is certainly capable of offering such a review, but this effort fell far short of that helpful ideal. In the process I believe he did a disservice to me, to his readers, and to the discussion."

I was pleased to see my own review listed as suggested reading as a "representative review."  Thanks to my co-worker Jared for bringing Walton's response to my attention. 

Coming Soon from B&H Academic - The Unquenchable Flame

I met with our B&H Publishing Group rep this week and there several books coming out that I'm interested in seeing. The first one I want to tell you about is the one that will have the most appeal to my immediate market--Grand Rapids.  It is The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation by Michael Reeves with a forward by Mark Dever.  The catalog description follows:

"Burning pyres, nuns on the run, stirring courage, and comic relief: the Protestant Reformation is a gripping tale, packed with drama. But what motivated the Reformers? And what were they really like?"

"The Unquenchable Flame, a lively, accessible, and fully informative introduction to the Reformation by Michael Reeves, brings to life the movement’s most colorful characters (Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, The Puritans, etc.), examines their ideas, and shows the profound and personal relevance of Reformation thinking for today."

"Chapter titles include "Going Medieval on Religion: The Background to the Reformation," "God's Volcano: Martin Luther," "Soldiers, Sausage, and Revolution: Ulrich Zwingli and the Radical Reformers," "After Darkness, Light: John Calvin," "Burning Passion: The Reformation in Britain," "Reforming the Reformation: The Puritans," and "Is the Reformation Over?""

Michael Reeves is theological advisor for Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF), a charity evangelism in higher education throughout the United Kingdom.  He was previously associate minister at All Souls Church, Langham Place and holds a doctorate in systematic theology from King's College London. 

The book was first published by Inter-Varsity Press of England in 2009.  Look for it this coming April.  It is a paperback with 208 pages and will retail for $14.99. 

In Store Now - The Paraclete Psalter

One of my classes when I was at Moody Bible Institue was on the Psalms.  John Frye was my professor and one of the requirements for the class was to read through the book of Psalms six times.  I about fell out of my chair when he told us that.  I started doing the math in my head "Six times in four months that's . . . well, it's just too much."  I did do it and it helped that he encouraged us to use different translations.  I confess I did practice some speed reading skills but when all was said and done I enjoyed it.  This week we received The Paraclete Psalter: A Book of Daily Prayer from Paraclete Press and I was reminded of my Psalms class.   This is a handsomely bound book in imitation black leather which will take you through the Psalms in one month.  But it is much more than just the book of Psalms.  It is also a book of prayers to accompany your reading of the Psalms.  The Psalms are arranged in a thematic order.

"Psalms with references to morning, light, and praise can be found in Lauds; psalms describing evening and the remembrance of God's goodness are mostly found in Vespers.  Retained at the Midday Office are Psalm 119 and the Gradual Psalms (120-34) that have traditionally been chanted at the Little Hours--the shorter prayer services used in some communities--of Terce, Sext, and None.  Alone with Compline these services are prayed each weekday."  (viii)

If you're like me some of this terminology is unfamiliar.  It just so happens I've been reading a book by James F. White called A Brief History of Christian Worship and he has a nice chart of "The Western Monastic Cycle of the Daily Office" which helped me understand some of these terms (the chart is on page 54).

Vespers (at the end of the working day)

Compline (before bedtime)

Nocturns or Vigils or Matins (during the middle of the night)

Lauds (at daybreak)

Prime (shortly thereafter)

Terce (during the middle of the morning)

Sext (at noon)

None (during middle of the afternoon)   

I thought it odd that it would start with Saturday Vespers.  "Shouldn't it start with a morning reading," I thought?  The introduction explains that the only reading for "Saturday is Vespers, which is actually a First Vespers to prepare for Sunday's worship."  I have so much to learn from this rich tradition. 

The book is imitation leather with 336 pages and sells for $24.99.  It uses the NIV for its translation of the Psalms. 

Baker Book House 2010 Forum: Spiritual Formation

I finally decided on the topic of this year's forum--spiritual formation.  We have had success with our past forums.  Our first forum was on the emerging church, the second was on hip-hop culture and the church, the third was on The Shack, and last year's was on John Calvin.  Besides the topic nothing else has really been settled so I have a lot of work ahead of me.  In preparation for the forum I will be reading The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality by Evan B. Howard.  The literature on the subject of Christian Spirituality is enormous and growing.  Howard has done a masterful job of making the fruit of that corpus accessible to the average reader.  I've only read portions of it in the past but look forward to reading it from beginning to the end.  But not only is the content of this book excellent its presentation is exemplary.  Each chapter begins with an extensive outline and lays out its objectives.  It is filled with sidebars, focus boxes, charts, pictures and cartoons (Yes, cartoons.  One of my favorites shows a group of people sitting and one of them says, "Well, I haven't actually died to sin, but I did feel kind of faint once!")  You'll also find an extensive glossary, exercises, chapter summaries and lists of works for "Looking Further."   The book gleans from the three major traditions of Christianity: Protestant, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox.

Howard wrote an article for Christianity Today back in 2002 which is still worth reading.  It is called "Three Temptations of Spiritual Formation".  He is the director of the Spirituality Shoppe: An Evangelical Center for the Study of Christian Spirituality, based in Montrose, Colorado

I'll keep you posted as details for the forum come together.  From time to time I'll fill you in on my progress through Howard's book. 

The Making of an Atheist - A Review 1

Before I started this book I thought I was going to get a smattering of Bible verses that were referenced but not seriously treated. Instead the emphasis would be on psychology. Perhaps I would also find a few arguments in response to the New Atheists. I was wrong. James Spiegel is very serious about what Scripture says but finds some intriguing evidence from psychology which offers additional support for what he thinks makes an atheist.

In the introduction we are greeted with some of the main characters of the New Atheism: Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Thomas Nagel. Spiegel explains that there is really nothing new from these chaps “except the degree of bombast in their claims.” (10) The reason that this is nothing new is because the biblical writers have long recognized that some reject the existence of God. Psalm 19:1 says “the fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” The New Testament is equally clear. Paul says in Romans 1 that creation is a witness to God’s invisible qualities “so that men are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20) Spiegel says the purpose of his book is “not to defend the Christian worldview nor even theism” but rather “to present a Christian account of atheism.” (14) Spiegel introduces us to Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga and a Philosopher of Science Thomas Kuhn. He briefly notes that Plantinga argues that our cognitive faculties are designed to function in a certain manner. However those faculties do not always function properly because of sin. “Immorality hampers our ability to reason correctly, especially regarding moral and spiritual matters. And the more a person indulges in sin, the more his or her mind is corrupted, sometimes event to the point that one’s awareness of God is deadened. If Plantinga is right, atheism is a product of malfunctioning cognitive faculties.” (14-15) Thomas Kuhn’s landmark book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions demonstrates that “scientists do not observe the world objectively but always interpret what they see in light of the scientific theory to which they are committed.” (15) If Kuhn is right, Spiegel says, “then it is no surprise that hard-core atheists should be so confident in their disbelief. Their atheistic paradigm ensured that they see no trace of God, despite the fact that His fingerprints can be seen everywhere in the world.” (16)

Chapter one addresses atheistic arguments, errors, and insights. Spiegel cites two main arguments that are advanced for atheism: the problem of evil and the scientific irrelevancy of God. The former has been sufficiently answered by either the free will defense or the greater good defense. But, Spiegel contends, the problem of evil can never disprove the existence of God. At best it can only “undermine certain beliefs about the nature of God. . . evil should prompt us to reconsider what kind of God exists, not whether God exists. To give up belief in a world creator because of the existence of evil is a blatant non sequitur.” (26-27, emphasis his) Furthermore, atheists have “no grounds to call anything evil.” They have no basis for any sense of goodness apart from God’s existence. The natural end of atheism leads only to pessimism, bleakness and despair. Hardly a life worth enjoying. But Spiegel says the atheists have made some accurate complaints. Among those are the problem of hypocrisy, moral complacency, and the “pretext for shoddy scientific methodology.” (35-36) Spiegel adds two of his own observations; namely the tendency of Christians to divide over peripheral doctrinal matters and the all too common “refusal to admit mystery when it is clearly appropriate to do so.” (36-37) But even these “correct” observations do “not constitute reasonable objections to theistic belief per se” rather these “arguments accuse us of theistic malpractice.” (38 emphasis his)

Chapter two starts with the conversion of the prominent atheist Anthony Flew to deism (note: the whole issue of Flew's "conversion" is contested by some.). Spiegel outlines the reasons why Flew turned to deism. 1) Why are the laws of nature the way they are? 2) The fact of the universe. And, 3) the question of the origin of life. He notes that each of these categories of evidence for God “is immune to the evolutionary objection.” (48) With all of this evidence for God then why are there atheists? Spiegel does not think the problem is intellectual. There are many smart atheists. This suggests that something else is the cause. Here we find a Biblical diagnosis for atheism. Spiegel notes that Psalm 14:1 says the fool says there is no God. But here “fool” means someone who is “morally deficient.” (51) He continues on to the New Testament with Romans 1. We saw both of these texts in the Introduction. Here Spiegel spends a little more time fleshing out the meaning of the passages and the defense of his interpretation. He also provides anecdotal evidence from his own personal life of friends who have changed their mind about God. He says that “invariably, their ‘change of mind’ about God was precipitated by some personal rebellion.” (55) The biblical evidence suggests that the arguments of atheists are “an intellectual ruse masking their rebellion.” (56)

In a future post I’ll look at the second half of the book where Spiegel deals with the causes and obstinacy of atheism as well as the blessings of theism. It is here that psychological plays a major role in Spiegel’s thesis.

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany

If you're a novice like me with following the liturgical year it may be wise to stop and get our bearings.  We are currently at the fourth Sunday after Epiphany (or the fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time).  This year there are six Sundays after Epiphany followed by Transfiguration Sunday.  Ash Wednesday (the seventh Sunday before Easter) marks the start of Lent which this year is on February 17th.  In the Roman Catholic church Lent ends on Maundy Thursday.  In other traditions it ends on Holy Saturday (the Saturday before Easter). 

The readings for today are Psalm 71:1-6; Jer. 1:4-10; 1 Cor. 13:1-13 and Luke 4:21-30. 

On 1 Corinthians 13 I like what David Garland writes in his commentary from the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. For readability I have omitted the references of his quotations. He writes:

“Second, this is not a hymn to love. It is an integral part of Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians, and the list of things that love does and does not do is ‘aimed at the special faults of the Corinthians.’ Hurd suggests that omitting the negatives in each clause leaves us with a good description of the Corinthian’s behavior. They are impatient and unkind, filled with jealousy, vainglorious, and puffed up. They insist on their own way, are cantankerous and resentful, and rejoice in the wrong rather than right. Sigountos writes, ‘Such specific repetition of catchwords and phrases cannot be accidental: Paul intends to praise love by choosing acts that blame the Corinthians.’ This section becomes quite ironic. While praising love, Paul is blaming the Corinthians at the same time. The upshot is that although the gifts of the Spirit are conspicuous in their assembly, their lack of love is even more conspicuous. Rather than being a hymn glorifying how wonderful love is, this text becomes a subtle commentary on what is rotten in Corinth. ‘The stark message here is that while love stands the test of life, the Corinthian Christians have failed it miserably.’” (p. 616)

The application is clear: how does my own life compare?  I leave you with these words from a hymn by Thomas Pollock. 

We have not known Thee as we ought,
Nor learned Thy wisdom, grace and power;
The things of earth have filled our thought,
And trifles of the passing hour.
Lord, give us light Thy truth to see,
And make us wise in knowing Thee.

We have not feared Thee as we ought,
Nor bowed beneath Thine awful eye,
Nor guarded deed and word and thought,
Remembering that God was nigh.
Lord, give us faith to know Thee near,
And grant the grace of holy fear.

We have not loved Thee as we ought,
Nor cared that we are loved by Thee;
Thy presence we have coldly sought,
And feebly longed Thy face to see.
Lord, give a pure and loving heart
To feel and know the love Thou art.

We have not served Thee as we ought,
Alas, the duties left undone,
The work with little fervor wrought,
The battles lost or scarcely won!
Lord, give the zeal, and give the might,
For Thee to toil, for Thee to fight.

When shall we know Thee as we ought,
And fear and love and serve aright?
When shall we, out of trial brought,
Be perfect in the land of light?
Lord, may we day by day prepare
To see Thy face and serve Thee there.

Around the Web

Should Mother Theresa be on a stamp?  The United States Post Office was going to do it (and still may as near as I can tell) but ran into objections from the Freedom from Religion Foundation.  Joe Carter from First Things blog says technically they may be right by the letter of the law but the law is a stupid one. 

Scot McKnight asked his readers what they thought of the State of the Union address by President Obama.  The responses were unusually negative for his blog. 

Jeff from the Scripture Zealot alerts us to a new website coming from Tyndale.  This surprised me a lot since I had just met with my Tyndale rep this week and he said nothing about it.  Shame on you Gary. 

John Piper gives us a peek at his writing projects for 2010 and says he will be at this year's Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) Conference and he will be on a panel with N. T. Wright and Frank Thielman discussing justification by faith!  I'm giving serious thought to going.  

Kevin DeYoung has a wonderful post on the "Fetid Pool" of self promotion.  For similar thoughts see the post by Bruce Little at the Evangelical Philosophical Society blog. 

My friend Paul Adams continues his review of Philip Payne's book Man and Woman, One in Christ.  You'll find part five here where he outlines Payne's argument that 1 Cor. 14:34-35 is an interpolation. 

Just a reminder that our new website will be coming in February.  As soon as it's up I'll be sure to let you know. 

John Frame on the Sufficiency of Scripture

One of my favorite writers is John Frame.  This quote is from his book The Doctrine of the Christian Life.  I'm grateful to my co-worker Kyle who gave it to me as a gift this past Christmas. 

"Christians sometimes say that Scripture is sufficient for religion, or preaching, or theology, but not for auto repairs, plumbing, animal husbandry, dentistry, and so forth.  And of course many argue that it is not sufficient for science, philosophy, or even ethics.  This is to miss an important point.  Certainly Scripture contains more specific information relevant to theology than dentistry.  But sufficiency in the present context is not sufficiency of specific information but sufficiency of divine words.  Scripture contains divine words sufficient for all of life.  It has all the divine words that the plumber needs, and all the divine words that the theologian needs.  So it is just as sufficient for plumbing as it is for theology.  And in that sense it is sufficient for science and ethics as well." ( p. 157)